Comparison

Consumer Reports vs The Container Store

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

Head to head
About

Consumer Reports

Access unbiased product reviews, ratings, and shopping guides to make informed purchasing decisions. Features include a smart advisor for product questions, tools for savings, and exclusive member deals.

Highlights
  • Product ratings and reviews
  • Buying guides
  • Bill Negotiator tool
  • Smart advisor for product questions
  • Image Scan for product comparison
  • Best Time to Buy tool
  • Exclusive member deals
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

The Consumer Reports app is your on-the-go companion for shopping, savings, product comparisons, ratings, and more. Consumer Reports is free to download and gives you instant access to our Bill Negotiator tool, Buying Guides, and limited access to AskCR, our smart advisor that answers your research, shopping, and product questions in seconds. When you support the work of Consumer Reports through a paid Membership, you’ll also gain access to: • Unlimited chats with AskCR • Extra savings with Bill Negotiator • Exclusive Members-only deals and discounts • Image Scan to quickly identify, compare, and shop for products • Ratings and reviews for 10,000+ products and services • Smarter purchases with tools like Best Time to Buy and CR Recommended • Additional Member benefits and access to exclusive partnerships As a nonprofit and independent organization, CR purchases every product we test and never accepts advertising, ensuring you get unbiased insights from your product research. Make confident buying decisions with trusted reviews, personalized recommendations, and expert shopping guides. Your purchase of a Consumer Reports Membership also gives you full access to Consumer Reports Online (consumerreports.org), where you’ll find additional tools and benefits designed to simplify your product decisions, make smarter choices for your family, and save time and money. Not a Member? Sign up for a Digital CR membership directly in the app for monthly or annual access to all Membership features. Download now and make confident decisions with Consumer Reports by your side!

About

The Container Store

Shop for storage, organization, and custom closet solutions. Get project inspiration, track store pickup orders, and manage your loyalty account. Scan products in-store for details and reviews.

Highlights
  • Shop storage and organization products
  • Custom closet solutions
  • Project inspiration and tips
  • Track store pickup orders
  • Loyalty dashboard and offers
  • In-store barcode scanner
  • Digital wallet for checkout
Read full description

Make organization even simpler with tools to shop storage, organization, and custom closets, check prices, make purchases, and track the status of your store pick-up. Plus, you'll find project inspiration and everything you need to get started. PROJECTS & INSPIRATION We’ve made it easy with Projects & Inspiration – view tips, videos, projects and more to help you get your organization projects done quicker and easier. CHECK YOUR LOYALTY DASHBOARD Check your Organized Insider tier status, review your Benefits, get your personalized offers and see your yearly spend – all in one convenient dashboard. PICKUP ORDER STATUS Enjoy simple tracking of your store pickup orders. See when your order is ready at a glance, and easily notify us when you get to the store. IN-STORE BARCODE SCANNER Scan product barcodes in-store to read reviews, get product details, check pricing and see inspiring images and videos. DIGITAL WALLET Speed through checkout. Use your digital wallet to store preferred credit cards (and check gift card balances). WISH LISTS Keep track of the products you want with our wish lists. View or make wish lists while you’re in-store to help you get everything you need. Plus… Quick, secure account creation Biometric login

Screenshots

Consumer Reports4 screens
The Container Store4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The Container Store at none against Consumer Reports's 2. The Container Store also leads on review sentiment (40% vs 28%). Consumer Reports's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#6 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and monetization model 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. Consumer Reports sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $10.00 per month. The Container Store asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Consumer Reports against 4.8 for The Container Store. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 64K and 15K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 28% of Consumer Reports's written reviews are positive against 40% of The Container Store's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Consumer Reports ships an update fortnightly, The Container Store every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Consumer Reports versus The Container Store: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterConsumer ReportsThe Container Store
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (64K ratings)4.8 (15K ratings) — better
Positive reviews28.3% of reviews39.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings64K — better15K
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#6 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.114.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size109 MB51 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperConsumer ReportsThe Container Store, INC

Customer experience

Consumer Reports

All ratings63,962 ratings
Positive96.0%
Neutral1.8%
Negative2.1%
Written reviews233 reviews
Positive28.3%
Neutral14.2%
Negative57.5%

The Container Store

All ratings12,867 ratings
Positive96.4%
Neutral1.8%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews181 reviews
Positive39.8%
Neutral14.9%
Negative45.3%

User reviews

Consumer Reports

From 64K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Helpful product information
  • 🚀 Convenient mobile access
  • 💡 Unbiased, expert reviews
  • 🤑 Potential savings on purchases

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy app performance
  • 🔍 Limited product coverage
  • 🤔 Outdated or incomplete information
  • 🧭 Poor search and navigation
  • 📱 Subpar iPad experience

The Container Store

From 15K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Convenient in-store features
  • 💡 Loyalty program integration
  • 👍 Helpful customer service

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and sluggish performance
  • 🔁 Constant sign-out issues
  • 🤔 Confusing navigation and layout
  • 💤 Slow page loads and app response

Bugs and requests

Consumer Reports

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Frequent crashes and freezes
  • Login issues and lost credentials
  • Inconsistent or missing product data

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to access all website content in the app
  • Improved search functionality with better filtering options
  • Native iPad app with optimized layout
  • Integration with subscription management and account features

The Container Store

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Cart and checkout issues
  • App crashes and freezes
  • Login and account problems
  • Inconsistent user experience

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to share products
  • Improved search and filtering
  • Seamless integration with website
  • Customizable drawer/closet planning

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Consumer Reports

Subscriptions2
  • CR Monthly Subscription$10.001 Month
  • CR Yearly Subscription$39.001 Year
None

The Container Store

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Consumer Reports free?
Consumer Reports is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is The Container Store free?
The Container Store is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Consumer Reports or The Container Store?
The Container Store is rated higher. Consumer Reports averages 4.8 out of 5 from 64K ratings, while The Container Store averages 4.8 from 15K ratings.
Do Consumer Reports or The Container Store have ads?
The Container Store shows ads; Consumer Reports does not.
Which is updated more often, Consumer Reports or The Container Store?
Consumer Reports ships an update fortnightly, and The Container Store every 4 weeks. Most recently, Consumer Reports was updated on September 25, 2026 and The Container Store on September 24, 2026.

Other comparisons