# Mela - Recipe Manager — Your personal cookbook. > Digital recipe manager with iCloud sync, web browser, and meal planning tools. (iPhone/iPad app by Silvio Rizzi.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mela-recipe-manager/id1548466041 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Silvio Rizzi](https://appshunter.io/developer/325502382) - Category: Food & Drink - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 4.70/5 from 852 App Store ratings · 406 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 17+ - Requires: iOS 15.0 · 22 MB - Languages: American English, French (France), German (Germany), Italian - Released: 2021-08-15 - Data updated: 2026-08-30 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mela-recipe-manager/id1548466041/reviews.md ## What is Mela? Mela is a simple, elegant and modern recipe manager that syncs with iCloud. SYNC Sync your recipes with iCloud, either privately (default) or by sharing a recipe library with other iCloud users. IN-APP BROWSER WITH LIVE PREVIEW Quickly save a recipe while browsing: If Mela detects a recipe on the currently viewed page, it will be displayed in Mela's native recipe viewer*, on the same screen on the iPad and a swipe-left away on the iPhone. Want to add or view a recipe from outside of Mela? No problem, just use Mela's sharing extension. FEEDS Subscribe to your favorite recipe blogs to view all the recipes in Mela's native recipe viewer*. COOK MODE The cook mode makes it easy to follow all steps while cooking, displayed using a larger font to make sure everything stays readable even when you're not right in front of your device. You can add multiple recipes to the cook mode, easily letting you switch between them. TIMERS No need to switch to another app for setting up a timer. When in cooking mode, Mela let's you easily create and manage timers. Timers come with support for Live Activities (iOS 16.1+). SCANNER Scan a recipe from a book: With the help of text recognition, you can just add it to your personal collection and view it in Mela's native recipe viewer, as any other recipe. GROCERIES Mela uses the Reminders.app to manage your grocery list. This has the advantage that you’re always able to access your grocery list on all your devices even if Mela is not installed on a specific device. CALENDAR Do your meal planning by using Mela's built-in calendar. It's managed by Calendar.app which also has the advantage that you're always able to access it on all your devices. There's also a widget, showing you the next planned meal from your calendar. ORGANIZING Recipes can be organized in categories, marked as “Favorite” or as “Want to Cook”. PRINTING Of course, Mela supports printing in case there’s a recipe you want to have on paper or save as PDF. Please note: If iCloud Sync is enabled (default), Mela will sync these items with iCloud: - Recipes - Browser bookmarks - Subscription list (feeds) Not synced: - Feed recipe entries - Browser history Groceries are always stored in Reminders.app Mela is free to download but will require a one-time purchase to unlock all features. * Extracting recipes only works for websites that support this, most of them do. ## Key features - iCloud recipe syncing - In-app browser with live preview - Recipe blog feeds - Cook mode with timers - Recipe scanner - Grocery list integration - Meal planning calendar ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Mela+ for iOS/iPadOS | $6.99 | one-time | ## Chart rankings - #114 in Top Grossing · Food & Drink (US App Store) ## What do users think of Mela? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 🌟 Beautiful and intuitive design - 🚀 Seamless recipe importing from websites - 👍 Excellent organization and categorization - 💡 Convenient meal planning and grocery list features - 🔒 No data collection or subscription required - 🎨 Elegant and customizable interface **Cons** - 🐛 Occasional sync issues across devices - 🔍 Difficulty navigating to search bar - 📋 Limited options for recipe scaling and measurements - 🛒 Grocery list could be more organized by aisle or category **Commonly reported bugs** - Recipes sometimes disappear from calendar and widgets - PDF import not working for some users - Typing becomes slow and unresponsive with large recipe collections **Most requested features** - Add ability to rate and review recipes - Implement nested categories and tags - Improve recipe scanning and OCR accuracy - Add option to assign recipes to specific users or family members - Integrate with external grocery delivery services ## Recent user reviews (10 of 406) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mela-recipe-manager/id1548466041/reviews.md ### 5/5 — This App May Be The Most Intuitive Thing Yet *2026-08-26, version 2.6.2* I cannot speak more highly of this app. I discovered it by asking ChatGPT if this kind of thing existed, to which it replied “Why yes, check out Mela!” I went in without high expectations and within an hour of exploring, I hit “purchase” and have never looked back. Intuitive, powerful, enjoyable, and highly useful when you’re a busy home cook. ### 3/5 — Good but lacking in usability *2026-08-25, version 2.6.2* I really like this app, the UI is beautiful to look at, which is the primary reason I chose Mela over other apps that have much stronger features. I appreciate the simplicity, however there are some features I feel could be added to enhance the user experience without compromising the simplicity. • ability to import a url INSIDE of the app instead of just through safari • ability to rearrange the grocery list • option to show a small photo/icon of the chosen recipe in the meal planning section • Additionally, I sometimes add YouTube links in the notes and would appreciate notes to recognize this and create a hyperlink. I see this app has not been updated in over a year, I really hope it hasn’t been abandoned. I would hate to have to use an ugly app lol, but many of them are advancing far beyond what Mela is currently capable of and I’m starting to think I would be better off with an intuitive UI then a pretty one. ### 4/5 — Almost perfect *2026-08-24, version 2.6.2* This is the best recipe management app I’ve ever used. The only feature I wish it had is the ability to search for a new recipe from any view. Usually when I open the app, it’s showing the recipe I’ve most recently prepared, so I have to scroll all the way back to the top of the list to search for the next one. I have a pretty long list of recipes, so this gets annoying. Please consider adding this feature! Thanks! ### 5/5 — Great *2026-08-17, version 2.6.2* Great app could you please make add to calendar a normal button with cook in recipe viewer so I don’t have to go into the long hamburger menu to get to it ### 5/5 — Fantastic Recipe Manager *2026-08-07, version 2.6.2* LOVE IT! This app has REALLY impressed me! We have been long-time users of Paprika - but switched because MELA DOESN’T HARVEST DATA. Win for Privacy. PLUS ITS A MUCH BETTER RECIPE MANAGER. I love being able to scan a recipe. It’s SO EASY to use. We were able to import our 1950 recipes in a snap (I know who needs nearly 2000 recipes?!) Our recipes are Organized, easy to find, easy to edit. The grocery list is awesome! And the price is reasonable. Thank you Mela! ### 5/5 — Perfect *2026-07-25, version 2.6.2* Genuinely one of the best apps I have ever used. It makes meal planning something I can look forward to while I unwind, rather than a chore. ### 5/5 — For the love of food *2026-07-19, version 2.6.2* LOVE THIS RECIPE KEEPER! Easy to use. ### 5/5 — Best recipe app ever! *2026-07-10, version 2.6.2* It can be as simple or complex as you want. So many amazing features. ### 5/5 — Solid app! *2026-07-05, version 2.6.2* Love Mela, it’s been a huge help for my scattered brain in the kitchen, been using it for some years now. I love that it can handle parsing foreign language recipes as well as English ones and the various viewing/editing/cooking modes are so thoughtful and helpful. I wish we could get more out of RSS feeds though - sadly can’t find working ones of interest (mostly smaller blogs or Polish culinary sites). Would be great if there was a sort of “bookmark directory” tab where we can save trusted websites within Mela to bridge that gap. Thanks for this wonderful app. ### 5/5 — Just wish more directions *2026-07-01, version 2.6.2* Cool ## Frequently asked questions about Mela ### What does Mela do? Mela is a recipe manager that allows you to save, organize, and access your recipes digitally. It features an in-app browser to easily save recipes from websites, a cook mode for easy following while preparing meals, and integrates with your calendar for meal planning and Reminders.app for grocery lists. ### What are the key features of Mela? Key features include iCloud syncing for recipes, an in-app browser with live preview for saving recipes, subscription to recipe blog feeds, a cook mode with integrated timers and Live Activities support, a scanner for digitizing recipes from books, grocery list management via Reminders.app, and meal planning through the calendar. ### How much does Mela cost? Mela is free to download. However, a one-time purchase is required to unlock all of its features. This purchase is a one-time fee, not a recurring subscription. ### What devices is Mela compatible with? Mela is designed for Apple devices. It syncs with iCloud, and features like Live Activities require iOS 16.1+. It also integrates with Reminders.app and Calendar.app, which are standard on iOS and iPadOS. ### How can I use Mela for meal planning and grocery shopping? Mela allows you to plan your meals using its built-in calendar, which syncs with your device's Calendar.app. You can then easily add ingredients for your planned meals to your grocery list, which is managed through the Reminders.app, ensuring you always have access to it. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 2.6.2 — 2025-06-08 This update fixes an issue that prevented Mela’s Share extension from appearing in the latest Chrome on iOS. ### 2.6.1 — 2025-05-24 Improved VoiceOver support: This update fixes several VoiceOver-related issues throughout the app. It’s a work in progress, feedback is welcome. ### 2.6 — 2025-04-13 FOODLE Another new search engine option (see Settings → Browser). While the previously introduced Web Recipe Search works by searching on various sites directly, this one is built more like a classic search engine and can also be accessed outside of Mela (https://foodle.recipes). Please note that Foodle is currently in beta. IMPROVED - Web recipe importer - Ingredient parser FIXED - Crash when opening the in-app browser ### 2.5 — 2025-01-22 SEARCH "Web Recipe Search" is a new "Search Engine" option for Mela's in-app browser (see Settings → Browser). It works by searching across various recipe sites and then combining all results into one list. These search requests are done directly by Mela. MORE RECIPES Mela’s web recipe importer now supports extracting recipes from video descriptions on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. Please note that, as this uses Mela’s ML-powered importer, it’s always recommended to briefly verify the extracted recipe for accuracy. IMPROVED - Web recipe importer for various sites ### 2.4 — 2024-12-09 NEW (requires iOS 18) You can now translate recipes directly in the editor. Set your preferred target language in Settings → Translation (defaults to your current app language). If translation is supported for a recipe, a “Translate” button will appear in the editor. FIXED - Potential crash when changing the calendar or reminders list in the settings - List title sometimes not updating ## Apps similar to Mela | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Cookpad: Recipe & Meal Planner](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cookpad-recipe-and-meal-planner/id585332633) | 4.4 (7,320) | Free | Food & Drink | | [Paprika Recipe Manager 3](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paprika-recipe-manager-3/id1303222868) | 4.9 (53,309) | $4.99 | Food & Drink | | [Kitchen Stories Easy Recipes](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kitchen-stories-easy-recipes/id771068291) | 4.8 (22,791) | Free | Food & Drink | | [Tasty: Recipes, Cooking Videos](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tasty-recipes-cooking-videos/id1217456898) | 4.9 (432,673) | Free | Food & Drink | | [Mealime Meal Plans & Recipes](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mealime-meal-plans-and-recipes/id1079999103) | 4.8 (53,803) | Free | Food & Drink | | [RecipeBox - Save Your Recipes!](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/recipebox-save-your-recipes/id1433840494) | 4.7 (13,911) | Free | Food & Drink | ## More apps by Silvio Rizzi - [Reeder Classic](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reeder-classic/id1529445840) - [Reeder.](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reeder/id6475002485) All apps by Silvio Rizzi: https://appshunter.io/developer/325502382 ## Related topics [mela](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/mela) · [mela recipe](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/mela-recipe) · [pestle](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/pestle) · [personal cookbook](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/personal-cookbook) · [cookbook manager](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/cookbook-manager) · [recipe tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/recipe-tracker) · [personal recipes](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/personal-recipes) · [recipe serving scaler](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/recipe-serving-scaler) · [osta recipes](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/osta-recipes) · [paprika recipe manager](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/paprika-recipe-manager) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-30.*