Espresso Journal vs 2manybeans
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Espresso Journal
Log and analyze every aspect of your espresso brewing to understand what makes a great shot. Track details like timing, weight, bean origin, and tasting notes to refine your technique and achieve consistent results. Perfect for home baristas and coffee professionals seeking to improve their craft.
- Shot timing and yield tracking
- Bean origin and roast details
- Equipment and recipe logging
- Tasting notes and ratings
- Built-in shot timer
- Recipe management
- iCloud sync
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Espresso Journal is a simple log for home espresso. Record each shot, see what you changed, and get to a better cup sooner. LOG A SHOT IN SECONDS New shots start from your last one, so you only change what you're dialing in. Start the timer, pull the shot, and the brew time is filled in for you. Add dose, yield, grind setting, grinder RPM, grind time, temperature, a rating and notes. KEEP TRACK OF YOUR BEANS AND GEAR Save the roaster, origin, process and roast date for each coffee, with a link to the shop for when you need more. Add your machine, grinder, portafilters and baskets. ON IPHONE AND IPAD Your journal syncs through iCloud. Export your shots as a spreadsheet whenever you like. ESPRESSO JOURNAL PRO A one-time purchase, shared with your family: • Take a photo of a bag and the app reads the label for you • Recipes for the drinks you make often • Charts comparing grind, ratio and time with how you rated each shot • The shot timer on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island, and a Pull a Shot button for Control Center and Siri • Bean stock, shot cards and flavor notes Questions or ideas? Use Send Feedback in Settings.
2manybeans
This app guides you through brewing and tasting specialty coffee. It scans bean bags, generates personalized recipes, and acts as an AI tasting coach to help you learn more about your coffee.
- Scan coffee bean bags
- Track peak freshness
- Personalized brew recipes
- AI tasting coach
- Coffee knowledge assistant
- Shareable coffee cards
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2manybeans is the specialty coffee journal that actually coaches you. Most coffee apps are passive logbooks. 2manybeans is different. It scans your bean bag, researches the farm and roaster, and writes you a brew recipe tuned to your grinder and your brewer. Then it walks you through tasting the cup step by step, asking the kind of questions a cupping-room mentor would ask, so you actually learn what you are drinking. WHAT YOU CAN DO Scan any bag Point your camera at a coffee bag and 2manybeans reads the label, pulls origin, process, roast date, and notes, then enriches it with information about the roaster and the farm. No typing. Track peak freshness Every bean gets a peak drinking window based on roast date and style. Your rotation view shows which jars are hitting their stride and which are about to fade. Waste less coffee. Get personalized hand brew recipes Tell the app what grinder and brewer you own. It writes you a recipe grounded in real research, down to the right grind setting for your Ode or Opus, the ratio, the pour schedule, and why each choice matters. Push recipes to Fellow Aiden Own a Fellow Aiden? 2manybeans builds the profile and pushes it straight to the brewer. Walk up, press brew, done. AI tasting coach Open the tasting tab and the coach takes it from there. It asks about aroma, acidity, body, and finish in plain language, scaffolds the conversation so you are never stuck, and translates your answers into a real SCA-style score. Coffee chat Ask the built-in assistant anything. Why is this Ethiopian floral. What does washed process mean. Why does my V60 taste sour. It answers using a library that includes the World Atlas of Coffee and a curated archive of specialty coffee writing. Share cards Turn any bean into a beautiful apothecary-style share card and post it. WHO THIS IS FOR Specialty coffee enthusiasts who own a burr grinder, care about origin, and want to taste more intentionally. Works great for light roast fans, pour-over nerds, cupping beginners, and anyone tired of logging brews into a spreadsheet. FREE TIER Add beans, track your rotation, and log manual tastings for free. A few trial bean scans and one AI tasting coach session are included so you can try the good stuff before subscribing. PRO ($4.99 / month or $49.99 / year) Unlimited bean scans, unlimited AI tasting coach, unlimited personalized hand brew recipes, and unlimited coffee chat. ULTRA ($9.99 / month or $99.99 / year) Everything in Pro, plus direct push to Fellow Aiden, multi-brewer support (V60, Chemex, AeroPress, Kalita), priority model routing, and early access to new features. Both tiers start with a 3-day free trial. Cancel anytime from the App Store subscription settings. Built by a home brewer who got tired of apps that treat coffee like a to-do list. Terms of Use: https://2manybeans.vercel.app/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://2manybeans.vercel.app/privacy-policy.html
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Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Espresso Journal at free against 2manybeans's freemium. Espresso Journal also leads on device support. 2manybeans's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, ratings volume and in-app purchases 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. Espresso Journal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and 2manybeans sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
2manybeans holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 2 respectively.
| Parameter | Espresso Journal | 2manybeans |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (3 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | — |
| Ads | No | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | — |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 122 MB |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | Gruffydd Johnston | tal meltzer |
In-app purchases
Espresso Journal
- Espresso Journal Pro$9.99
2manybeans
- 2manybeans Pro Monthly3 Days trial$4.991 Month
- 2manybeans Ultra Monthly3 Days trial$9.991 Month
- 2manybeans Pro Annual3 Days trial$49.991 Year
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- 2manybeans Ultra Annual3 Days trial$99.991 Year
Questions
Is Espresso Journal free?
Is 2manybeans free?
Which has better reviews, Espresso Journal or 2manybeans?
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