# SCM Wine vs True Wine

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SCM Wine at none against True Wine's 2. SCM Wine also leads on review sentiment (75% vs 67%). True Wine's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 10 months) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. True Wine sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. SCM Wine asks for nothing beyond the download.

True Wine holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: True Wine has 557 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of SCM Wine's written reviews are positive against 67% of True Wine's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

SCM Wine ships an update every 10 months, True Wine monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SCM Wine | True Wine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scm-wine/id402566777/reviews) | **[4.8 (557 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/true-wine/id1481005735/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 14 | **557** |
| Positive reviews | **75.0% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#145** |
| Size | 22 MB | 207 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [GoLocalApps](https://appshunter.io/developer/402566780) | [True Wine, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1023098763) |

## What reviewers say

### SCM Wine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scm-wine/id402566777)

Explore wineries, restaurants, accommodations, and events in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA. Discover local wine trails and enjoy a mobile passport experience. Integrates with local mapping and social media.

**Highlights:** Winery directory, Restaurant listings, Accommodation information, Event calendar, Mobile passport experience, Local mapping integration, Social media integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### True Wine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/true-wine/id1481005735)

**Currently charting:** #145 Top Grossing · Food & Drink (US App Store)

Learn about wine through fun, bite-sized lessons and interactive tools. Master wine knowledge, explore regions on a global map, and gain confidence in choosing and discussing wine without the snobbery. Ideal for beginners and aspiring wine enthusiasts.

**Highlights:** Gamified wine lessons, Interactive global wine map, Personalized learning paths, Label decoding and pairing tips, Sommelier secrets revealed, Exclusive premium courses

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| True Wine Monthly Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| True Wine Yearly Subscription | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎓 Excellent educational content and learning structure
- 🗺️ Interactive region maps feature highly praised
- 👍 User-friendly interface and design
- 🎮 Gamified learning approach (Duolingo-style)
- 📚 Comprehensive wine knowledge for beginners and professionals

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Multiple bugs and glitches reported
- 📝 Free content quality issues with errors and generalizations
- 💰 Pricing model concerns (monthly subscription vs. one-time fee)
- 🚫 Mandatory timed quizzes blocking progression
- ⏱️ Slow content reveal and excessive button clicking

**Reported bugs**

- Region badges in profile certifications not registering
- Login loop (asks to log in then says already logged in)
- Password reset functionality broken
- Glitch in Sweetness lesson match section
- Timed tests reappearing in premium sections despite subscription

**Requested features**

- Expanded regional coverage (USA: Napa, Sonoma, Willamette, Walla Walla, Finger Lakes; Spain, Argentina, Chile, California, Central/Southern Italy, Germany, New Zealand, Portugal)
- Monthly subscription option in addition to annual
- Vocabulary review and terminology reference section
- Improved region map functionality
- More content for WSET Level 2 and 3 that aligns with official curriculum


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SCM Wine free?

SCM Wine is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is True Wine free?

True Wine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, SCM Wine or True Wine?

True Wine is rated higher. SCM Wine averages 4.5 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while True Wine averages 4.8 from 557 ratings.

### Do SCM Wine or True Wine have ads?

Neither SCM Wine nor True Wine shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SCM Wine or True Wine?

SCM Wine ships an update every 10 months, and True Wine monthly. Most recently, SCM Wine was updated on October 23, 2026 and True Wine on October 29, 2026.

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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.*