Comparison

Roastmaster vs RoastEar

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

Head to head
About

Roastmaster

This app helps coffee roasters achieve consistent, perfect cups by tracking roast data, managing green bean inventory, and facilitating blend creation. It offers detailed reporting, visual analysis tools, and optional thermocouple integration for automated roasting.

Highlights
  • Roast data tracking and analysis
  • Green bean inventory management
  • Blend creation and experimentation
  • Cupping score recording
  • Automated roast reminders
  • Roaster maintenance scheduling
  • Optional thermocouple data logging
Features
Read full description

Precision roast profiling is only the beginning. Roastmaster goes far beyond managing your workflow and cataloging your data. By integrating your workflow, data, and analysis, it reveals insights that would otherwise go unnoticed—the patterns within your data and the story they tell. Whether you're pursuing the perfect cup or a stronger bottom line, Roastmaster helps you understand how the pieces fit together—bringing a gestalt to coffee roasting. KNOW YOUR INVENTORY Your inventory is more than a tally. It's a living picture of your coffee’s potential. Every origin, process, harvest, lot, and purchase tells part of the story. Roastmaster makes every detail of your inventory easy to explore and understand visually. PLAN WITH CONFIDENCE Keeping inventory stocked is about more than avoiding shortages. It's about keeping the coffees you need when you need them. Roastmaster helps you leverage seasonal trends and historical usage patterns to plan your orders with confidence. MONITOR BEAN QUALITY Coffee is always changing. Harvests, seasons, and even individual lots all influence quality. Roastmaster preserves that history over time so you can understand how it affects both flavor and consistency from one roast—and one season—to the next. LOG VIRTUALLY ANYTHING Roasting is the heart of it all—and Roastmaster has plenty of heart. Whether you're logging temperatures from supported probe hardware, gas pressure from DIY Bluetooth electronics, or entering readings manually, Roastmaster adapts to the way you roast…and never forgets a detail. LEARN FROM EVERY ROAST Every roast is an opportunity to improve the next. Roastmaster helps you capture what worked, learn from what didn't, and build a library of profiles that evolves with your experience. Create profiles manually, from completed roasts, or even target previous roasts on the fly. STAY ON COURSE Monitor temperature projections, roast phases and key milestones in real time so you can make confident decisions as you roast. Profiles, targeted roasts or auto-trigger events can provide audible alerts to make sure you don’t miss a thing. ELEVATE YOUR WORKFLOW Spend less time preparing roasts and more time roasting. Roastmaster streamlines setup, lets you create new roasts from existing data, and even prepares production runs to meet a desired yield. CREATE YOUR BRAND TASTE–AND KEEP IT Beans change from crop to crop, but your signature flavor doesn't have to. Build a library of custom blends, experiment with snapshots to refine every recipe, and preserve the character your customers expect from season to season. EVALUATE FOR EXCELLENCE Every cup has something to teach. Whether you're rating a morning brew or conducting a formal cupping session, Roastmaster helps you capture the details with multiple tasting protocols, intuitive scoring tools, and visual comparisons that connect every evaluation back to the decisions that shaped it. READ THE STORY Why collect data if you never stop to understand the story it tells? Roastmaster's powerful analytics reveal how beans, lots, roasts, blends, and all their quality, varietal, and cost attributes shape both flavor and business outcomes. It helps you see the complete picture—and make better decisions because of it. Roastmaster is free to download and explore. Features vary by subscription tier. Learn more at rainfroginc.com. Privacy Policy: https://rainfroginc.com/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

RoastEar

Features
Read full description

First crack can be hard to hear over a fan. RoastEar gives home coffee roasters a focused timer, large milestone controls, and optional acoustic assistance that listens alongside you. YOU STAY IN CONTROL Mark charge, dry end, first crack, second crack, drop, and cool by hand. When acoustic assistance is enabled, RoastEar analyzes microphone input on your device and may suggest first- or second-crack timing. Confirm or correct every suggestion. The timer and manual controls work without microphone access or a subscription. BUILT FOR THE ROAST • A large clock and controls designed for quick glances • Session-specific noise calibration and adjustable sensitivity • Live crack-rate context rather than a generic loudness meter • Development time and development ratio • Manual bean-temperature logging with temperature curves and rate of rise • Weight loss, ratings, roast notes, and cupping notes • Import an Artisan roast free. Pro unlocks unlimited roast history and export. • Optional retained audio for your own review PRIVATE BY DESIGN Audio analysis runs on your device. RoastEar does not serve ads or track users across unrelated apps, and no RoastEar account is required. RevenueCat receives pseudonymous Apple purchase and entitlement metadata for Pro access, restoration, and subscription analytics; no roast or audio data is sent to it. A separate legal-record service retains your legal choice and receipt, document versions, and pseudonymous installation identity—not your roast or audio content. Optional retained audio stays only on the originating device, is excluded from device backups, and leaves only when you explicitly share it. Roast records use your private iCloud database when iCloud is available. ROASTEAR PRO Import an Artisan roast free. Pro unlocks unlimited roast history and export. The free version also includes the manual timer, calculators, and one saved roast. Acoustic results depend on the roaster, batch, device placement, microphone, and surrounding noise. RoastEar is a logging companion, not a safety monitor. Never leave a roaster unattended. Terms of Use: https://www.uncommonweather.com/legal/apps/roastear-terms.html Privacy Policy: https://www.uncommonweather.com/legal/apps/roastear-privacy.html Product Schedule: https://www.uncommonweather.com/legal/roastear.html

Screenshots

Roastmaster4 screens
RoastEar4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: RoastEar at every 9 days against Roastmaster's every 5 months. RoastEar also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Roastmaster sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and RoastEar sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Roastmaster ships an update every 5 months, RoastEar every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Roastmaster versus RoastEar: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRoastmasterRoastEar
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (32 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews78.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings32 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.018.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size88 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRainfrog, Inc.Ryan Tinklepaugh

Bugs and requests

Roastmaster

Reported bugs

30 issues
  • App crashes
  • Cannot connect to Bluetooth probe (specific machine)
  • Cannot connect to cloud
  • Increase Contrast iOS setting obscures preference settings
  • App is no longer usable without buying entitlements
Show 25 more
  • Subscription only service after purchase
  • Stealth switch to subscription
  • Long time users are being locked out
  • App is dated
  • Support for cheaper, off the shelf Bluetooth probe thermometers is nonexistent
  • When making a copy of a roast, probes have to be rebound
  • Cannot inventory blends
  • Update today, no longer usable without buying entitlements
  • Bricking the app for long time users
  • Was a great app, not too sure about this latest update
  • App flashes and cannot be used
  • Cannot connect to cloud, Apple says it's private
  • App is very unfriendly
  • Features seem to change with no warning or pattern
  • Sometimes able to compare roast profiles, then feature drops out
  • Login screen freezes
  • Incompatible with older devices
  • The graph is a bit hard to read
  • The dark background makes it hard to decipher graphs
  • The database sometimes comes up as the old version when passed via Dropbox
  • Data entry could be simplified
  • The timing values are not entirely clear
  • Pressing the start button when roasting closes the roast screen
  • It is not entirely clear what the timing values are
  • The timing values are not entirely clear

Requested features

26 requests
  • Add development percentage to roast screen
  • Ability to store low to medium resolution image with a roast
  • Ability to make a blend from existing roasts
  • Support for cheaper, off-the-shelf Bluetooth probe thermometers
  • Copy roast including data curve
Show 21 more
  • Dark mode option
  • Advanced analytics dashboard
  • iWatch app for manual data logging
  • Ability to hide unwanted sections
  • Remember or save curve names and parameters when adding a curve
  • Bean inventory should not go into negative numbers
  • Easier to read graphs
  • Can change minimum temp of graph
  • Section for moisture loss percentage
  • Section for development percentage
  • Section for preheat temp
  • Database syncing via iCloud or Dropbox
  • Ability to store photos with roast profile
  • Ability to import and export roast curves (csv or text)
  • View several curves superimposed on one plot
  • Easier to input data during a roast
  • View and compare roast graphs post roast
  • Type in time for timer instead of ring slider
  • Data in blends based on proportions for blend roast quantity
  • Enter cost with inventory to calculate cost/kg for each blend
  • Ability to create blends by combining beans before the roast

RoastEar

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Roastmaster

Subscriptions6
  • Basic Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Pro Monthly$19.991 Month
  • Premium Monthly$39.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Basic Yearly$49.991 Year
  • Pro Yearly$199.991 Year
  • Premium Yearly$399.991 Year
One-time1
  • Data Logging$14.99
2 purchases

RoastEar

Subscriptions2
  • RoastEar Pro Monthly3 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • RoastEar Pro Annual7 Days trial$24.991 Year

Questions

Is Roastmaster free?
Roastmaster is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is RoastEar free?
RoastEar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Roastmaster or RoastEar have ads?
Neither Roastmaster nor RoastEar shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Roastmaster or RoastEar?
Roastmaster ships an update every 5 months, and RoastEar every 9 days. Most recently, Roastmaster was updated on November 6, 2026 and RoastEar on October 31, 2026.

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