There is no single best recipe app, but there is a best one for how you cook. Want to pay once? Look at Paprika or Mela. Shopping with a partner? AnyList. Saving mostly Reels and TikToks? Test ReciMe, Mela and KissCooks on one recipe that is spoken in the video. Facts below come from each app’s official page or store listing, checked on 4 November 2026.
| App | How you pay | Saving from social video | Planning and shopping list | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paprika | Paid app; each version (Mac, Windows, iOS, Android) is sold separately | Built-in browser for websites; social media is not mentioned on its site | Meal plans for a week or month; grocery list sorted by aisle with similar items combined | Cloud sync between devices |
| AnyList | Free to start; AnyList Complete is $9.99 a year (individual) or $14.99 a year (household) | Imports from websites; social video is not mentioned on its pricing page | Shared lists are its core; meal planning calendar; stores can be assigned to items | Recipe scaling is a Complete feature |
| ReciMe | Free plan: 5 recipe imports per 7 days; ReciMe Plus removes the limit (7-day free trial) | Built around importing recipes; the free limit counts each saved import | Described as recipes plus meal planner | The limit resets 7 days after you create your account |
| Mela | Free to download; one-time Mela+ purchase ($6.99 on the US App Store) | Reads the descriptions of YouTube, TikTok and Instagram videos; check the result | Groceries in Reminders, meal planning in Calendar | iPhone and iPad only; large-text cook mode with timers; scans book pages |
| Samsung Food | Free to start; Samsung Food+ is a subscription (US listing: $6.99 a month, $59.99 a year) | Saves from any website; social media is not mentioned in the listing | Weekly planner, shopping lists, ordering from 23 retailers (US listing) | Over 240,000 public recipes to browse; AI meal plans are in the paid tier |
| KissCooks | Free to start; unlimited access from €5.99 with the annual plan, no contract | Reads the video itself, including what is said out loud, from Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook | Menus by day and meal in a calendar; shopping list from a recipe or a menu, shared and edited live | Fridge scan from photos; voice assistant; English, French and Spanish |
Prices and limits change and vary by country. Check the store listing before you pay.
Do not trust a feature list, including this one. Import the same four things into each app you are considering:
KissCooks suits you if you save recipes from videos, plan the week and want one shared shopping list, and if you cook in French or Spanish as well as English. If you want a one-time price or Apple-only simplicity, Paprika or Mela are better matches. Try your own recipes in the free plan before deciding.
Paprika and Mela are paid with one-time purchases. Paprika is sold separately for each platform; Mela’s listing shows a one-time Mela+ purchase. AnyList, ReciMe, Samsung Food and KissCooks have paid tiers for unlimited use.
It depends on how the recipe is given. Mela reads video descriptions. KissCooks reads the video itself, including spoken words. Run the 10-minute test with a recipe that is spoken, not written.
AnyList is built around shared lists. KissCooks also shares a list by code or link and everyone edits it in real time.
Ready to cook?
