What Mealime says is happening
Mealime has posted a closing notice on its own site. Here's what it says, in plain terms. We read it on October 21, 2026, so check Mealime's closing page for the latest.
- The app is being discontinued as of October 21, 2026.
- Mealime's recipes are moving to Meals Hub, a recipe and meal-planning feature inside Albertsons Companies grocery apps and websites. Mealime says Albertsons Companies acquired it in 2021, and that Meals Hub is supported by the same core team.
- Pro is winding down. Mealime says Pro recipes and features became available to all users, and Pro subscribers won't be charged again before the shutdown.
- Your settings don't carry over automatically. Mealime says some preferences and settings will need to be set up again inside Meals Hub.
- Personal data will be deleted. The notice says all personal data will be deleted when the Mealime app shuts down.
Before anything else: save what's yours
Mealime's closing page doesn't describe a way to export your saved recipes or plans. So if the app still opens for you, take a few minutes now:
- Start with recipes you typed in yourself. Mealime says its own recipes will be on Meals Hub, but it doesn't promise a new home for anything you added.
- Copy the ingredients and steps into a notes app, a document, or an email to yourself.
- Write down your favorites by name, so you can find them again later.
- Note your settings, like allergies, dislikes, and serving size, so you can set them up again wherever you go next.
What made Mealime useful
It's worth being fair here. A lot of people liked Mealime for good reasons. Its homepage describes personalized weekly plans, quick recipes, and a "done for you" shopping list with ingredients sorted into categories. That combination is hard to give up.
So the goal isn't to find something "better." It's to find something that covers the parts you used most.
What to look for if you cook for one
If you're cooking for yourself, a few things matter more than a huge recipe library:
- Portions that fit one person, or leftovers planned on purpose, so you're not stuck with four servings of one thing.
- Ingredient reuse. Half a cabbage or half a bag of spinach should go into another meal, not the trash.
- A shopping list sorted by aisle, so one trip covers the week.
- A clear price, both for the tool and for the groceries it sends you to buy.
- No lock-in. After this week, it's fair to ask: if this closes, can I keep my stuff?
Simple alternatives
Here are a few options, from free to cheap. Prices and details are from each company's own page as of October 21, 2026, and can change.
1. Meals Hub (Mealime's official next step)
If you loved Mealime's recipes, this is the most direct move. Mealime says Meals Hub is 100% free, includes the Mealime recipes plus thousands more, and keeps support for dietary preferences. You reach it through an Albertsons Companies store app or website by tapping "More," then "Meals Hub."
Good to know: Mealime says Meals Hub still works for browsing recipes, making meal plans, and building shopping lists even if there's no Albertsons Companies store near you. You'll need to sign in to one of those store apps.
2. Budget Bytes' Meal Prep Meal Plan
Budget Bytes sells a 4-week Meal Prep Meal Plan designed to feed one person, listed at $12. You cook twice a week and pack meals into single-serving containers. It comes as a PDF with weekly menus, grocery lists, and a freezer guide.
Good fit if: you like batch cooking and want a month of structure for one price.
3. DinnerCount
DinnerCount is a meal-planner app with a page for people coming from Mealime. It says it includes 400 recipes, sizes recipes by who is eating, and lets you paste in your own recipes. It lists a one-time price of $9.99 with a 14-day free trial.
Good fit if: you want an app, or you cook for a household with different appetites.
4. A notes app and a simple system (free)
You don't strictly need an app. A shared note with three sections works: this week's meals, grocery list by aisle, and recipes I like. Pair it with our free grocery list for one and a Sunday prep routine, and you have most of what a planner does.
Good fit if: you mostly cook the same 10 or so meals and just need a list.
5. Portionwell (that's us)
We make one thing: a $7 weekly PDF called Cooking for One on $50 a Week. Each plan has one grocery list sorted by store section, a Sunday prep timeline, and 21 meals that reuse the same ingredients. Our newest plan, Comfort Classics, has an estimated grocery total of $42.85.
To be upfront about the tradeoffs: it's not an app. There's no account to personalize, no automatic serving changes, and no recipe search. Each plan is a fixed week with listed swaps for things like vegetarian or dairy-free. But it's a file you keep, so it won't disappear on you.
Good fit if: you cook for one, want to keep groceries around $50, and would rather follow a plan than build one.
Quick comparison
| Option | Listed cost | Format | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meals Hub | Free | Inside Albertsons Cos. store apps and websites | Keeping Mealime's recipes |
| Budget Bytes Meal Prep Plan | $12 for 4 weeks | Batch cooking for one | |
| DinnerCount | $9.99 once, 14-day trial | App | Households, your own recipes |
| Notes app | Free | Whatever you already use | Simple, repeat meals |
| Portionwell | $7 per weekly plan | One person, about $50 of groceries |
Prices as listed on each company's site on October 21, 2026. Check their pages before you buy.
A few tips for the switch
- Don't rebuild everything at once. Pick your five favorite meals and start there.
- Keep a copy of anything you care about outside of any app, including ours.
- Plan around ingredients, not recipes. Our guide on eating for one on $50 a week explains how.
Portionwell is not affiliated with Mealime, Albertsons Companies, Budget Bytes, or DinnerCount. All trademarks belong to their owners. Details about other products come from their public pages and may change.