Meet McDonald’s spinoff brand CosMc’s. The galactic-themed chain is meant to appeal to the late-afternoon crowd that needs an energy pick-me-up.
Like Starbucks, it features snacks and a large line-up of hot, cold, and blended caffeinated beverages, including smoothies and frappes. The prices are similar, with CosMc’s being a tad cheaper. But which one’s better?
Let’s take a look at how some of each chain’s drinks — selected at random — compare so you can avoid wasting money on a subpar afternoon pick-me-up.
Earn $200 cash rewards bonus with this incredible card
There's a credit card that's making waves with its amazing bonus and benefits. The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card(Rates and fees) has no annual fee and you can earn $200 after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
The Active Cash Card puts cash back into your wallet. Cardholders can earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases — easy! That's one of the best cash rewards options available.
This card also offers an intro APR of 0% for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers (then 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable). Which is great for someone who wants a break from high interest rates, while still earning rewards.
The best part? There's no annual fee.
Starbucks Melon Burst Iced Energy
![melon burst iced energy](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/07/06/melon-burst-iced-energy.png)
The bright-colored tea is served over ice and contains enough caffeine for a late afternoon jolt.
According to one food blogger, the drink isn’t sweet enough and tastes “sort of medicinal.”
CosMc Sour Cherry Energy Burst
![sour cherry energy burst](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/07/06/sour-cherry-energy-burst.png)
This Signature Galactic Boost drink is a tart cherry blend over fruity boba.
According to one Dallas food reporter, this drink is for sour-candy lovers. The first sip was “an overwhelming blast of sourness” although the melon-flavor boba helps to counteract it.
Winner
Of the two berry energy drinks, CosMc is the winner. While neither drink is a total home run, we’re going with one that doesn’t taste like cough syrup.
Starbucks Summer-Berry Lemonade
![summer-berry lemonade](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/07/06/summer-berry-lemonade.png)
This eye-popping neon blue drink is lemonade mixed with raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry flavors.
"It gets rave reviews on Elite Daily. They call the drink " a gorgeous take on a summertime favorite.”
Stop overpaying when you shop online
Shopping online has its perks. It's super convenient, but it can be time consuming to find the best deals. Instead of hunting for coupon codes (that don't always work!) and opening tons of browser tabs comparing prices, you can try Capital One Shopping.
Capital One Shopping makes saving money effortless. Just add the browser extension and when you check out, it'll scour the internet for coupon codes to help you save cash. And before you check out at 25+ major retailers, Capital One Shopping will notify you with a friendly pop-up if the item you're buying is available cheaper somewhere else.
Capital One Shopping is free to use and won't show you ads. Add it today and stop overpaying!1
CosMc Berry Hibiscus Sour-ade
![berry hibiscus sour-ade](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/07/06/berry-hibiscus-sour-ade.png)
If you like gut health and bright fuschia drinks, this could be your new favorite. It’s a tart lemonade mixed with a sweet berry probiotic.
A food reporter from the Washington Post offers a mixed critique. The drink tastes nice, like strawberry lemonade from Auntie Anne’s Pretzels. However, the kombucha powder mixed in gives it an odd flavor.
Winner
In this summer-ade match, Starbucks is the clear winner.
Starbucks Matcha Crème Frappuccino
![matcha crème frappuccino](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/07/06/matcha-creme-frappuccino.png)
The smoothie drink is made with sweetened matcha tea, milk, ice, and whipped cream.
One YouTuber praises the drink as a “nice, light matcha with a good caramel essence.” She adds that she’s not a matcha fan but thinks it’s “pretty good” and matcha-lovers will enjoy it.
CosMc Beach Protein Frappe
![beach protein frappe](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/07/06/beach-protein-frappe.png)
The Beach Protein Frappe is a smoothie-style drink that blends bananas and protein powder.
The Dallas Observer offers backhanded praise. “The latte was solid enough that if you told us it from a local coffee shop, we may have believed it.”
Winner
It's a tie between these two sweet smoothie drinks. Your favorite will depend on how your taste buds feel about matcha.
Starbucks Coffee Frappuccino Blended
![coffee frappuccino blended](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/07/06/coffee-frappuccino-blended.png)
A Starbucks classic, this drink combines coffee, milk, and ice.
Casual coffee drinkers genuinely like it, and while coffee aficionados scoff, the drink has become an industry standard. It’s the yardstick by which all other coffee slushy drinks are measured.
CosMc Cold Brew Frappe
![cold brew frappe](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/07/06/cold-brew-frappe.png)
A coffeehouse standby, this frappe is a blend of cold coffee topped with whipped cream. CosMc’s version adds sprinkles, drizzles, sweet popping boba, or espresso shots.
Coffee drinkers at Mashed are not fans. “The Cold Brew Frappe is not sweet, rich in flavor, or smooth. It was incredibly bitter on the first sip, and by the fourth sip, it tasted more like water than coffee.”
Winner
Starbucks wins again. While serious coffee drinkers may find the frappuccino blend trite, diners call the CosMc brew undrinkable.
Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte
![pumpkin spice latte](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/07/06/pumpkin-spice-latte.png)
The drink launched a gazillion-dollar pumpkin-spice-latte industry with decorative signs, home decor, t-shirts, and onesies. The drink is a latte with pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove flavors.
This perennial favorite signals the start of fall. While some scorn it for being too mainstream and basic, it’s a good sip. There’s a reason people love it.
Earn money online by taking surveys
$55,000 might sound crazy … but with a company called Survey Junkie, it’s possible to get your share of it every day by taking their surveys in your extra time.
Follow these simple steps to start earning:
- Sign up for an account with Survey Junkie here.
- Take surveys.
- Repeat daily and get paid for sharing your opinion!
P.S.: You can cash out with as little as $5 through PayPal or bank transfer, or transfer to gift cards from a number of stores.
CosMc Iced Turmeric Spiced Latte
![iced turmeric spiced latte](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/07/06/iced-turmeric-spiced-latte.png)
The iced turmeric has a strong, earthy flavor. It comes with an espresso shot, cold foam, whipped cream, boba, and black pepper sprinkles.
Washington Post’s food taster was not impressed. She noted that the latte had a “chemically off-putting taste.”
Winner
When comparing the stores’ two earth-flavored lattes side-by-side, Starbucks is the obvious winner.
Starbucks Salted Caramel Cold Brew
![salted caramel cold brew](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/07/06/salted-caramel-cold-brew.png)
This popular cold drink blends sweet and bitter. It’s a cold brew with a touch of caramel and a layer of cold foam.
One Starbucks loyalist gives the drink mixed reviews, noting the cold brew is “very smooth and subtly sweet,” but all the salt overpowers the caramel.
On Reddit forums, many say the drink is often inconsistently made, with the barista mixing up ingredients or even making the wrong flavor cold brew.
CosMc S’mores Cold Brew
![smores cold brew](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/07/06/smores-cold-brew.png)
Another autumny offering, the S’mores Cold Brew boasts the sweet taste of s’mores topped with toffee sprinkles.
A Washington Post critic liked the drink. “This is the one drink [at CosMc’s] that I’d order again.” They note it has a little too much creamer, but the toasted marshmallow flavor comes through nicely.
Winner
The CosMc S’mores Cold Brew edges out Starbucks here. While not a super-close side-by-side comparison, it pits two sweet-flavored cold brews toe-to-toe, and the S’mores cold brew beats out the salty, inconsistently made version.
Bottom line
![CosMc's small-format restaurant](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/06/25/cosmcs-small-format-restaurant-signboard.jpeg)
Although Starbucks wins in this line-up, CosMc's has many drinks that taste pretty good. And the chain has a far more interesting aura. How many other intergalactic-themed, hamburger-chain-offshoot coffee shops exist in the world? Or the galaxy?
If there’s a location near you, it’s worth blasting over. Plus, they’re fairly reasonably priced, so you can stretch your fast food budget and pick up a snack while you’re there.
More from FinanceBuzz:
- 7 things to do if you’re barely scraping by financially.
- Are you a homeowner? Get a protection plan on all your appliances.
- 6 genius hacks Costco shoppers should know.
- Learn how you can escape the paycheck-to-paycheck grind.
Lucrative, Flat-Rate Cash Rewards
FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Current Offer
$200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months
Annual Fee
$0
Rewards Rate
Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases
Benefits
- Low spend threshold for its welcome offer — $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months
- Cell phone protection benefit (subject to a $25 deductible)
- Can redeem rewards at an ATM for literal cash
Drawbacks
- Foreign transaction fee of 3%
- No bonus categories
- Select “Apply Now” to take advantage of this specific offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
- Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
- 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR thereafter; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a BT fee of up to 5%, min: $5.
- $0 annual fee.
- No categories to track or remember and cash rewards don’t expire as long as your account remains open.
- Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
- Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.