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CocktailVault vs Elixiary
CocktailVault and Elixiary both know what's on your shelf and what you can make with it. The biggest differences are how you pay and where you use it. CocktailVault is a phone app, $9.99 once. Elixiary is a website that starts free and runs on credits or a monthly plan. Here's the rest, side by side.
| Feature | CocktailVault | Elixiary |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 once. No subscription, ever. | Free to start. Plans at €5.50, €11 or €25 a month. |
| Free version | No. You pay once up front. | Yes: 10 credits a month, a 15 credit signup bonus, and a 10 bottle home bar. |
| How the AI is paid for | 75 AI tokens included. Optional one-time packs that never renew. | Credits. Monthly credits come with each plan and don't roll over. Credit packs start at €1 and never expire. |
| Where it runs | iPhone and Android apps. | In your web browser. Its own app comparison lists it as web, not mobile. |
| Adding bottles | AI scanning from a photo, including several bottles at once. | Type the bottle name, or scan a barcode on any paid plan. |
| How many bottles | No limit. | 10 on Free, 100 on Apprentice, 500 on Bartender, unlimited on Mixologist. |
| Drinks you can make now | Yes, plus what you're one bottle away from. | Yes, plus how close you are on the rest. |
| Substitutions | Yes. A fair swap still counts, marked so you know before you pour. | Not mentioned for its home bar. A drink counts only when everything it needs is on your shelf. |
| AI bartender | Yes, the AI Bartender. | Yes, called Marlow. Each message uses credits, including on the free plan. |
| Menus for guests | Printable PDF menus, built from what you can make. | No party menu builder described on its site. |
| Cost per drink | Yes, worked out from what you paid for each bottle. | Not mentioned on its site. |
When is CocktailVault the better pick?
When you want your whole bar on your phone, paid for once.
- To pay once, with no monthly plan and no bottle limit.
- To add bottles by snapping a photo of your shelf.
- Fair substitutions, so a missing ingredient doesn't rule a drink out.
- Printed menus for a party, and the real cost of each drink.
When is Elixiary the better pick?
When you want to start free, or you mostly want new drink ideas.
- To start free, with no card.
- To have AI invent a drink from a mood or a feeling.
- To use it in a browser on any computer.
- Low-stock alerts, a shopping list and pour history, on its paid plans.
Common questions
What is the main difference between CocktailVault and Elixiary?
How you pay, and where you use it. CocktailVault is a phone app you buy once for $9.99. Elixiary is a website you can start free, then pay for with credits or a monthly plan.
Both can show the drinks your bottles can make. Elixiary leans toward inventing new drinks with AI. CocktailVault leans toward running the bar you already own.
Is $9.99 worth it versus a free AI cocktail app?
It depends on how you'd use it. If you want an occasional AI drink idea and own 10 bottles or fewer, a free tier like Elixiary's covers that.
If you want your whole bar tracked, it adds up differently. Elixiary's free home bar holds 10 bottles, and its first paid plan is €5.50 a month for up to 100. CocktailVault is $9.99 once, with no bottle limit and 75 AI tokens included.
A year of Elixiary's Apprentice plan billed monthly is €66. CocktailVault costs $9.99 in total, and token packs are only needed if you use up the 75 included.
Can both apps add bottles from a photo?
CocktailVault can. Point your camera at your shelf and it reads the labels, several bottles at a time. Each scan uses one AI token.
Elixiary's site describes typing a bottle in, or scanning its barcode on a paid plan. It doesn't mention adding bottles from a photo.
Do both show what I can make with what I have?
Yes. Both check your bottles against their recipes and show what you can make now, plus what you're close to.
CocktailVault also counts a fair substitute, like one rum for another, and marks it so you know before you pour. Elixiary's site says a drink counts only when everything it needs, juices and mixers included, is on your shelf.
Is there a CocktailVault website I can use instead of the app?
No. CocktailVault is an app for iPhone and Android.
Elixiary is the other way around: you use it in a browser, and its own app comparison lists it as web, not mobile.
Are the prices in dollars?
CocktailVault's US price is $9.99. Outside the US, your store shows it in your local currency.
Elixiary lists its prices in euros, so a US card pays the converted amount.
Do I need an account to use CocktailVault?
No. CocktailVault works on its own, with your bar stored on your phone.
An account is optional. Sign in only if you want your bar synced between devices.
Is there a free way to try CocktailVault?
No. There is no free version or trial, because the app is a one-time purchase.
To see every screen before you buy, read how CocktailVault works. If it's not for you, see how refunds work.
Elixiary details are from its website, checked October 2026. Its prices are in euros, and its annual plan prices aren't listed. Prices and features change, so check its site for the latest. Elixiary is a trademark of its owner. CocktailVault is not affiliated with Elixiary.