# Shizen vs Chef Engine

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shizen at none against Chef Engine's 2. Shizen also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16.4). Chef Engine's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 8 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chef Engine sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Shizen asks for nothing beyond the download.

Shizen ships an update every 8 months, Chef Engine every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shizen | Chef Engine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | — | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | — | Subscription |
| Size | 42 MB | 83 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Rafael Nonino](https://appshunter.io/developer/1407831059) | [Olga Sigova](https://appshunter.io/developer/1705751611) |

## What reviewers say

### Shizen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shizen/id1638734790)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Chef Engine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chef-engine-weekly-meals/id6557030823)

Transform food photos, ingredient lists, or web links into personalized, step-by-step recipes. Get tailored meal suggestions with nutrition details, and customize for diets, allergies, or macros. Includes tools like a ripeness checker and barcode scanner.

**Highlights:** AI Recipe Generator, Photo-to-Recipe Camera, Social Post to Recipe, Import from Anywhere, Personalization for diets and allergies, Nutrition & Macros tracking, Barcode Product Scanner

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chef Engine Monthly Plan | $9.99 | per month |
| Chef Engine Yearly Plan | $29.90 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shizen free?

Shizen is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Chef Engine free?

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

### Do Shizen or Chef Engine have ads?

Neither Shizen nor Chef Engine shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shizen or Chef Engine?

Shizen ships an update every 8 months, and Chef Engine every 3 weeks. Most recently, Shizen was updated on November 3, 2026 and Chef Engine on October 30, 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.*