Comparison

Starbucks vs Panera Bread

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
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

Panera Bread

Order your favorite soups, salads, and sandwiches ahead for pickup or delivery. Access exclusive deals and rewards, and manage your Unlimited Sip Club membership. Reorder past favorites with ease and send digital gift cards.

Highlights
  • Order ahead for pickup or delivery
  • Access MyPanera rewards
  • Join Unlimited Sip Club
  • Save and reorder favorites
  • Send digital gift cards
  • Mix & Match menu deals
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Meet the NEW MyPanera® now with more FREE Panera faves than ever. Earn points toward FREE menu items, unlock delicious benefits, and get 500 bonus points with your first purchase.* Make the most of your MyPanera perks and points on the app, including MyPanera+ Sip Club™ benefits, exclusive members-only extras, offers, and more–all in one place. *Offer valid for 14 days. Terms apply. The Panera Bread ® app is like having a mini-Panera ® in your pocket, but even better! You’ll find all your faves, classic and new—and so. much. more: Get to the MMM faster. Skip the line! Find your local cafe and order ahead for Rapid Pick-Up®. Staying in? We’ll deliver your flavor fix right to your door. Track your order and get ready for the deliciousness. Every bite gets you closer to FREE. Join MyPanera® to earn points on every purchase that can be redeemed for FREE Panera favorites. Plus, enjoy personalized rewards, member-only perks, special surprises, and birthday treats. Sip. Save. Repeat. Join MyPanera+ Sip Club™ for access to a variety of beverages, exclusive offers, and special perks. Already a member? Redeem your drinks even faster in the app. We save your favorites. Your go-to orders (customizations and all) are right at your fingertips, so you can reorder it again, and again, and again... Share the YUM. Send them a gift card! Give them a coffee for their first day, a ‘get well’ soup, or a little extra love just because—right from the app to their email inbox.

Screenshots

Starbucks4 screens
Panera Bread4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Panera Bread at none against Starbucks's shown. Starbucks's advantage is ratings volume (8.4M vs 1.3M) and chart position (#6 vs #30). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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 4.9 for Panera Bread. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Starbucks has 8.4M ratings behind it against 1.3M, 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 75% of Panera Bread's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Starbucks ships an update every 10 days, Panera Bread every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Starbucks versus Panera Bread: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStarbucksPanera Bread
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (8.4M ratings)4.9 (1.3M ratings) — better
Positive reviews73.0% of reviews75.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings8.4M — better1.3M
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#6 — better#30
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS17.517.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size232 MB156 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperStarbucks Coffee CompanyPanera Bread

Customer experience

Starbucks

All ratings8,396,516 ratings
Positive98.4%
Neutral1.0%
Negative0.6%
Written reviews6,851 reviews
Positive73.0%
Neutral5.6%
Negative21.3%

Panera Bread

All ratings1,278,306 ratings
Positive98.9%
Neutral0.6%
Negative0.6%
Written reviews2,329 reviews
Positive75.2%
Neutral3.1%
Negative21.7%

User reviews

Starbucks

From 8.4M 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

Panera Bread

From 1.3M App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Efficient ordering process
  • 🔒 Contactless delivery option
  • 👍 Customization options
  • 👍 Syncs with payment methods
  • 👍 Rewards program integration

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy ordering process
  • 🐛 Inconsistent user experience
  • 🐛 Lack of order tracking
  • 🐛 Payment and rewards issues
  • 🐛 Slow app performance

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

Panera Bread

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Orders not showing up at the store
  • Inability to access past orders
  • Rewards not properly applied
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching between WiFi and cellular
  • App crashes or freezes during ordering process

Requested features

5 requests
  • Allow drive-thru pickup option
  • Improve customization capabilities
  • Provide order history and balance tracking
  • Streamline payment and rewards integration
  • Enhance app stability and responsiveness

In-app purchases

None

Starbucks

No in-app purchases

None

Panera Bread

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Starbucks free?
Starbucks is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Panera Bread free?
Panera Bread is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Starbucks or Panera Bread?
Panera Bread is rated higher. Starbucks averages 4.9 out of 5 from 8.4M ratings, while Panera Bread averages 4.9 from 1.3M ratings.
Do Starbucks or Panera Bread have ads?
Starbucks shows ads; Panera Bread does not.
Which is updated more often, Starbucks or Panera Bread?
Starbucks ships an update every 10 days, and Panera Bread every 3 weeks. Most recently, Starbucks was updated on October 24, 2026 and Panera Bread on October 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, Starbucks or Panera Bread?
Starbucks currently peaks at #6 in the App Store charts, and Panera Bread at #30. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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