# Panera Bread vs McDonald's

Panera Bread and McDonald's both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 75% of Panera Bread's written reviews are positive against 40% of McDonald's's. McDonald's's advantage is chart position (#1 vs #41) and ratings volume (7.9M vs 1.3M). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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 — 4.9 for Panera Bread against 4.8 for McDonald's. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: McDonald's has 7.9M ratings behind it against 1.3M, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of Panera Bread's written reviews are positive against 40% of McDonald's's.

Panera Bread ships an update every 3 weeks, McDonald's fortnightly. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Panera Bread | McDonald's |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (1.3M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/panera-bread/id692365393/reviews)** | [4.8 (7.9M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mcdonalds/id922103212/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1.3M | **7.9M** |
| Positive reviews | **75.3% of reviews** | 39.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #41 | **#1** |
| Size | 156 MB | 398 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Panera Bread](https://appshunter.io/developer/692365396) | [McDonald's USA](https://appshunter.io/developer/703260918) |

## What reviewers say

### Panera Bread

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/panera-bread/id692365393)

**Currently charting:** #41 Top Free · Food & Drink (US App Store)

Order your favorite soups, salads, and sandwiches ahead for pickup or delivery. Access exclusive deals and rewards, and manage your Unlimited Sip Club membership. Reorder past favorites with ease and send digital gift cards.

**Highlights:** Order ahead for pickup or delivery, Access MyPanera rewards, Join Unlimited Sip Club, Save and reorder favorites, Send digital gift cards, Mix & Match menu deals

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient ordering process
- 🔒 Contactless delivery option
- 👍 Customization options
- 👍 Syncs with payment methods
- 👍 Rewards program integration

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy ordering process
- 🐛 Inconsistent user experience
- 🐛 Lack of order tracking
- 🐛 Payment and rewards issues
- 🐛 Slow app performance

**Reported bugs**

- Orders not showing up at the store
- Inability to access past orders
- Rewards not properly applied
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between WiFi and cellular
- App crashes or freezes during ordering process

**Requested features**

- Allow drive-thru pickup option
- Improve customization capabilities
- Provide order history and balance tracking
- Streamline payment and rewards integration
- Enhance app stability and responsiveness


### McDonald's

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mcdonalds/id922103212)

**Currently charting:** #1 Top Free · Food & Drink, #19 Top Free (US App Store)

Order your favorite meals, earn rewards for free food, and access exclusive deals. Customize and save orders for quick reordering, find nearby locations, and get food delivered.

**Highlights:** Mobile Order & Pay, MyMcDonald's Rewards, Exclusive deals and offers, McDelivery, Save favorite orders, Restaurant locator

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Convenient mobile ordering
- 🚀 Fast and efficient app
- 💰 Good deals and discounts

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy app
- 🕰️ Slow and unresponsive at times
- 🤔 Inconsistent location tracking
- 💰 Deals and discounts getting worse over time
- 🤯 Poor customer service and support

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes during checkout
- Location services not working properly
- Incorrect order fulfillment
- Inconsistent point/reward redemption

**Requested features**

- Allow changing order location after submission
- Improve order tracking and status updates
- Enable order cancellation and refunds
- Provide more flexible and customizable deals


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Panera Bread free?

Panera Bread is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is McDonald's free?

McDonald's is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Panera Bread or McDonald's?

Panera Bread is rated higher. Panera Bread averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.3M ratings, while McDonald's averages 4.8 from 7.9M ratings.

### Do Panera Bread or McDonald's have ads?

Neither Panera Bread nor McDonald's shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Panera Bread or McDonald's?

Panera Bread ships an update every 3 weeks, and McDonald's fortnightly. Most recently, Panera Bread was updated on November 1, 2026 and McDonald's on November 1, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Panera Bread or McDonald's?

Panera Bread currently peaks at #41 in the App Store charts, and McDonald's at #1. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*