Comparison

Tea Master vs Tea Journal Brew Timer

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

Head to head
About

Tea Master

Master the art of tea brewing with personalized guidance. Explore international standards and ancient traditions, track brewing times precisely, and build your own tea collection. Elevate every tea ritual into a refined experience.

Highlights
  • Personalized brewing styles
  • International and traditional methods
  • Precise brewing time tracking
  • Customizable tea collection
  • Ritual enhancement
Features
Read full description

Brew every tea the way it was actually meant to be brewed. Tea Master gives you per-infusion timings, water temperature and leaf-to-water ratio for 45 teas, and a journal that remembers every cup you have made. FOUR BREWING STYLES • Gongfu: many short infusions, each one a little longer than the last • Western: the classic single long steep • Matcha: whisking timer • Cold brew: hours, not minutes A LIBRARY OF 45 TEAS Sheng and shu pu-erh, oolong, black, green, white, yellow, dark, Japanese and herbal, from Da Hong Pao and Tie Guan Yin to Gyokuro, Sencha and Silver Needle. Every tea carries its own temperature, ratio and full infusion schedule. NEVER MISS A STEEP • Live Activity on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island • Home Screen widgets with quick start • Six timer sounds and haptics YOUR TEA, TRACKED • Brewing journal: rate each session, keep tasting notes • Statistics and streaks • My Shelf: keep track of the teas you actually own • Dosage calculator: enter your vessel size, get the exact grams • Brewing guides for every family of tea • Build your own tea profiles from scratch PRIVATE BY DESIGN No ads. No account. No data collection. Your journal and shelf sync privately through your own iCloud. FREE AND PREMIUM The full timer and two teas are free forever. Premium unlocks the complete 45-tea library, journal, statistics, shelf, dosage calculator, guides and custom profiles, starting with a 7-day free trial. This app is governed by Apple's standard End User License Agreement (EULA), available at https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/.

About

Tea Journal Brew Timer

Features
Read full description

Steep is the beautiful tea journal for serious tea lovers. Track every brew session, perfect your technique, and discover what makes each cup exceptional. From your first gongfu session to your thousandth infusion, Steep captures every detail. BREW TIMER - Precision countdown timer for gongfu and Western brewing - Infusion tracking with automatic time increments - Per-infusion notes and mini ratings - Smart presets: gaiwan, teapot, kyusu, mug TEA COLLECTION - Build your personal tea library with unlimited entries (Pro) - Track vendor, origin, harvest year, and quantity - Flavor tagging with 40+ descriptors - Visual quantity tracker (full, half, empty) SESSION JOURNAL - Detailed tasting records for every brew - Rate aroma, flavor, mouthfeel, aftertaste, sweetness, and cha qi - Flavor descriptor tags - Session notes and photos INSIGHTS AND STATS - Track your daily brewing streak - Most-brewed teas and brewing history - Tasting evolution over time GO PRO - UNLOCK EVERYTHING - Unlimited tea collection (free tier: 5 teas) - Unlimited session history (free tier: 20 sessions) - AI Tea Advisor - personalized recommendations powered by Grok - Advanced tasting analytics and palate evolution - Session comparison side by side - CSV export and sharing Whether you brew longjing at 75 degrees or aged pu-erh at full boil, Steep honors the ritual. Warm parchment design, airy spacing, no clutter. Just you and the tea. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Tea Master4 screens
Tea Journal Brew Timer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Tea Master at weekly against Tea Journal Brew Timer's fortnightly. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Tea Master sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Tea Journal Brew Timer sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tea Master ships an update weekly, Tea Journal Brew Timer fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Tea Master versus Tea Journal Brew Timer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTea MasterTea Journal Brew Timer
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.017
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDavyd HrutsKarol Jaworski

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Tea Master

Subscriptions2
  • My Tea Master Premium Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Annual14 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • lifetime$44.99
3 purchases

Tea Journal Brew Timer

Subscriptions3
  • Steep Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Steep Pro Yearly$39.991 Year
  • Steep Pro Yearly - Intro Offer1 Year trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Tea Master free?
Tea Master is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Tea Journal Brew Timer free?
Tea Journal Brew Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Tea Master or Tea Journal Brew Timer have ads?
Neither Tea Master nor Tea Journal Brew Timer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tea Master or Tea Journal Brew Timer?
Tea Master ships an update weekly, and Tea Journal Brew Timer fortnightly. Most recently, Tea Master was updated on October 17, 2026 and Tea Journal Brew Timer on October 20, 2026.

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