# Starbucks Alumni Community vs Essential Reef

The clearest difference is ads: Essential Reef at none against Starbucks Alumni Community's shown. Essential Reef also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 4 months) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Starbucks Alumni Community against 5.0 for Essential Reef. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 7 respectively.

Starbucks Alumni Community ships an update every 4 months, Essential Reef every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Starbucks Alumni Community | Essential Reef |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starbucks-alumni-community/id1613406779/reviews) | [5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essential-reef/id6765518560/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **7** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 7 MB | 62 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Starbucks Coffee Company](https://appshunter.io/developer/331177718) | [Essential Reef](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895977098) |

## What reviewers say

### Starbucks Alumni Community

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starbucks-alumni-community/id1613406779)

Connect with former colleagues and continue your coffee journey with this official community app. Stay updated on company news and maintain relationships with fellow alumni.

**Highlights:** Stay connected with former colleagues, Continue your coffee journey, Receive company updates, Network with alumni

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Essential Reef

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essential-reef/id6765518560)

Connect with fellow reef aquarium enthusiasts, track your tank's parameters and livestock, and buy or sell corals, fish, and dry goods in a dedicated marketplace. Features include community forums, direct messaging, and detailed tank logging tools.

**Highlights:** Community forums and direct messaging, Marketplace for corals, fish, and dry goods, Tank parameter logging and charting, Livestock tracking and growth recording, Dosing schedule and logging, Data export to CSV

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Starbucks Alumni Community free?

Starbucks Alumni Community is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Essential Reef free?

Essential Reef is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Starbucks Alumni Community or Essential Reef?

Starbucks Alumni Community and Essential Reef are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4 and 7 ratings respectively.

### Do Starbucks Alumni Community or Essential Reef have ads?

Starbucks Alumni Community shows ads; Essential Reef does not.

### Which is updated more often, Starbucks Alumni Community or Essential Reef?

Starbucks Alumni Community ships an update every 4 months, and Essential Reef every 2 days. Most recently, Starbucks Alumni Community was updated on November 3, 2026 and Essential Reef on October 31, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*