Starbucks vs Cinnabon
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Starbucks
Easily order your favorite drinks and food ahead of time, customize your perfect beverage, and earn rewards with every purchase. Manage your Starbucks Card, send eGifts, and find nearby stores with hours and amenities.
- Order ahead and customize drinks
- Earn Stars for free food and drinks
- Save payment methods and scan to pay
- Send and save eGifts
- Find nearby stores and view amenities
- Track Starbucks Rewards status
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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.
Cinnabon
Order your favorite cinnamon rolls for delivery or pickup, and earn rewards with every purchase. Sign up to receive a sweet treat and enjoy exclusive offers. Track your points and redeem them for delicious Cinnabon items.
- Contactless mobile ordering
- Delivery and pickup options
- Earn points on purchases
- Redeem points for rewards
- Exclusive offers and surprises
- Bakery locator
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The Cinnabon app lets you place mobile orders for contactless delivery or pickup, earn points toward sweet rewards with every purchase, receive exclusive offers and more. Because Life Needs Frosting®. Sweet Rewards --------------------- Enjoy BonBites or a MiniBon on us with purchase just for signing up!* Get a 16 oz Cold Brew on your birthday Earn 10 points for every dollar spent Receive a Classic Roll, MiniBon or 4-ct BonBites every 250 points Bonus offers and fun surprises Great Features -------------------- Contactless mobile ordering for delivery or pickup Exclusive rewards & offers Convenient bakery locator Points tracker Rewards and online ordering only available at participating U.S. locations. *Valid for Cinnabon Rewards Members. One (1) 4-count Original BonBites or MiniBon with purchase. Expires 14 days after issue. Single use. Service fees, taxes, and other fees may apply. Exclusions apply. Void where prohibited. Full terms: Cinnabon.com/offers. CA Privacy Notice: https://www.cinnabon.com/privacy#ca Do Not Sell My Info: https://www.cinnabon.com/privacy#ca
Screenshots
Verdict
Starbucks and Cinnabon both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 73% of Starbucks's written reviews are positive against 34% of Cinnabon's. Starbucks also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (8.5M vs 9K). Cinnabon's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.5). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
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 — 4.9 for Starbucks against 4.8 for Cinnabon. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Starbucks has 8.5M ratings behind it against 9K, 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 34% of Cinnabon's.
Starbucks ships an update every 10 days, Cinnabon every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.
| Parameter | Starbucks | Cinnabon |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (8.5M ratings) — better | 4.8 (9K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 73.1% of reviews — better | 33.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 8.5M — better | 9K |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #16 — better | #87 |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 233 MB | 125 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Starbucks Coffee Company | Cinnabon® Franchisor SPV LLC. |
Customer experience
Starbucks
Cinnabon
User reviews
Starbucks
From 8.5M App Store ratingsWhat 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
Cinnabon
From 9K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great app experience
- 👍 Reliable and consistent performance
- 👍 Excellent customer service
- 👍 Delicious Cinnabon products
Room to improve
- 🐛 Password recovery issues
- 🐛 Rewards system not working properly
- 🐛 Delivery issues (cold food)
- 🐛 Barcode scanning not functioning
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
Cinnabon
Reported bugs
3 issues- App not launching on iOS devices
- Inability to select drink size
- Rewards not being properly applied
Requested features
2 requests- Bring back Cinnastix/CinnaSticks
- Improve rewards program and make it more accessible
In-app purchases
Starbucks
No in-app purchases
Cinnabon
No in-app purchases
