Comparison

MealBoard vs Substitutions

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

Head to head
About

MealBoard

Organize recipes, plan meals, and generate smart grocery lists. Track pantry inventory, set reminders, and sync data across devices. Customize categories and store aisles for a personalized experience.

Highlights
  • Recipe import and organization
  • Automated meal planning
  • Smart grocery list generation
  • Pantry inventory management
  • Recipe scaling and measurement conversion
  • Cross-device data syncing
Features
Read full description

MealBoard helps you organize your recipes, automatically build grocery lists, manage your pantry, and now—use AI to create meal plans for you. AI looks at your recipes and past meal plans to suggest what you could eat next, so you spend less time deciding what’s for dinner. RECIPE MANAGEMENT • Import recipes from websites and social media apps (Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook, YouTube) • Scan recipes from cookbooks and magazines • Add and organize your own recipes • Search by name or ingredient • Scale recipes and convert measurements MEAL PLANNING • Generate balanced, varied meal plans with AI • Or manually plan meals by day and meal type • Reuse meal plans with templates • Set prep notifications so you stay on track • Mark leftovers and adjust your schedule easily • Export meal plans to your calendar app SMART GROCERY LIST • Automatically generate grocery lists from your meal plan • Combine similar ingredients into one item • Organize items by store aisle • Track prices and estimate total cost • Support for multiple stores • Check off items as you shop • Move purchased items directly to your pantry PANTRY & INVENTORY • Keep track of what’s in your pantry and avoid buying what you already have • Set quantities, locations, and expiration dates • Scan barcodes to quickly add items • Move out-of-stock items to your grocery list • Find recipes based on ingredients you need to use SYNC & SHARE • Sync your data across devices (with account) • Back up your recipes and plans • Share recipes, meal plans, and shopping lists • Import content from other MealBoard users • Print recipes, plans, and lists • Access recipes and meal plans from your computer via web interface NOTES: • The free version is limited to 30 recipes • Upgrade to unlock unlimited recipes and cloud sync (one-time purchase) • Sample recipes are included for demonstration purposes Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Substitutions

This app provides a comprehensive database of nearly 1500 food and drink substitutions. It's designed to help users find alternatives for various dietary needs, allergies, and cooking requirements.

Highlights
  • Extensive substitution database
  • Search functionality
  • Covers allergies
  • Supports dietary needs (gluten-free, vegan, low carb)
  • Includes baking and cooking aids
  • Categorized by ingredient type
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Substitutions. Food & Drink. iOS 11 or later. Now nearly 1500 substitutions. Search! Alcohol. Allergy. Baking. Cooking. Dairy. Gluten-Free. Herbs. Spices. Low Carb. Low Fat. Low Sodium. Migraine. Seafood. Meat. Utensil. Vegan. Twitter: @Gormaya

Screenshots

MealBoard4 screens
Substitutions4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: MealBoard at Free against Substitutions's $1.99. MealBoard also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.4) and review sentiment (91% vs 60%). Substitutions's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and chart position (#38 vs unranked). On ads 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

MealBoard is free to download; Substitutions costs $1.99 up front. MealBoard sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Substitutions asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

MealBoard holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MealBoard has 3.1K ratings behind it against 29, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of MealBoard's written reviews are positive against 60% of Substitutions's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MealBoard ships an update weekly, Substitutions every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 10, 2026.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
MealBoard versus Substitutions: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMealBoardSubstitutions
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.7 (3.1K ratings) — better3.4 (29 ratings)
Positive reviews90.7% of reviews — better59.5% of reviews
Number of ratings3.1K — better29
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank—#38 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB34 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperRay BernardoGormaya

Customer experience

MealBoard

All ratings3,114 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral2.5%
Negative5.2%
Written reviews637 reviews
Positive90.7%
Neutral4.1%
Negative5.2%

Substitutions

All ratings29 ratings
Positive62.1%
Neutral10.3%
Negative27.6%
Written reviews42 reviews
Positive59.5%
Neutral7.1%
Negative33.3%

Bugs and requests

MealBoard

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Syncing issues between devices
  • Recipes not importing correctly
  • Pantry management feature not working as expected

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to track nutrition/calories
  • Improve syncing and sharing capabilities
  • Enhance recipe import functionality
  • Provide more customization options
  • Add support for more languages

Substitutions

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

MealBoard

One-time1
  • Full Version Upgrade$12.99
None

Substitutions

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MealBoard free?
MealBoard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Substitutions free?
Substitutions costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, MealBoard or Substitutions?
MealBoard is rated higher. MealBoard averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.1K ratings, while Substitutions averages 3.4 from 29 ratings.
Do MealBoard or Substitutions have ads?
Neither MealBoard nor Substitutions shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MealBoard or Substitutions?
MealBoard ships an update weekly, and Substitutions every 2 months. Most recently, MealBoard was updated on November 10, 2026 and Substitutions on November 10, 2026.

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