Comparison

Bon Appetit vs Serious eats ™

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Recipe testing
  • Culinary inspiration
  • Fashion and style
  • Travel guides
  • Home and design
  • Technology in food
Read full description

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.

About

Serious eats ™

Discover a world of recipes, from trending dishes to simple chicken and healthy salads. This cooking companion offers step-by-step guidance for all skill levels, featuring a built-in timer for perfect results. Enjoy seasonal specials and plan meals from breakfast to dessert with ease.

Highlights
  • Trending & Popular Recipes
  • Chicken Recipes Collection
  • Fresh & Healthy Salad Recipes
  • Recipes for Every Meal
  • Seasonal Specials
  • Built-in Cooking Timer
Features
Read full description

Serious eats is your smart and simple cooking companion, designed to make everyday cooking fun, fast, and stress-free. Discover a delicious collection of recipes from around the world, whether you’re a beginner in the kitchen or a passionate home chef. * Key Features Trending & Popular Recipes Explore the most-loved recipes that people are cooking right now and get inspired by top-rated dishes. Chicken Recipes Collection From spicy curries to grilled delights, discover easy and tasty chicken recipes with simple step-by-step guidance. Fresh & Healthy Salad Recipes Enjoy a variety of refreshing salad ideas perfect for healthy meals, quick lunches, and light dinners. Recipes for Every Meal Find the perfect dish for any time of the day: • Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner • Snacks • Side Dishes • Desserts Seasonal Specials Enjoy comforting winter recipes and seasonal favorites that bring warmth and flavor to your table. Built-in Cooking Timer Cook with confidence using the built-in timer to help you get perfect results every time. * Why Choose Serious eats ? • Simple and user-friendly interface • Wide variety of recipes in one place • Perfect for daily home cooking • Saves time with quick recipe access • Suitable for both beginners and experienced cooks Cook Smarter with Serious eats Whether you’re planning breakfast, preparing dinner, or trying something new, serious eats helps you discover, cook, and enjoy delicious meals with ease. Download now and make every recipe easy made with Serious eats * Subscription Plans - Weekly Plan: Unlock all premium recipes and features with a flexible weekly subscription. - Lifetime Plan: Get unlimited access to all premium recipes and features with a one-time payment. * Legal Policy Privacy Policy:- https://www.termsfeed.com/live/12461e42-9b9f-4beb-addc-bd8a13e43565 Terms of Use:- https://www.termsfeed.com/live/f98a2dc4-bc23-43cb-81ff-e13b1b6304b2 EULA :- https://www.termsfeed.com/live/be825819-0c39-40a5-a4f7-9ef589c6e48c

Screenshots

Bon Appetit4 screens
Serious eats ™4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Serious eats ™ at 5.0 against Bon Appetit's 4.4. Serious eats ™ also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 5 months). Bon Appetit's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (28% vs 0%). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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. Bon Appetit sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Serious eats ™ sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Serious eats ™ holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bon Appetit has 270 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 28% of Bon Appetit's written reviews are positive against 0% of Serious eats ™'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bon Appetit ships an update every 5 months, Serious eats ™ every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Bon Appetit versus Serious eats ™: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBon AppetitSerious eats ™
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (270 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews28.0% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings270 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#113 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.015.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB71 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperAdvance Magazine Publishers Inc.Bilal Shaikh

Customer experience

Bon Appetit

All ratings270 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral3.0%
Negative13.7%
Written reviews150 reviews
Positive28.0%
Neutral8.7%
Negative63.3%

Serious eats ™

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

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

Serious eats ™

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Bon Appetit

Subscriptions3
  • One Month Subscription$4.991 Month
  • Discounted Subscription Holiday 2015$9.991 Year
  • One Year Subscription$39.991 Year
One-time7
  • January 2014$4.99
  • March 2012$4.99
  • May 2012$4.99
Show 4 more
  • January 2013$4.99
  • December 2013$4.99
  • December 2014$4.99
  • January 2015$4.99
2 purchases

Serious eats ™

Subscriptions1
  • Weekly$24.997 Days
One-time1
  • Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is Bon Appetit free?
Bon Appetit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Serious eats ™ free?
Serious eats ™ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Bon Appetit or Serious eats ™?
Serious eats ™ is rated higher. Bon Appetit averages 4.4 out of 5 from 270 ratings, while Serious eats ™ averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Bon Appetit or Serious eats ™ have ads?
Serious eats ™ shows ads; Bon Appetit does not.
Which is updated more often, Bon Appetit or Serious eats ™?
Bon Appetit ships an update every 5 months, and Serious eats ™ every 10 days. Most recently, Bon Appetit was updated on October 2, 2026 and Serious eats ™ on September 21, 2026.

Other comparisons