AnyList is one of the best-loved grocery apps on the App Store, with a 4.9 average from more than 80,000 US ratings, and its free shared list is the reason. So most people searching for AnyList alternatives aren't unhappy with the list. They're running into the edge of the free version: recipe import from websites, the meal-planning calendar and the Mac, web and Apple Watch apps all sit behind AnyList Complete, which AnyList's site lists at $9.99 a year for one person or $14.99 a year for a household.
Which alternative is right depends on what you want instead: a free list, no subscription, or less typing. Here are six, starting with DishPal, the dishes-to-shopping-list app we make, each with the job it does best.
1. DishPal — when you'd rather name dinners than type ingredients
Every list app on this page expects you to type the items. DishPal starts one step earlier: you type or say the dishes you want to cook this week, and it writes one shopping list with each ingredient listed once and the amounts added up, sorted by aisle. You don't need saved recipes for it to work. It also keeps a fridge, freezer and pantry inventory, so it can suggest what to make tonight from what you already have.
The free version includes manual lists, history, widgets, iCloud sync, the kitchen inventory, 3 AI uses a week (each list, recipe import or menu fill-in counts as one), 10 saved recipes, a three-day menu, 1 store and 3 regular buys. Premium adds the full weekly menu, AI that fills empty dinners, more stores, family sharing through your own iCloud, the Apple Watch app, Lock Screen ticks and expiry reminders, on weekly, yearly (3-day trial) or lifetime plans. There's no account and no ads, and the AI runs on Apple Intelligence or a key you bring yourself.
Where AnyList is still the better pick: DishPal saves recipes from screenshots or pasted text, not from a link, and it's iPhone and iPad only, so a household with Android phones can't share a DishPal list.
2. OurGroceries — when you want a free shared list on every device
OurGroceries is AnyList's closest match on the list itself, with an even larger rating count (4.8 from more than 85,000 US ratings). Add milk and your partner sees it immediately, even if they're already in the store. Items group themselves into store aisles, and you can attach photos, notes, quantities and barcodes so the right brand comes home. It runs on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Android, Wear OS, Amazon Alexa and any web browser.
It's free, with small ads at the bottom of the screen. One upgrade removes them for every device on the same OurGroceries account. Recipes are kept simple: a recipe holds its key ingredients so you can add the missing ones to the list, with instructions in a notes field.
3. Bring! — when you want a colourful list your whole household will use
Bring! is built for sharing: lists sync between everyone in real time, with push notifications when someone adds an item or marks it bought. It adds seasonal recipes for ideas and can put local supermarket offers, including ones from store brochures, straight onto the list. It's on iPhone and Android, and Bring! says all core features, including creating and sharing lists, recipes and offers, are free.
The offers depend on which retailers Bring! works with in your area, so check what shows up near you before counting on them. The list and sharing work everywhere.
4. Apple Reminders — when you want a list that's already on your iPhone
Before downloading anything, it's worth knowing that the Reminders app has had a grocery mode since iOS 17. Create a list, tap List Type, choose Groceries, and items are sorted into sections such as produce and dairy as you add them. If something lands in the wrong section, drag it and the list remembers next time. Apple's support article has the steps.
It's free and works with Siri, but it needs iCloud for Reminders turned on, only works on Apple devices, and has no recipes, meal plans or pantry. Think of it as AnyList's free tier without Android.
5. Paprika — when you want recipes and meal plans without a subscription
If what you want from AnyList Complete is recipe import and a meal calendar, Paprika Recipe Manager 3 covers both for a one-time price: $4.99 for iPhone and iPad on the US App Store, sold separately for Mac, Windows and Android. Its built-in browser downloads a recipe from a website into a clean card, meal plans run daily, weekly or monthly, the grocery list combines ingredients and sorts them by aisle, and there's a pantry with expiry dates.
What it doesn't do as well is sharing a live list with a household that isn't on the same Paprika account, which is where AnyList shines. Our AnyList vs Paprika comparison goes through the trade-offs in detail.
6. Plan to Eat — when you want everything in one paid plan
Plan to Eat is the most complete planner here. Its Recipe Clipper saves recipes from any website, Instagram, TikTok or Pinterest; the calendar plans a week, a month or longer with reusable menus; and the shopping list builds itself from the plan, by store and aisle. It's on iPhone, Android and the web, and one account covers the household.
There's no free version: it's $5.95 a month or $49 a year on its own site, after a 14-day trial that doesn't ask for a card, with a 60-day refund policy and no ads.
How the AnyList alternatives compare
| DishPal | OurGroceries | Bring! | Reminders | Paprika | Plan to Eat | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starts from | The dishes you want to cook | The list | The list | The list | Your recipe library | Your meal plan |
| Shared list | Family via iCloud (Premium) | Yes, free | Yes, free | Apple devices | Your own devices via Cloud Sync | Household account |
| Sorted by aisle | Yes | Yes | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Recipes and meal plans | Weekly menu; 10 recipes free | Key-ingredient recipes | Recipe ideas | No | Full library and planner | Full library and planner |
| Ads | No | Yes, removable | — | No | — | No |
| Price | Free; Premium weekly, yearly or lifetime | Free; upgrade removes ads | Free core features | Free | $4.99 once (iPhone/iPad, US) | $5.95/mo or $49/yr |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Watch, Android, Wear OS, Alexa, web | iPhone, Android | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows, Android | iPhone, Android, web |
A dash means the app doesn't publish that detail, so we haven't guessed. Details come from each app's App Store listing, website and support pages as of October 14, 2026; prices vary by country and plans change, so check before you buy.
Which AnyList alternative should you pick?
- You want a free shared list: OurGroceries if your household mixes devices, Bring! if you like a visual list and local offers, Reminders if everyone has an iPhone.
- You want recipes and meal plans: Paprika to pay once, Plan to Eat for one subscription that covers everything.
- You want less typing: DishPal, to say the week's dinners and get the list.
- You want all of it shared across iPhone and Android: honestly, AnyList Complete's household plan is still hard to beat.
If you came here because Mealime is closing, our guide to Mealime alternatives covers that move specifically.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free AnyList alternative?
For a shared grocery list, OurGroceries and Bring! are both free on iPhone and Android and sync between everyone on the list; OurGroceries shows small ads unless you upgrade. On iPhone only, the Groceries list type in Apple's Reminders app is free and sorts items into sections for you. DishPal is free to download if you want the list written from the dishes you plan to cook.
Is there an AnyList alternative without a subscription?
Yes. Paprika Recipe Manager 3 is a one-time purchase per platform, $4.99 for iPhone and iPad on the US App Store, and covers recipes, meal plans, a combined grocery list and a pantry. Apple Reminders is free with any iPhone. OurGroceries and Bring! are free to use, and DishPal offers a lifetime option as well as weekly and yearly plans.
Can Apple Reminders replace AnyList?
For a simple list, often yes. In iOS 17 and later you can set a Reminders list's type to Groceries, and items are sorted into sections such as produce and dairy as you add them. It needs iCloud for Reminders turned on and only works on Apple devices, and it has no recipes or meal planning, which is what AnyList Complete adds.
Is there an AnyList alternative that builds the list from meals?
DishPal, which we make, starts from the dishes: type or say what you want to cook and it writes one shopping list with every ingredient listed once and the amounts added up, sorted by aisle. Plan to Eat and Paprika also build a list from a meal plan, but they need the recipes saved in the app first.
Say the dishes, get one list
Every ingredient once, amounts added up, plus what's already in your fridge. No account, no ads.
Download DishPal on the App Store →