# Backyard Pitmaster Pal vs BBQ Captain

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Backyard Pitmaster Pal at none against BBQ Captain's 1. BBQ Captain's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BBQ Captain sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Backyard Pitmaster Pal asks for nothing beyond the download.

Backyard Pitmaster Pal ships an update every 6 weeks, BBQ Captain every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Backyard Pitmaster Pal | BBQ Captain |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bbq-captain-smoker-timer/id6781492781/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **1** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 5 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [James Houvener](https://appshunter.io/developer/1806697791) | [Brett Stalcup](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896199957) |

## What reviewers say

### Backyard Pitmaster Pal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backyard-pitmaster-pal/id6744256459)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### BBQ Captain

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bbq-captain-smoker-timer/id6781492781)

This app helps home smokers plan and execute perfect cooks by calculating start times backward from your desired dinner time. It adaptively adjusts projected finish times based on real-time temperature readings, detects the stall phase, and provides timely reminders for wrapping, pulling, and resting meat.

**Highlights:** Backward planning from dinner time, Adaptive cook time projection, Stall detection and wrap alerts, Customizable reminders for key steps, Cook history log with notes and photos (Pro), Privacy-first, no account or ads

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MeatGenius Pro | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Backyard Pitmaster Pal free?

Backyard Pitmaster Pal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is BBQ Captain free?

BBQ Captain is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Backyard Pitmaster Pal or BBQ Captain have ads?

Backyard Pitmaster Pal shows ads; BBQ Captain does not.

### Which is updated more often, Backyard Pitmaster Pal or BBQ Captain?

Backyard Pitmaster Pal ships an update every 6 weeks, and BBQ Captain every 2 weeks. Most recently, Backyard Pitmaster Pal was updated on September 9, 2026 and BBQ Captain on September 18, 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.*