# SMWS Codes vs Whiskey Rater

The clearest difference is update cadence: SMWS Codes at every 5 weeks against Whiskey Rater's every 8 months. SMWS Codes also leads on iOS requirement (15.5 vs 17.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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 SMWS Codes against 5.0 for Whiskey Rater. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 3 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

SMWS Codes ships an update every 5 weeks, Whiskey Rater every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SMWS Codes | Whiskey Rater |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smws-codes/id1630477425/reviews) | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whiskey-rater/id6744699006/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 5 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Scott Freedlun](https://appshunter.io/developer/931500983) | [Chris Silver](https://appshunter.io/developer/1382393030) |

## What reviewers say

### SMWS Codes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smws-codes/id1630477425)

Easily access and look up codes for over 150 distilleries featured by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. This app provides a quicker, more convenient way to find your favorite spirit codes compared to scrolling through long lists on websites.

**Highlights:** Distillery code lookup, Access to 150+ distilleries, Quick search functionality, Convenient reference tool

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Whiskey Rater

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whiskey-rater/id6744699006)

Privately catalog your whiskey experiences offline. Scan bottle labels to extract details, rate drams, add tasting notes, and organize your collection. Features a collection dashboard and export options.

**Highlights:** Offline-first whiskey cataloging, On-device label scanner, Rate drams on a 1-10 scale, Add tasting notes and flavor tags, Collection stats dashboard, Export and backup options, Wishlist mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SMWS Codes free?

SMWS Codes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Whiskey Rater free?

Whiskey Rater is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, SMWS Codes or Whiskey Rater?

SMWS Codes and Whiskey Rater are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 5 and 3 ratings respectively.

### Do SMWS Codes or Whiskey Rater have ads?

Neither SMWS Codes nor Whiskey Rater shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SMWS Codes or Whiskey Rater?

SMWS Codes ships an update every 5 weeks, and Whiskey Rater every 8 months. Most recently, SMWS Codes was updated on September 30, 2026 and Whiskey Rater on October 6, 2026.

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