Mealime vs eMeals: Your Recipe-Saving Options in 2026

If you use Mealime, here's what you need to know

Mealime is closing down on 21 October 2026—accounts will be deleted with no export option. If you use Mealime and want to switch to eMeals or another service, you'll need to move your recipes and meal plans somewhere else first. If you're comparing these two apps to decide which fits your cooking style, the practical comparison today is between eMeals and the recipe services you can actually switch to.

What was Mealime?

Mealime was a recipe and meal-planning app with a library of about 3,291 recipes. It had an Android app with more than 1 million installs, a web version, and a straightforward weekly planner. You could save favorite recipes, plan meals for the week, and generate a grocery list. The app was free with optional premium features. Like most recipe apps, it let you clip recipes from links, save them from a photo of a cookbook page, or type recipes in manually.

The closure means if you have recipes saved there today, they'll be gone after mid-October unless you save them elsewhere.

How does eMeals work?

eMeals is a meal-planning and grocery-list service that pairs recipe collections with organized shopping lists. It focuses on weekly meal planning with an emphasis on specific diet approaches, including keto, paleo, low-carb, vegetarian, and others. Rather than building a library you own, eMeals curates weekly meal plans from its own recipe collection, then generates grocery lists matched to participating supermarkets' layouts.

eMeals operates by subscription—you pay for access to curated meal plans and weekly grocery lists. Check their current pricing and free trial options on their website.

Key differences between Mealime and eMeals

The biggest difference is philosophy: Mealime let you build your own recipe collection and plan from it freely; eMeals gives you pre-built weekly plans to follow. If you like variety and control—picking your own recipes each week from your favorites—eMeals' structured approach might feel limiting. If you prefer a planner to choose meals for you based on diet preferences, it could work well.

How to save your Mealime recipes before the deadline

Mealime doesn't offer a bulk export, so here's what you can do:

1. Save your favorites manually. Go through your Mealime app or website, and copy the recipe name, ingredients, and instructions into a text file or notes app. It's time-consuming but straightforward.
2. Use the screenshot method. Take photos of each recipe in the Mealime app and save them to your phone or computer. You'll have a visual record, though not searchable text.
3. Try the Mealime rescue. Mealfolder's Mealime rescue lets you paste the exact names of your favorite Mealime recipes, and it matches them against all 3,291 public Mealime recipes, saving them with photos and instructions. It won't catch recipes you wrote yourself, but it preserves the ones Mealime published.

If you decide to move to eMeals, you won't have your old Mealime recipes there, but you'll use eMeals' own library. If you want to keep your personal collection and prefer more control, other options exist.

Other recipe and meal-planning alternatives

If you're replacing Mealime, think about what matters most to you:

For self-curated recipe collections: Apps like Paprika, AnyList, Plan to Eat, Copy Me That, Recipe Keeper, BigOven, Yummly, and others let you clip and organize your own recipes. Many export their recipe data in formats that other services can read. Mealfolder imports Paprika files directly, plus JSON recipe lists, recipes you paste in, and recipes from web links. The free plan includes 10 recipes and your current week's meal plan; Plus ($12.99 per year) unlocks unlimited recipes.

For curated meal plans: eMeals is one option. Other services in this space email you meal plans and grocery lists based on diet preferences.

For household meal planning: If multiple people in your home cook or meal-plan together, Mealfolder's Household plan ($19.99 per year for up to six people) synchronizes across family members, so changes show up for everyone in real-time.

Making the switch from Mealime

Whatever you choose, act before 21 October 2026. Here's a practical timeline:

1. This week: Identify which recipes you actually use regularly. Most of us have a core set of favorites and rarely cook from the rest. Screenshot or list your top 15–20 recipes.
2. By mid-October: Try your new service's free trial or free plan. Sign up, import or add a few recipes, test the weekly planner, and see if the grocery-list format works for you.
3. Before 21 October: Move the rest of your recipes and run a full week's plan in your new app to make sure it fits your routine.

If you choose eMeals, you're done. If you choose a self-curated app, make sure you've exported everything from the apps you're leaving before deleting your account—not all of them make exporting easy.

FAQ

Will eMeals let me import my Mealime recipes?

No. eMeals runs on its own recipe library and meal-plan system. If you move to eMeals, you'll use their recipes and meal plans, not your Mealime collection. If keeping your personal recipes is important, choose a self-curated app like Mealfolder or Paprika instead.

Can I export my Mealime account data before it closes?

Mealime doesn't offer a standard bulk export. Mealfolder's Mealime rescue can save your favorite recipe names from Mealime's public library. For recipes you wrote yourself or heavily customized, you'll need to screenshot or manually copy them out.

Is eMeals cheaper than Mealime was?

That depends on which Mealime plan you used and what eMeals currently charges—check their website for current pricing. Both are typically monthly or annual subscriptions. If cost is your main concern, Mealfolder's free plan has no paid requirement; you get 10 recipes and unlimited planning for the current week at no cost.

What if I want both my own recipes and curated meal plans?

You can combine approaches: use Mealfolder or similar to manage your recipe collection and plan from your favorites on some weeks, and use eMeals on other weeks for their curated plans. You'll manage two services, which adds a bit of friction, but you get flexibility in how you plan your meals.