# BJ's Restaurants vs The Cookie Element

The clearest difference is rating: The Cookie Element at 5.0 against BJ's Restaurants's 4.1. The Cookie Element also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.2). BJ's Restaurants's advantage is ratings volume (10K vs 1) and chart position (#139 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

The Cookie Element holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BJ's Restaurants has 10K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BJ's Restaurants | The Cookie Element |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bjs-restaurants/id878922697/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-cookie-element/id6760893566/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **10K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 34.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#139** | — |
| Size | 144 MB | 388 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.2 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [BJ's Restaurants Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/878922700) | [The Cookie Element, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886657611) |

## What reviewers say

### BJ's Restaurants

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bjs-restaurants/id878922697)

**Currently charting:** #139 Top Free · Food & Drink (US App Store)

Discover handcrafted beers, pizzas, entrees, and desserts. Order ahead for dine-in or takeout, join the waitlist, and pay with your phone. Earn rewards for every visit.

**Highlights:** Locate nearby restaurants, View specials and offers, Dine-in order ahead, Join preferred waitlist, Order takeout and curbside pickup, Mobile payment, Group ordering, Join rewards program

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Wonderful dining experience
- 💳 Easy to pay through the app
- 🕰️ Convenient wait list and table check-in
- 🎁 Useful rewards program

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes and glitches
- 🚫 Incompatible with older devices
- 🔒 Issues with login and password reset
- 🛒 Problems with online/mobile ordering

**Reported bugs**

- App not recognizing valid receipts for rewards
- Inability to change email address associated with account
- Ordering issues with app not communicating with restaurant
- Forced updates locking out users with older devices

**Requested features**

- Add ability to use gift cards through the app
- Improve app stability and reliability
- Allow more flexibility for larger party sizes
- Better integration between app and restaurant systems


### The Cookie Element

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-cookie-element/id6760893566)

This app allows users to order custom desserts and register for baking classes or special events. It also features a loyalty program where customers can earn credits towards future purchases.

**Highlights:** Order custom desserts, Register for classes, Sign up for events, Join Elemental Rewards program, Earn Cookie Credits

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BJ's Restaurants free?

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

### Is The Cookie Element free?

The Cookie Element is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, BJ's Restaurants or The Cookie Element?

The Cookie Element is rated higher. BJ's Restaurants averages 4.1 out of 5 from 10K ratings, while The Cookie Element averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do BJ's Restaurants or The Cookie Element have ads?

Neither BJ's Restaurants nor The Cookie Element shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BJ's Restaurants or The Cookie Element?

BJ's Restaurants ships an update every 3 months, and The Cookie Element every 3 months. Most recently, BJ's Restaurants was updated on October 15, 2026 and The Cookie Element on September 26, 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.*