We make Recipe Spellbook, so read this with that in mind. It says plainly where Plan to Eat is the better choice, and every fact about Plan to Eat is dated and linked to where it came from.
Both apps turn saved recipes into a meal plan and a shopping list. Recipe Spellbook does it in its free version, on Android, iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows and Linux, and Premium is $6.99 once. Plan to Eat has no free plan: after a 14-day trial it is $49 a year or $5.95 a month, on iPhone, Android and the web (October 2026). Recipe Spellbook reads Plan to Eat's recipe export, so you can bring your library with you.
How much do Recipe Spellbook and Plan to Eat cost?
Plan to Eat prices as of October 2026, from plantoeat.com/pricing.
| Recipe Spellbook | Plan to Eat | |
|---|---|---|
| Free version | Yes, with no recipe limit and no time limit | No; a 14-day trial with no card needed |
| Paid plan | Premium, $6.99 once | $49 a year, or $5.95 a month |
| Meal planner and shopping list | In the free version | In the paid plan |
| Cost over 3 years | $6.99 | $147 on the yearly plan |
How do the features compare?
Plan to Eat features as of October 2026, from its pricing page.
| Feature | Recipe Spellbook | Plan to Eat |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Android, iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows, Linux | iPhone, Android, web |
| Save recipes from websites and social | Paste or share a link, including Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Pinterest | Recipe Clipper, including Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest |
| Import from photos, PDFs and other apps | Yes, from 14 recipe apps | Not listed on its pricing page |
| Meal planner | Month, week or day | A week, a month or longer, with saved menus |
| Shopping list | Sorted by aisle, pantry items left off, live sharing | Built from the plan, by store and aisle, with grocery delivery |
| Household | Up to 5 people in Premium, each with their own account and private recipes | One shared account on any number of devices |
| Cook mode | Voice control, timers and scaling | Not listed on its pricing page |
| Nutrition | Yes, with product barcode scanning | Not listed on its pricing page |
| Works offline | Yes; your recipes live on your device | Not listed on its pricing page |
Where is Plan to Eat better?
- Any browser. Plan to Eat runs on the web, so you can plan from a work computer without installing anything. Recipe Spellbook has desktop apps but no web app.
- One account for the household. Everyone signs in to the same account, on as many devices as you like.
- Grocery delivery. The shopping list can go straight to grocery delivery.
- Reusable menus. Save a good week as a menu and put it back on the calendar later.
Where is Recipe Spellbook better?
- A free version. Recipes, the meal planner and shopping lists with no time limit and no recipe limit.
- Pay once. $6.99 once instead of $49 a year. Over three years that is $6.99 against $147.
- More ways in. Photos of cookbook pages, PDFs, 14 recipe app formats and an AI converter, as well as links.
- Cook mode. Hands-free with voice control, plus timers and scaling.
- Your recipes stay on your device. They work offline, and you can export everything as JSON at any time.
How do I switch from Plan to Eat?
- Export your recipes from Plan to Eat as a
.csvfile. - Move the file to the device you will import on.
- In Recipe Spellbook, tap +, then File, and pick the export. Titles, ingredients, directions, tags and times come along.
- Plan your first week from the imported recipes, then build the shopping list from the plan.
Every format the app reads is in the import guide.
FAQ
Is there a Plan to Eat alternative with a free version?
Yes. Recipe Spellbook is free with no recipe limit and no time limit, and the meal planner and aisle-sorted shopping lists are in the free version. Premium, with sync, backups and family sharing, is a one-time $6.99 purchase. Plan to Eat has a 14-day trial and then costs $49 a year or $5.95 a month.
Can Recipe Spellbook import my Plan to Eat recipes?
Yes. Export your recipes from Plan to Eat as a .csv file, then open it in Recipe Spellbook with + and File. Titles, ingredients, directions, tags and times come along.
Why does Plan to Eat have no free plan?
Plan to Eat says on its pricing page that it is funded by its customers, which is why it offers a trial instead of a free plan.
Can my whole household use it?
In Recipe Spellbook, Premium shares cookbooks and a meal plan with up to five people, and live shopping lists can be shared with anyone for free. Plan to Eat lets a household share one account on as many devices as it likes.