Comparison

SakeScan vs Sake Map+

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

Head to head
About

SakeScan

Effortlessly discover the perfect sake by scanning entire menus. This AI-powered app analyzes your taste preferences and budget to provide instant, personalized recommendations, eliminating guesswork and enhancing your dining experience.

Highlights
  • Full menu scan and AI recommendation
  • Instant label scan with detailed info
  • Extensive sake database (50,000+)
  • AI-powered food pairing suggestions
  • Personalized taste profile refinement
  • Community reviews and tasting notes
  • Brewery discovery and regional insights
Features
Read full description

Snap a sake label or a whole menu and know exactly what you're drinking. SakeScan identifies Japanese sake from a photo and shows you what's in the bottle: the brewery and region, the style, tasting notes, food pairings and what other drinkers think. Our catalog covers 35,000+ sakes. SCAN A LABEL Point your camera at a bottle. SakeScan reads the label (Japanese or English) and opens the sake's page: brewery, prefecture, style (Junmai, Ginjo, Daiginjo and more), polishing ratio, SMV (sweet or dry), rice and ABV where known. SCAN A WHOLE MENU At an izakaya or sake bar, scan the menu and SakeScan matches every listed sake to the catalog, then suggests the ones that fit your taste and budget. RATINGS, REVIEWS & TASTING NOTES Rate what you drink, write tasting notes and read reviews from other sake lovers. FOOD PAIRINGS & SERVING See which dishes go well with each sake and whether to serve it chilled, at room temperature or warm. EXPLORE SAKE AND BREWERIES Search the catalog and filter by style, region, sweetness (SMV) and polishing ratio. Browse breweries and discover what each one makes. YOUR SAKE JOURNAL Every scan is saved to your history. Save favorites and keep track of the bottles you've tried. FOLLOW FRIENDS Follow other drinkers, comment on their finds and get notified when someone follows you or comments on your activity. Available in English, Japanese, Korean and Traditional Chinese. SAKESCAN PRO Free accounts include label scanning, the full catalog and 3 menu scans per month. Pro unlocks unlimited menu scans, full food pairings, an unlimited collection and saved menus. SUBSCRIPTIONS SakeScan Pro Monthly: 1-month auto-renewable subscription. SakeScan Pro Annual: 1-year auto-renewable subscription (includes a 7-day free trial). Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in your Account Settings after purchase. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.sakescan.com/privacy Please enjoy sake responsibly.

About

Sake Map+

Features
Read full description

The ultimate digital companion for Japanese Sake enthusiasts. Whether you're a curious beginner or a certified sommelier, "Sake Map+" takes you on a journey through all 47 prefectures of Japan. Discover hidden breweries, track your tasting notes, and celebrate your passion for Sake. 【Key Features】 Brewery Discovery: Over 1,700+ Japanese breweries with map integration. Perfect for planning your next Sake tour. AI Label Scanner: Simply snap a photo! Our AI recognizes labels and specs instantly to log your favorite bottles. Personal Cellar: Digitally manage your collection and tasting history. Never forget a great bottle again. Achievement System: From "First Sip" to "Label Collector," unlock fun milestones as you explore the world of Sake. Deep Insights: Explore flavor profiles, rankings, and shopping links to stay ahead of Sake trends. Privacy & Backup: Local backup support keeps your precious memories safe and under your control. Open your Sake Map and Kanpai with us!

Screenshots

SakeScan4 screens
Sake Map+3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: SakeScan at none against Sake Map+'s shown. SakeScan also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). Sake Map+'s advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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. SakeScan sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Sake Map+ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SakeScan ships an update fortnightly, Sake Map+ every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
SakeScan versus Sake Map+: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSakeScanSake Map+
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size138 MB49 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperSS SystemsChiyuan Chen

In-app purchases

2 purchases

SakeScan

Subscriptions2
  • SakeScan Monthly$4.991 Month
  • SakeScan Annual$49.991 Year
1 purchases

Sake Map+

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$1.99

Questions

Is SakeScan free?
SakeScan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sake Map+ free?
Sake Map+ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do SakeScan or Sake Map+ have ads?
Sake Map+ shows ads; SakeScan does not.
Which is updated more often, SakeScan or Sake Map+?
SakeScan ships an update fortnightly, and Sake Map+ every 3 months. Most recently, SakeScan was updated on October 26, 2026 and Sake Map+ on October 20, 2026.

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