# BrewGene vs PubPass

The clearest difference is rating: PubPass at 4.9 against BrewGene's 4.0. PubPass also leads on ratings volume (1.7K vs 75) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks). BrewGene's advantage is review sentiment (82% vs 52%) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

PubPass holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PubPass has 1.7K ratings behind it against 75, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 82% of BrewGene's written reviews are positive against 52% of PubPass's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

BrewGene ships an update every 6 weeks, PubPass every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BrewGene | PubPass |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (75 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brewgene/id403047077/reviews) | **[4.9 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pubpass/id1260241223/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 75 | **1.7K** |
| Positive reviews | **82.4% of reviews** | 51.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 15 MB | 113 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [The Beer Genome LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/403047080) | [PubPass](https://appshunter.io/developer/1435618771) |

## What reviewers say

### BrewGene

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brewgene/id403047077)

Discover and rate beers with a vast database of over 250,000 options. Get personalized recommendations based on your ratings and explore local bar menus. Share your beer journey with friends and track your tasting notes.

**Highlights:** Comprehensive beer tracking, Personalized recommendation engine, Bar and restaurant beer menus, Beer finder and location mapping, Social sharing with Beer Buddies, Tasting notes and watch lists

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Extensive beer database with comprehensive coverage
- ⭐ Easy rating and review system for beers tried
- 👥 Social features to compare with friends' ratings
- 🎯 Accurate recommendation algorithm based on ratings
- 📝 Ability to add personal tasting notes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- ⏱️ Slow search and loading times
- ❌ Cannot delete or edit cellar entries
- 🔤 Special characters display as question marks
- 📸 Picture loading and sharing issues

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on startup with newer iOS versions
- Special characters (apostrophes, quotation marks) display as question marks
- Keyboard remains visible during duplicate check, blocking progression
- Database connection errors when adding new beers
- Pictures fail to load or display incorrectly

**Requested features**

- Barcode scanner for quick beer lookup
- Edit/delete functionality for entries
- Data backup and export to CSV
- Offline access to personal cellar
- Location-based alerts for nearby beers


### PubPass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pubpass/id1260241223)

Discover and explore local and national craft beer bars and breweries. Access exclusive deals on beer, such as discounted prices and buy-one-get-one offers, at participating locations. Simply show the app to redeem your savings and digitally stamp your progress.

**Highlights:** Discover bars and breweries, Exclusive beer deals, Digital passport stamping, Nationwide participating locations, Save on craft beer

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent value with BOGO and 30-day reset
- 👍 Great for socializing and making new friends
- 👍 Wonderful way to explore new neighborhoods and spots
- 👍 Useful for finding cool breweries and bars when traveling

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes and freezes on various iOS versions
- 🐛 App not working or unavailable in certain locations
- 🐛 Login and account issues, unable to access account

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes on map screen
- App crashes on launch or login screen
- Unresponsive buttons and navigation

**Requested features**

- Expand to more locations, especially in Illinois and the Pacific Northwest
- Fix compatibility issues with newer iOS versions


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BrewGene free?

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

### Is PubPass free?

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

### Which has better reviews, BrewGene or PubPass?

PubPass is rated higher. BrewGene averages 4.0 out of 5 from 75 ratings, while PubPass averages 4.9 from 1.7K ratings.

### Do BrewGene or PubPass have ads?

Neither BrewGene nor PubPass shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BrewGene or PubPass?

BrewGene ships an update every 6 weeks, and PubPass every 3 weeks. Most recently, BrewGene was updated on October 2, 2026 and PubPass on October 12, 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.*