The comparison, fact by fact
| Fact | SoChef | Mealime |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Available on Android, iPhone and the web. Source: sochef.app (SoChef’s own website) | Closed: "Mealime will be discontinued as of October 21, 2026". Source: Mealime: closing notice |
| Paid plans | Free to start. Premium from €3.99/month or €24.99/year on Google Play (as of 7 November 2026). On the App Store: prices on the listing from 8 November. New subscribers get a 7-day free trial. Source: sochef.app (SoChef’s own website) · SoChef on Google Play · SoChef on the App Store | Paid subscriptions are wound down; all Pro recipes and features become available to all users. Source: Mealime: closing notice |
| Your data | You can delete your account in the app (Account → Delete my account); personal data is deleted under the privacy policy. Source: sochef.app (SoChef’s own website) | "All personal data will be deleted when the Mealime application is shut down". Source: Mealime: closing notice |
| Recipes | Own catalogue of more than 100 recipes, plus recipes the AI creates from a photo of your fridge, a dish or a cookbook page. Source: sochef.app (SoChef’s own website) | Moved to Meals Hub, inside Albertsons Companies grocery apps; free according to its notice. Source: Mealime: closing notice |
| Menu and shopping list | A weekly menu and a shopping list sorted by category, built from your planned meals. Source: sochef.app (SoChef’s own website) | A sorted shopping list generated automatically from the weekly plan. Source: Mealime (mealime.com) |
| Supermarkets | Links to Mercadona and Alcampo (Spain) to search each product; Carrefour opens its store. SoChef does not fill the cart or handle orders or deliveries. Source: sochef.app (SoChef’s own website) | Meals Hub, its successor, works inside Albertsons Companies apps. Source: Mealime: closing notice |
| Countries | Available from Spain, in Spanish, French and English. Source: sochef.app (SoChef’s own website) | Its help page said the app launched in just a few countries, without naming them. Source: Mealime help: availability by country |
Facts checked on 7 November 2026.
What happened to Mealime recipes
According to its notice, the recipes and planning tools continue in Meals Hub, available in Albertsons Companies grocery apps (in the store app: "More", then "Meals Hub"). Meals Hub is "100% free", including recipes previously available through Mealime Pro, and keeps supporting dietary preferences.
The notice does not mention exporting plans, and says personal data is deleted at shutdown.
Source: Mealime: closing notice
Mealime and SoChef, honestly
- Where Mealime was stronger
- It had recipes from its own culinary team (its notice mentions the "Mealime chef team"), which now live on in Meals Hub. SoChef has a much smaller catalogue: more than a hundred recipes, plus the ones the AI creates.
- Where SoChef is stronger
- It is built for Spain and Europe: Spanish, French and English; links to Mercadona and Alcampo to search each product; and a menu that can start from a photo of your fridge.
- What SoChef does not do
- It does not import Mealime plans, fill the supermarket cart, handle orders or deliveries, or offer a voice cooking mode.
How to move your routine from Mealime
Five steps, with the screens as they are named in the app:
- Save what you need before it is deletedMealime’s closing notice mentions no recipe or plan export, and says all personal data is deleted when the app shuts down. If you can still open it, take screenshots of your favourite recipes (ingredients and steps).
- Bring your recipes into SoChefIn SoChef, open the Library tab, tap "+" then "Scan", choose "Recipe" and pick your screenshots from the gallery (several at once). SoChef reads them and saves each recipe with its ingredients and steps; check them before saving.
- Open this week’s menuGo to sochef.app/menu-semanal (add ?lang=en for English): 7 dinners for 2 people, an approximate total price and the shopping list. No account is needed to view it.
- Add the list in one tapTap "Add the shopping list" (free in the SoChef app). The app opens, or Google Play first, and copies the week’s list for 2 people into your shopping list.
- Pick how many peopleIn the app, open the Planning tab, tap "✨ My weekly plan" and set "Number of people" (2 or more), the days and the meals. The free tier includes 1 AI plan a week of up to 3 days; Premium gives 7 days and budget menus (approximate prices).
How this compares with other "switch from Mealime" pages
Other apps have published their own pages for Mealime users. This is what those pages say, so you can compare on facts. They are written by each company about its own app.
| Fact | SoChef | Eat This Much | FoodiePrep | NutriScan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moving from Mealime | No import of Mealime plans. Start with the free weekly menu, or get recipes from a photo of your fridge, a dish or a cookbook page. Source: sochef.app (SoChef’s own website) | Imports Mealime recipes through the share sheet or its Recipe Clipper browser extension. Source: Eat This Much: switch from Mealime | Recipe import from screenshots, websites, social video and cookbook photos. Source: FoodiePrep: Mealime alternatives | The page does not mention importing Mealime data; it suggests starting fresh. Source: NutriScan: Mealime alternatives after the closure |
| Weekly plan and list in the free tier | Free: the weekly menu page (7 dinners for 2 people with its shopping list, no account needed to view it) and adding that list to the app. Each week also includes 1 AI plan of up to 3 days; 7-day plans and budget menus are Premium. Source: SoChef free weekly menu page · sochef.app (SoChef’s own website) | Free: importing recipes and daily meal plans. Premium: planning a whole week and automatic grocery lists. Source: Eat This Much: switch from Mealime | A free "Taster" tier covers recipe saving, recipe books and basic meal planning. Source: FoodiePrep: Mealime alternatives | Weekly and monthly grocery lists are Premium-only. Source: NutriScan: Mealime alternatives after the closure |
| Price | From €3.99/month or €24.99/year on Google Play (as of 7 November 2026); App Store prices on the listing from 8 November. Source: SoChef on Google Play · SoChef on the App Store | The page gives no amounts and links to a pricing comparison. Source: Eat This Much: switch from Mealime | "Nutrition Pro from around $4.99/month (annual)". Source: FoodiePrep: Mealime alternatives | Premium "about $59 a year". Source: NutriScan: Mealime alternatives after the closure |
| Supermarkets | Links to Mercadona and Alcampo (Spain); Carrefour opens its store; no filled cart. Source: sochef.app (SoChef’s own website) | Lists can be sent to Walmart, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods or Instacart. Source: Eat This Much: switch from Mealime | Grocery list links to supermarket online carts in the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Source: FoodiePrep: Mealime alternatives | The page does not mention supermarket links. Source: NutriScan: Mealime alternatives after the closure |
| Languages | Spanish, French and English. Source: sochef.app (SoChef’s own website) | The page does not state languages. Source: Eat This Much: switch from Mealime | Language menu: English, Deutsch, Français, Español, Italiano. Source: FoodiePrep: Mealime alternatives | 12 languages. Source: NutriScan: Mealime alternatives after the closure |
| Platforms | Android, iPhone and web. Source: sochef.app (SoChef’s own website) | iPhone and Android apps, plus browser extensions. Source: Eat This Much: switch from Mealime | iOS, Android and web. Source: FoodiePrep: Mealime alternatives | iPhone and Android, plus an Apple Watch app. Source: NutriScan: Mealime alternatives after the closure |
| Where they go further | Menu from a photo of your fridge; free weekly menu page; Spanish supermarket links. Source: sochef.app (SoChef’s own website) | Plans built around targets you set, and recipe import from Mealime. Source: Eat This Much: switch from Mealime | Recipe import from many sources, saved preferences and an AI assistant. Source: FoodiePrep: Mealime alternatives | Meal logging by photo, spoken or typed entries. Source: NutriScan: Mealime alternatives after the closure |
The difference we can state from these pages: SoChef is the one where a ready-made weekly menu and its shopping list are free to start, with no account needed to view the menu. Eat This Much lists whole-week planning and automatic grocery lists as Premium, and NutriScan lists weekly grocery lists as Premium. The free menu is a ready-made one (7 dinners for 2 people); a custom 7-day AI plan is Premium on SoChef.
Source: Eat This Much: switch from Mealime · FoodiePrep: Mealime alternatives · NutriScan: Mealime alternatives after the closure · SoChef free weekly menu page
frequently asked questions
What you ask.
What is the best Mealime alternative?
It depends on what you used it for. SoChef offers a free weekly menu with its shopping list and apps in Spanish, French and English, with links to Mercadona and Alcampo (it is our own app). Eat This Much, FoodiePrep and NutriScan publish their own pages for Mealime users, compared above.
Is Mealime still working, and what happens to my data?
No. Its official notice says: "Mealime will be discontinued as of October 21, 2026." Its recipes continue in Meals Hub, inside Albertsons Companies grocery apps, and personal data is deleted when the app shuts down.
Can I export my recipes or plans from Mealime?
Mealime’s closing notice mentions no recipe or plan export. The way to keep a recipe is a screenshot of it, before the app shuts down.
Can I import my Mealime recipes into SoChef?
Not as a file, since Mealime has no export, but you can scan them: Library → "+" → "Scan" → "Recipe", then pick your screenshots of Mealime recipes from the gallery. SoChef does not import Mealime plans; use the free weekly menu or build a plan with "My weekly plan".
How do I rebuild my weekly menu in SoChef?
Open the free weekly menu at sochef.app/menu-semanal, tap "Add the shopping list" to copy the week's list into the app, then open the Planning tab and "My weekly plan" to choose the number of people, days and meals.
How much does SoChef cost?
It is free to start: the weekly menu page and its list, and each week 1 AI recipe from your fridge, 1 fridge photo and 1 AI plan of up to 3 days. Premium costs from €3.99/month or €24.99/year on Google Play (as of 7 November 2026); on the App Store, prices appear on the listing from 8 November. New subscribers get a 7-day free trial.
Does SoChef work with Mercadona?
SoChef opens the search for each product on Mercadona and Alcampo and opens the Carrefour store. It does not fill the cart or place the order.
What is Meals Hub?
It is where Mealime recipes moved, inside Albertsons Companies grocery apps. According to its notice, it is free.
Sources and method
Competitor facts come from their official sites and store listings, checked on 7 November 2026. If a fact could not be verified, we say so or leave it out. Prices change: confirm them in the store before subscribing. SoChef is our own app; if you spot a mistake, write to contact@sochef.app.
- sochef.app (SoChef’s own website) (checked on 7 November 2026)
- Mealime: closing notice (checked on 7 November 2026)
- SoChef on Google Play (checked on 7 November 2026)
- SoChef on the App Store (checked on 7 November 2026)
- Mealime (mealime.com) (checked on 7 November 2026)
- Mealime help: availability by country (checked on 7 November 2026)
- Eat This Much: switch from Mealime (checked on 7 November 2026)
- FoodiePrep: Mealime alternatives (checked on 7 November 2026)
- NutriScan: Mealime alternatives after the closure (checked on 7 November 2026)
- SoChef free weekly menu page (checked on 7 November 2026)
keep reading
More comparisons.
sochef · maison culinaire
Try SoChef: snap a photo of your fridge and let the weekly menu and the shopping list build themselves.
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