Eater vs Spin & Dine
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
Spin & Dine
Effortlessly discover local restaurants with a fun spin of a wheel. Filter by cuisine, price, or distance, and explore menus or reserve tables directly. Share your choices with friends for group decisions.
- Spin-to-discover restaurant wheel
- Filter by cuisine, price, rating, distance
- Explore menus and reserve tables
- Interactive map view
- Spin history and favorites
- Group decision-making features
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Spin & Dine makes choosing where to eat effortless and fun. Spin the wheel and instantly discover local restaurants tailored to your taste, mood, and moment. DISCOVER YOUR WAY - 5 AI-powered Spin Modes: Quick & Easy, Date Night, Something New, Cheap but Good, Treat Yourself - Match Confidence Meter shows how well each pick fits you - Post-spin refinements: find something Closer, Cheaper, or Fancier - Real-time location-based discovery with travel time estimates - Save favorites for quick access or spin from them exclusively SMARTER FILTERS - 27 cuisine types to narrow your search - Price range, min rating, and open-now filters - Dietary preferences: Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Halal, Kosher - Ambiance & vibe: Casual, Romantic, Trendy, Upscale, Cozy, and more - Perfect for: Date Night, Brunch, Business Dinner, Family, and more - Noise level, kid-friendly, and group-friendly filters - Support Local mode to skip chains and franchises SPINDINE PRO — UNLOCK THE FULL EXPERIENCE Award-Winning Restaurants Find Michelin-starred, James Beard winners, Eater 38 picks, and local award winners across 44 US cities. Foodie Ratings & Chain Quality Filter by curated foodie tiers and chain quality scores — go beyond star ratings. Hidden Gems & Pet-Friendly Discover undiscovered local favorites, or find spots that welcome your dog. Custom Backgrounds Personalize your wheel with 6 gradient themes, 5 pattern overlays, or import your own photo with adjustable blur. Spin From Favorites Build your own wheel with only the restaurants you love. Unlimited Filters Stack as many dietary, ambiance, and occasion filters as you want. Ad-Free Experience Enjoy SpinDine without interruptions. FREE FOR EVERYONE - 10 free Pro spins to try before you subscribe - 12 seasonal holiday backgrounds that rotate daily — New Year's through Christmas - Full VoiceOver and Dynamic Type accessibility Choose monthly ($1.99/mo) or save 25% with annual ($17.99/yr). Subscriptions automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage subscriptions in Account Settings. Terms: https://www.spinanddine.com/terms Privacy: https://www.spinanddine.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Spin & Dine at 100% against Eater's 42%. Spin & Dine also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.1). Eater's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (61 vs 6). On price, update cadence, ads 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
Both are free to download. Spin & Dine sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Eater asks for nothing beyond the download.
Spin & Dine holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Eater has 61 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 42% of Eater's written reviews are positive against 100% of Spin & Dine's.
Eater ships an update weekly, Spin & Dine every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Eater | Spin & Dine |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (61 ratings) | 4.7 (6 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 41.6% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 61 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 154 MB | 40 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Vox Media, Inc. | Spin & Dine, LLC |
Customer experience
Eater
Spin & Dine
Bugs and requests
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
Spin & Dine
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Eater
No in-app purchases
Spin & Dine
- SpinDine Pro Monthly$1.991 Month
- SpinDine Pro Annual$17.991 Year









