Starbucks vs Krispy Kreme ®
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Starbucks
Easily order and pay for your favorite drinks and food ahead of time. Join the rewards program to earn Stars for free items, exclusive benefits, and birthday treats. Find nearby stores and manage your Starbucks Cards.
- Order ahead and customize drinks
- Earn Stars for free food and drinks
- Exclusive member benefits and birthday rewards
- Save favorite stores and past orders
- Send and save eGifts
- Find nearby stores with hours and amenities
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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.
Krispy Kreme ®
Earn rewards and get free treats with a loyalty program. Order your favorite doughnuts for pickup or delivery. Discover exclusive offers and find nearby locations.
- Krispy Kreme Rewards program
- Earn points for free treats
- Welcome and birthday rewards
- Order ahead for pickup
- Delivery ordering
- Exclusive offers and updates
- Shop locator with Hot Light notifications
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Welcome to the Krispy Kreme® app! The best thing since our hot doughnuts. Download now to experience the easiest way to get free treats with the Krispy Kreme Rewards program, plus enjoy easy ordering for pickup and delivery. Krispy Kreme Rewards Join today to start earning points toward free treats with every bite and sip. Earn a reward in as little as one visit and redeem your points for your Krispy Kreme favorites. Enjoy a welcome treat when you join, plus we’ll make your birthday extra sweet! Your Order, Your way Skip the line and order ahead with pickup or delivery so you can enjoy your treats even faster. Stay in the Dough Be the first in line for exclusive offers, access to our new limited time doughnuts and fresh updates! Enable push notifications and never miss out on any sweet offers. Shop Locator Find the nearest Krispy Kreme shop wherever you are so you can always know when hot, fresh doughnuts are coming off the line with Hot Light notifications.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Starbucks at 73% against Krispy Kreme ®'s 8%. Starbucks also leads on ratings volume (8.5M vs 39K) and rating (4.9 vs 4.5). Krispy Kreme ®'s advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, 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.
Starbucks holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Starbucks has 8.5M ratings behind it against 39K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of Starbucks's written reviews are positive against 8% of Krispy Kreme ®'s.
Starbucks ships an update every 10 days, Krispy Kreme ® fortnightly. Both last shipped on November 8, 2026.
| Parameter | Starbucks | Krispy Kreme ® |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (8.5M ratings) — better | 4.5 (39K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 73.1% of reviews — better | 8.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 8.5M — better | 39K |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #6 — better | #66 |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 232 MB | 122 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Starbucks Coffee Company | Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corporation |
Customer experience
Starbucks
Krispy Kreme ®
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
Krispy Kreme ®
From 39K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- ❤️ Amazing donuts at amazing prices
- 👍 Convenient rewards program and coupons
Room to improve
- 🐛 App is buggy and not working properly
- 🤔 Inconsistent store experiences
- 🤷♂️ Poor customer service and communication
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
Krispy Kreme ®
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashes frequently
- Login and account issues
- Rewards and points not tracking properly
Requested features
3 requests- Allow adding and using gift cards in the app
- Improve mobile ordering and pickup experience
- Provide better rewards and loyalty program
In-app purchases
Starbucks
No in-app purchases
Krispy Kreme ®
No in-app purchases
