Comparison

GrindLab vs RoastNote

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

Head to head
About

GrindLab

Features
Read full description

GrindLab turns your iPhone camera into a precision coffee grind analyzer. Snap a photo of your grounds and get instant, micron-level particle size measurements — no extra hardware needed. ANALYZE YOUR GRIND Use computer vision to detect individual particles and measure their size distribution. GrindLab calculates median size, uniformity score, fines percentage, and boulders percentage so you know exactly how consistent your grinder is performing. Calibrate with a coin or ruler for real-world micron accuracy. FOUR GRIND PROFILES Dial in for any brew method with built-in target ranges: - Espresso: 170-300μm - Filter/Pour-Over: 400-800μm - French Press: 750-1000μm - Cold Brew: 800-1200μm TASTE-TO-GRIND RECOMMENDATIONS Log how your coffee tastes — sour, bitter, balanced, weak — and GrindLab connects your flavor feedback to your grind data. BREW TIMER & RECIPES Time your brews with step-by-step guidance for V60, Espresso, French Press, and Chemex. Create custom recipes with your own ratios, steps, and notes. Live Activities put your timer on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island so you never miss a pour. BREW JOURNAL Track every cup. Log your beans (roaster, origin, roast level, freshness), brew parameters (dose, yield, temperature, time), and tasting notes with star ratings. Search and filter your history to spot trends and refine your process over time. COMPARE & IMPROVE Save analyses and compare them side by side. Overlay distribution charts, view delta metrics, and set a baseline to track how grinder adjustments affect consistency. See your stats at a glance: total analyses, percentage in target range, and weekly trends. DETAILED VISUALIZATIONS Color-coded particle overlays show exactly where fines and boulders live in your sample. Distribution charts, histograms, and pie charts make your data easy to understand and share. PRIVACY FIRST GrindLab processes everything on-device. Your photos and data stay on your iPhone. No account required. No tracking. Whether you're a home barista chasing the perfect espresso or a pour-over enthusiast dialing in a new bag, GrindLab gives you the data to brew better coffee every day.

About

RoastNote

This app helps home coffee roasters meticulously track every stage of their roasting process. Log timings, events, bean details, and flavor profiles to build consistency and refine your coffee batches.

Highlights
  • Precise roast timer
  • Event logging (first/second crack)
  • Development Time and DTR tracking
  • Weight logging and loss calculation
  • Bean management
  • Flavor tag ratings
  • Roast history
Features
Read full description

RoastNote is a simple, focused app for tracking home coffee roasting from start to finish. From timing your roast to reviewing past batches, it helps you build consistency and improve results over time. Key features: Precise roast timer with start, stop, and reset First crack / second crack event logging Development Time and DTR tracking Green and roasted weight logging with automatic weight-loss calculation Bean management (name, origin, variety, process) Flavor tags with ratings for cup profiling Roast history with detailed session views Per-bean roast counts and latest-session summaries Customizable process methods and flavor tags in Settings Who it’s for: Home roasters who want clean, reliable logs Anyone trying to reproduce great roasts consistently Coffee enthusiasts who want to compare beans and improve batch by batch The more you log, the clearer your roasting patterns become. RoastNote helps you turn each roast into better decisions for the next one. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

GrindLab4 screens
RoastNote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: GrindLab at none against RoastNote's 1. RoastNote's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, 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. RoastNote sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $0.99 per month. GrindLab asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GrindLab ships an update every 2 weeks, RoastNote every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
GrindLab versus RoastNote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGrindLabRoastNote
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.018.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNathan KingMao Nabeta

In-app purchases

None

GrindLab

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

RoastNote

Subscriptions1
  • RoastNote Pro Monthly$0.991 Month

Questions

Is GrindLab free?
GrindLab is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is RoastNote free?
RoastNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do GrindLab or RoastNote have ads?
Neither GrindLab nor RoastNote shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GrindLab or RoastNote?
GrindLab ships an update every 2 weeks, and RoastNote every 4 days. Most recently, GrindLab was updated on October 8, 2026 and RoastNote on September 29, 2026.

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