# Anova Culinary vs Masterbuilt

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Masterbuilt at none against Anova Culinary's 2. Anova Culinary's advantage is review sentiment (32% vs 13%) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On price, rating, ratings volume 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. Masterbuilt asks for nothing beyond the download.

Masterbuilt holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 26K and 12K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 32% of Anova Culinary's written reviews are positive against 13% of Masterbuilt's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Anova Culinary ships an update monthly, Masterbuilt every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Anova Culinary | Masterbuilt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (26K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anova-culinary/id959638683/reviews) | **[4.6 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/masterbuilt/id1587962574/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **26K** | 12K |
| Positive reviews | **31.6% of reviews** | 13.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#32** | — |
| Size | 80 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Anova Culinary](https://appshunter.io/developer/959638682) | [PREMIER SPECIALTY BRANDS, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1281287625) |

## What reviewers say

### Anova Culinary

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

**Currently charting:** #32 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


### Masterbuilt

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/masterbuilt/id1587962574)

Control your smart grill or smoker remotely. Adjust temperature, monitor cooking progress with real-time graphs, and receive alerts. Explore a vast recipe library to elevate your outdoor cooking experience.

**Highlights:** Remote grill and smoker control, Set and adjust temperature and time, Monitor meat probes and view graphs, Receive cooking notifications and alerts, Access a recipe library, View cooking history

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great smoker and grill
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🔥 Excellent flavor from charcoal and wood
- 🍽️ Versatile (smoking, grilling, baking)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connectivity issues with app
- 🔌 App frequently disconnects from smoker
- 🔍 App lacks important features (e.g. temperature history, notifications)
- 🔢 Inconsistent temperature readings
- 🤖 App is buggy and unreliable

**Reported bugs**

- App frequently loses connection to smoker
- Temperature settings not always reflected in smoker
- Probe temperature selection options are limited
- App crashes when trying to access certain features

**Requested features**

- Add ability to set custom probe temperatures
- Improve app connectivity and reliability
- Add more detailed cooking data and history
- Provide better notifications and alerts


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Anova Culinary free?

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

### Is Masterbuilt free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Anova Culinary or Masterbuilt?

Masterbuilt is rated higher. Anova Culinary averages 4.4 out of 5 from 26K ratings, while Masterbuilt averages 4.6 from 12K ratings.

### Do Anova Culinary or Masterbuilt have ads?

Neither Anova Culinary nor Masterbuilt shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Anova Culinary or Masterbuilt?

Anova Culinary ships an update monthly, and Masterbuilt every 3 months. Most recently, Anova Culinary was updated on September 26, 2026 and Masterbuilt on September 25, 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.*