# Masterbuilt Classic vs Blackstone Connect

The clearest difference is rating: Blackstone Connect at 3.7 against Masterbuilt Classic's 1.9. Blackstone Connect also leads on update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). Masterbuilt Classic's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.4). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume 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.

Blackstone Connect holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 1.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 220 and 122 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 16% of Masterbuilt Classic's written reviews are positive against 17% of Blackstone Connect's.

Masterbuilt Classic ships an update monthly, Blackstone Connect weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Masterbuilt Classic | Blackstone Connect |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.9 (220 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/masterbuilt-classic/id895935056/reviews) | **[3.7 (122 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blackstone-connect/id6448987537/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **220** | 122 |
| Positive reviews | 15.8% of reviews | **16.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 232 MB | 68 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [PREMIER SPECIALTY BRANDS, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1281287625) | [Blackstone Products](https://appshunter.io/developer/1587174823) |

## What reviewers say

### Masterbuilt Classic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/masterbuilt-classic/id895935056)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### Blackstone Connect

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blackstone-connect/id6448987537)

Monitor and control your wood pellet grill remotely via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Keep track of your meat's temperature from anywhere, ensuring perfect cooking results on your smartphone or tablet.

**Highlights:** Wi-Fi and Bluetooth grill control, Remote meat temperature monitoring, Smartphone and tablet compatibility, Always-on grill management

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 🎯 Accurate temperature control on grill/smoker
- 📱 Convenient remote monitoring capability
- ⚡ Quick setup process
- 🔥 Excellent cooking performance of hardware

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent connectivity issues and disconnections
- 📡 WiFi connection unreliable and drops frequently
- 🔌 Requires constant app restarting to function
- ⚠️ Temperature readings sometimes inaccurate (20+ degree variance)
- 🚫 Login and authentication failures

**Reported bugs**

- Network anomalies error preventing login
- App fails to connect to grill after restart
- WiFi setup crashes during configuration
- App endlessly searches for grill
- Cannot type network name - manual entry fails

**Requested features**

- Apple Watch compatibility
- Temperature threshold alerts (below minimum)
- Custom probe naming functionality
- Temperature history and graph tracking throughout cook
- Meat type selection with recommended doneness temperatures


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Masterbuilt Classic free?

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

### Is Blackstone Connect free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Masterbuilt Classic or Blackstone Connect?

Blackstone Connect is rated higher. Masterbuilt Classic averages 1.9 out of 5 from 220 ratings, while Blackstone Connect averages 3.7 from 122 ratings.

### Do Masterbuilt Classic or Blackstone Connect have ads?

Neither Masterbuilt Classic nor Blackstone Connect shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Masterbuilt Classic or Blackstone Connect?

Masterbuilt Classic ships an update monthly, and Blackstone Connect weekly. Most recently, Masterbuilt Classic was updated on November 1, 2026 and Blackstone Connect on November 3, 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.*