Cold Stone vs Bruster's
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Cold Stone
Order custom ice cream creations, shakes, or cakes for pickup or delivery. Save your favorite orders, earn rewards, and enjoy exclusive birthday treats through a loyalty program.
- Order ice cream creations, shakes, and cakes
- Pickup at store or delivery to door
- Save favorite orders and re-order easily
- Unlimited customizations
- Earn points and redeem rewards
- Birthday Buy One, Get One FREE offer
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The Cold Stone Creamery® app lets you order our made-fresh Ice Cream in a Creation™, Shake or Cake and have it ready for pickup at your favorite store or delivered right to your door! Sign in to your My Cold Stone Rewards account and you can save favorite orders, earn points and redeem rewards! ABOUT MY COLD STONE CLUB REWARDS + Earn 1 point for every $1 + Receive a $5 Reward with every 50 points + Enjoy a Buy One, Get One FREE on your birthday FEATURES + Order ahead and pick up at the store + Or, get your order delivered right to your door + Easily re-order with favorites and recent orders + Enjoy The Ultimate Ice Cream Experience® in app with unlimited customizations
Bruster's
This app enhances your loyalty program experience, making it easier to earn rewards and enjoy exclusive offers. Find nearby locations, order ahead for pickup, and manage your points seamlessly.
- Sweet Rewards loyalty program management
- Earn points for purchases
- Store locator with hours and flavor updates
- Order online for pickup
- Add missed points with receipt
- Exclusive offers and birthday treat
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When all you do is serve fresh, delicious desserts to people in your community -- every day feels like a celebration. Join in our celebration as we offer all the benefits of Sweet Rewards on your mobile app! The Bruster's Ice Cream mobile app is the most convenient way to manage your Sweet Rewards program, meaning earning rewards is easier than ever. See below for some of the key features. Store Locator: Find a Bruster's nearby to see their store hours, check what flavors they made fresh today or order ahead for pick up! Rewards: The Sweet Rewards Loyalty Program allows you to earn 1 point for every $1 spent at any participating location. Once you reach 50 points, you will be rewarded $5 towards a future order. You will also have access to flavor announcements, exclusive offers and receive a birthday treat! Order Online for Pickup: Skip the line and order ahead! Add Missed Points: If your App or phone number was not used on your recent visit, you can claim your points using your receipt.
Screenshots
Verdict
Cold Stone and Bruster's both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 60% of Bruster's's written reviews are positive against 20% of Cold Stone's. Bruster's also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). Cold Stone's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months). On price, rating, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Cold Stone against 4.7 for Bruster's. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cold Stone has 23K ratings behind it against 1.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 20% of Cold Stone's written reviews are positive against 60% of Bruster's's.
Cold Stone ships an update every 3 weeks, Bruster's every 5 months. Both last shipped on September 23, 2026.
| Parameter | Cold Stone | Bruster's |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (23K ratings) | 4.7 (1.1K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 19.6% of reviews | 59.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 23K — better | 1.1K |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #134 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 72 MB | 128 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kahala Management, L.L.C. | Bruster’s Ice Cream, Inc |
Customer experience
Cold Stone
Bruster's
User reviews
Cold Stone
From 23K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fast and easy order and pick up
- 👍 Exceptional ice cream and service
- 💡 Allows store to accept phone number for rewards
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy app features
- 👎 Outdated and clunky app design
- 🤔 Disconnect between app and store inventory
- 💸 Incorrect orders and missing items
- 🤯 Frustrating login and account issues
Bruster's
From 1.1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🍦 Delicious ice cream
- 👍 Great customer service
- 💳 Rewards program
- 🚘 Convenient drive-thru
- 🍨 Wide variety of flavors
Room to improve
- 🐛 App crashes and login issues
- 💳 Rewards not usable online
- 🕰️ Slow app performance
- 🗺️ Location selection issues
- 💰 Expensive pricing
Bugs and requests
Cold Stone
Reported bugs
4 issues- Payment processing errors
- Inability to change pickup location
- Rewards not updating properly
- App crashes when trying to add gift cards
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to reorder previous orders
- Option to select custom ice cream flavors
- Integration with mobile wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay)
- Easier way to apply rewards and discounts
- Clearer communication on store closures and order availability
Bruster's
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashes on newer iOS versions
- Login screen issues with keyboard
- Rewards not tracking properly
Requested features
3 requests- Display current store flavors in the app
- Improve app navigation and ordering experience
- Integrate rewards program with online ordering
In-app purchases
Cold Stone
No in-app purchases
Bruster's
No in-app purchases
