Better Without
Better Without is the world's first mobile app for discovering low and no-alcohol drinks, letting consumers filter by taste and dietary need, locate online and venue stockists, and contribute reviews. Founded in 2020 in the UK, it serves health-conscious drinkers, drink brands, and hospitality venues across the UK, USA, Canada and Australia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersTwyford, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Better Without does
Better Without, operated by UK private limited company JDS Technology Group Limited, operates a mobile application positioned as the world's first app dedicated to alcohol-free drink discovery. Launched in December 2020 by founder Jonny Stevens and headquartered in Twyford, United Kingdom, the platform enables consumers in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia to browse and filter low/no-alcohol beers, wines and spirits by taste profile and dietary requirements, locate online, retail and hospitality stockists, and contribute reviews, ratings and badges. The company runs it as a freemium consumer experience alongside a brand self-serve and a venue/hospitality showcase, with no public pricing tiers and no disclosed revenue.
The product is built as a single mobile app core extended by three sides: a Consumer App for discovery, personalization (wishlists, notifications, Cocktail of the Week) and community activity; a Brand Platform for drink manufacturers to register, share brand stories and surface stockists; and a Venue Platform for hospitality and retail outlets to advertise their alcohol-free selection. Distribution is app-store-led via Apple App Store and Google Play Store, with Apple and Google listed as core channel partners and third-party tools Mixpanel and MailChimp supporting analytics and email. The company also operates the World Alcohol-Free Awards program integrated into the app.
The commercial model is pre-monetization at scale: the consumer app is free, while brands and venues register interest to be listed. No subscription pricing, ARR, GMV, funding round or institutional investor is disclosed. The company remains a 1-10 person team with a single named founder, and ToS confirm UK governing law. Marketing is concentrated in earned media (Channel 4, Women's Health), organic social (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter) and category partnerships rather than paid acquisition.
Better Without firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Better Without
- Legal name
- JDS Technology Group Limited
- Website
- https://betterwithout.app
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Better Without is the world's first mobile app for discovering low and no-alcohol drinks, letting consumers filter by taste and dietary need, locate online and venue stockists, and contribute reviews. Founded in 2020 in the UK, it serves health-conscious drinkers, drink brands, and hospitality venues across the UK, USA, Canada and Australia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Better Without industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Alcohol-Free Beverage Discovery Platform
- NAICS
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532), Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Alcohol Delivery & On-Demand Off-Premise (CRANAAAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Non-Alcoholic Craft Beverage Bars (Mocktail/Zero-Proof Bars) (THAFAKAF)
Keywords
Where Better Without is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Twyford
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Better Without business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Consumer App (Freemium): Free app download with core discovery features; monetization likely through premium features or brand partnerships
- Brand Registration and Promotion: Drink brands can register interest to promote their products and connect with consumers on the platform
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Better Without product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Better Without operates a mobile application and vendor platform dedicated to discovering alcohol-free (no/low alcohol) drinks, where consumers can filter by taste and dietary requirements, locate where to buy products online or at shops and hospitality venues, contribute reviews, unlock badges and save favourites. Brands register to promote their drinks and venues register to showcase their alcohol-free selection, with an integrated World Alcohol-Free Awards program.
Product overview
Better Without is a single mobile application platform for alcohol-free drink discovery, launched in December 2020 by Jonny Stevens and JDS Technology Group Limited. The core Better Without app serves consumers across four markets (UK, USA, Canada, Australia) with discovery features, location-based purchasing, reviews, wishlists, and notifications. The platform extends through two complementary modules: a Brand Platform enabling drink manufacturers to showcase products and stories, and a Venue Platform for hospitality and retail outlets to highlight their alcohol-free selections. The company also operates the World Alcohol-Free Awards program, which is featured within the app ecosystem.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Better Without Mobile App Free mobile application for consumers to discover, filter and locate alcohol-free drinks via taste, dietary requirements and pairings, find online, retail and hospitality venues, contribute reviews, unlock badges, save wishlists and receive personalized notifications about new products and cocktails. Available in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia.
- Brand Platform for Drink Brands Vendor onboarding platform that lets low/no alcohol drink brands promote products on the Better Without app, share brand stories, showcase product visuals, ingredients and pairings, highlight stockists and receive community ratings and reviews.
- Venue Platform for Hospitality and Retail Vendor platform that lets hospitality venues (pubs, restaurants, bars, hotels) and retail stores register to showcase their alcohol-free drink selection on the app and be discovered by health-conscious consumers.
- World Alcohol-Free Awards Annual awards program recognizing excellence in alcohol-free beverages, featured within the Better Without app to surface top-rated products and medal results to users.
Quantifiable outcome
- 53% would visit venues more often with better alcohol-free options
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Better Without
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Better Without technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Better Without partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- World Alcohol-Free AwardsminorPartnership providing visibility and credibility within the alcohol-free beverage industry. The company hosts sponsored content and Cocktail of The Week features from the awards.
- Apple Inc.coreApple App Store terms apply to iOS users; Apple processes app purchases and has warranty obligations; listed in Terms of Service as third-party beneficiary
- Google Inc.coreGoogle Play Store distribution for Android users; Google Terms and Conditions apply to Android users; key distribution partner for mobile app
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Better Without competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Vivino: Vivino is a wine-focused mobile discovery app with a community review/rating model, the largest direct analog to Better Without's alcohol-free discovery app. The core loop — scan/filter a beverage, read community reviews, find where to buy — is functionally identical.
- Untappd: Untappd is a social beer-discovery and check-in app that combines community ratings, location, and venue discovery. It is the closest peer for Better Without's beer/community/venue feature stack, just targeted at alcoholic beer rather than alcohol-free.
- Boisson: Boisson is a US-based online retailer dedicated exclusively to non-alcoholic beverages. It competes with Better Without on the demand side (consumers seeking alcohol-free products) and overlaps on the supply side (brand partnerships and venue discovery).
Broad incumbents
- Drizly: Drizly (owned by Uber) is the leading online alcohol marketplace in the US, covering the same 'locate where to buy beverages' use case Better Without addresses, but at much larger scale and focused on alcoholic delivery rather than non-alcoholic discovery.
Others
- Lyre's Spirit Co. Lyre's is a leading non-alcoholic spirits brand. It is a potential Brand Platform partner and a direct indicator of the supplier ecosystem Better Without aggregates, but does not itself operate a discovery app.
- Athletic Brewing Company: Athletic Brewing is the largest US non-alcoholic craft brewer and a natural supplier/brand partner for Better Without's Brand Platform. It represents the kind of category leader whose paid placement could become a meaningful revenue line for the app.
- Heineken 0.0: Heineken 0.0 is the alcohol-free variant from one of the world's largest brewers and a likely Brand Platform customer for Better Without. As a major-incumbent brand, it illustrates both the demand for discovery platforms and the competitive threat from incumbents building their own.
- Alcohol Change UK (Dry January): Alcohol Change UK runs the flagship 'Dry January' campaign that drives the consumer intent Better Without monetizes. While a non-profit, it is a critical ecosystem participant whose campaigns directly fuel demand for the app's services.
Emerging players
- Dry Atlas: Dry Atlas is a directory and discovery site for alcohol-free bars, bottle shops, and beverage brands. It is an emerging direct competitor to the Venue Platform and brand-discovery functions of Better Without in the same niche.
- Club Soda: Club Soda is a UK mindful-drinking community and venue guide that helps consumers find alcohol-free options at bars and restaurants. It overlaps with Better Without's venue-discovery and consumer-education value proposition in the same UK alcohol-free segment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Better Without social profiles
Digital presenceBetter Without financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Better Without leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Better Without funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Better Without M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Better Without
What does Better Without do?
Better Without operates a mobile application and vendor platform dedicated to discovering alcohol-free (no/low alcohol) drinks, where consumers can filter by taste and dietary requirements, locate where to buy products online or at shops and hospitality venues, contribute reviews, unlock badges and save favourites. Brands register to promote their drinks and venues register to showcase their alcohol-free selection, with an integrated World Alcohol-Free Awards program.
Is Better Without a public or private company?
Better Without is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Better Without founded?
Better Without was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Better Without based?
Better Without is headquartered in Twyford, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Better Without make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Consumer App (Freemium) is the primary driver. The others are brand Registration and Promotion.
Who are Better Without's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Vivino, Untappd and Boisson. Drizly is listed as a broad incumbent. Others are Lyre's Spirit Co., Athletic Brewing Company, Heineken 0.0 and Alcohol Change UK (Dry January). Emerging players are Dry Atlas and Club Soda.
Does Better Without have an API?
No public API is recorded for Better Without.
What industry is Better Without in?
Better Without's product category is Alcohol-Free Beverage Discovery Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRANAAAF, Alcohol Delivery & On-Demand Off-Premise, with a secondary code of THAFAKAF, Non-Alcoholic Craft Beverage Bars (Mocktail/Zero-Proof Bars). Its NAICS code is 44532 and its SIC code is 2080.