Mealime Has Shut Down: The 7 Best Mealime Alternatives (2026)
Mealime was loved for one thing: quick, simple dinners with a grocery list that built itself. Here is what the shutdown means for you, how to keep your recipes, and which apps replace which parts of Mealime.
By Joel Runyon, FounderUpdated November 6, 2026 · Prices and features checked September 29, 2026Our Mealime review, looking back
Mealime was a good app, and knowing what you liked about it makes the next pick easier.
- What it did well: a genuinely useful free tier, fast weeknight recipes (most under 30 minutes), a grocery list that built itself from the plan, and a simple mobile app beginners could pick up in minutes.
- Where it fell short: no export (which is why the shutdown hurts), limited help for stricter diets such as AIP or carnivore, and ownership by a grocery chain, so its future followed the chain's strategy.
Missed the deadline? How to find your Mealime recipes now
Mealime shut down on October 21, 2026 and deleted personal data, so saved lists and plans are gone. The recipes themselves still exist in Meals Hub inside the Albertsons Companies grocery apps. If you remember a recipe's name, search for it there, then copy it into whichever app you use now.
Mealime alternatives compared
The right replacement depends on which half of Mealime you relied on: its recipes and plans, or the list of your own favorites. The table sorts that out quickly.
| App | Price (US) | Trial | Plans made for you | Your own recipes | Grocery list | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultimate Meal PlansOur pick | $36 every 3 months ($14/mo monthly, $96/yr annual) | 14 days on 3-month or annual plans, card required | Yes: a new weekly plan for your diet | Yes: save from a link, a Pinterest pin or pasted text | Automatic, with Instacart and Kroger options | Having dinner decided for you on a specific diet (keto, paleo, AIP, diabetic-friendly and more) |
| Meals Hub (Albertsons Companies) | Free | Not needed | You build plans from its recipes | No | Yes, shoppable at Albertsons-owned stores | Mealime fans who shop at Safeway, Albertsons, Vons, Jewel-Osco or another Albertsons banner |
| eMeals | $37.50 per 3 months, or $59.99 a year (dinner plans) | 14 days | Yes: a new weekly menu for your chosen food style | Yes: add family recipes or save them from the web | Yes, sends to Walmart, Kroger, Instacart and others | Done-for-you family dinners at a low price |
| Samsung Food | Free; Food+ $6.99/mo or $59.99/yr | 7 days on Food+ | With Food+ (AI-personalized plans) | Yes: save from any website | Yes, with online ordering from partner grocers | A free all-rounder for saving recipes and planning |
| Paprika 3 | One-time, per platform: $4.99 iOS, $29.99 Mac or Windows; Android is free for up to 50 recipes, with a paid upgrade | Free Android version and Windows trial; none on iOS or Mac | No | Yes: built-in browser saves recipes from the web | Yes | Owning your recipes without a required subscription |
| Plan to Eat | $49/yr or $5.95/mo | 14 days, no card | No: you plan with your own recipes | Yes: web recipe importer | Yes | Keeping your own recipe collection and planning from it |
| Eat This Much | $14.99/mo or $59.99/yr (Premium); free tier available | 14 days | Yes: generated to your calorie and macro targets | Yes (manual entry) | Yes (Premium) | Hitting calorie and macro numbers |
US list prices checked September 29, 2026. App-store prices, regional prices, and sales can differ.
The best Mealime alternatives, by what you need
Listed in the order most Mealime users should consider them, based on how they used the app.
1. Our pick: Ultimate Meal Plans, the true replacement for Mealime users
$36 every 3 months ($14/mo monthly, $96/yr annual) · Trial: 14 days on 3-month or annual plans, card required
Mealime's best feature was that it took the thinking out of dinner. That is exactly what we do. Pick your diet and every week you get a meal plan that's already decided for you, plus a shopping list that builds itself from the plan. Send it to your Kroger cart or shop it on Instacart. Most recipes take about 15 minutes and use around 5 everyday ingredients, close to the quick weeknight cooking Mealime users liked.
We are strongest for people on a specific diet that general apps treat as an afterthought, with a separate plan for each:
Watch out for: Not the cheapest option here. Your saved recipes sit in your recipe box; they are not added to the weekly plan yet.
2. Meals Hub: the official replacement, if you shop Albertsons
Free · Trial: Not needed
Meals Hub is where Mealime says its recipes and team are going. It is free, it includes the recipes that used to need Pro, and it still supports dietary preferences. Open any Albertsons Companies store app, tap More, then Meals Hub. There is also a web version on the store websites.
It makes the most sense if you already shop at Safeway, Albertsons, Vons, Jewel-Osco, or another Albertsons banner, because the shopping side is built around those stores. Mealime says you can still browse, plan, and make lists without a nearby store.
Watch out for: Lives inside Albertsons grocery apps and sites. You need a store account and must set your preferences again.
3. eMeals: the cheapest done-for-you weekly menu
$37.50 per 3 months, or $59.99 a year (dinner plans) · Trial: 14 days
eMeals sends a new week of dinners for the food style you choose and pushes the shopping list to Walmart, Kroger, Instacart, and others. On the annual plan it costs less than we do, and it is a solid choice for families who want a set menu.
Watch out for: Dinner-only unless you add a breakfast or lunch plan, and there is no month-to-month option.
4. Samsung Food: the best free all-rounder
Free; Food+ $6.99/mo or $59.99/yr · Trial: 7 days on Food+
Samsung Food is free to start, saves recipes from any website, plans your week, and builds a grocery list. You don't need a Samsung phone. It is the easiest free option if you want to paste in your Mealime favorites and keep going.
Watch out for: The free planner saves only 3 meal plans; personalized plans need Food+.
5. Paprika: own your recipes, no required subscription
One-time, per platform: $4.99 iOS, $29.99 Mac or Windows; Android is free for up to 50 recipes, with a paid upgrade · Trial: Free Android version and Windows trial; none on iOS or Mac
If losing your Mealime collection made you never want to rent your recipes again, Paprika is the answer. You buy it once per platform, save recipes from the web or type them in, and plan meals from your own library. Paprika 4 is in open beta: it is a free upgrade for existing owners, and only its new features will need a subscription.
Watch out for: You do all the planning yourself, and each platform is a separate purchase. Paprika 4 (in open beta) will put its new features behind an optional subscription.
6. Plan to Eat: a recipe collection with a real planner
$49/yr or $5.95/mo · Trial: 14 days, no card
Plan to Eat is a long-running, customer-funded planner built around your own recipes, with a web importer, a calendar, and grocery lists. The 14-day trial doesn't need a card.
Watch out for: No recipe library of its own and no free plan.
7. Eat This Much: if you care about the numbers
$14.99/mo or $59.99/yr (Premium); free tier available · Trial: 14 days
Eat This Much generates meal plans to hit calorie and macro targets. It is a different style from Mealime, and better if tracking is the point.
Watch out for: Plans are built around the numbers first, so meals can feel repetitive.
Where Ultimate Meal Plans fits
Choose us if you used Mealime so you wouldn't have to decide what's for dinner, and you eat a particular way: keto, paleo, low carb, clean eating, AIP, or diabetic-friendly. You get a plan every week, a shopping list, and simple recipes.
Skip us if you want a free app, you mainly want to store and cook your own recipes, or you want to keep shopping at an Albertsons store with the recipes you already know. Meals Hub, Samsung Food, Paprika, and Plan to Eat are better for those.
Not sure which diet suits you? The free diet quiz takes about a minute. You can also see every plan and price on the pricing page.
Switch in about two minutes
Pick your diet, get this week's plan and shopping list, and cook. Start with a 14-day free trial on the quarterly plan.
14-day trial on 3-month or annual plans · card required · cancel anytime
Frequently asked questions
When does Mealime shut down?
Mealime was discontinued on October 21, 2026. Its owner, Albertsons Companies, moved the recipe catalog to Meals Hub inside its grocery apps.
Can I export my Mealime recipes?
No. Mealime has no export feature, and the closing notice does not add one. Save recipe names, ingredients, and steps by hand (screenshots or copy and paste) before the shutdown.
What happens to my Mealime data?
Mealime says all personal data is deleted when the app shuts down. That includes saved recipes, meal plans, grocery lists, and preferences. Until then you can use the privacy rights in its privacy policy, including asking for deletion sooner.
Is Meals Hub the same as Mealime?
It is built by the same core team and includes all the Mealime recipes plus thousands more, and it is free. The difference is that it lives inside Albertsons Companies grocery apps and websites (Safeway, Albertsons, Vons, Jewel-Osco and others), you sign in with a store account, and you set your dietary preferences again. Mealime says it still works for browsing recipes, building plans, and making shopping lists if there is no Albertsons store near you.
What is the best Mealime alternative?
It depends on what you used Mealime for. If you want the week planned for you, with a shopping list that builds itself and quick recipes, Ultimate Meal Plans is the closest replacement. If you shop at an Albertsons-owned store and just want the same recipes for free, Meals Hub. If you want to keep your own recipe collection, Paprika or Plan to Eat. For a free all-rounder, Samsung Food.
Is there a free Mealime alternative?
Yes. Meals Hub is free, and Samsung Food has a free plan with recipe saving, planning, and grocery lists (its personalized plans need the paid Food+ tier). Paprika 3 is a one-time purchase per platform (its Android app is free for up to 50 recipes), though the upcoming Paprika 4 adds an optional subscription for new features.
Can Ultimate Meal Plans import my Mealime recipes?
Not in one step, because Mealime has no export, so no app can import your Mealime account directly. You can save recipes to your Ultimate Meal Plans recipe box from a link, a Pinterest pin or pasted text, so any recipe you can still open or copy can come with you. Your weekly plan and shopping list come from our diet recipes.
How much does Ultimate Meal Plans cost?
The quarterly plan is $36 every 3 months with a 14-day free trial (card required, cancel anytime). There is also a $14 monthly plan without a trial and a $96 annual plan with the same 14-day trial.
Keep reading
Sources
- Mealime, "Mealime is moving to Meals Hub" (closing notice and FAQ, archived Sept. 5, 2026)
- Meals Hub on Safeway.com (Albertsons Companies)
- eMeals home page and FAQ (pricing, trial, meal plans)
- Samsung Food Help, "Meal Planner FAQ"
- Paprika Recipe Manager (official site and store listings)
- Paprika Support, "Will Paprika 4 have a recurring subscription fee?"
- Plan to Eat, "How much does Plan to Eat cost?"
- Eat This Much, "What do I get for subscribing?"