# Act Four vs The Espresso Protocol

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The Espresso Protocol at none against Act Four's 3. The Espresso Protocol also leads on device support (3 vs 1). Act Four's advantage is ratings volume (17 vs 2). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Act Four sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. The Espresso Protocol asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Act Four against 5.0 for The Espresso Protocol. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Act Four has 17 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Act Four ships an update every 8 days, The Espresso Protocol every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Act Four | The Espresso Protocol |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/act-four/id6473959855/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-espresso-protocol/id6758075593/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **17** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 4 MB | 39 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [AIV, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1693494613) | [Premium Quality Consulting, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1279676372) |

## What reviewers say

### Act Four

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/act-four/id6473959855)

Learn to brew perfect espresso with video guidance and taste analysis. The app tracks your brew automatically, helping you adjust your machine and recipe for your ideal cup. Designed for both beginners and experienced baristas.

**Highlights:** Video-guided brewing workflow, Speed and taste analysis, Machine and grinder adjustment guidance, Automatic recipe tracking, Hands-free operation, Brew Weight and Timing adjustments

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| SwitchBot Integration | $19.99 | one-time |


### The Espresso Protocol

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-espresso-protocol/id6758075593)

This tool helps assess coffee quality for espresso performance. It uses sensory science to quantify and describe coffee attributes, promoting transparency and communication across the coffee supply chain.

**Highlights:** Coffee quality assessment for espresso, Sensory science integration, Quantify coffee characteristics, Promotes supply chain transparency, Bridges roaster and producer communication

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Act Four free?

Act Four is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is The Espresso Protocol free?

The Espresso Protocol is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Act Four or The Espresso Protocol?

Act Four and The Espresso Protocol are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 17 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do Act Four or The Espresso Protocol have ads?

Neither Act Four nor The Espresso Protocol shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Act Four or The Espresso Protocol?

Act Four ships an update every 8 days, and The Espresso Protocol every 2 weeks. Most recently, Act Four was updated on October 9, 2026 and The Espresso Protocol on September 20, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*