Review · Updated 17 Oct 2026
Cocktails Guru
The biggest library, free on every platform, with an optional Premium plan.
7.7out of 10 with General weights · 2nd of 5
| Weights | Score | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| General | 7.7 | 2nd |
| Behind the bar | 6.6 | 2nd |
| Home bar | 8.0 | 1st |
| Equal weights | 7.3 | 2nd |
In short
Cocktails Guru is a cocktail app for iPhone, iPad, Android and Apple-silicon Macs, with recipe pages on the web. Its website and store listings say nearly 20,000 recipes, and it adds a My Bar inventory that shows what you can make and Academy lessons on technique. It is free to download, with a Premium plan ($2.99 a month or $19.99 a year) and brand placements.
Best for home bartenders who want the most drinks for free.
Pros and cons
Pros
- The largest library here, nearly 20,000 recipes, with IBA sets, classics, regional and alcohol-free collections.
- Free on iPhone, iPad, Android and the web. A Premium plan ($2.99 a month or $19.99 a year) adds features that neither store listing spells out.
- My Bar shows what you can make now and what one more bottle unlocks, with a shopping list.
- Recipe pages, like its Mojito, list measures, numbered steps, glass, garnish, ABV and calories.
- Academy lessons on tools, glassware, garnishes and technique.
Cons
- Sells brand placements, including a full-screen introduction at app start during campaigns.
- Recipe pages lead with a photo, then text. Its Mojito method runs to about 40 words, and in our timing model a new drink takes 29 seconds of screen work, against 16 in Imbiblia.
- No unit conversion, batching or dilution math documented.
- Collects identifiers and usage data, not linked to you per its App Store label.
Scores by category
Out of 10. The tick marks the best score among the five apps. What goes into each category
- This app
- Best of the five
The pour test
Cocktails Guru models at 29 seconds for a new Mojito, against 16 for Imbiblia
Modeled seconds from the phone's home screen to the garnish, pouring excluded
- Find the recipe
- Bring it all on screen
- First read
- Look-backs while building
Show the numbers
| App | Find the recipe | Bring it all on screen | First read | Look-backs while building | Total | Touches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imbiblia | 4.4 s | 0.0 s | 5.5 s | 6.0 s | 15.9 s | 5 |
| BarGenius | 4.4 s | 1.7 s | 14.9 s | 7.7 s | 28.6 s | 6 |
| Cocktails Guru | 4.4 s | 1.7 s | 14.9 s | 7.7 s | 28.6 s | 6 |
| Bartender's Suite | 4.4 s | 1.7 s | 14.9 s | 7.7 s | 28.6 s | 6 |
| 8,500+ Drinks | 6.0 s | 3.4 s | 16.2 s | 9.4 s | 35.0 s | 8 |
In the model, finding the recipe takes 4.4 s, bringing all of it on screen 1.7 s, the first read 14.9 s and look-backs while building 7.7 s.
Touches to reach the recipe
From the phone's home screen, with predictive search after two letters
- Open
- Search
- Type
- Type
- Pick
- Scroll
Filled circles are touches beyond the ones every app needs.
Features
Features the developer names publicly, in a store listing, release notes, its website or a launch post. Anything not described there counts as not documented, even if users mention it.
Bar tools 8 of 13
- Not documentedUnit conversion
- Not documentedBatch scaling
- Not documentedDilution in batches
- DocumentedWhat can I make
- DocumentedShopping list
- DocumentedYour own recipes
- Not documentedReusable house syrups
- Not documentedSubstitution ideas
- DocumentedFlavor profiles
- DocumentedPersonal or AI suggestions
- DocumentedFavorites & lists
- DocumentedABV & calories
- DocumentedLessons & quizzes
Pro features 1 of 3
- Not documentedTeam & business accounts
- PartlyPrivate house specs
- PartlyPublic bartender profile
Specs
- Recipes
- Nearly 20,000 (website, App Store and Google Play)
- Price
- Free; Premium $2.99/mo or $19.99/yr; sponsor placements
- Platforms
- iPhone, iPad, Mac with Apple silicon, Android, web
- Updated
- 10 Sep 2026 (iOS 3.5.1); 24 Aug 2026 (Android)
- Rating
- 4.6 from 9,000+ ratings across the app stores, per its website; 4.8 from 22 on the current iOS app
- Privacy
- Contact info, identifiers, usage and diagnostics, not linked to you
Sources
Pages consulted between 15 and 16 October 2026.