Comparison

Starbucks vs Tim Hortons

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

Head to head
About

Starbucks

Order your favorite Starbucks drinks and food ahead of time for quick pickup. Earn Stars with the Rewards program for free food, drinks, and exclusive benefits. Manage your Starbucks Cards and send eGifts easily.

Highlights
  • Mobile ordering and customization
  • Starbucks Rewards program
  • Earn Stars for free items
  • Digital gift cards
  • Find nearby stores
  • Save favorite orders
Features
Read full description

Ordering ahead is just a download away. Get the Starbucks® app for an easier way to enjoy your favorites and discover Rewards in every sip as a member. ORDER SEAMLESSLY • Order in the app when you’re on your way • Customize and create your perfect drink • Save your favorite stores • View past orders & save custom drinks • Save payment methods and scan to pay in stores • Tip your barista for your delicious drink JOIN STARBUCKS® REWARDS • Earn Stars to use on free food & drinks • Start at Green status & level up to Gold or Reserve for exclusive benefits • Enjoy a free drink on your birthday*, plus more time to redeem as you level up • Try one free customization a month on Free Mod Mondays** • Enjoy early access to new items • Get Bonus Stars for digitally reloading your Starbucks Card (minimum $30) • Explore games and offers just for you SEND & SAVE eGIFTS • Save all your Starbucks Cards in one spot • Send eGifts via email, text, or messaging app • Choose from unique designs for every occasion FIND A STORE • See stores near you • Get directions and hours • View store amenities like drive-thru & Wi-Fi Must be a Starbucks Rewards member to enjoy exclusive member benefits and app features. *Birthday Reward: Green members: Redeemable on member’s birthday only, at participating stores. Gold members: Redeemable for 7 days starting on member’s birthday, at participating stores. Reserve members: Redeemable for 30 days starting on member’s birthday, at participating stores. Free birthday drink must be standard menu size. Excludes alcohol and multi-serve items. To qualify, you must have made at least one Star-earning transaction prior to your birthday each year. **Mod Monday: Redeemable at participating stores. Members will receive one free customization each month, up to $2 (pre-tax) each. Not valid for use with Rewards or other offers, discounts or promotions.

About

Tim Hortons

Order your favorite coffee, baked goods, and meals ahead for pickup or delivery. Earn rewards points with every purchase and access personalized offers and exclusive contests. Save your favorite orders for quick reordering.

Highlights
  • Order ahead for pickup or delivery
  • Earn Tims Rewards Points
  • Access personalized offers
  • Scan & Pay for faster checkout
  • Save favorite orders
  • Participate in contests and games
Features
Read full description

Meet the new Tim Hortons app—now easier to use with a new look and feel. Enjoy the convenience of ordering ahead for pickup, delivery, or dining in. Pay for your order and earn Tims Rewards Points in one simple step using Scan & Pay. With the app, you get access to personalized offers, delicious rewards, contests, and games—all through your phone! Tims Rewards Earn points with every order and redeem them for free food and beverages like coffee, baked goods, or breakfast, lunch, and dinner items. Who knew your Tims routine could be so rewarding? Personalized Offers Take advantage of exclusive deals inspired by your recent orders. Simply activate the offers that interest you and order the menu items before time runs out! Scan & Pay Save time at checkout with Scan & Pay. You can now pay for your order and earn Tims Rewards Points with one simple scan of your app. Order Ahead & Delivery Skip the line inside by ordering ahead with the app. Put together your perfect order, choose a location, and look for the ‘Mobile Pickup’ sign inside the restaurant. Staying in? We’ll deliver right to your door. Save Your Favorites Add recently ordered items with one tap—or create a list of your personal favorites. Customized orders are saved on your menu so you can quickly and easily get your order just the way you like it. Contests and Games Score prizes and extra Tims Rewards Points with our fan-favorite sweepstake Roll Up To Win™.

Screenshots

Starbucks4 screens
Tim Hortons4 screens

Verdict

The call

Starbucks and Tim Hortons both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 73% of Starbucks's written reviews are positive against 47% of Tim Hortons's. Starbucks also leads on ratings volume (8.5M vs 60K) and chart position (#7 vs #174). Tim Hortons's advantage is monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Starbucks against 4.7 for Tim Hortons. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Starbucks has 8.5M ratings behind it against 60K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 73% of Starbucks's written reviews are positive against 47% of Tim Hortons's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Starbucks ships an update every 10 days, Tim Hortons every 11 days. Both last shipped on November 12, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Starbucks versus Tim Hortons: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStarbucksTim Hortons
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (8.5M ratings) — better4.7 (60K ratings)
Positive reviews73.1% of reviews — better46.6% of reviews
Number of ratings8.5M — better60K
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 11 days
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
Best chart rank#7 — better#174
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.516.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size234 MB156 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperStarbucks Coffee CompanyTim Hortons

Customer experience

Starbucks

All ratings8,480,308 ratings
Positive98.4%
Neutral1.0%
Negative0.6%
Written reviews6,912 reviews
Positive73.1%
Neutral5.6%
Negative21.3%

Tim Hortons

All ratings60,167 ratings
Positive94.7%
Neutral2.4%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews1,938 reviews
Positive46.6%
Neutral9.1%
Negative44.2%

User reviews

Starbucks

From 8.5M App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Convenient mobile ordering
  • ⭐ Rewards program and tracking
  • 👍 User-friendly app design
  • 🕰️ Quick order pickup

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Unreliable mobile ordering functionality
  • 🕰️ Slow order processing at some locations
  • 🤔 Lack of customization options
  • 💰 Forced minimum reload amount

Tim Hortons

From 60K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and quick ordering
  • 👍 Convenient for avoiding long lines
  • 🚀 Easy to use app

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes and glitches
  • 🔍 Missing menu items and customization options
  • 💰 Incorrect charges and lack of refunds
  • 🤔 Inconsistent app experience
  • 📍 Issues with location detection and order routing

Bugs and requests

Starbucks

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Login issues and inability to reset password
  • App freezing and crashing
  • Inconsistent store information and mobile ordering availability

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to order and pay for just a cup of water or ice
  • Option to order pour-over coffee
  • Customizable nutrition information for drink orders
  • Store-specific ratings and performance tracking

Tim Hortons

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashing during checkout
  • Orders not being received by stores
  • Rewards not properly tracking or applying
  • Inability to cancel or refund orders

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to customize orders (e.g. toasted, add butter)
  • Option to pay directly with credit/debit card instead of pre-loading funds
  • Seamless integration with mobile wallets
  • Improved rewards program and redemption options
  • Better inventory tracking and menu accuracy across locations

In-app purchases

None

Starbucks

No in-app purchases

None

Tim Hortons

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Starbucks free?
Starbucks is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Tim Hortons free?
Tim Hortons is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Starbucks or Tim Hortons?
Starbucks is rated higher. Starbucks averages 4.9 out of 5 from 8.5M ratings, while Tim Hortons averages 4.7 from 60K ratings.
Do Starbucks or Tim Hortons have ads?
Both Starbucks and Tim Hortons show ads.
Which is updated more often, Starbucks or Tim Hortons?
Starbucks ships an update every 10 days, and Tim Hortons every 11 days. Most recently, Starbucks was updated on November 12, 2026 and Tim Hortons on November 12, 2026.
Which is more popular, Starbucks or Tim Hortons?
Starbucks currently peaks at #7 in the App Store charts, and Tim Hortons at #174. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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