Comparisons
Mealime is closing on 21 October: the best alternatives
· Reviewed by James, Dietitian
Mealime is closing on 21 October 2026. Its recipes are moving to Meals Hub, which lives inside the apps of Safeway, Albertsons, Vons and other US supermarket chains. If you shop at one of those, that's an easy move. If you don't, whether you're elsewhere in the US or in another country, you'll need a new app before the 21st.
Our pick is BiteSync. It does what you used Mealime for, planning the week and shopping from one list, and adds what Mealime never had: every day sized to your calorie and protein targets, and your vitamins and minerals checked across the week. You can also bring your favourite Mealime recipes with you (see below).
BiteSync is our app. Everything about the other apps below comes from their own websites, checked on 11 October 2026.
What's happening to Mealime
According to Mealime's closing notice:
- The app will be discontinued on 21 October 2026.
- Mealime's recipes are moving to Meals Hub, part of the grocery apps run by Albertsons Companies: Safeway, Albertsons, Vons, Jewel-Osco and other US supermarket chains.
- Pro subscribers are no longer being charged, and Pro features are free for everyone until the app closes.
- Your account doesn't move across automatically. You'd sign up to an Albertsons Companies app and set your preferences again.
- All personal data will be deleted when the app shuts down. The notice doesn't mention any way to export your plans or saved recipes.
Why BiteSync is our pick
- Plan the week, shop from one list. Place meals on the week, and BiteSync turns them into one merged grocery list, grouped by type of food. Anything already in your cupboard is left off.
- Every day sized to you. BiteSync works out your calorie and protein targets from your weight, height, age, sex, activity and goal, with safety limits built in. As you plan, each day's totals update, so you can see a day is short on protein before you shop, not at 9pm.
- Let it plan for you. On Pro, the AI fills the whole week from your recipes in seconds. It aims for every day within 150 kcal of your target and at least 95% of your protein.
- Vitamins and minerals. Pro checks 12, such as iron, iodine and vitamin D, across the whole week, and steers the next plan towards whatever you're short on.
- Cooking mode. Tap Cook on any recipe with a method: one step at a time in big text, built-in timers, and your screen kept on. That includes recipes you bring over from Mealime.
- Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free planning are built in.
- Works on any device. It runs in your browser on any phone or computer, with nothing to install.
Good to know when switching: BiteSync starts you with ten recipes built to your targets, and your library grows from what you add, import or (on Pro) have written for you. BiteSync is free for up to 10 recipes. Pro is £6.99 a month or £59 a year, billed in pounds wherever you live, and adds unlimited recipes, AI weekly plans and the full vitamin and mineral analysis.
Keep the Mealime recipes you like
Mealime's recipes are also published as web pages. You can bring any you want to keep into BiteSync while those pages are still up:
- Open the recipe on mealime.com and copy the link.
- In BiteSync, go to Recipes, tap Import (Import from URL on a computer) and paste it. The ingredients and method come across, and the nutrition is calculated from the ingredients.
- Check the quantities before saving. The importer converts cups and pounds to grams, and packet sizes, such as a "4 oz pack" of feta, sometimes need correcting.
Other options
- Meals Hub: the natural move if you shop at Safeway, Albertsons, Vons or another Albertsons-group store.
- Paprika: a recipe manager with week or month meal plans and an aisle-sorted grocery list. It runs on iPhone, Android, Mac and Windows, and each version is sold separately. You choose and place the recipes yourself; it doesn't plan to calorie or protein targets.
- Plan to Eat: saves recipes from websites onto a meal-planning calendar that fills in a shopping list. It costs $5.95 a month or $49 a year after a 14-day trial. Again, you place the recipes yourself, with no planning to targets.
Side by side
| BiteSync | Paprika | Plan to Eat | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly meal plan | Yes | Yes, week or month | Yes, any length |
| Shopping list from the plan | Yes, merged; skips pantry items | Yes, by aisle | Yes, organised |
| Save recipes from websites | Yes, including Mealime's | Yes | Yes |
| Plans to your calorie & protein targets | Yes: totals as you plan; Pro fills the week | No | No |
| Vitamins and minerals | 12, across the week (Pro) | Not mentioned | Has nutrition tracking |
| Works on | Any browser | iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows | iPhone, Android, web |
| Price | Free; Pro £6.99/mo or £59/yr | Sold per platform | $5.95/mo or $49/yr |
Checked on 11 October 2026 on each company's own website. Prices and features change, so check before you pay.
In short
Leaving Mealime? Try BiteSync free, no card needed, and bring your favourite recipes with you. If vitamins and minerals matter to you, here's why most meal planners can't show micronutrient gaps.
Comparing more apps? See the best meal planner apps for hitting your macros.