# MealTime vs Cooking

The clearest difference is price: Cooking at Free against MealTime's $1.99. MealTime's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On update cadence and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Cooking is free to download; MealTime costs $1.99 up front. Cooking sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $0.99 per month. MealTime asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and August 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MealTime | Cooking |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mealtime/id1016295040/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| Positive reviews | **92.3% of reviews** | 63.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#150** | — |
| Size | 32 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [James Bamford](https://appshunter.io/developer/454597719) | [Alexander Richardson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1528294664) |

## What reviewers say

### MealTime

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mealtime/id1016295040)

**Currently charting:** #150 Top Paid · Food & Drink (US App Store)

This app helps you coordinate cooking multiple dishes simultaneously, ensuring everything finishes at the same time. It provides step-by-step instructions, allows for pausing and resuming, and offers hands-free voice commands. You can also scan barcodes for easy item addition and utilize advanced features like microwave wattage adjustments.

**Highlights:** Synchronized cooking timers, Step-by-step cooking instructions, Pause and resume cooking, Voice-guided instructions, Barcode scanning for items, Microwave wattage adjustment, Apple Watch app and complication

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Cooking

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cooking-timer/id1528294662)

Simplify meal preparation by coordinating multiple dishes to be ready simultaneously. Input your desired mealtime and individual cooking durations, and the app generates a precise schedule for starting each item. Avoid juggling multiple timers and ensure perfectly cooked food for any occasion.

**Highlights:** Synchronize multiple dish cooking times, Set desired meal completion time, Input individual ingredient cooking durations, Generate start/finish time plan, Create custom alerts for each step, Ideal for holidays and dinner parties

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Go Ad Free | $0.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MealTime free?

MealTime costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Cooking free?

Cooking is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do MealTime or Cooking have ads?

Cooking shows ads; MealTime does not.

### Which is updated more often, MealTime or Cooking?

MealTime ships an update every 2 months, and Cooking every 2 months. Most recently, MealTime was updated on September 21, 2026 and Cooking on August 1, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*