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IHOP vs Burger King: Prices, Menu and Which Is Better in 2026

By Amanda, Content WriterReviewed June 2026

The short answer

These are different formats solving different problems, and the deciding factor is usually the clock. Burger King is cheaper and faster - a Croissan'wich runs a few dollars and you are out in minutes - but breakfast stops around 10:30 AM on weekdays and there is no all-day breakfast. IHOP is a sit-down diner where breakfast is served all day at every location, the All-Star Special runs $11.75-$13.25, and a large share of its restaurants run 24 hours. If you want cheap eggs before 10:30 AM, Burger King wins on price. If you want pancakes at 3 PM, Burger King cannot serve you at all.

IHOP vs Burger King: price comparison

IHOP compared with Burger King on price, calories and availability
What	IHOP	Burger King
Breakfast cut-off timeThis is the single biggest practical difference between the two.	None - breakfast all day, every location	About 10:30 AM weekdays, 11:00 AM weekends
Signature breakfast itemA full plate versus a handheld sandwich - not portion-equivalent.	All-Star Special $11.75 - $13.25	Sausage, Egg & Cheese Croissan'wich
Calories, signature breakfast	~1,200 cal	About 500-550 cal (Croissan'wich, varies by source)
Cheapest full breakfast	Two-Egg Breakfast $5.20 - $7.00	Value-tier sandwiches and platters, typically under $5
Signature non-breakfast item	Big Steak Omelette $18.99	Whopper, 670 cal
US restaurants	978 in our directory	About 7,000 (7,025 at the end of 2025)
Open 24 hours	524 of 978 restaurants in our directory	Some locations, usually drive-thru only
Service format	Sit-down, table service	Counter and drive-thru

Both sides are national reference figures for June 2026. Every chain listed here is franchised and sets prices locally, so your restaurant may differ. Sources are listed at the foot of this page.

Where IHOP wins

Breakfast served all day at every location - Burger King cuts breakfast off around 10:30 AM
151 tracked menu items including 13 distinct pancake builds; Burger King breakfast is a short sandwich-led list
Table service, refills and a room you can sit in for an hour
A large share of restaurants run 24 hours, against very few Burger King locations
55+ senior menu from $6.99 and IHOPPY Hour discounts 2-10 PM

Where Burger King wins

Much cheaper per head - a breakfast sandwich costs a fraction of a sit-down combo
Far faster: drive-thru service in minutes with no waiting for a table
Roughly 7,000 US restaurants, so there is almost always one nearby
No tipping, and breakfast sandwiches travel well for eating in the car
The Whopper and the flame-grilled burger line - IHOP has burgers but they are not the draw

The 10:30 AM problem

Burger King does not serve all-day breakfast. Most locations start around 6:00 AM on weekdays and stop serving breakfast at roughly 10:30 AM, with weekends usually running 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM. After that the breakfast menu is gone until the next morning. IHOP has no cut-off at all - pancakes, omelettes and the full breakfast lineup are available at every location for as long as the restaurant is open, which for 524 of the 978 restaurants in our directory means 24 hours a day. If your breakfast craving arrives at 2 PM, this comparison ends here.

Price: Burger King wins, but you are not buying the same thing

On raw cost Burger King is clearly cheaper. A breakfast sandwich is a few dollars against $11.75 - $13.25 for the All-Star Special at IHOP. But the two are not portion-equivalent: the All-Star bundles two eggs, a breakfast meat, hashbrowns or grits, toast and a full pancake or waffle serving, and lands around 1,200 calories. A Croissan'wich is roughly 500-550. The IHOP Two-Egg Breakfast starts at $5.20, which closes much of the gap if you compare a modest plate rather than the flagship combo. One thing worth knowing before you compare figures: Burger King is about 95% franchised and its pricing varies unusually widely between locations, so any single quoted price is a reference point rather than a national rate - check a current burger king menu listing for your area before assuming a number holds.

Menu depth and what each chain is actually for

IHOP tracks 151 items across pancakes, omelettes, waffles, crepes, hashbrown bowls, steakburgers and melts, with 13 distinct pancake builds alone. The Burger King breakfast menu is deliberately short - sandwiches, hash browns, platters and coffee - because the format depends on throughput. Neither is a flaw. Burger King is optimised for someone who wants food in four minutes without leaving the car. IHOP is optimised for a table of people who want different things and are staying a while. Choosing between them is really choosing between those two situations.

Coverage: Burger King is far easier to find

Burger King operates roughly 7,000 US restaurants - the count stood at 7,025 at the end of 2025 - and more than 19,700 worldwide across 120-plus markets. Our IHOP directory covers 978 US restaurants. That is close to a seven-to-one gap, and it shows up in practice: in most towns there is a Burger King within a few minutes, while the nearest IHOP may be a drive. If convenience decides the trip rather than the menu, that gap matters more than any price on this page.

Which one to pick

Pick Burger King if it is before 10:30 AM, you are eating alone or in the car, and you want to spend under $6. Pick IHOP if breakfast is the occasion rather than the fuel - a table of people ordering different things, pancakes after lunchtime, a 24-hour stop at 1 AM, or the 55+ menu. The honest summary is that these two rarely compete for the same visit. The one case where they genuinely overlap is a cheap weekday breakfast before mid-morning, and there Burger King wins on both price and speed.

Check the IHOP side yourself

Every IHOP figure on this page comes from our own menu and locations data — 151 tracked items and 978 US restaurants. You can open the underlying pages here:

Full IHOP menu with prices IHOP breakfast menu IHOP hours and 24-hour locations IHOP 55+ senior menu IHOP value picks under $7 IHOP locations directory

IHOP vs Burger King: frequently asked questions

Does Burger King serve breakfast all day like IHOP?

No. Burger King stops serving breakfast at roughly 10:30 AM on weekdays and around 11:00 AM at weekends, and the breakfast menu is unavailable for the rest of the day. IHOP serves breakfast all day at every location with no cut-off. Burger King hours are set per franchise so times shift slightly, but all-day breakfast is not offered anywhere in the system.

Is Burger King cheaper than IHOP for breakfast?

Yes, substantially, but the portions are not comparable. A Burger King breakfast sandwich costs a few dollars against $11.75 - $13.25 for the All-Star Special, which is a full plate at around 1,200 calories versus roughly 500-550 for a Croissan'wich. The IHOP Two-Egg Breakfast starts at $5.20 - $7.00, which is a fairer like-for-like comparison and narrows the gap considerably.

Which has more locations, IHOP or Burger King?

Burger King, by a wide margin. It operates about 7,000 US restaurants and more than 19,700 worldwide. Our IHOP locations directory covers 978 US restaurants. If finding one nearby is the priority, Burger King is roughly seven times easier to reach.

Does IHOP have burgers like Burger King?

IHOP does serve burgers - the Steakburger line sits on the lunch and dinner menu - but they are not what the chain is built around and the range is much narrower than a dedicated burger chain. If a flame-grilled burger is the goal, Burger King is the better fit. If you want a burger alongside pancakes for someone else at the table, IHOP covers both.

Which is open later, IHOP or Burger King?

IHOP, in most markets. Our directory shows 524 of 978 IHOP restaurants listing 24-hour service. Some Burger King locations run late, usually drive-thru only, but 24-hour operation is far less common across that system. Both chains set hours per franchise, so check the specific restaurant before a late trip.

Can I get pancakes at Burger King?

Burger King has offered pancake platters on its breakfast menu, but only during breakfast hours and as a short list rather than a range. IHOP carries 13 distinct pancake builds available all day. If pancakes are the reason for the trip, and especially if it is after 10:30 AM, IHOP is the only one of the two that can serve you.

Compare IHOP with other chains

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Sources

Burger King figures were gathered from public menu listings in July 2026 and are reproduced here for comparison only. IHOP Menus is an independent resource and is not affiliated with IHOP, Burger King, or their parent companies. Prices change without notice — confirm with the restaurant before ordering.

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