What's the Best Free Recipe App in 2026?
"Free" means very different things across recipe apps. Some give you a generous taste, some cap you at a handful of saves, and a few aren't really free at all. Here's an honest look at what each one's free tier actually gives you — including where Mium's free plan is strong and where it isn't.
What each app gives you free
| App | Free tier (as of June 2026) | Ads on free? |
|---|---|---|
| Mium | 5 imports/week, AI Chef, unlimited manual recipes, meal planner | No ads |
| ReciMe | ~5 imports/week | — |
| Samsung Food | Generous — meal planning + community | — |
| Crouton | Up to ~20 saved recipes | — |
| AnyList | Free lists & recipe storage | — |
| Cookmate | Free with limits | Ad-supported |
| Paprika | Free trial, then pay once | — |
As of June 2026; free tiers change often, so confirm on each app's own listing. A "—" means we're not making a claim about that app's ads either way.
There's no single "best free" — it depends on the job
Best free for scanning + social + AI: Mium
If you want to try the modern stuff — scanning a cookbook page, saving a TikTok recipe, asking an AI Chef a question — Mium's free tier is one of the most complete. You get 5 imports a week, the AI Chef on every recipe, unlimited manually typed recipes, a weekly meal planner and shopping list, and no ads. The honest limit: it's 5 imports a week, not unlimited — heavy importers will hit the cap (lifting it is what Mium Plus is for, at $29.99/yr).
Most generous free meal planning: Samsung Food
Samsung Food (formerly Whisk) has one of the most generous free tiers around — meal planning, a big recipe community, and lots of organizing for nothing. Its most advanced AI features lean toward Samsung Galaxy phones, but the free baseline is strong for everyone.
Best free shared shopping lists: AnyList
If "free" mostly means "a shared grocery list my household can edit," AnyList's free tier is excellent and hard to beat. It's not a scanner or an AI app — it's a clean list-and-recipe keeper.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free recipe app?
It depends on what you need, as of June 2026. For trying cookbook scanning, social import, and an AI assistant, Mium's free tier — 5 imports a week, the AI Chef, unlimited manual recipes, and no ads — is a strong pick. For a generous free meal-planning community, Samsung Food is excellent. For shared shopping lists, AnyList's free tier is hard to beat.
Is Mium free?
Yes. Mium's free plan includes 5 imports a week, the AI Chef on every recipe, unlimited manually typed recipes, a weekly meal planner and shopping list, and no ads. Mium Plus removes the weekly import limit for $29.99 a year.
Which free recipe apps let you scan cookbooks?
As of June 2026, Mium and ReciMe both let you scan cookbook recipes on their free tiers, within a weekly import limit of about 5 a week. Crouton's free tier caps you at roughly 20 saved recipes.
Do free recipe apps have ads?
It varies. Mium shows no ads on any tier. Some free apps, such as Cookmate, are ad-supported on their free plans as of June 2026. Always check the specific app, since this changes over time.
Is there a completely free recipe app with no limits?
Not really among apps that scan, import, and add AI — those features cost money to run, so the free tier usually has some limit. Samsung Food has one of the most generous free tiers; Mium's free tier caps imports at 5 a week but adds no ads and includes the AI Chef.
Start free — scan, import, and ask the AI Chef.
Five free imports a week, no ads, no card required. Upgrade only if you want the cap lifted.
Open Mium free