# Cracker Barrel vs Panera Bread

Cracker Barrel and Panera Bread both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 75% of Panera Bread's written reviews are positive against 36% of Cracker Barrel's. Panera Bread also leads on ratings volume (1.3M vs 98K) and chart position (#28 vs #124). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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 Cracker Barrel against 4.9 for Panera Bread. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Panera Bread has 1.3M ratings behind it against 98K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 36% of Cracker Barrel's written reviews are positive against 75% of Panera Bread's.

Cracker Barrel ships an update monthly, Panera Bread every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cracker Barrel | Panera Bread |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (98K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cracker-barrel/id390165371/reviews) | [4.9 (1.3M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/panera-bread/id692365393/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 98K | **1.3M** |
| Positive reviews | 36.3% of reviews | **74.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #124 | **#28** |
| Size | 72 MB | 156 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1032978187) | [Panera Bread](https://appshunter.io/developer/692365396) |

## What reviewers say

### Cracker Barrel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cracker-barrel/id390165371)

**Currently charting:** #124 Top Free · Food & Drink (US App Store)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### Panera Bread

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/panera-bread/id692365393)

**Currently charting:** #28 Top Free · Food & Drink (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cracker Barrel free?

Cracker Barrel 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, Cracker Barrel or Panera Bread?

Cracker Barrel and Panera Bread are both rated 4.9 out of 5 on the App Store, from 98K and 1.3M ratings respectively.

### Do Cracker Barrel or Panera Bread have ads?

Neither Cracker Barrel nor Panera Bread shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cracker Barrel or Panera Bread?

Cracker Barrel ships an update monthly, and Panera Bread every 2 weeks. Most recently, Cracker Barrel was updated on September 24, 2026 and Panera Bread on September 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Cracker Barrel or Panera Bread?

Cracker Barrel currently peaks at #124 in the App Store charts, and Panera Bread at #28. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*