An honest comparison
Looking for a UK alternative to Mealime or Paprika?
All three are good at different things. Here's how they compare, so you can pick the one that suits the way your household cooks.
Mealime
Great if you want someone else to choose dinner. It suggests meals from its own recipe collection and builds a shopping list from them.
Best for people happy to cook from a set catalogue rather than their own favourites.
Paprika
A well loved recipe box. It saves recipes from websites and keeps your collection tidy, with planning and lists alongside.
Best for keen collectors who want a digital cookbook first and foremost.
The Big Food Shop
Built around your own recipes and the UK big shop. Import from websites or cookbook photos, plan the week, and get one shopping list grouped by supermarket section.
Best for households who cook their own favourites and want the weekly shop to feel smaller.
Side by side
| Feature | Mealime | Paprika | Big Food Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Use your own recipes, from websites or cookbook photos | · | ||
| Suggests meals for you from its own catalogue | · | · | |
| Servings scale to however many are eating | |||
| Shopping list grouped by supermarket section | |||
| Share a list so two people can shop together | · | · | |
| Find recipes from what's already in your kitchen | · | · | |
| Hand the list over to Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda or Waitrose | · | · | |
| UK wording: shopping list, cupboard, fridge | · | · |
Based on each app's main features as we understand them. Other apps change often, so check their sites for the latest.
Questions people ask us
Is there a UK alternative to Mealime?
Yes. If you'd rather plan from your own recipes than a set catalogue, The Big Food Shop is made for UK households, with lists that read like a British big shop.
Is there an alternative to Paprika?
If you mainly want your recipes to become a plan and a shopping list, The Big Food Shop keeps that journey short: import, plan, shop.
Can I use the app on my phone?
Yes. It works in your phone's browser and you can add it to your home screen so it opens like an app.
New to planning? Read our weekly meal planning guide.
Try it with your own recipes
Import a few favourites, plan the week, and see your shopping list written for you.