BeerShelf guides
The best beer tracker apps in 2026
Every beer tracking app helps you remember what you drank and whether you liked it. Where they differ is everything around that: accounts and ads, how big the catalogue is, whether your notes sync, and how you pay.
I make BeerShelf, so read its entry with that in mind. Every other app is described from its own App Store listing. Ratings are from the US App Store on 25 October 2026 and will have moved since.
The short version
Untappd still has the biggest catalogue and community. Sipstr is the best at telling you what to try next, and Beer Counter: Beer Journal works offline with about 33,000 beers built in. If you'd rather keep a private collection, BeerShelf puts your own photos on a shelf, while WhichCraft and Beer Diary are the simplest options that sync through iCloud.
What to look for in a beer tracker
A beer database saves typing, but no catalogue has every local or limited release, so make sure you can add a beer yourself. Social apps need an account. If the record is only for you, an app without one is quicker to start and holds nothing that can leak.
Think about your data too. Export means years of notes don't vanish with an app, and sync matters if you change phones often. On price, free tiers range from a few beers to unlimited logging, and you'll find both subscriptions and one-off unlocks.
Eight beer tracking apps compared
Untappd: Beer, Wine & Spirits
iPhone · 4.9 from 216,297 ratings · free, with an Insider subscription
The default for over a decade, with millions of drinks, barcode scanning, live menus from bars near you, friends, badges and lists. Since version 5.0 in October 2026 it covers wine and spirits as well, and its newest reviews are far harsher than its lifetime average. It's still the place to look up almost any beer.
BeerShelf
iPhone · coming soon · 10 drinks free, then a one-off USD 19.99 unlock
My app, built because the beer apps felt basic next to Vivino and I didn't want another subscription. You photograph a can or bottle and it stands on your own lit shelf, with a rating, notes, flavour tags and a map of where you drank it. Barcodes and label text help fill in details, but nothing depends on a catalogue match. It works offline, keeps everything on your iPhone and exports to a spreadsheet with photos. The app is in English, German, Dutch, French and Spanish.
It has no iCloud sync, iPad version or social features yet.
Sipstr: Beer Tasting Tracker
iPhone · 7-day trial, then subscription or lifetime Pro
Scans labels, barcodes and draft boards against about 57,000 beers, predicts your rating for beers you haven't tried, and explains each recommendation. XP levels and chat rooms add a game layer. It suits anyone deciding what to buy next, though you need an account before a check-in posts.
Beer Counter: Beer Journal
iPhone · 4.6 from 55 ratings · Premium subscription
An offline catalogue of about 33,000 beers, a label scanner, and a passport of countries and styles with badges and monthly challenges. Good if you like collecting stamps and often drink without signal. Premium unlocks the unlimited list and full history.
WhichCraft: Beer Tracker
iPhone · free to download
Search, thumbs up or down, a note and a place, and that's about it. Sync runs through iCloud, and the listing promises no ads and no social features. Version 1.4 added a proper list and map of the places you've drunk.
Beer Diary
iPhone · free to download
A plain list of ratings, comments and photos with export to an open format and iCloud sync. There's no catalogue behind it.
Pour: Beer Journal
iPhone · free to start, optional credits
Logs any drink around the moment you had it: photo, notes, people and place, shared only with close friends if you choose. Credits buy AI recaps and PDF exports.
Pint Please
iPhone · 4.7 from 35 ratings · free
A crowdsourced rating community with a barcode scanner, over 300,000 beers and badges. Its last update was in November 2023, so check it still works for you before you commit years of notes to it.
Or track beers in a spreadsheet
If you log a few beers a month, a spreadsheet or the Notes app is plenty. Give each beer a row with the date, name, brewery, style, strength, where you had it, a score and a line of notes. You lose the photos, maps and catalogue search, but the file is entirely yours. Our beer journal guide has a template to copy.
Questions people ask
What is the best app to track beers?
Untappd has the biggest catalogue and community. Sipstr is strongest on recommendations. For a private, ad-free record, BeerShelf, WhichCraft and Beer Diary are simpler.
Is there a beer tracking app that works offline?
BeerShelf keeps everything on your iPhone and needs no signal. Beer Counter: Beer Journal also has a catalogue of about 33,000 beers you can search offline.
Is there a beer tracker without a subscription?
Yes. Untappd and Pint Please are free to use, Pour sells optional credits, and BeerShelf is free for 10 drinks and then a single payment. Sipstr and Beer Counter keep their best features in paid plans.
Which beer apps sync between devices?
WhichCraft and Beer Diary sync through iCloud. Account-based apps such as Untappd and Sipstr keep your history on their servers. BeerShelf doesn't sync yet.
Related guides
- Untappd alternatives in 2026Where to go after the 5.0 redesign, depending on what you used Untappd for.
- How to keep a beer journalWhat to note for each beer, a copyable template and how to rate consistently.
- Alcohol units calculator for beer and ciderUK units, US standard drinks and grams of alcohol in any beer or cider.
Coming soon to iPhone
Your collection, remembered.
BeerShelf is a private journal for the beers and ciders you try. Photograph the can or bottle, rate it, add notes, and watch your own shelf and tasting map fill up. The first 10 drinks are free, and after that it is one payment, not a subscription.
See BeerShelf