The short version: which app suits whom
PandaChef
For people who collect recipes from everywhere, split the week's cooking across a household, cook from what is already at home, and want to do all of it from ChatGPT or Claude as well
Android, web; iOS app in progress. 9 recipes free with no time limit, Premium for €4.99 a month including VAT, cancel at the end of any month
ReciMe
For people who mostly save Reels and TikToks and want a shopping list from them
iOS, Android, web. Free with 5 imports a week, Plus about $39.99 a year
Samsung Food
For people who want a large recipe catalog, nutrition facts and a connected Samsung kitchen
iOS, Android, web. Core features free, Food+ $6.99 a month or $59.99 a year
Paprika 3
For people who want to pay once, work offline and leave AI out of it
iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, no web app. One-time purchase per platform, $4.99 to $29.99
Plan to Eat
For people who want a classic family calendar with a recipe book and a list
iOS, Android, web. 14-day trial, then $5.95 a month or $49 a year
Feature by feature
| Feature | PandaChef | ReciMe | Samsung Food | Paprika 3 | Plan to Eat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saving recipes | |||||
| From any recipe website by linkEven | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yesin-app browser | Yes |
| Instagram, TikTok and YouTube straight from a linkOthers ahead | Partlytext only; YouTube with the linked recipe, Instagram only in the Android app | Yes | Partlyshare sheet, AI video | No | Yessince Nov 2025 |
| Photo, screenshot, cookbook page, PDF, textPandaChef ahead | Yesall five | Partlyphotos, screenshots | Partlyphotos | No | Partlyphoto scan |
| Recipe from a photo of the platePandaChef ahead | Yesamounts marked as estimates | No | No | No | No |
| Translate a recipe with AIPandaChef ahead | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Planning and sharing the cooking | |||||
| Weekly plan with drag and dropEven | Yes | Partlyday view | Partly | Yesday, week, month | Yes |
| AI plans the week from your own recipesPandaChef ahead | Yes | No | PartlyFood+, from Samsung's catalog | No | No |
| Shared collection, plan and list for the householdEven | Yes | Partlysend a recipe by message | Partlyshare lists | Partlyshare one account | Yesone account |
| Assign cooking days to individual peoplePandaChef ahead | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| One subscription covers every memberEven | Yesmembers need no Premium of their own | No | No | Nopurchase per device | Yes |
| Shopping and pantry | |||||
| One list from several recipes, with matching ingredients added upEven | Yeseven 500 g + 0.5 kg | Yesby supermarket aisle | Yes | Yesby aisle | Yes |
| Export to Bring!PandaChef ahead | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Grocery delivery from the appOthers ahead | No | Yes | Yes23 retailers, mostly US | No | No |
| Pantry with expiry datesEven | Yes | No | PartlyFood+ only | Yes | No |
| Fill the pantry from a photo of your fridgePandaChef ahead | Yes | No | PartlyFood+, partly Galaxy only | No | No |
| Recipe ideas from your pantry, missing ingredients go on the listPandaChef ahead | Yes | No | Partly | No | No |
| Cooking and the assistant | |||||
| Step-by-step cooking mode with timers, screen stays onEven | Yes | Partlyscreen stays on | YesSmart Cook Mode | Yes | Partly |
| Hands-free: voice control and read-aloudPandaChef ahead | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Nutrition factsOthers ahead | Partlyfrom the source or by AI | Partlycalculator, Plus only | Yesfor 218,000 recipes | Partlyentered by hand | Partly |
| Assistant in ChatGPT and Claude that can reach your recipes, plan, pantry and listPandaChef ahead | Yesover 50 tools, cards in the chat | No | No | No | No |
| Open protocol (MCP) for Claude Code, Cursor and othersPandaChef ahead | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Platforms and price | |||||
| Native app on the App Store and Google PlayOthers ahead | PartlyAndroid; iOS in progress | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Works in the browserEven | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Read and edit offlineEven | Yeslist, plan, pantry, collections; new recipes only online | Partly | Partly | Yeseverything stored locally | Partly |
| Free plan with no time limit, no payment detailsPandaChef ahead | Yes9 recipes, full planner and list | Partly5 imports a week | Yes | Noone-time purchase | No14-day trial |
| Price shown up front on the websiteEven | YesPremium for €4.99 a month including VAT | Partly | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Company based in Germany, database hosted in the EUPandaChef ahead | Yes | NoAustralia | NoSamsung | NoUSA | NoUSA |
Information about the other apps comes from public sources, checked on October 16, 2026. Features and prices change, so if in doubt, check with the vendor: ReciMe, Samsung Food, Paprika 3, Plan to Eat.
Where the others are better
A comparison from us would be worth nothing if this section were empty.
ReciMe reads the video too, and takes Instagram links on every device
Paste an Instagram or TikTok link into ReciMe and the app works through the video as well. PandaChef reads only the text on YouTube and TikTok, plus the linked recipe on YouTube, and takes Instagram links only in the Android app. In the browser you need the shared text, a screenshot or the copied recipe instead. ReciMe also has more than 300,000 ratings behind it and grocery delivery straight from the shopping list.
Samsung Food covers the most ground
You get 240,000 public recipes, nutrition facts for most of them, an AI cooking mode, delivery through retailers and a connection to Samsung ovens and fridges. If you have a connected Samsung kitchen, or you would rather plan from a catalog than from your own collection, Samsung Food is the better fit.
Paprika 3 works offline and you pay once
All your data stays on your device, your recipes open without a connection, and there is no subscription. Paprika has sold the app outright for over a decade, which suits a large collection you want to own. PandaChef now works offline too, and you can change your list, plan and pantry without a connection. You can only add new recipes while online, though, and your recipes live in an account instead of a file on your own device.
Plan to Eat is in both app stores
It has native apps for iOS and Android, one account for the whole family, and Instagram import since late 2025. PandaChef's iOS app is still in progress.
Where PandaChef is better
PandaChef covers all five steps
Each of the other four apps is strong at one or two things: Reels, a catalog, offline use or a calendar. PandaChef covers all five steps, from saving and organizing recipes to planning, sharing out the cooking and shopping, and it keeps your pantry as well. That is why the table looks the way it does.
The assistant works inside your account
With PandaChef, one sentence in ChatGPT or Claude is enough: “Plan Monday to Friday from my recipes, with one fish dish, and send the list to Bring!” None of the other four apps lets an assistant reach your collection, plan, pantry and list.
A household with cooking days, on one subscription
Sam cooks on Tuesday and Alex on Thursday. Everyone in the household sees the same recipes, the same plan and the same list, and only the person who set up the household needs Premium. The other apps share lists or a whole account, but none of them hands out cooking days.
A photo is enough, even without a recipe
A photo of your plate at a restaurant becomes a recipe with ingredients and steps, marked as an estimate. A photo of your fridge becomes your pantry, and from that you get three suggestions that work with exactly what you have.
A free plan with no time limit and no payment details
You keep 9 recipes with no time limit and no payment details, and you get the full weekly planner, shopping list and assistant. ReciMe limits imports per week, Paprika sells the app, and Plan to Eat gives you 14 days.
More apps, in a sentence each
They also manage your own recipes, but each is tied to one platform or focuses on something else.
- AnyList
The best shopping list for families, with Siri. Recipes and the planner are extras, and the web app costs more. Complete is $9.99 a year, or $14.99 for a household.
- Crouton
A very well made recipe manager for Apple users, with AI cookbook scanning, a weekly plan from your own recipes, gesture control while you cook, and support for scales and thermometers. It runs only on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision and Watch. Plus costs $24.99 once.
- Pestle
Reads Reels, guides you through cooking and lets you cook together over FaceTime. iPhone and iPad only, 15 recipes free, Pro $24.99 a year.
- Mela
A minimalist Apple recipe manager that puts its calendar and list into Apple's Calendar and Reminders. One-time purchase, iOS and macOS only.
- Mealime
Its website announces that it shuts down on October 21, 2026. If you have recipes there, make sure you have a copy.
Frequently asked questions
Which recipe app is the best?
That depends on what you want the app to do. For “Where is that Reel from yesterday?”, ReciMe is the fastest. For “I never want a subscription”, the answer is Paprika 3. For “Plan the week for four people with what is in the fridge, without me clicking through it all”, it is PandaChef.
Can I bring my recipes over from another app?
There is no direct import from ReciMe, Samsung Food, Paprika or Plan to Eat. Recipes that are online come over by link, and everything else by photo, PDF or copied text. The AI reads those, but you do it one recipe at a time.
How much does PandaChef cost?
The free plan keeps 9 recipes with no time limit and no payment details, and includes the full weekly planner, the shopping list and the assistant in ChatGPT and Claude. Premium costs €4.99 a month including VAT, removes the recipe limit and adds the household. You can cancel at the end of any month.
Is PandaChef on the App Store or Google Play?
It is on Google Play, where you can get the Android app. It is not on the App Store yet, because the iOS app is still in progress. Until then PandaChef runs in the browser on your iPhone, is built for phones, and you can add it to your home screen. If an App Store app matters to you today, ReciMe, Samsung Food, Paprika and Plan to Eat are all there.
Why are KptnCook, Choosy and Chefkoch missing?
They answer a different question. These apps serve their own curated recipes and are there for inspiration. The five apps here manage the recipes you bring yourself. We still compare PandaChef with Choosy on a separate page, in German.
How current is the information about the other apps?
We checked it on October 16, 2026, on the vendors' websites, App Store listings and release notes. Features and prices change. If you find something different, write to us and we will correct it.