# Rita's Ice vs Cold Stone

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Rita's Ice at 53% against Cold Stone's 20%. Rita's Ice also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.7). Cold Stone's advantage is chart position (#127 vs unranked). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

Rita's Ice holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11K and 23K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of Rita's Ice's written reviews are positive against 20% of Cold Stone's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Rita's Ice | Cold Stone |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ritas-ice/id532627057/reviews)** | [4.7 (23K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cold-stone/id690080616/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 11K | **23K** |
| Positive reviews | **52.7% of reviews** | 19.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | **#127** |
| Size | 73 MB | 72 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rita's Italian Ice](https://appshunter.io/developer/532627060) | [Kahala Management, L.L.C.](https://appshunter.io/developer/563332606) |

## What reviewers say

### Rita's Ice

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ritas-ice/id532627057)

Discover nearby Italian ice and custard locations to satisfy your cravings. Earn rewards and exclusive offers for every visit, leading to free treats. Track your progress and enjoy happiness with every purchase.

**Highlights:** Find nearby locations, Earn free treats, Exclusive offers, Loyalty program, Location tracking

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🍦 Delicious treats
- 👍 Friendly and helpful staff
- 💕 Favorite family destination
- 🎉 Great rewards program

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive prices
- 🐛 Inconsistent rewards tracking
- 🤔 Unclear app functionality
- 🔍 Missing menu and flavor information

**Reported bugs**

- Registration process issues
- Login and account problems
- Glitches with app functionality

**Requested features**

- Flavor locator feature
- Mobile ordering capabilities
- Improved rewards history tracking
- Display of daily flavors in-app


### Cold Stone

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cold-stone/id690080616)

**Currently charting:** #127 Top Free · Food & Drink (US App Store)

Order custom ice cream creations, shakes, or cakes for pickup or delivery. Save your favorite orders, earn rewards, and enjoy exclusive birthday treats through a loyalty program.

**Highlights:** Order ice cream creations, shakes, and cakes, Pickup at store or delivery to door, Save favorite orders and re-order easily, Unlimited customizations, Earn points and redeem rewards, Birthday Buy One, Get One FREE offer

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and easy order and pick up
- 👍 Exceptional ice cream and service
- 💡 Allows store to accept phone number for rewards

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy app features
- 👎 Outdated and clunky app design
- 🤔 Disconnect between app and store inventory
- 💸 Incorrect orders and missing items
- 🤯 Frustrating login and account issues

**Reported bugs**

- Payment processing errors
- Inability to change pickup location
- Rewards not updating properly
- App crashes when trying to add gift cards

**Requested features**

- Ability to reorder previous orders
- Option to select custom ice cream flavors
- Integration with mobile wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay)
- Easier way to apply rewards and discounts
- Clearer communication on store closures and order availability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Rita's Ice free?

Rita's Ice is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Cold Stone free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Rita's Ice or Cold Stone?

Rita's Ice is rated higher. Rita's Ice averages 4.9 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while Cold Stone averages 4.7 from 23K ratings.

### Do Rita's Ice or Cold Stone have ads?

Neither Rita's Ice nor Cold Stone shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Rita's Ice or Cold Stone?

Rita's Ice ships an update every 3 weeks, and Cold Stone every 3 weeks. Most recently, Rita's Ice was updated on October 19, 2026 and Cold Stone on October 21, 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.*