Comparison

Theory vs CB2

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Theory

Explore the latest fashion collections and shop exclusive styles from a renowned contemporary brand. Save desired items with a one-tap Wish List and receive timely updates on new arrivals and sales through push notifications.

Highlights
  • Discover collections
  • Shop exclusive styles
  • Save items to Wish List
  • Check order status
  • Find store locations
  • Receive sale notifications
Features
Read full description

Discover Theory's collections, shop exclusive styles, and receive early access to sales. Convenient: Easier than ever to browse, shop, check order status, find a store, and more. Personalized: Our new Wish List function allows you to save items in just one tap. In the Know: Push notifications allow you to stay up to date on new arrivals, sales and App exclusive products. In 1997 Theory revolutionized the contemporary fashion market with its concept of the urban uniform. Headquartered in New York City and a leader in Fast Retailing Group’s brand portfolio, the brand balances luxury with accessibility in collections that are known for their exceptional fits, innovative fabrics, and enduring styles.

About

CB2

Discover and shop for modern furniture and home decor with a focus on quality materials and timeless design. Explore exclusive collections, visualize items in your space using AR, and manage gift registries.

Highlights
  • Streamlined shopping for modern furniture
  • Exclusive product collections
  • Augmented Reality (AR) tool to see furniture in your space
  • Create and manage gift registries
  • In-store item availability and care information
  • Store locator and directions
Read full description

Well made is always worth it. Stunning materials, timeless quality, best-in-class partners—at CB2, we’re on a mission to create collections that set the bar. Rather than following trends, we source pieces that inspire and excite. Our teams search for rare and interesting marbles, beautiful textiles, rich woods and luxurious metals in order to create pieces to buy now and love forever. We collaborate with product designers and artists from all over the globe, inviting new and distinct voices to the conversation while drawing on a range of references and inspirations that span decades and cross borders to create a signature point of view. What you’ll love about our app: - Streamlined shopping for modern furniture and home decor at the click of a button - A first look at exclusive pieces you won't find anywhere else - Sign in or create an account to shop personalized products and recommendations - Create lists of favorites and save them to review later on our app, website or in-store - Find out if an item is displayed at your local store, care information, and more – See furniture in your space with our easy AR tool - Save contact and payment information for faster, easier checkout - Trade Program members enjoy automatic discounts seamlessly applied at checkout - Find your nearest CB2 store and get hours and directions - Easy curbside or in-store order pickup—including gift orders—at your local store The Registry Experience: - Easily create, customize, and edit your gift registry - Get real-time alerts when gifts are purchased from your registry - Scan barcodes in-store to easily see product information and add to your registry or wishlist - Take advantage of 15% off your registry right in-app for 6 months after your event

Screenshots

Theory4 screens
CB24 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: CB2 at 4.9 against Theory's 4.6. CB2 also leads on review sentiment (36% vs 18%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Theory's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

CB2 holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 912 and 844 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of Theory's written reviews are positive against 36% of CB2's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Theory ships an update every 2 months, CB2 every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Theory versus CB2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTheoryCB2
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (912 ratings)4.9 (844 ratings) — better
Positive reviews17.7% of reviews35.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings912 — better844
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB151 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTheory LLCCrate and Barrel

Customer experience

Theory

All ratings912 ratings
Positive89.9%
Neutral1.9%
Negative8.2%
Written reviews62 reviews
Positive17.7%
Neutral3.2%
Negative79.0%

CB2

All ratings844 ratings
Positive97.3%
Neutral1.1%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive35.7%
Neutral28.6%
Negative35.7%

User reviews

Theory

From 912 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and easy to navigate
  • 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly
  • 💡 Useful features like wishlist and in-app discounts

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
  • ⏱️ Slow loading times and performance issues
  • 🔍 Inconsistent search and filtering functionality
  • 🔑 Difficulty signing in and account management
  • 💰 Promo codes and discounts not working as expected

CB2

From 844 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💎 Modern, affordable, and timeless design aesthetic
  • 👍 Better than website experience for browsing
  • 💡 Augmented reality feature for visualizing furniture
  • 🛍️ Convenient mobile shopping experience
  • ✨ High-quality, cohesive product selection

Room to improve

  • 🐛 AR 'View in my room' feature displays furniture in black space
  • 🐛 Curbside pickup check-in functionality broken
  • 🐛 Reviews section shows blank white space
  • 🐛 Search functionality returns irrelevant results
  • 🐛 Favorites and add-to-cart buttons frequently fail

Bugs and requests

Theory

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Cart items disappearing or unable to remove
  • Inability to complete purchases due to app issues
  • Inconsistent behavior when navigating between screens
  • Compatibility problems with newer devices and OS versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improve account management and sync across devices
  • Enhance search and filtering capabilities
  • Optimize performance and reduce loading times
  • Provide a more seamless and reliable checkout process
  • Offer more personalization and customization options

CB2

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • AR feature shows furniture floating in black space instead of room view
  • Curbside pickup check-in does not work
  • Reviews section displays blank white space
  • Search returns irrelevant products for basic keywords
  • Add to cart and favorites buttons malfunction intermittently
Show 3 more
  • Saved items disappear and are replaced by unselected items
  • App crashes or freezes when loading cards
  • iPad display renders app content too small

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to delete saved lists and clear clutter
  • iPad optimization for better display scaling
  • Background music/audio app compatibility
  • Improved autofill for login from website

In-app purchases

None

Theory

No in-app purchases

None

CB2

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Theory free?
Theory is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is CB2 free?
CB2 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Theory or CB2?
CB2 is rated higher. Theory averages 4.6 out of 5 from 912 ratings, while CB2 averages 4.9 from 844 ratings.
Do Theory or CB2 have ads?
Both Theory and CB2 show ads.
Which is updated more often, Theory or CB2?
Theory ships an update every 2 months, and CB2 every 3 weeks. Most recently, Theory was updated on September 29, 2026 and CB2 on September 28, 2026.

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