Alcotheque vs CellarTracker: Which App Is Right for You?
You have a growing collection of bottles at home, maybe wine, maybe whisky, maybe both, and you want to finally get organized. Two names come up repeatedly: CellarTracker and Alcotheque. One has been around for over 20 years. The other launched in 2025 and does things very differently.
This is not a takedown piece. Both apps are genuinely good at what they do. But they are built for different people, and understanding that difference will save you time and frustration. Let's break it down honestly.
What CellarTracker Actually Is
CellarTracker was founded in 2003. That is not a typo. It has been tracking wine collections since before the iPhone existed, which explains both its strengths and its limitations.
At its core, CellarTracker is a community platform built around wine. It has accumulated over 13 million tasting notes and professional reviews, a drink window predictor, real-time collection valuation, and active forums where serious wine enthusiasts discuss vintages, producers, and cellaring strategies. The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Financial Times have all covered it. If you are deeply invested in the wine world and want market-level data on your bottles, CellarTracker delivers that in a way no one else does.
It also covers Android and Web, which matters if you switch between devices.
What it does not do: spirits. CellarTracker is a wine tool. Whisky, rum, gin, cognac, tequila — none of these have a home there.
What Alcotheque Actually Is
Alcotheque launched in 2025 as a native iPhone app for people who collect both wine and spirits, or spirits only, and want a clean, private, mobile-first inventory tool.
The core promise is simple: scan a label, let the AI extract the details, and your bottle is in your collection in seconds. No typing, no searching a community database, no public profile to maintain. Just your collection, organized the way you want it, across as many locations as you need — your cave, your armoire, your holiday home.
Alcotheque is available in 8 languages including French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, and both variants of Portuguese, which makes it genuinely useful across Europe and beyond. It was built by an independent developer who is also a collector, which shows in the details.
The Comparison That Actually Matters
| Feature |  Alcotheque |
CellarTracker |
|---|---|---|
| Spirits (whisky, rum, gin...) | ✅ | ❌ |
| Wine | ✅ | ✅ |
| AI label scanning (OCR) | ✅ | Limited |
| Gift tracking | ✅ | ❌ |
| Multiple storage locations | ✅ | ✅ |
| Private collection (no public profile) | ✅ | ❌ |
| iOS native experience | ✅ | Partial |
| Android + Web | ❌ | ✅ |
| Languages | 8 | English only |
| Community and tasting notes | ❌ | ✅ (13M reviews) |
| Collection valuation | ✅ | ✅ |
| Drink window prediction | ❌ | ✅ |
| Free entry plan | ✅ (15 bottles) | ❌ |
| Pricing | < €1/month flat | $4.99 to $44.99/month |
On Pricing: A Real Difference
CellarTracker is free up to 100 bottles, then charges based on how many bottles you own. The tiers go from $4.99 per month for up to 100 bottles all the way to $44.99 per month for collections above 2,500. If your collection grows, so does your bill.
Alcotheque works differently. You start free with up to 15 bottles, and if you want to unlock everything — unlimited bottles, unlimited locations, unlimited AI scans — you pay a flat rate under €1 per month. That's it. Your subscription cost never changes as your collection grows.
For most collectors, this is a meaningful difference.
Who Should Use CellarTracker
If wine is your primary focus and you want the deepest possible data layer — professional scores, market valuations, drink window recommendations, community discussions — CellarTracker is unmatched. It has two decades of data and a community that no newcomer can replicate overnight. If you also use a web browser or Android device to manage your cellar, it is the more flexible choice.
Who Should Use Alcotheque
If your collection includes spirits alongside wine, or spirits exclusively, Alcotheque is the only iOS app built for you. There is no alternative that handles whisky, rum, and wine together in a single, clean interface.
Beyond spirits, Alcotheque fits a specific kind of collector: someone who wants to track without performing. No public profile, no social pressure, no community to participate in. Just a personal inventory that stays personal. The gift tracking feature alone — logging which bottles you received and from whom — is something no competitor offers.
If you are building a spirits collection from scratch or looking for a CellarTracker alternative on iPhone, Alcotheque is worth trying. The free plan asks for nothing upfront.
Can You Use Both?
Honestly, yes. Some collectors use CellarTracker for their fine wine cellar data and Alcotheque for their spirits shelf. The two tools do not overlap in a way that creates friction. If anything, they complement each other.
That said, if you are starting fresh and your collection is mixed, starting with Alcotheque keeps things simpler. One app, one interface, everything in one place.
FAQ
Does CellarTracker support spirits like whisky or rum?
No. CellarTracker is focused exclusively on wine. If you collect spirits, Alcotheque is the only dedicated iOS app that covers both wine and spirits in one place.
Is Alcotheque free?
Yes. Alcotheque has a free plan that lets you track up to 15 bottles. The premium plan unlocks unlimited bottles, locations, and AI scans for less than €1 per month.
Does CellarTracker work on iPhone?
CellarTracker has an iOS app, but it is a cross-platform product built for web first. Alcotheque is designed exclusively for iPhone, with a native SwiftUI experience.
Is my collection private on Alcotheque?
Yes. There is no public profile, no community feed, and no social layer. Your collection belongs to you.
Can Alcotheque scan bottle labels automatically?
Yes. Alcotheque uses AI-powered OCR to scan the label and extract the name, type, vintage, and other details automatically, with no manual typing required.
The Bottom Line
CellarTracker is the most powerful wine data platform available. If community, valuation, and wine-centric analytics are what you need, it earns its reputation.
Alcotheque is something else: a private, mobile-first inventory for collectors who drink beyond wine, value simplicity over community, and want a tool that works with one hand while the other holds a glass.
The best way to find out if it fits is to try it. The free plan is there for exactly that reason.
