Mealime is shutting down on 21 October 2026
Mealime is closing on 21 October 2026, so anyone using it needs a replacement that still plans meals and builds a shopping list. Look for an app that builds meal plans around your goals and macros, gives you a shopping list, and uses recipes built from everyday supermarket ingredients. The comparison below shows how the main options stack up.
Short answer: Mealime shuts down on 21 October 2026. Its owner is moving meal planning into Meals Hub, which only works inside its own US grocery store apps, so most Mealime users need a new app. If you used Mealime for simple recipes and a shopping list, Plan to Eat, Paprika or AnyList will feel familiar. If you used it to eat healthier or lose weight, pick an app that builds the plan around your calorie and macro targets. That’s what INCHECK FIT does, from US$19.90 a month with a 7-day free trial.
What’s happening to Mealime
- Closing date: 21 October 2026.
- What you lose: Mealime deletes all personal data at shutdown, so your meal plans, grocery lists and saved favourites go with the app.
- Export: there’s no export button, so anything you want to keep has to be saved by hand before the 21st.
- Why: Albertsons Companies, which acquired Mealime in 2022, is folding meal planning into Meals Hub inside its own grocery apps. Those are US supermarket apps (Safeway, Albertsons and their sister brands), so Meals Hub only helps people who shop with those stores.
- Pro: Mealime Pro no longer charges, and it’s free until the shutdown.
Save your recipes first
Do this before you pick a new app:
- Open each saved recipe you actually cook.
- Screenshot it, or copy the ingredients and method into your notes app.
- If a recipe came from a website, keep the link. Plan to Eat, Paprika and AnyList can import recipes straight from a web page.
What were you using Mealime for?
Mealime did two jobs for most people, and the right replacement depends on which one mattered to you.
Job 1: “Give me easy dinners and a shopping list.” You want a recipe planner. Price matters more than nutrition detail.
Job 2: “Help me eat better and actually see results.” You were using Mealime’s healthy recipes to lose weight or eat cleaner. The gap here is that a recipe app doesn’t know how much you should eat. Two people can cook the same healthy dinner and one loses weight while the other doesn’t, because portions and total calories decide the outcome. We cover this in Eating Healthy But Not Losing Weight?.
The best Mealime alternatives
| App | Best for | Plans to your calories and macros | Adjusts as you progress | Shopping list | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| INCHECK FIT | Weight loss and eating to a goal | Yes, built for you | Yes | Yes, automatic | From US$19.90/month, 7-day free trial |
| Eat This Much | Automated macro plans (US-based) | Yes | Tracks weight | Yes, on Premium | Free tier, Premium from US$5/month billed yearly |
| Plan to Eat | Organising your own recipes | No | No | Yes | Paid, free trial |
| Paprika | Recipe collection, one-off purchase | No | No | Yes | One-off app purchase |
| AnyList | Shared grocery lists for households | No | No | Yes, shared | Free, paid upgrade |
Prices change, so check each app store listing before you subscribe. For a full comparison of ten meal planner apps, see the best meal planner apps in 2026.
INCHECK FIT: for people who used Mealime to lose weight
INCHECK FIT is a meal planning app for people who want results, not just recipes. You tell it your goal, the food you like and the food you don’t, and it builds your weekly meal plan around your calorie and macro targets.
What that looks like day to day:
- Your plan is already worked out. Every meal comes with the quantities, so you’re following a recipe rather than guessing what to eat or how much of it.
- Unlimited swaps. Don’t feel like the Tuesday dinner? Swap it, and the plan still adds up.
- It adjusts as you go. As your weight changes, your calorie and macro targets update with it.
- Automatic shopping list. Your plan turns into one list for the week.
- Works for most diets. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and pescatarian.
- 500+ recipes built by a qualified PT and nutritionist.
How it’s different from a calorie tracker: a tracker hands you a number and asks you to log everything afterwards to check yourself. INCHECK FIT gives you the amounts up front. You still use the quantities in the recipe, but the hundred small decisions in between (what to eat, what’s a good option, how much) are made for you.
Who it’s not for: if you only want free recipes and a shopping list and you’re not working towards a goal, a free recipe planner will do the job for less.
The others, briefly
- Eat This Much. The closest match for automated macro plans. It’s US-based, so recipes and grocery items lean American.
- Plan to Eat. The best pick if you have your own recipes and want them organised into a weekly plan.
- Paprika. Pay once and own your recipe collection, with no subscription.
- AnyList. Great for households that share one shopping list.
For a wider comparison that includes calorie trackers, see the best apps to lose weight.
Frequently asked questions
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Is Mealime shutting down? Yes. Mealime is closing on 21 October 2026 and says all personal data will be deleted at shutdown, so anyone using it needs a replacement that still plans meals and builds a shopping list.
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When does Mealime shut down? Mealime shuts down on 21 October 2026. Mealime says all personal data is deleted at shutdown, so your saved plans, lists and favourites go with it.
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Can I export my Mealime recipes? No. Mealime has no export option, so save the recipes you use by hand before it closes on 21 October 2026.
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Is Mealime Pro still charging? No. Mealime says Pro subscribers will not be charged again before the app closes on 21 October 2026, and all Pro recipes and features are open to every user until then.
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What’s the best free alternative to Mealime? For plain recipe planning after Mealime closes, AnyList has a solid free version. For eating to a calorie or macro target, Eat This Much’s free tier plans one day at a time, and its weekly plans and grocery lists need Premium. INCHECK FIT has a 7-day free trial so you can test it before paying.
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What’s the best Mealime alternative for weight loss? Pick an app that plans to your calories and macros and adjusts as you progress, not just one with healthy recipes. Eat This Much plans to your targets, and INCHECK FIT also adjusts them as your weight changes.
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Will Meals Hub work for me? Only if you shop with an Albertsons Companies store in the US. Meals Hub, where Mealime’s recipes are moving, sits inside the grocery apps of Safeway, Albertsons, Vons, Jewel-Osco and their sister brands and needs an account with one of those stores. Outside those stores, and outside the US, it isn’t an option.
References
- Mealime. Closing notice. mealime.com/closing. [Primary source: shutdown date 21 October 2026, personal data deleted at shutdown, Pro no longer charged, recipes moving to Meals Hub in Albertsons Companies store apps. Page read 29 Sep 2026.] https://www.mealime.com/closing
- PitchBook. Mealime company profile. [Acquisition by Albertsons Companies recorded 11 March 2022. Page read 29 Sep 2026.] https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/166435-03
- Eat This Much. 8 Best Mealime Alternatives. [Eat This Much’s own description of its features and pricing: Premium from US$5/month billed yearly, weekly plans and grocery lists on Premium. Page read 29 Sep 2026.] https://blog.eatthismuch.com/best-mealime-alternatives/
- Pann. Is Mealime Shutting Down? [Secondary source: Meals Hub requires an account with an Albertsons-family store and is not an option outside the US. Page read 29 Sep 2026.] https://www.pann-app.com/blog/is-mealime-shutting-down
Last reviewed: October 2026 by the INCHECK FIT nutrition team.
Last reviewed: October 2026
