Overview
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![Paprika Recipe Manager]()
Best for Recipe Editing and Menu PlanningPaprika Recipe Manager
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![Chefling]()
Best for Categorized Cooking IdeasChefling
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![SideChef]()
Best for Personalized Meal PlansSideChef
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![BigOven]()
Best for Meal PlanningBigOven
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![Yummly Recipes & Cooking Tools]()
Best for Guided Video InstructionYummly Recipes & Cooking Tools
You Can Trust Our Reviews
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
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![Paprika Recipe Manager]()
Best for Recipe Editing and Menu PlanningPaprika Recipe Manager
Pros & Cons
Bottom Line:
Bottom Line:
Paprika is the workhorse of cooking apps. The recipe manager may not be a visual powerhouse, but its excellent customization, pantry system, and meal-planning features are second to none.Specs & Configurations
Android App Digital Pantry Editable Recipes Grocery Lists iOS App Meal Calendar Learn More Paprika Recipe Manager Review -
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![Chefling]()
Best for Categorized Cooking IdeasChefling
Pros & Cons
Bottom Line:
Bottom Line:
Chefling combines elegant visuals with a customizable feature set to deliver an attractive and useful cooking assistant.Specs & Configurations
Android App Digital Pantry Editable Recipes Grocery Lists iOS App Meal Calendar Video Instruction Learn More Chefling Review -
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![SideChef]()
Best for Personalized Meal PlansSideChef
Pros & Cons
Bottom Line:
Bottom Line:
SideChef is a cooking app with excellent presentation, and many useful meal-planning and grocery-shopping options. However, a few limitations prevent it from being the top chef's assistant.Specs & Configurations
Android App Digital Pantry Editable Recipes Grocery Lists iOS App Meal Calendar Video Instruction Learn More SideChef Review -
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![BigOven]()
Best for Meal PlanningBigOven
Pros & Cons
Bottom Line:
Bottom Line:
BigOven is a feature-packed cooking app with useful social tools, but it's clunky on mobile, and lacks the pantry system needed to compete with the category's major players.Specs & Configurations
Android App Editable Recipes Grocery Lists iOS App Meal Calendar Video Instruction Learn More BigOven Review -
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![Yummly Recipes & Cooking Tools]()
Best for Guided Video InstructionYummly Recipes & Cooking Tools
Pros & Cons
Bottom Line:
Bottom Line:
Yummly offers useful recipe-collecting and grocery-shopping tools, as well as cool video lessons. However, the app lacks a pantry, and has no recipe-editing functionality.Specs & Configurations
Android App Digital Pantry Editable Recipes Grocery Lists iOS App Meal Calendar Video Instruction Learn More Yummly Review -
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3.5 Good |
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3.5 Good |
Best For | Best for Recipe Editing and Menu Planning | Best for Categorized Cooking Ideas | Best for Personalized Meal Plans | Best for Meal Planning | Best for Guided Video Instruction | Best for Recipe Editing and Menu Planning | Best for Categorized Cooking Ideas | Best for Personalized Meal Plans |
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Buying Guide: The Best Meal Planning Apps for 2022
Few pleasures in life can top a delicious, home-cooked meal. Thanks to modern conveniences such as the air fryer and Instant Pot, cooking at home has never been easier. That said, making time to cook, sorting through recipes to explore new meals, and experimenting with ingredients can complicate a straightforward task. Sure, you can hit up Google for recipes, but sometimes that just doesn't cut it. In those instances, you should upgrade your cooking game by using meal planning apps.
What Is a Meal Planning App?
Meal planning apps store recipes on your Android or iOS mobile device, which makes preparing dishes incredibly easy. Keeping track of recipes can be a chore, especially if you’re the old-school type who still jots down notes with a pen and paper. Finding recipes online isn't much better, since you need to bookmark pages, print them out, or save the ingredients and instructions in a document. After all, no one wants to shuffle through papers or search for files to find a recipe when it's cooking time.
Note that meal planning apps are typically subscription-based services. The prices vary, but you can expect to pay $3 to $5 per month to use their many features that extend beyond organizing recipes (more on those in a bit). Of the services we've tested, Paprika Recipe Manager is the lone exception; it's a one-time, $4.99 purchase.
Meal Planning Features You Need
There are key criteria that you should seek when selecting the ideal kitchen companion. Above all, a meal planning app should give you access to a trove of recipes. Depending on the app, you can find the recipes using an in-app browser, a recipe importing tool, or a robust library pulled from the web. Many of the apps listed here combine those useful elements.
Another notable feature is the ability to edit recipes within the app. This gives you the freedom to modify and experiment with any recipes you discover, or add notes when needed. The best meal planning apps also let you create and customize a digital pantry to inventory your kitchen goods, which can be used in conjunction with an in-app grocery list for easier shopping.
Several meal planning apps tap your phone’s camera to assist you in the kitchen. Some let you scan produce you have on hand to find recipes, while others let you scan items in your pantry for easier inventory management. Video supplements are a common feature, too. Many apps include either video recipe guides that offer step-by-step cooking instructions or bite-size overviews. And, as the category's name suggests, these apps let you create a meal schedule by using either an in-app or external calendar.
Invaluable Tools for Home Cooks
Meal planning apps streamline home cooking and kitchen management in many ways. Check out the apps listed here to see which one suits your needs. And for even more high-tech approaches to cooking, check out the best smart kitchen tools we've tested.
If you wish to forgo cooking, but want to enjoy a quality meal, take a look at our recommended prepared meal-kit delivery services and vegetarian and vegan meal-kit delivery services.