Mealime is closing: alternatives for Canada and the US

Keep familiar recipes, organize your own collection, or plan around a grocery budget. Here is how the alternatives differ before Mealime’s October shutdown.

Updated September 8, 2026. Published by CartBrain; this comparison includes our own product.

Mealime will close on October 21, 2026, according to its official announcement. The company is directing users to free Meals Hub and says there will be no further Pro subscription charges before the shutdown.

You have several ways to replace that weekly routine. Start by deciding what you want to keep: familiar recipes, a collection of your own meals, less dinner planning, or help connecting a grocery budget to your shopping list.

Which alternative matches your routine?

• Meals Hub: start here if keeping Mealime recipes is your priority.
• CartBrain: try it if you want a plan built around your household, budget and selected stores in Canada or the US.
• Paprika: consider it if you want to collect recipes and organize meals yourself.
• Plan to Eat: consider it if you like scheduling your own recipes on a calendar.
• eMeals: a US option for choosing from prepared dinner ideas and generating a grocery list.

These are different workflows, rather than a ranking based on hands-on testing. We checked the providers' public information for the prices and features below. Subscription cost alone does not show which tool will fit your household best.

Meals Hub: the official free transition

Meals Hub includes Mealime's recipes, meal planning and shopping lists through Albertsons Companies websites and apps. Mealime says you can use those features without shopping at one of those stores, although some preferences need to be set up again. Follow the transition instructions.

Canadian readers should check access from their location before relying on it for the following week. The announcement explains how people without a nearby Albertsons store can use Meals Hub, but we have not verified Canadian account setup or every regional app listing.

Try finding two favourite meals, selecting your preferences and building a shopping list. If that preserves the part of Mealime you value, there may be no reason to pay for a different service.

CartBrain: household planning with a grocery budget

CartBrain helps Canadian and US households turn a budget and selected stores into a meal plan and grocery list. Flyer coverage varies by location and source. Check which offers are available for your stores, and treat plan costs as estimates to compare with current shelf prices.

Web pricing is CAD$12/month or CAD$120/year for Pro, and CAD$19/month or CAD$190/year for Family. The free plan needs no credit card: your welcome week covers the whole family, followed by one free solo weekly-plan generation per month. See current CartBrain pricing; prices purchased through an app store can differ.

Open the sample plan without an account to inspect the meals and grocery list first. If this approach suits you, choose a realistic weekly allowance using our grocery budget guide. Then check how planning around store flyers fits the stores you actually visit.

Paprika: organize the recipes you already like

Paprika combines recipe saving, meal planning and grocery lists. Its Windows version currently advertises a US$29.99 one-time sale price; the phone, tablet and Mac versions are sold separately. The Windows trial has no time limit, but holds up to 50 recipes and excludes cloud sync. Check the Windows product and trial details and the version for each device you use.

This is a useful direction if you already know what you enjoy cooking. Before buying several versions, import one regularly used recipe and check the ingredients, servings and shopping list.

Plan to Eat: put your own recipes on a calendar

Plan to Eat lets you collect recipes and arrange them on a meal-planning calendar. Its web subscription is US$5.95/month or US$49/year. The company lists a different annual price through Apple's App Store, so compare the purchase route. Official pricing.

The current 14-day trial requires no credit card. Use it to schedule a few meals you already cook, adjust their servings and review the combined grocery list. That will show whether you enjoy managing the calendar yourself.

eMeals: prepared dinner choices for US shoppers

eMeals offers dinner options in several food styles and makes a list from your selections. You can shop yourself or send the list to supported grocery services. How eMeals works.

Its listed dinner subscription is US$35.99 for three months or US$59.99 for 12 months. Breakfast and lunch plans are available as paid additions. Check the current plan prices.

The 14-day trial leads to a paid subscription unless cancelled under its terms. eMeals' website terms specify US use, so Canadian readers should not assume Canadian support. US readers should still check local grocery-service coverage and renewal details.

Test one ordinary week before committing

Use the same small test with each replacement so the comparison means something:

1. Choose three dinners you already like, one busy-night meal and one flexible evening. Include the breakfasts and lunches you normally buy for.
2. Add household servings and preferences. Check the result against the ingredients and quantities you actually need.
3. Remove pantry items from the shopping list, then compare the remaining list with package sizes and prices at your store.
4. Try the list on your phone while shopping. Notice anything you must rewrite, combine or look up elsewhere.
5. After dinner, record what made the week easier and what created extra work. Compare that experience with the subscription or device purchase cost.

For Canadian shoppers, also check CAD versus USD billing, the language you want to use and access to local stores. For US shoppers, verify your own store and delivery coverage rather than relying on a national retailer's name.

Keep a short personal record of favourite meal names and preferences while deciding. Confirm any export or account-transfer method with the relevant provider; this guide does not promise automatic migration between services.

If a budget and store-based approach looks useful, explore the CartBrain demo and build your first plan when you are ready.