# Thyme vs Crouton

The clearest difference is rating: Crouton at 4.8 against Thyme's 3.0. Crouton also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 47%) and ratings volume (2.9K vs 73). Thyme's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8) and update cadence (every 10 days vs monthly). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Crouton sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Thyme asks for nothing beyond the download.

Crouton holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Crouton has 2.9K ratings behind it against 73, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of Thyme's written reviews are positive against 79% of Crouton's.

Thyme ships an update every 10 days, Crouton monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Thyme | Crouton |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (73 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thyme-a-modern-kitchen-timer/id771737226/reviews) | **[4.8 (2.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crouton-recipe-manager/id1461650987/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 73 | **2.9K** |
| Positive reviews | 46.7% of reviews | **78.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#50** |
| Size | 31 MB | 345 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 16.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Thuy Gia Nguyen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1378832816) | [Crouton LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1807416236) |

## What reviewers say

### Thyme

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thyme-a-modern-kitchen-timer/id771737226)

This app offers a simple and intuitive kitchen timer experience with a unique stove-like interface. It allows users to set multiple timers simultaneously for various cooking tasks, ensuring precise timing for delicious meals.

**Highlights:** Multiple timers simultaneously, Stove-inspired UI, Easy timer setting, Hours and minutes support, Modern design

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Crouton

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crouton-recipe-manager/id1461650987)

**Currently charting:** #50 Top Grossing · Food & Drink (US App Store)

Organize your favorite recipes from any source, plan your weekly meals, and generate grocery lists automatically. Features step-by-step cooking guidance, integrated timers, and AI-powered recipe importing.

**Highlights:** Import recipes from websites, books, and handwritten notes, AI and OCR recipe scanning, Weekly meal planning and automatic plan generation, Step-by-step cooking mode with hands-free navigation, Integrated timers and ingredient quantity display, Automatic grocery list creation, Cloud syncing across devices

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, SharePlay, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Discover Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Discover Yearly | $14.99 | per year |
| Kind Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Great Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Amazing Tip | $3.99 | one-time |
| Outrageous Tip | $7.99 | one-time |
| Crouton+ Early Bird | $17.99 | one-time |
| Crouton Plus | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 🚀 Seamless recipe import
- 🚀 Hands-free navigation
- 👍 Household sharing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy recipe import
- 🐛 Inconsistent hands-free navigation
- 🔒 Limited free features
- 🔒 Subscription required for full functionality
- 🔒 Inability to share recipes with non-users

**Reported bugs**

- Grocery list not remembering checked items
- Syncing issues between devices
- Inability to add more than 5 recipes in free version

**Requested features**

- Recipe rating system
- Nutrition information
- Ability to add recipe notes and descriptions
- Improved grocery list organization
- Web/Windows app version


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Thyme free?

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

### Is Crouton free?

Crouton is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Thyme or Crouton?

Crouton is rated higher. Thyme averages 3.0 out of 5 from 73 ratings, while Crouton averages 4.8 from 2.9K ratings.

### Do Thyme or Crouton have ads?

Neither Thyme nor Crouton shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Thyme or Crouton?

Thyme ships an update every 10 days, and Crouton monthly. Most recently, Thyme was updated on October 26, 2026 and Crouton on October 29, 2026.

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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.*