Comparison

Brine vs Chef’s Notes

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

Head to head
About

Brine

Easily log your oyster tasting experiences with a comprehensive database and custom notes. Track brine, minerality, size, and texture with intuitive sliders, and add photos to your entries. Search your personal library by various criteria to recall past favorites.

Highlights
  • Oyster tasting catalog
  • Database of 500+ oysters
  • Origin maps
  • Slider descriptors (brine, minerality, size, texture)
  • Custom tasting notes
  • Photo uploads
  • Searchable tasting library
Features
Read full description

Brine is the expert's way to catalogue their oyster eating experiences. If you've looked at the blackboard at your local oyster bar and know you have tried the oysters before but can't remember if you liked them, this app will keep you sorted.   With a built in database of over 500 oysters, complete with maps pinpointing their waters of origin, Brine allows you enter standard descriptors with easy to use sliders to document brine, minerality, size, and texture. You can enter your own custom tasting notes so you can recall exactly how you experienced the oyster! Even add your own photo from your phone's photo library! Can't find the oyster you are looking for? Brine allows you to search your tasting library and sort it by oyster name, tasting date, origin, or star rating. You can edit your notes in the app and zoom in on a map to see exactly where your oyster came from. This is the oyster lover's second brain. Brine: The oyster lover's app.

About

Chef’s Notes

Organize and manage your recipes with detailed step-by-step instructions, rich media attachments, and version control. Collaborate with others in shared cookbooks and sync changes across devices seamlessly.

Highlights
  • Step-by-step cooking instructions
  • Rich media attachments (photos, links)
  • Recipe versioning and refinement
  • Shared cookbooks for collaboration
  • Real-time syncing across devices
  • Lock Screen cooking timers
  • Send ingredients to Reminders
Read full description

Organize recipes the way you really work: • Step-by-step cooking: break recipes into clear, actionable steps so complex dishes are easier to follow in real time • Everything in one place: each step can include ingredients, timings, photos, links, yields and more • Rich attachments: keep reference links, inspiration images, or photos of your own progress right alongside your recipe Experiment, refine, repeat • Recipe versions: experiment freely, refine techniques, and create seasonal variations — without losing your originals • Evolve over time: watch your recipes grow from first attempt to perfected favorite Tools you can use your way • Flexible steps: use them as instructions, components of a larger workflow, or building blocks for complex dishes • Versatile attachments: use them for references, documentation, or personal notes — you decide • A clean, content-first design: keeps the focus on your food and your thinking, not the interface Cook together • Shared cookbooks: collaborate with family, friends, or cooking partners in real time • Stay in sync: changes update seamlessly across devices, so everyone works from the same recipes Thoughtful platform features (without getting in your way) • One-tap transformation of traditionally formatted recipes into step-by-step structure • Prominent cooking timers on your Lock Screen • Send ingredients straight to Reminders when it’s time to shop Whether you’re following a family recipe, testing a new dish, or refining your own creations, Chef’s Notes helps you cook with clarity, experiment with confidence, and build a living collection of recipes that grows with you. -- Privacy Policy: https://www.chefsnotes.app/privacy EULA: http://www.apple.com/legal/itunes/appstore/dev/stdeula

Screenshots

Brine4 screens
Chef’s Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Chef’s Notes at 5.0 against Brine's 4.0. Brine's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ratings volume, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Chef’s Notes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Brine asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chef’s Notes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 2 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Brine versus Chef’s Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBrineChef’s Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (4 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better2
Update frequency—Every 3 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJoseph BaileyAndriy Gordiyenko

Customer experience

Brine

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Chef’s Notes

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Brine

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Chef’s Notes

One-time1
  • Unlimited Recipes$4.99

Questions

Is Brine free?
Brine is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chef’s Notes free?
Chef’s Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Brine or Chef’s Notes?
Chef’s Notes is rated higher. Brine averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Chef’s Notes averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Brine or Chef’s Notes have ads?
Neither Brine nor Chef’s Notes shows ads.

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