Best of 2026 · Free tier
Free tiers vary wildly — from "genuinely useful" to "trial in disguise." We tested what each one actually gives you before the paywall.
"Free" is a wide range. Some apps give you a real free tier you can live in. Others want you to install, save three recipes, then hit a paywall. We installed each one, lived in the free tier for a week, and ranked them by how usable cooking really is without paying.
Our pick
Free tier covers saving, cookbooks, and cooking mode
Best for: Anyone who wants a real free recipe app — not a trial
Pros
Cons
Pricing: Free + $2.08/mo annually
Free if you're OK with appliance ads
Best for: Budget users in the Samsung ecosystem
Pros
Cons
Pricing: Free with ads
FOODIE vs Samsung Food →Beautiful Apple-native cookbook with IAP gates
Best for: Apple-only users with small recipe collections
Pros
Cons
Pricing: Free + IAP for full features
FOODIE vs Crouton (free tier) →Free social-saver with Pro upsell
Best for: Light Instagram and TikTok savers
Pros
Cons
Pricing: Free + Pro
FOODIE vs ReciMe (free tier) →Truly free, but you do all the work
Best for: Minimalists with under 20 recipes
Pros
Cons
Pricing: Free (built-in)
FOODIE vs Apple Notes →Free if you're willing to build the system
Best for: People who love designing their own database
Pros
Cons
Pricing: Free (personal)
FOODIE vs Notion (free) →Preset meal plans on the free tier
Best for: Zero-effort meal planners on a budget
Pros
Cons
Pricing: Free + $5.99/mo Pro
FOODIE vs Mealime (free) →How to choose
If it means "genuinely usable forever," FOODIE, Samsung Food, Apple Notes, and Notion all qualify. If you tolerate Samsung's ads or want to build your own Notion system, those are the cheapest paths. FOODIE is the only one with real AI and social imports on the free tier.
FOODIE Premium is $2.08/month annually — cheaper than Mealime Pro ($5.99/mo), Yummly Pro ($4.99/mo), or Paprika ($4.99/platform).
Try it for yourself
FOODIE is free to download. Premium $2.08/month annually unlocks unlimited AI generation and full meal planning.
Free to download. Premium $2.08/mo, billed annually.
Common questions
4 answers to the things people ask us most. Tap any question to expand.
FOODIE — its free tier covers saving from any source, cookbooks, search, cooking mode, and a monthly AI quota, with no appliance ads and no data resale.
Yes. Apple Notes and Notion are free in the sense of "no subscription, you build it." Samsung Food is free with appliance ads. FOODIE has a free tier with real cooking features included.
FOODIE's free tier saves from Instagram, TikTok, and other sources. Samsung Food is also free for this with ads. Apple Notes requires manual copy-paste.
FOODIE has no in-app ads on free or Premium. Apple Notes has no ads. Samsung Food, Pinterest, and Yummly free tiers all run ads.
More rankings
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