Comparison

Cracker Barrel vs McAlisters Deli

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

Head to head
About

Cracker Barrel

Easily order meals for pickup, curbside, or delivery, manage your rewards account, and join waitlists. Pay at your table and find nearby locations with menus and wait times.

Highlights
  • Order food online for pickup or delivery
  • Join online waitlist
  • Pay at the table
  • Manage Rewards account
  • Find locations and view menus
  • Order catering
Features
Read full description

The Cracker Barrel app does it all - and then some! You can join the waitlist, pay for your dine-in meal, and order to-go all from your phone. Plus, it’s a must for managing your Rewards account. ORDER ONLINE It’s easier than ever to place an order for your favorite Cracker Barrel meal. Browse the menu and order in the app for convenient pickup, curbside, or delivery. CATERING Your turn to host a holiday gathering, office party or cookout? We’ve got you. Choose from homestyle favorites that everyone will love. Place an order for now or schedule it for later. CHECK WAIT TIME AND JOIN ONLINE WAITLIST On your way? Use the app to check current wait time and join the waitlist. Less waiting, more enjoying. PAY AT THE TABLE Skip the register line and pay from your table using our Mobile Pay feature. FIND A LOCATION Get directions to your favorite Cracker Barrel store, see current wait times, and browse the menu before you stop by. REWARDS
 Track your Pegs, redeem your rewards, play the Bonus Game and more from your Rewards dashboard. So handy!

About

McAlisters Deli

Easily order your favorite deli meals ahead for pickup and customize them to your exact preferences. Earn points with every purchase to unlock exclusive deals and rewards, making every meal more satisfying.

Highlights
  • Order ahead for pickup
  • Customize meals
  • Earn points on purchases
  • Redeem rewards and deals
  • Easy reordering
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

The latest McAlister’s app is here, and it's packed with fresh, flavorful updates. Our new app puts everything you crave about our deli right at your fingertips - a user-friendly experience that offers what you want, exactly how you want it, plus a little something extra.​ Earn points with every purchase​ Redeem rewards with the click of a button, including exclusive deals.​ Order ahead​ Skip the line by placing your order in advance and pick it up when it’s ready.​ Customize your order​ Build your meal just the way you like it with easy-to-use customization options.​ Easy Reordering

Screenshots

Cracker Barrel4 screens
McAlisters Deli4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: McAlisters Deli at 15.1 against Cracker Barrel's 17.0. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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 Cracker Barrel against 4.8 for McAlisters Deli. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 98K and 172K respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 36% and 35% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. Both last shipped on November 4, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference · 10 level
Cracker Barrel versus McAlisters Deli: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCracker BarrelMcAlisters Deli
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (98K ratings) — better4.8 (172K ratings)
Positive reviews35.5% of reviews — better34.7% of reviews
Number of ratings98K172K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#113#57 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size72 MB128 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc.McAlister's Dev

Customer experience

Cracker Barrel

All ratings98,453 ratings
Positive97.6%
Neutral1.2%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews546 reviews
Positive35.5%
Neutral8.4%
Negative56.0%

McAlisters Deli

All ratings167,541 ratings
Positive95.2%
Neutral1.7%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews780 reviews
Positive34.7%
Neutral10.3%
Negative55.0%

User reviews

Cracker Barrel

From 98K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to navigate
  • 👍 Great photography
  • 🚀 Smooth and fluid
  • 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly
  • 🚀 Fast and easy ordering

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
  • 🔒 Cannot save payment information
  • 🐛 Waitlist feature not working as expected
  • 🐛 Ordering process issues
  • 🐛 Inconsistent performance

McAlisters Deli

From 172K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great app and rewards program
  • 🚀 Convenient ordering and payment process
  • 💡 Useful features like reordering and customization

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent app crashes and bugs
  • 🔍 Lack of transparency in rewards program
  • 🤔 Inconsistent user experience across locations
  • 🤨 Frustrating payment and checkout issues
  • 🤯 Poor customer service and support

Bugs and requests

Cracker Barrel

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Login issues and inability to reset password
  • Ordering process errors and failed submissions
  • Inaccurate wait time estimates
  • Inability to use gift cards for payment
  • Inconsistent app behavior across devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add Apple Pay or Google Pay as payment options
  • Allow saving of favorite orders and locations
  • Improve waitlist and estimated wait time accuracy
  • Streamline the ordering process
  • Fix persistent bugs and crashes

McAlisters Deli

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App fails to load menu items or order options
  • Issues with saved payment methods and order history
  • Location selection and order placement errors
  • Rewards not properly applied or tracked

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improve customization options for orders
  • Add ability to request special instructions
  • Streamline rewards program and make it more user-friendly
  • Enhance location search and order tracking functionality
  • Provide better communication on order status and availability

In-app purchases

None

Cracker Barrel

No in-app purchases

None

McAlisters Deli

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Cracker Barrel free?
Cracker Barrel is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is McAlisters Deli free?
McAlisters Deli is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Cracker Barrel or McAlisters Deli?
Cracker Barrel is rated higher. Cracker Barrel averages 4.9 out of 5 from 98K ratings, while McAlisters Deli averages 4.8 from 172K ratings.
Do Cracker Barrel or McAlisters Deli have ads?
Neither Cracker Barrel nor McAlisters Deli shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cracker Barrel or McAlisters Deli?
Cracker Barrel ships an update monthly, and McAlisters Deli monthly. Most recently, Cracker Barrel was updated on November 4, 2026 and McAlisters Deli on November 4, 2026.
Which is more popular, Cracker Barrel or McAlisters Deli?
Cracker Barrel currently peaks at #113 in the App Store charts, and McAlisters Deli at #57. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

Other comparisons