Comparison

Masterbuilt Classic vs CHEF iQ

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

Head to head
About

Masterbuilt Classic

Easily control your Masterbuilt digital electric smoker from your phone. Access a collection of recipes and create integrated shopping lists for your culinary creations.

Highlights
  • Control multiple smokers
  • Share smoker control
  • Recipe collection
  • Integrated shopping list
Features
Read full description

Whether you're a beginner or pro, you will achieve a perfect cook every time. Simply connect your smoker to the app and let us do the work. FEATURES • Control multiple Masterbuilt digital electric smokers with a single mobile device • Control the same Masterbuilt digital electric smoker from multiple devices • Craft a masterpiece with our collection of delicious recipes • Capture all the ingredients for your masterpiece with the integrated shopping list

About

CHEF iQ

This app acts as a culinary companion for smart cooking appliances, offering guided recipes, remote control, and ingredient shopping. It connects users with a community of home cooks and provides over-the-air updates for enhanced features.

Highlights
  • Remote appliance control
  • Thousands of pre-programmed settings
  • Guided cooking recipes with videos
  • Instacart integration for ingredient delivery
  • Save favorite recipes and configurations
  • Appliance sharing with friends and family
  • Community forum for cooks
Features
Read full description

Welcome to CHEF iQ®, your ultimate culinary companion designed to elevate your cooking experience. Embrace the art of cooking smarter, not harder, with an app that empowers seasoned chefs and kitchen novices. Join our vibrant community of home cooks and embark on a journey toward culinary mastery. COOK SMARTER, NOT HARDER At CHEF iQ®, we believe in simplifying the cooking process while enhancing your confidence in the kitchen. Our app is meticulously crafted to guide you through every step, ensuring that every meal you create is worth sharing. COOK CONTROL Take command of your CHEF iQ® smart cooking appliances effortlessly. With real-time monitoring and notifications, stay in control of your culinary creations no matter where you are. TIMES & TEMPS Unlock thousands of pre-programmed control settings to achieve optimal results with ease. From precise cooking times to ideal temperatures, our app provides the guidance you need to cook like a pro. GUIDED COOKING RECIPES Delve into a treasure trove of expertly curated recipes seamlessly integrated with CHEF iQ® appliances. With step-by-step instructions and professional videos, discover new culinary delights and master your favorite dishes with confidence. SHOP FOR INGREDIENTS Found a recipe you love but are missing a few key ingredients? No problem. Schedule a delivery through our Instacart integration and have everything you need at your doorstep in as little as one hour. FAVORITES Save your favorite recipes and cooking configurations for easy access. Track your culinary adventures and revisit past successes with just a tap. APPLIANCE SHARING Share the joy of cooking with friends and family by inviting them to collaborate on your culinary creations. With appliance sharing, cooking becomes a communal experience like never before. COMMUNITY OF COOKS Engage with fellow chefs, share your thoughts on recipes, and glean valuable tips from our growing community. Together, we can inspire and support each other on our culinary journeys. OVER THE AIR UPDATES Stay ahead of the curve by constantly improving the CHEF iQ® cooking experience. With over- the-air updates, you'll always have the latest features and enhancements. Discover the full suite of CHEF iQ® smart cooking appliances, each designed to streamline your cooking process and unlock new culinary possibilities: SMART COOKER The most capable cooker ever created. - Pressure & multi-cooker - Auto pressure release - 6-quart capacity - 1000s of presets -Built-in scale SMART THERMOMETER Never over or undercook your food again. - Speaker for audio alerts - Ambient alerts for temperature fluctuations - Live Graph display - Unlimited range connectivity over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth - Auto-calibrating sensors measure food's true lowest temp - Fast-charging hub iQ MINI OVEN Meal prep made easy for everyone. - Bake, air fry, toast, dehydrate, air sous vide, and more - Smart Thermometer interconnectivity - Guided rack lighting - Heavy-duty glide racks - Natural LED lighting - Soft-close door Ready to embark on your culinary adventure? Download the CHEF iQ® app today and join our community of passionate home cooks. Let's cook up something extraordinary together! support@chefiq.com https://chefiq.com/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mychefiq https://www.instagram.com/mychefiq

Screenshots

Masterbuilt Classic4 screens
CHEF iQ4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: CHEF iQ at 4.7 against Masterbuilt Classic's 2.0. CHEF iQ also leads on review sentiment (43% vs 16%) and ratings volume (34K vs 218). Masterbuilt Classic's advantage is monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.4). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

CHEF iQ holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CHEF iQ has 34K ratings behind it against 218, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 16% of Masterbuilt Classic's written reviews are positive against 43% of CHEF iQ's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Masterbuilt Classic ships an update monthly, CHEF iQ every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 25, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Masterbuilt Classic versus CHEF iQ: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMasterbuilt ClassicCHEF iQ
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.0 (218 ratings)4.7 (34K ratings) — better
Positive reviews16.0% of reviews43.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings21834K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size232 MB128 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPREMIER SPECIALTY BRANDS, LLCRJ Brands, LLC

Customer experience

Masterbuilt Classic

All ratings218 ratings
Positive21.1%
Neutral3.2%
Negative75.7%
Written reviews144 reviews
Positive16.0%
Neutral7.6%
Negative76.4%

CHEF iQ

All ratings34,102 ratings
Positive92.8%
Neutral2.3%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews585 reviews
Positive43.2%
Neutral12.1%
Negative44.6%

User reviews

Masterbuilt Classic

From 218 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to navigate
  • 🚀 Clean app
  • 🚀 Great addition to the smoker

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Constant connectivity issues
  • 🐛 Unreliable temperature readings
  • 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
  • 🐛 Safe mode issues
  • 🐛 Difficult to use

CHEF iQ

From 34K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Accurate temperature readings
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Guided cooking makes cooking easy
  • 🚀 Helpful for new cooks
  • 👍 Versatile for different meats

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Connectivity issues with WiFi and Bluetooth
  • 🔒 Requires account verification to use
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns with data access
  • 🐛 Inconsistent notifications
  • 🐛 Buggy app with crashes and freezes

Bugs and requests

Masterbuilt Classic

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Bluetooth connection constantly drops
  • App fails to recognize smoker model
  • Temperature and timer settings not working
  • Recipe menu crashes app
  • Login issues between app and website

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to set meat probe temperature alarms
  • Ability to save/favorite recipes
  • Ability to name probes
  • Startup mode to burn off before cooking
  • Ability to view cooking process history/stats

CHEF iQ

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Firmware update failures
  • Inability to connect to WiFi
  • Incorrect temperature conversions
  • Cooking time and liquid amount miscalculations

Requested features

5 requests
  • Live Activity support for cooking status
  • Ability to adjust temperature and time during cooking
  • Cooking history and data tracking
  • Landscape mode support for iPad
  • More generic cooking options beyond recipes

In-app purchases

None

Masterbuilt Classic

No in-app purchases

None

CHEF iQ

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Masterbuilt Classic free?
Masterbuilt Classic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is CHEF iQ free?
CHEF iQ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Masterbuilt Classic or CHEF iQ?
CHEF iQ is rated higher. Masterbuilt Classic averages 2.0 out of 5 from 218 ratings, while CHEF iQ averages 4.7 from 34K ratings.
Do Masterbuilt Classic or CHEF iQ have ads?
Neither Masterbuilt Classic nor CHEF iQ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Masterbuilt Classic or CHEF iQ?
Masterbuilt Classic ships an update monthly, and CHEF iQ every 3 weeks. Most recently, Masterbuilt Classic was updated on August 25, 2026 and CHEF iQ on September 25, 2026.

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