Untappd alternatives in 2026

The short version

What changed in Untappd 5.0

Untappd shipped version 5.0 in mid-October 2026. The app is now called “Untappd: Beer, Wine & Spirits” and covers wine, spirits, cider and non-alcoholic drinks alongside beer. It still averages 4.9 stars from more than 216,000 US ratings, but that average was built over years.

The newest reviews tell a different story. When I read them on 23 October 2026, most were one star, written in English, Dutch and German. People said the app feels cluttered and hard to read, that ads and sponsored posts have multiplied, and that beer feels less central now that wine and spirits sit beside it. Several said most of the statistics now need the paid Insider plan.

If none of that bothers you, Untappd is still the largest beer community going.

Why I built BeerShelf

I started trying more beers when I travelled, and I wanted somewhere to keep track of them. Wine drinkers have Vivino. Next to it, the beer apps felt basic.

Untappd was the obvious choice, and it wasn't as good as I expected. The ads annoyed me, and it is very social. Following people and toasting their check-ins never added much for me, though plenty of people love that side and I may be the odd one out. I was also partly inspired by @schoonerscorer on Instagram.

So I kept BeerShelf simple: your own shelf of the drinks you've tried, paid for once. In my view a beer journal shouldn't be a subscription.

Six Untappd alternatives compared

BeerShelf

iPhone · coming soon to the App Store · 10 drinks free, then a one-off USD 19.99 unlock

You photograph a can or bottle, and BeerShelf cuts it out and stands it on a lit shelf, so your collection looks like a back bar rather than a list. Each drink gets a rating, notes, flavour tags and, if you like, the place you had it, which builds a map. Everything stays on your iPhone, there's nothing to sign up for, and you won't see ads. You can export the whole shelf as a spreadsheet with photos.

It doesn't sync between devices yet, there's no iPad or Android version, and it can't import an Untappd export.

WhichCraft

iPhone · free to download · says it has no ads

A deliberately small tracker. You search a large beer catalogue, give a beer a thumbs up or down with a note, and it remembers where you were. Tastings sync through your own iCloud account, and the listing is openly written for people tired of social features.

Thumbs up or down is the only rating, and it has a handful of App Store ratings so far.

Beer Diary

iPhone · free to download

A plain diary: rating, comment and photos for each beer, in a list you can sort and search. It exports to an open format and syncs between your devices through iCloud. There's no beer catalogue, so you type each beer in yourself.

Sipstr

iPhone · 7-day trial, then a subscription or a lifetime unlock for Pro

The closest thing to Untappd's discovery side. It scans labels, barcodes and draft boards against about 57,000 beers, rates out of 10, and predicts how much you'll like beers you haven't tried. XP levels and “Tap Rooms” for chatting add a game layer, and the listing promises no ads and no feed.

You need an account before a check-in posts, and the predictions people come for sit in Pro.

Beer Counter: Beer Journal

iPhone · 4.6 from 55 ratings · Premium subscription

Version 3.0, out in October 2026, rebuilt it around a beer passport: about 33,000 beers from 110 countries you can search offline, a label scanner, stamps for countries and styles, monthly challenges, and a shared count for groups of friends.

An unlimited list and your full history need the Premium subscription.

Pour

iPhone · free to start, optional credits, no subscription

A journal for any drink, centred on the occasion rather than the score. You log the drink with a photo, notes, who you were with and where, and can share with a few close friends. There are no public profiles or follower counts. Credits pay for AI-written recaps and PDF exports.

Because it covers every drink, it isn't built around beer, and it has very few ratings so far.

How to export your Untappd history before you leave

Keep a copy of your history first. Untappd can email you an export of your check-ins; third-party guides say this needs a paid Insider account or an EU or EEA location, so check your account settings for the current option, and download the file promptly because the link expires. Even if no app can import it yet, it's your record of every beer you logged.

How to choose

• If you mostly looked beers up before buying them, you want a big catalogue: Sipstr or Beer Counter.
• If you mostly logged beers to remember them, a quick private journal will do: BeerShelf, WhichCraft or Beer Diary.
• If you came for your friends, find out where they're going before you move. Pour is the quietest social option.
• If you switch between devices, pick one with iCloud sync: WhichCraft or Beer Diary.

Questions people ask

Related guides

• The best beer tracker apps in 2026Eight iPhone beer trackers compared on catalogue, privacy, sync and price.
• How to keep a beer journalWhat to note for each beer, a copyable template and how to rate consistently.
• Beer styles explainedWhat 15 common styles taste like, how strong they are and which glass to use.