# Eater vs Lumbar

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Eater | Lumbar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (61 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/eater/id6469005148/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lumbar/id6747642401/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **61** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 41.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 154 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Vox Media, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/457274452) | [Eric Winchell](https://appshunter.io/developer/1822148707) |

## What reviewers say

### Eater

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/eater/id6469005148)

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.

**Highlights:** Editor-curated restaurant picks, Personalized recommendations, Insider community connection, Smart search functionality, Create and share custom lists, Direct table reservations

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Convenient access to Eater content
- 🚀 Curated restaurant recommendations
- 💡 Ability to save/reference restaurant lists

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes/won't open for some users
- 🔒 Forced opt-in for data tracking
- 🗺️ Outdated restaurant information
- 🌍 Limited to certain regions/cities

**Reported bugs**

- Search and account icons smushed on main map page
- Location settings get stuck after disabling tracking

**Requested features**

- Add filters and sorting for map/list view
- Allow sharing of restaurant lists
- Improve font size and layout on map view


### Lumbar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lumbar/id6747642401)

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.

**Highlights:** Search nearby restaurants, Search by restaurant name, Get directions, Rate seating comfort, View past ratings, Guest or account login

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Eater free?

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

### Is Lumbar free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Eater or Lumbar?

Lumbar is rated higher. Eater averages 4.1 out of 5 from 61 ratings, while Lumbar averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Eater or Lumbar have ads?

Eater shows ads; Lumbar does not.

### Which is updated more often, Eater or Lumbar?

Eater ships an update weekly, and Lumbar every 10 days. Most recently, Eater was updated on October 13, 2026 and Lumbar on October 2, 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.*