# Anova Culinary vs CHEF iQ

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CHEF iQ at none against Anova Culinary's 2. CHEF iQ also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and review sentiment (43% vs 32%). Anova Culinary's advantage is chart position (#34 vs unranked). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Anova Culinary sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. CHEF iQ asks for nothing beyond the download.

CHEF iQ holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 26K and 34K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 32% of Anova Culinary's written reviews are positive against 43% of CHEF iQ's.

Anova Culinary ships an update monthly, CHEF iQ every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Anova Culinary | CHEF iQ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (26K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anova-culinary/id959638683/reviews) | **[4.7 (34K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chef-iq/id1496378504/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 26K | **34K** |
| Positive reviews | 31.6% of reviews | **43.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#34** | — |
| Size | 80 MB | 128 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Anova Culinary](https://appshunter.io/developer/959638682) | [RJ Brands, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1278407317) |

## What reviewers say

### Anova Culinary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anova-culinary/id959638683)

**Currently charting:** #34 Top Grossing · Food & Drink (US App Store)

Discover and create sous vide recipes with a vast collection from professional chefs and home cooks. Control your precision cooker remotely, monitor cooking progress, and share your culinary creations. Offers guided cooking, time and temperature guides, and personal recipe saving.

**Highlights:** Largest sous vide recipe collection, Remote cooker control, Guided cooking instructions, Recipe creation and sharing, Time and temperature guides, Personalized cooking profiles

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Sous Vide Yearly Subscription | $9.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🚀 Consistent cooking results
- 🚀 Versatile for various foods
- 🚀 Game-changing cooking method
- 🚀 Convenient remote control

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connectivity issues with app
- 🐛 Unreliable timer functionality
- 🐛 Glitchy app interface
- 🐛 Difficult WiFi setup
- 🐛 Lack of manual controls

**Reported bugs**

- App unable to maintain connection to device
- Timer resets unexpectedly during cooking
- Recipes not saving properly in the app
- Compatibility issues with certain WiFi networks
- Notifications not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Improved recipe management
- Better app integration with smart home devices
- More customization options for cooking
- Clearer instructions and troubleshooting guides
- Ability to save personal recipes


### CHEF iQ

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chef-iq/id1496378504)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Anova Culinary free?

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

### Is CHEF iQ free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Anova Culinary or CHEF iQ?

CHEF iQ is rated higher. Anova Culinary averages 4.4 out of 5 from 26K ratings, while CHEF iQ averages 4.7 from 34K ratings.

### Do Anova Culinary or CHEF iQ have ads?

Neither Anova Culinary nor CHEF iQ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Anova Culinary or CHEF iQ?

Anova Culinary ships an update monthly, and CHEF iQ every 3 weeks. Most recently, Anova Culinary was updated on September 24, 2026 and CHEF iQ on September 24, 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.*