Comparison

Hardens vs GAIL's Bakery

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

Head to head
About

Hardens

Discover brilliant restaurants and avoid disappointing ones with this trusted guide to the UK's dining scene. Features detailed ratings, real-time updates, and curated collections to help you find your next meal.

Highlights
  • Trusted restaurant reviews
  • Detailed ratings and reports
  • Over 3,000 updated entries
  • Powerful search filters
  • Curated collections
  • Restaurant diary
  • Club benefits and access
Features
Read full description

TELLING IT HOW IT IS! Your trusted guide to the UK's Best Restaurants + Avoid bad restaurants & discover brilliant ones + Founded 1991 + Trusted reviews and detailed ratings + Over 3,000 entries, updated in real time + New club with special benefits and access + Powerful search by price, food quality, cuisine + Book online (selected restaurants) + Journal meals out in your restaurant diary + Restaurant news, with constant updates + Browse curated collections of recommendations WHY YOU CAN TRUST OUR REVIEWS Decide where to eat based on socially sourced, carefully curated ratings and reviews. Votes are taken from 1,000s of fellow foodies, who take part annually in the Harden's Annual National Diners Poll. Harden's editors then carefully weed this data for cheats and distil the feedback into statistically-derived ratings and short reports quoting from diner feedback. Since 1991, we've been "telling it like it is" based on one of the UK's most detailed surveys of restaurant-goers. Each year, approximately, 8,000 ‘reporters’ (that's what we call diners who take part in the survey) contribute 50,000 reviews. And now you can even submit reports to us directly from the App. COVERING LONDON & THE UK With detailed coverage of the UK and London, the app features over 1,400 listings outside the capital, and more than 1,400 within London itself. (Outside London, that’s more listings than our rival, the Good Food Guide; and inside London, about five times as many reviews as the Good Food Guide!) INTRODUCING HARDEN’S CLUB (FREE & PLATINUM) Launching in early 2021 (pandemic allowing), Harden’s Platinum is a new level of Harden’s membership linking Harden’s community of diners with the UK’s best Restaurants and Hotels. + Gain access to a kitchen tour or an area that would otherwise be out-of-bounds. + Enjoy a perk like a complimentary course or glass of English Sparkling wine. + Access a special rate as a thank you when you spend more than average at a particular establishment You will also receive priority access and special rates when booking "Harden's Invites" events and online happenings. SUBSCRIBE TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR APP Although you can search for restaurants by name within the free version of the App, its powerful search features and constant updating of its restaurant data are only available to subscribers • Annual subscription - UK & London Restaurants, Pubs, & Cafés • Lasts one year (12 months from purchase) • Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase • Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period • Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal • Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase • Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable • Visit https://www.hardens.com/terms-and-conditions for terms of use • Visit https://www.hardens.com/terms-and-conditions for privacy policy information

About

GAIL's Bakery

Earn digital stamps with every purchase at participating bakeries. Collect stamps to redeem free bread, coffee, or barista-made drinks. Order ahead to skip the queue and browse the online shop.

Highlights
  • Digital stamp collection
  • Earn free bread or drinks
  • Order ahead for pickup
  • Browse and shop online
  • QR code scanning
Features
Read full description

Introducing the GAIL's Loyalty App; perfect if you’re a regular of our bakeries. • Scan the app's QR code with every shop to receive a digital stamp. • If you spend more than £20, we'll give you an extra stamp. • Collect 9 stamps and enjoy a handcrafted loaf of bread, coffee or any barista-made drink on us. It's our little way of saying thank you. If you already know what you fancy, you can order ahead to skip the queue and have your favourites ready and waiting. The app also makes it easier to browse and shop online with GAIL’s.

Screenshots

Hardens4 screens
GAIL's Bakery4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: GAIL's Bakery at 4.3 against Hardens's 3.5. GAIL's Bakery also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (52 vs 4). Hardens's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (54% vs 26%). On price, monetization model and device support 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. Hardens sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.49 per year. GAIL's Bakery asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

GAIL's Bakery holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GAIL's Bakery has 52 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 54% of Hardens's written reviews are positive against 26% of GAIL's Bakery's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hardens ships an update every 2 months, GAIL's Bakery monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Hardens versus GAIL's Bakery: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHardensGAIL's Bakery
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.5 (4 ratings)4.3 (52 ratings) — better
Positive reviews53.6% of reviews — better26.1% of reviews
Number of ratings452 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.2 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size91 MB50 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperHardens LtdGail's

Customer experience

Hardens

All ratings4 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews28 reviews
Positive53.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative46.4%

GAIL's Bakery

All ratings51 ratings
Positive80.4%
Neutral3.9%
Negative15.7%
Written reviews119 reviews
Positive26.1%
Neutral5.9%
Negative68.1%

Bugs and requests

Hardens

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

GAIL's Bakery

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • Tills aren't working
  • The app is unable to download
  • Stamps not Added
  • Click and Collect not working
  • Rewards disappear
Show 3 more
  • Verification failure
  • App not usable with no internet connection
  • Stamps don't record

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add loyalty QR Code to Apple Wallet
  • Option for honey or syrup
  • Order history on the app

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Hardens

Subscriptions2
  • Annual UK + London Restaurants$7.491 Year
  • Annual UK + London Restaurants$9.991 Year
None

GAIL's Bakery

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hardens free?
Hardens is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is GAIL's Bakery free?
GAIL's Bakery is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Hardens or GAIL's Bakery?
GAIL's Bakery is rated higher. Hardens averages 3.5 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while GAIL's Bakery averages 4.3 from 52 ratings.
Do Hardens or GAIL's Bakery have ads?
GAIL's Bakery shows ads; Hardens does not.
Which is updated more often, Hardens or GAIL's Bakery?
Hardens ships an update every 2 months, and GAIL's Bakery monthly. Most recently, Hardens was updated on October 29, 2026 and GAIL's Bakery on October 30, 2026.

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