Mealime Alternative: Meal Planner Pro Compared
Mealime built its name on free, simple recipe suggestions and grocery lists for over 4.5 million users. But with the app shutting down and its replacement tied to a specific grocery chain, a lot of people are looking for what comes next. Here's how Meal Planner Pro compares.
Mealime Is Shutting Down on October 21, 2026
Mealime was acquired by Albertsons Companies in 2021, and the app is closing on October 21, 2026. All personal Mealime data will be deleted at shutdown. Mealime is directing users to "Meals Hub," a free replacement built into Albertsons-family grocery store apps (Safeway, Albertsons, Vons, Jewel-Osco, ACME, Shaw's, Tom Thumb). If you don't shop at one of those chains, or want a meal planner built around your macros and health goals rather than a specific grocer, it's worth looking elsewhere.
How Mealime Works
Mealime is a free recipe-suggestion and grocery-list app with over 200 personalization filters for diet type, allergies, and dislikes. It doesn't generate a plan from a health profile so much as suggest recipes you pick from, then builds a category-sorted shopping list and offers a hands-free cooking mode.
- Free to download and use, no premium tier
- 200+ recipe personalization filters
- Auto-generated, category-sorted grocery lists
- Hands-free cooking mode
- iOS and Android apps only (no web app)
How Meal Planner Pro Works
Meal Planner Pro runs a short quiz covering your goal, health conditions, allergies, cuisine preferences, cooking skill, and budget, then uses AI to build a complete personalized weekly meal plan from scratch — not a list of suggestions to browse, but a finished plan with macros and a matching grocery list already generated.
- AI-generated weekly plan built from your health profile
- 30+ diet profiles, including medical/health-condition-specific plans
- Automatic macro tracking (protein, carbs, fats)
- Auto-categorized grocery list from your actual plan
- Works anywhere — not tied to a specific grocery chain
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Meal Planner Pro | Mealime |
|---|---|---|
| Plan creation method | AI-generated from your health profile | Curated suggestions you pick from |
| Personalizes to macros & health conditions | Yes | Diet type & allergy filters only |
| Grocery list automation | Yes | Yes |
| Works with any grocery store | Yes | Replacement (Meals Hub) is Albertsons-family only |
| Starting price | $8.99/week | Free |
| Status | Actively developed | Shutting down October 21, 2026 |
Who Each App Is Best For
Choose Meal Planner Pro if…
- You want a plan built around your specific macros, health conditions, or allergies, not just diet-type filters
- You don't shop at an Albertsons-family store (Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, ACME, Shaw's, Tom Thumb)
- You want a meal planner that will still be around after October 2026
When Meals Hub (Mealime's replacement) may suit you better
- You already shop regularly at an Albertsons-family grocery store
- You want a completely free tool and don't need macro- or condition-specific personalization
Get a Personalized Plan Built for You
No recipe collection to build, no manual macro math. Answer a few questions and Meal Planner Pro's AI builds your weekly plan and grocery list.
Create My Meal PlanFrequently Asked Questions
Yes. Mealime, which was acquired by Albertsons Companies in 2021, announced it is shutting down on October 21, 2026. The company is transitioning users to "Meals Hub," a recipe and meal-planning tool built into Albertsons-family grocery store apps.