The best recipe apps, compared honestly

We make Cookt, so we're not neutral. What we can do is be accurate. Here's what each app runs on, how it charges and who it suits, checked against each app's own site and App Store listing in October 2026.

The best recipe app depends on your phone and habits. Cookt suits iPhone users who save recipes from TikTok and Instagram and want a free planner and list. Paprika and Recipe Keeper suit people who want their library on a computer too. ReciMe and Samsung Food suit Android users and mixed households.

Get Cookt free on the App Store

The short version

Cookt: best for saving recipes from videos on iPhone and cooking from them, with a free meal plan and shopping list. iPhone and Apple Watch only today; Android is coming soon.

Paprika: best for a long-term recipe library across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows and Android, paid for once per platform.

Recipe Keeper: best if you want one library on phone, tablet, PC and Mac, with a free start.

ReciMe: best for saving from social media if you're on Android, or share recipes with someone who is.

Samsung Food: best for a huge recipe catalogue, shared family lists and planning on the web as well as your phone.

Mealime: it closed on 21 October 2026, so it's no longer an option.

Cookt

Runs on: iPhone and Apple Watch. It installs on iPad but opens in an iPhone-sized window. No Android app yet.

Pricing: free to download. The free plan includes your cookbook, the meal plan and shopping list, widgets, timers, the Apple Watch app and some recipe saves each week. Cookt Pro is a monthly or yearly subscription billed by Apple, with a free trial for new subscribers.

Strengths: save from TikTok, Instagram, YouTube or any website through the share sheet, and get just the ingredients and steps. A shopping list that combines amounts, groups by aisle and skips what's in your pantry, and a cook mode with timers inside the steps.

Not for you if: you're on Android, or you want to manage recipes on a computer.

Paprika and Recipe Keeper

Paprika runs on iOS (iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch), Mac, Windows and Android. Each version is sold separately; the iOS app is $4.99 on the US App Store. It has a built-in browser for importing recipes from websites, grocery lists that combine ingredients and sort by aisle, a pantry that tracks expiry dates, a daily, weekly or monthly meal planner, and cloud sync between your devices. Paprika 4 is in open beta.

Recipe Keeper runs on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows and Mac. It's free to download, with a Pro Upgrade in-app purchase listed at $19.99 on the US App Store. It imports from recipe websites, Instagram and TikTok, can scan a photo of a recipe from a book, syncs across devices and has an Amazon Alexa skill for hands-free cooking.

Best for: people who keep a big, carefully organised collection and want it on a desktop too. If you use a Windows PC or an Android phone, either is a better fit than Cookt today.

ReciMe and Samsung Food

ReciMe runs on iPhone, iPad and Android. It saves recipes from Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Pinterest, and from screenshots. The free version is limited to 5 recipe imports a week, with the grocery list, meal plan and cookbooks free. ReciMe Plus is an in-app purchase, with options from $29.99 to $59.99 on the US App Store. It can also sort lists by recipe and order groceries in the app.

Samsung Food runs on Android, iOS, Galaxy devices and the web. The core app is free, and Samsung Food+ is $6.99 a month or $59.99 a year on the US App Store, adding AI-personalised meal plans, a smart cooking mode and pantry features. It saves recipes from any website, has a very large public recipe catalogue, shared grocery lists and grocery delivery through partner retailers in some regions.

Best for: Android users, households that share a list across different phones, and anyone who wants to plan from a laptop browser.

Mealime has closed

Mealime's own site says the app was discontinued as of 21 October 2026. Its recipes have moved to Meals Hub, inside the Albertsons Companies grocery apps in the US. If you used Mealime for quick weekly plans and a list, any of the apps above can take its place; our free meal planner guide shows how it works in Cookt.

How to choose

Three questions settle it for most people.

What phone does everyone in the house use? All iPhone: any of these work. Any Android: Paprika, Recipe Keeper, ReciMe or Samsung Food.
Where do your recipes come from? Mostly TikTok and Instagram: Cookt or ReciMe. Mostly websites and cookbooks: Paprika or Recipe Keeper.
Do you want to pay once, pay monthly or not at all? Paprika is a one-off purchase per platform; the others are free to start with optional upgrades.

Questions

Which is the best recipe app for iPhone?

If you save recipes from TikTok and Instagram, Cookt is built for that and is free. If you want the same library on a Mac or PC too, Paprika or Recipe Keeper fit better.

Is there a good free recipe app?

Cookt, Recipe Keeper, ReciMe and Samsung Food are all free to download with optional paid upgrades. Paprika is a paid app.

What's the best recipe keeper app?

For a big, long-term library across many devices, Paprika and Recipe Keeper are strong choices. For saving from videos on iPhone, try Cookt.

Is there a recipe app with no subscription?

Paprika is sold as a one-off purchase per platform. Cookt's free plan needs no subscription, and Pro is optional.