Mela Alternative: Only Recipes vs Mela
Apple-only recipe manager that syncs with iCloud. Here is how Only Recipes compares as a Mela alternative, including where Mela is the better choice.
Recipe manager for web, iPhone and Android
Premium $2.99/month or $24.99/year
The free plan saves up to 15 recipes from any website and is ad-free. Premium adds unlimited recipes, collections, grocery lists, ingredient scaling, video imports and a shared kitchen, with a 7-day free trial on the yearly plan.
- Web, iPhone and iPad, Android
Apple-only recipe manager that syncs with iCloud
Mela is free to download and needs a one-time purchase to unlock all features. The US App Store lists Mela+ at $6.99 for iOS and iPadOS and $14.99 for macOS.
- iPhone and iPad, Mac
What is Mela?
Mela is a recipe manager for iPhone, iPad and Mac that syncs through iCloud. It saves recipes from an in-app browser, scans recipes from cookbooks, follows recipe blogs as feeds, and uses Apple Reminders for groceries and Apple Calendar for meal planning.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Only Recipes | Mela |
|---|---|---|
| Save recipes from websites | Yes | Yes |
| Grocery list | Premium | Via Apple Reminders |
| Meal planning calendar | No | Via Apple Calendar |
| Cooking timers | Premium, iOS only | Yes |
| Shared recipe library with another person | Premium (2 members) | Via iCloud |
| Print recipes | Yes | Yes |
| Scan recipes from a cookbook | No | Yes |
| iPhone and iPad app | Yes | Yes |
| Mac app | No | Yes |
| One-time purchase option | No | Yes |
AvailablePartialNot available
Rows only appear where Mela's own website or app store listing states the feature.
Where Mela is the better choice
- You want to pay once: Mela+ is a one-time purchase.
- You want a native Mac app.
- You cook from printed cookbooks: Mela scans a recipe from a book with text recognition.
- You follow recipe blogs: Mela subscribes to them as feeds.
- You already run your household on Apple Reminders and Calendar, which Mela uses for groceries and meal plans.
- You want timers with Live Activities and a cook mode that can hold several recipes at once.
- Mela is for Apple devices only; its site describes it as a recipe manager for iOS and macOS.
- Sharing a library requires the other person to use iCloud too.
Who is Mela best for?
Cooks who live entirely on Apple devices and want to pay once.
Mela is a polished, pay-once choice for an all-Apple household, and it scans cookbooks. Only Recipes is the better fit when someone in the house uses Android or a web browser, or when you save recipes from social video.
Sources
Pricing and features checked on October 14, 2026. Prices are US prices and can change; check Mela's listing before you buy. Only Recipes pricing is from our pricing page.
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View comparisonReady to Try Only Recipes?
Save recipes from any website on the free plan, on the web, iPhone and Android.
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