Eater vs Lumbar
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.
Lumbar
Discover and rate restaurant seating comfort to enhance your dining experience. Find nearby places or search specific restaurants to see their comfort ratings before you go.
- Search nearby restaurants
- Search by restaurant name
- Get directions
- Rate seating comfort
- View past ratings
- Guest or account login
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Happy Stomach. Happier Back. Dining out isn’t just about food — comfort matters too. Lumbar is the first app dedicated to restaurant comfort, helping you discover and rate seating so your dining experience is enhanced. Why Lumbar? Most apps focus only on what’s on the plate. Lumbar is different — it puts seating comfort at the center, enhancing the dining experience in a way other apps overlook. Features • Search Nearby Restaurants – See places near you, with driving distance shown for the closest results. • Search by Name – Look up specific restaurants to check their comfort ratings. • Get Directions – Connect directly to Google Maps for quick and easy navigation. • Rate Comfort – Use our simple emoji system to share your seating experience. • View My Ratings – Track and revisit all your past comfort scores and comments. • Guest or Account Login – Explore as a guest, or sign up to save ratings across devices. Download Lumbar today — the first app that makes restaurant comfort part of the dining experience.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Lumbar at 100% against Eater's 42%. Lumbar also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.1) and ads (none vs shown). Eater's advantage is ratings volume (61 vs 4). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Lumbar holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Eater has 61 ratings behind it against 4, 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 Lumbar's.
Eater ships an update weekly, Lumbar every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Eater | Lumbar |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (61 ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 41.6% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 61 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 10 days |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 154 MB | 14 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Vox Media, Inc. | Eric Winchell |
Customer experience
Eater
Lumbar
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
Lumbar
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Eater
No in-app purchases
Lumbar
No in-app purchases









