# Sous Chef vs The Sous Chef Lite

The clearest difference is rating: The Sous Chef Lite at 5.0 against Sous Chef's 4.5. The Sous Chef Lite also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months). Sous Chef's advantage is ratings volume (338 vs 2) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 12.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sous Chef sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and The Sous Chef Lite sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

The Sous Chef Lite holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sous Chef has 338 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Sous Chef ships an update every 3 months, The Sous Chef Lite every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sous Chef | The Sous Chef Lite |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (338 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sous-chef-cook-tools-and-timer/id496365430/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-sous-chef-lite-recipes/id6447581300/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **338** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 90.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 21 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 12.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [ChuChu Train Productions](https://appshunter.io/developer/415772087) | [PoodlePop LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1681850519) |

## What reviewers say

### Sous Chef

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sous-chef-cook-tools-and-timer/id496365430)

This kitchen helper offers a suite of tools for meal preparation, including multiple configurable timers that function even when the app is closed. It also features a servings calculator and a handy conversion chart to simplify cooking tasks.

**Highlights:** 5 configurable timers, Timers work in background, Servings calculator, Popular conversions chart, Stores notes and favorite websites

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| KS - Remove Ad Banner | $9.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited Reference Entries | $9.99 | one-time |
| Enable All Timers | $9.99 | one-time |
| All Features | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⏱️ Multiple simultaneous timers (5 timers)
- 🏷️ Ability to label each timer
- 📱 Portable and convenient to use
- 🔊 Loud and audible alerts
- 📊 Useful conversion charts included

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📢 Inconsistent alert volume levels
- 🔔 Alert only rings briefly then shows notification
- 📵 Doesn't ring when phone is locked
- 📺 No landscape mode support
- 🎵 Limited and repetitive alarm sounds

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently during use
- Timer doesn't alert when phone is in lock mode
- Accidental timer reset when phone placed in pocket
- Pop-up ads appear during timer setup
- Free version upgrade doesn't convert to Pro (requires repurchase)

**Requested features**

- Custom alarm sounds for each timer
- Different ringtones/tones for different timers
- Count-up feature after timer reaches zero
- Larger readout/display text
- Cooking temperature reference charts


### The Sous Chef Lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-sous-chef-lite-recipes/id6447581300)

Discover exciting recipe ideas and perfect food and wine pairings. This culinary assistant helps you find ingredient combinations, suggests wines for your dishes, and adapts to your dietary preferences.

**Highlights:** Ingredient pairing suggestions, Wine pairing for dishes, Dietary preference adaptation, Recipe idea discovery, Ingredient information

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Membership | $3.00 | per month |
| Annual Membership | $30.00 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sous Chef free?

Sous Chef is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is The Sous Chef Lite free?

The Sous Chef Lite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Sous Chef or The Sous Chef Lite?

The Sous Chef Lite is rated higher. Sous Chef averages 4.5 out of 5 from 338 ratings, while The Sous Chef Lite averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Sous Chef or The Sous Chef Lite have ads?

Both Sous Chef and The Sous Chef Lite show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sous Chef or The Sous Chef Lite?

Sous Chef ships an update every 3 months, and The Sous Chef Lite every 5 weeks. Most recently, Sous Chef was updated on October 22, 2026 and The Sous Chef Lite on October 24, 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.*