Free recipe saver apps: what you actually get

Almost every recipe app is free to download. The useful question is what the free plan stops you doing, and whether you would rather pay once or subscribe when you outgrow it.

By the Tumsy team · Updated November 7, 2026

We make Tumsy. This comparison uses our product documentation and the vendor sources linked below. It is not an independent review or a measured import-speed test.

Free plans side by side

Published plans checked November 7, 2026. Sources follow the table.
App	The free limit	Still free	Devices
Tumsy	5 smart imports per week	Unlimited recipes, lists, meal plan, sharing with up to six people	iPhone
ReciMe	5 imports per week	Cookbooks, meal plan, grocery list	iOS, Android, web
Paprika 4	50 recipes, no cloud sync	Website imports, one grocery list, one cookbook	iOS, Mac, Android, Windows
AnyList	5 website recipe imports in total	Shared shopping lists	iOS, Android, Mac, web
Samsung Food	Advanced planning and pantry features are paid	Recipe saving, meal planner, shared shopping lists, nutrition details	iOS, Android, web

Sources: ReciMe, Paprika 4 plans, AnyList features, and Samsung Food.

Match the limit to how you save recipes

You save a few new recipes a week

A weekly import allowance suits you: Tumsy or ReciMe. Your cookbook keeps growing without a cap, and five imports covers a typical week of new dinners. Tumsy also lets a partner share the list and plan on their own account for free.

You have a small, settled collection

A recipe cap may never bother you. Paprika 4's free version holds 50 recipes with unlimited website imports, which suits someone who cooks from a short list of favorites on one device.

You mostly need the shopping list

AnyList's free shared list is generous for mixed iPhone and Android households, though its free recipe imports stop at five in total.

You never want a subscription

Buy once instead. Mela offers a one-time Mela+ unlock on iPhone and iPad, with website, cookbook-scan, and video-description imports. Note it was last updated in June 2025. See the pay-once picks in our recipe saver roundup.

Mela source: Mela on the App Store.

What Tumsy's free plan includes

We make Tumsy, so here is the plan in full rather than a summary. Free, for as long as you use it:

Grocery lists, by typing, voice, or pasted text, with as many lists as you need.
Unlimited saved recipes, including ones you type in yourself.
The weekly meal plan, and sending a week of ingredients to your list.
“What can I cook?”, which finds recipes you can make with what you have.
Household sharing with up to six people, each on their own account.
5 smart imports a week from TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, websites, pasted text, or recipe photos. Failed imports don't count.

Tumsy Plus adds unlimited imports, step-by-step cook mode, nutrition in the app, metric and imperial switching, and grocery lists from photos. The annual plan has a 7-day free trial for eligible users. Plus belongs to the Apple ID that buys it; household members don't share it.

Questions about free recipe apps

Is there a completely free recipe saver app?

Several apps have free plans you can keep using indefinitely, but each one limits something: the number of recipes, imports, lists, or devices. Tumsy limits smart imports to 5 a week but not the number of recipes. Paprika 4 limits you to 50 recipes. Pick the limit you are least likely to hit.

Which recipe app has no subscription?

Mela sells a one-time Mela+ unlock for iPhone and iPad, with a separate Mac app. Recipe Keeper and Crouton also sell one-time upgrades. Paprika was the best-known pay-once app, but Paprika 4 moved new users to a free version plus a Premium subscription in November 2026.

Do I need to sign in to use Tumsy for free?

Not for the basics. Typed grocery lists, manual recipes, the meal plan, and browsing recipes work without an account. Sign in with Apple is needed for smart imports, voice and pasted grocery entry, and household sharing.

Do failed imports count against the free limit?

In Tumsy, no. Only imports that produce a recipe count toward the 5 a week, and the allowance resets on a fixed 7-day cycle from when you signed up.

More comparisons

Head to head

Try a week of cooking with Tumsy

Free grocery lists, meal planning, household sharing, and 5 smart recipe imports a week. For iPhone, iOS 18 or later.

Download on the App Store