Comparison

3 Min Meals vs MacroChef

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

3 Min Meals

Plan, shop for, and cook a week's worth of healthy meals in under 90 minutes. This app generates shopping lists and provides easy-to-follow cooking instructions, making healthy eating fast and affordable.

Highlights
  • Weekly menu planning
  • Automated shopping lists
  • Bulk buying savings
  • Step-by-step cooking instructions
  • Fat-burning recipes
  • Quick meal preparation
Features
Read full description

Cook a full week of delicious, fat burning meals in 90 min with 3 Min Meals! Now you can... • Plan your weekly menu in less than 2 minutes. Select delicious recipes and the app will generate a shopping list for you. • Shop in no-time since our app tells you exactly what to buy. You'll save tons of cash from buying everything in bulk. • Cook your meals easily and rapidly even if you’re the worst cook in the world. The app will auto-generate instructions so you know exactly what to do, and when to do it. It’s the next best thing to having a private chef do all the cooking for you ! Discover how fast, cheap and delicious eating healthy can become. Install our app today for free and start cooking delicious, fat burning meals ! -- Terms and conditions: If you wish to upgrade to the premium version, you can do so for US$2.99 per month or US$14.99 per year. By using 3 Min Meals, you agree to the following terms : - The subscription will renew automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. - Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. - No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period - By using our app, you agree to our terms of service (http://healthguardian.hk/terms) and privacy policy (http://healthguardian.hk/privacy).

About

MacroChef

Features
Read full description

Meal prep made ridiculously simple. Build your meals or pick the recipes you want for the week. Tell MacroChef how many portions to prepare. We adjust every ingredient quantity so that each meal hits your personal calorie and macro targets — no calculator, no manual conversions, no compromises on the recipes you actually want to cook. — BUILT FOR REAL MEAL PREP — Most nutrition apps make you track what you ate yesterday. MacroChef plans what you'll cook tomorrow. The output is a shopping list and exact ingredient weights, not another diary to fill in. — SMART BUILDER — Auto mode balances proteins, carbs, fats and produce to match your daily targets. Custom mode lets you set the calorie goal yourself. Either way, MacroChef respects your recipes — no swapping chicken for tofu without asking. — CHEF TIPS, NOT A REPORT CARD — Instead of grading your meal A to E, MacroChef coaches you. Missing a food group, low variety, an ingredient pinned too low — each tip comes with a clear action you can take in one tap. — FINE-TUNE WITHOUT MATH — Adjust any ingredient with a tap. Turn on Magnet mode to keep your daily macros aligned automatically as you edit. Switch any cooked ingredient to its raw weight (and back) with a single toggle — the macros stay correct in both directions. — WHAT'S INSIDE — - Auto-balanced and custom meal preps - Barcode scanner for new ingredients (Open Food Facts) - Apple Health sync for weight and height - Auto-generated shopping lists - English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish - Apple Health sync for weight and height - Light and dark mode - Sign in with Apple, Google or email Cook once. Eat well all week. Privacy Policy: https://macro-chef.app/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

3 Min Meals4 screens
MacroChef3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: MacroChef at every 4 days against 3 Min Meals's every 6 weeks. 3 Min Meals's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. 3 Min Meals sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and MacroChef sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

3 Min Meals ships an update every 6 weeks, MacroChef every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
3 Min Meals versus MacroChef: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter3 Min MealsMacroChef
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.0 (10 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews36.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings10 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS9.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size61 MB65 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperOkidooCodzilla

In-app purchases

2 purchases

3 Min Meals

Subscriptions2
  • 3 Min Meals Premium Monthly14 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • 3 Min Meals Premium Yearly14 Days trial$14.991 Year
3 purchases

MacroChef

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Annually$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is 3 Min Meals free?
3 Min Meals is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MacroChef free?
MacroChef is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do 3 Min Meals or MacroChef have ads?
Neither 3 Min Meals nor MacroChef shows ads.
Which is updated more often, 3 Min Meals or MacroChef?
3 Min Meals ships an update every 6 weeks, and MacroChef every 4 days. Most recently, 3 Min Meals was updated on November 2, 2026 and MacroChef on October 25, 2026.

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