The best recipe apps for cooking with what you have
By PantryAI Team ·
- apps
- recipe apps
- ai recipes
- ingredient search
- pantry app
Disclosure: PantryAI is our app. We've included it where it fits, listed it alongside its rivals in no particular order, and said where other apps do more. Facts below were checked on 09/10/2026.
The best recipe app depends on what you start with. For recipes from ingredients you already own, try SuperCook or MyFridgeFood (both free). For AI-written recipes, try DishGen, PantryAI or ChefGPT. To save recipes from websites, Paprika 3 and Samsung Food do that; PantryAI doesn't yet. Several popular names are closed or haven't been updated for years, so we've flagged those.
Recipe apps compared at a glance
Prices are as listed on the check date. Dollar prices are the ones the apps show in US dollars. "Last update" is the store listing's own date, and anything older than 12 months is marked stale. Where a listing doesn't show a date, the table says so.
| App | Type | Price | Last store update | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SuperCook | Ingredient finder | Free | iOS 2022 (stale), Android Oct 2025 | Site, Google Play |
| MyFridgeFood | Ingredient finder | Free | Android Nov 2022 (stale), iOS date not shown | Site |
| SideChef | Ingredient search and step-by-step recipes | Freemium, $4.99 a month | Android Sep 2026, iOS date not shown | Site |
| DishGen | AI recipe maker | Freemium, from $7.99 a month | No recent update date found | Site |
| PantryAI | AI recipe maker and pantry | Free tier, then £1.99 or £5.99 (App Store UK) | iOS Aug 2026 | App Store, Google Play |
| ChefGPT | AI recipe maker | Freemium | iOS Apr 2026 | Site, App Store |
| Paprika 3 | Recipe manager | iOS £4.99 one-off | iOS Jul 2026 | Site, App Store |
| Samsung Food | Recipe manager | Freemium, £6.99 a month on the UK App Store | Date not shown | Site, App Store |
| KitchenPal | Pantry manager | £14.99 a year on the UK App Store; site lists $14.99 a year | iOS Sep 2026, Android Oct 2026 | Site |
| Remy | Pantry and recipes | Free | Android Sep 2026, iOS date not shown | Site |
| Cooklist | Pantry and recipes | Freemium | Not in the UK App Store | Site |
Find recipes from your ingredients
These apps start from a list of what's in your kitchen and return recipes that fit. They're the closest match to the question most people actually type: "what can I make with this?"
SuperCook
SuperCook says it finds recipes using only the ingredients you have, and it's free. The Android app was updated in October 2025. The iOS listing was last updated in 2022 and we couldn't confirm who publishes it, so we link the site and the Android app only.
Checked 09/10/2026. Stale warning: iOS listing.
MyFridgeFood
MyFridgeFood offers easy recipes from the ingredients you have, and it's free. The site is live, but the Android app was last updated in November 2022 and the iOS listing shows no date, so treat the mobile versions as unmaintained and use the website.
Checked 09/10/2026. Stale warning: Android app.
SideChef
SideChef gives step-by-step recipes and lets you search by ingredient. It's freemium, with a paid plan listed at $4.99 a month. The Android app was updated in September 2026. We couldn't confirm the iOS update date from its listing.
Checked 09/10/2026.
AI recipe makers
These apps write a recipe for you from an idea or a list of ingredients, rather than searching a fixed database. The order below isn't a ranking. For how this approach compares with a general chatbot, see our guide to ChatGPT recipes.
DishGen
DishGen makes AI recipes from an idea or an ingredient list. It's freemium, with paid plans from $7.99 a month. The site is live, but we couldn't find a recent update date for the apps, and the iOS listing shows a 2023 copyright. Check the store listing before you download.
Checked 09/10/2026.
PantryAI
PantryAI is our app, so weigh this entry accordingly. You photograph your fridge, freezer or cupboard (up to 5 photos per scan), review what the AI found, and ask for recipes built from it. You can choose Creative or Simple recipes (Simple means under 30 minutes and beginner-friendly), exclude ingredients, and get 3 recipes per search. Cook Mode in our AI chef walks you through one step at a time, and you can keep favourites in your recipe book app.
The free plan includes 10 photo scans, 10 recipe searches and 3 AI images a month, with ads. On the UK App Store, Basic is £1.99 and Deluxe is £5.99 a month; Google Play prices differ, so prices vary by store and country. See compare plans for the current limits. There's no sign-up needed to start.
What it doesn't do: it doesn't pull recipes from the web, and it can't import recipes from websites or cookbooks yet. If saving recipes from other sites is your main need, a recipe manager below is the better fit.
Checked 09/10/2026. Read more on the AI recipe generator page.
ChefGPT
ChefGPT makes AI recipes from pantry ingredients, and it's now branded as a calorie tracker (its App Store listing is "chefgpt-ai-calories-tracker"). It's freemium, and the iOS app was updated in April 2026. Read the current listing before you download, as the branding has moved away from pure recipes.
Checked 09/10/2026.
Recipe managers
Managers solve a different problem. You've already found the recipe, and now you want it saved, organised and easy to cook again.
Paprika 3
Paprika 3 is a recipe manager that saves recipes from the web, builds meal plans and makes grocery lists. The iOS app costs £4.99 as a one-off purchase and was updated in July 2026. We didn't check the Android price, so look at the Google Play listing before you buy.
Checked 09/10/2026.
Samsung Food
Samsung Food lets you save recipes and plan meals. It was formerly called Whisk. It's freemium, and the paid plan is £6.99 a month on the UK App Store (listed at $6.99 a month in the US).
Checked 09/10/2026.
Pantry plus recipes
These apps track what's in the cupboard first and suggest meals second.
KitchenPal
KitchenPal is a pantry manager with a grocery list and recipe ideas. The iOS app was updated in September 2026 and the Android app in October 2026. Its site lists $14.99 a year or a $29.99 lifetime licence. On the UK App Store the annual plan is £14.99 and the lifetime offer is £24.99, so check the price in your store. For our own take on this category, see our pantry app page.
Checked 09/10/2026.
Remy
Remy says it turns what's in your kitchen into meals. It's free, and the Android app was updated in September 2026.
Checked 09/10/2026.
Cooklist (US only)
Cooklist combines pantry tracking with recipes and is freemium. It isn't available in the UK App Store, so UK readers can't download it from there. We list it because it turns up in most roundups.
Checked 09/10/2026.
How we chose
We included an app if it met all of these:
- It starts from food you already have, or it manages your recipes.
- It was live on a store or a working website on the check date (09/10/2026).
- We could check its store listing or site, and we say where a listing shows no update date.
Nobody paid for a place on this list. PantryAI appears because we make it, and we've given it the same format as every other entry. Features and prices come from each app's own listing or site, and we haven't described anything an app doesn't say it does. If you spot something out of date, contact us.
Gone or renamed
Yummly closed in December 2024, so we haven't listed it as a live option. Whisk is now Samsung Food (since 30/08/2023). If an old roundup recommends either under its original name, it's out of date.
Which app should you pick?
If you want zero spend and a quick answer, try SuperCook's site or MyFridgeFood. If you'd rather photograph a shelf than type a list, our own what's in my fridge feature does that. If you cook from recipes you find elsewhere, pick a manager. And if your main goal is using up food before it spoils, our roundup of food waste apps covers a different set of tools.
Try PantryAI Photograph what you have and get 3 recipes built around it. Free to start, no sign-up. Get the app on the App Store | Get it on Google Play
Frequently asked questions
What's the best free recipe app?
For free, SuperCook and MyFridgeFood both list no charge and search by the ingredients you have, while Remy is also listed as free. PantryAI has a free tier with monthly limits (10 scans, 10 recipe searches and 3 AI images) and shows ads. DishGen, ChefGPT, SideChef and Samsung Food are freemium, so check each app's free limits before you rely on it.
Which app finds recipes from ingredients?
SuperCook and MyFridgeFood find recipes from the ingredients you have, and SideChef lets you search by ingredient. DishGen, ChefGPT and PantryAI generate AI recipes from an ingredient list or, in PantryAI's case, from photos of your fridge or cupboard.
Which app saves recipes from websites?
Paprika 3 and Samsung Food both do. PantryAI doesn't import recipes from websites yet; it lets you save its own recipes and add your own to your recipe book.
Sources
All checked on 09/10/2026.