Bon Appetit vs Eater
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Bon Appetit
Explore the intersection of food and culture with this digital magazine. Discover recipes, fashion, travel, technology, and design inspiration from a leading lifestyle brand. It offers a curated selection of articles for all readers, with unlimited access for subscribers.
- Recipe testing
- Culinary inspiration
- Fashion and style
- Travel guides
- Home and design
- Technology in food
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Bon Appétit is where food and culture meet. The award-winning No. 1 food lifestyle brand covers food through the lens of cooking, fashion, travel, technology, design and home. As the leading arbiter of taste, its home-grown talent and tireless dedication to recipe testing separates it from the competition by miles. The Bon Appétit digital edition app is free to download. Subscribers receive unlimited access. Non-subscribers may access a selection of complimentary articles each month. AUTOMATIC-RENEWAL: Your payment method will be automatically charged at the frequency and price noted in the subscription offer you select, until you cancel. To cancel, you must update your App Store Subscriptions settings at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription term. No refunds once payment is made.
Eater
Discover top restaurant and bar recommendations curated by expert editors. Find new places in any city, get personalized suggestions, and easily make reservations. Never have a bad meal again with trusted insider picks.
- Editor-curated restaurant picks
- Personalized recommendations
- Insider community connection
- Smart search functionality
- Create and share custom lists
- Direct table reservations
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The Eater app is the most trusted way to find great restaurants. Our editors have spent years eating at the best restaurants and bars so you always know where to go next. Get instant access to all of Eater’s restaurant picks in every major city, whether you're exploring a new neighborhood, planning a trip, or need a quick rec on the go. With the Eater app, you’ll never have a bad meal. What you’ll love about the Eater app: - Curated by editors: Trusted recommendations and reviews from people who know restaurants - Insider to insider: Follow and connect with editors, chefs, and friends, and be part of the Eater community - Ask anything: Smarter search that finds the places you actually want - Recommended for you: Eater’s take on restaurants near you and wherever you travel - Create and share: Browse Eater lists, make your own, and share your favorite spots with friends - Browse to book: Reserve tables directly in the Eater app so you’re one step closer to a great meal With the Eater app, the next great place to eat or drink is in the palm of your hand, no matter where the day (or night) takes you. Download the Eater app to find your next great meal.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Eater at none against Bon Appetit's 10. Eater also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months) and review sentiment (42% vs 28%). Bon Appetit's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.4 vs 4.1). On price, monetization model, device support and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. Bon Appetit sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Eater asks for nothing beyond the download.
Bon Appetit holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 270 and 59 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 28% of Bon Appetit's written reviews are positive against 42% of Eater's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Bon Appetit ships an update every 5 months, Eater weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Bon Appetit | Eater |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (270 ratings) — better | 4.1 (59 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 28.0% of reviews | 41.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 270 — better | 59 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #130 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 154 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Advance Magazine Publishers Inc. | Vox Media, Inc. |
Customer experience
Bon Appetit
Eater
User reviews
Bon Appetit
From 270 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Visually appealing design
- 🚀 Smooth navigation
- 💡 Interactive features
- 🌟 Great content and recipes
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy and unstable app
- 🔍 Difficult to find and access recipes
- 📱 Not optimized for larger screens
- 🔑 Login and subscription issues
Eater
From 59 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Convenient access to Eater content
- 🚀 Curated restaurant recommendations
- 💡 Ability to save/reference restaurant lists
Room to improve
- 🐛 App crashes/won't open for some users
- 🔒 Forced opt-in for data tracking
- 🗺️ Outdated restaurant information
- 🌍 Limited to certain regions/cities
Bugs and requests
Bon Appetit
Reported bugs
4 issues- Crashes and freezes
- Inability to download or access issues
- Login and subscription problems
- Incompatibility with certain devices
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to save and bookmark recipes
- Landscape mode support
- Better recipe search and organization
- Seamless integration with website and other platforms
Eater
Reported bugs
2 issues- Search and account icons smushed on main map page
- Location settings get stuck after disabling tracking
Requested features
3 requests- Add filters and sorting for map/list view
- Allow sharing of restaurant lists
- Improve font size and layout on map view
In-app purchases
Bon Appetit
- One Month Subscription$4.991 Month
- Discounted Subscription Holiday 2015$9.991 Year
- One Year Subscription$39.991 Year
- January 2014$4.99
- March 2012$4.99
- May 2012$4.99
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- January 2013$4.99
- December 2013$4.99
- December 2014$4.99
- January 2015$4.99
Eater
No in-app purchases
