Comparison

GrindLab vs BrewCard

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

Head to head
About

GrindLab

Analyze coffee grounds with your iPhone camera for precise particle size measurements. Get instant feedback on grind consistency, dial in for any brew method, and track your coffee journey with a detailed brew journal and timer.

Highlights
  • Precision grind particle size analysis
  • Four grind profiles for different brew methods
  • Taste-to-grind recommendations
  • Brew timer with Live Activities
  • Detailed brew journal for tracking
  • Side-by-side analysis comparison
  • On-device data processing for privacy
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

BrewCard

Features
Read full description

BrewCard is a coffee recipe notebook, brew timer, and sharing tool for people who care about consistent cups. Record recipes for V60, AeroPress, Origami, Kalita Wave, Hario Switch, Clever Dripper, espresso, French press, Moka pot, OXO Rapid, and custom methods. Save dose, water, ratio, grind, temperature, brew time, tasting notes, roast details, and step-by-step pours. When it is time to brew, run the recipe as a guided timer. Each step can show the pour amount, timing, and notes, so you can follow the recipe without guessing. And if you get distracted live activities will keep your current pour details at glance. Build a personal library of your brews, group recipes by method, roaster, process, or technique, and come back to the cups that worked. BrewCard also tracks timer brews and helps you understand your taste profile over time. Sharing is built in. Publish a BrewCard link, show a QR code, send it to friends, or post it on social. Anyone can open a shared recipe, save it, remix it, or brew from it. App Clips let shared recipes open quickly even before someone installs the full app. You can also start from community-style techniques inspired by popular brew methods, then adjust them for your coffee, grinder, water, and taste. BrewCard is made for home baristas, coffee people, and roasters who want recipes that are easy to save, repeat, and share. BrewCard is free to download. Main functionality is included in the free tier. A BrewCard Premium auto-renewable subscription is required to access Premium features.” Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

GrindLab4 screens
BrewCard4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: GrindLab at none against BrewCard's 2. BrewCard's advantage is iOS requirement (18.4 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, 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. BrewCard sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. GrindLab asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
GrindLab versus BrewCard: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGrindLabBrewCard
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.018.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB21 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNathan KingIvan Surin

In-app purchases

None

GrindLab

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

BrewCard

Subscriptions2
  • BrewCard Premium Monthly$3.991 Month
  • BrewCard Premium Yearly$29.991 Year

Questions

Is GrindLab free?
GrindLab is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BrewCard free?
BrewCard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do GrindLab or BrewCard have ads?
Neither GrindLab nor BrewCard shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GrindLab or BrewCard?
GrindLab ships an update every 2 weeks, and BrewCard every 2 weeks. Most recently, GrindLab was updated on November 5, 2026 and BrewCard on October 28, 2026.

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