# Substitutions vs Recipe Keeper

The clearest difference is price: Recipe Keeper at Free against Substitutions's $1.99. Recipe Keeper also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.4) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). Substitutions's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.0). On ads, chart position and device support there is nothing between them.

Recipe Keeper is free to download; Substitutions costs $1.99 up front. Recipe Keeper sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Substitutions asks for nothing beyond the download.

Recipe Keeper holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Recipe Keeper has 3.8K ratings behind it against 29, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Substitutions's written reviews are positive against 86% of Recipe Keeper's.

Substitutions ships an update every 2 months, Recipe Keeper every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Substitutions | Recipe Keeper |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.4 (29 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/substitutions/id372387251/reviews) | **[4.7 (3.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/recipe-keeper-cookn/id706367884/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 29 | **3.8K** |
| Positive reviews | 59.5% of reviews | **85.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#18** | #47 |
| Size | 34 MB | 357 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Gormaya](https://appshunter.io/developer/336813706) | [DVO Enterprises](https://appshunter.io/developer/441923505) |

## What reviewers say

### Substitutions

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/substitutions/id372387251)

**Currently charting:** #18 Top Paid · Food & Drink (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Recipe Keeper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/recipe-keeper-cookn/id706367884)

**Currently charting:** #47 Top Grossing · Food & Drink (US App Store)

Effortlessly save recipes from any online source, organize them beautifully, and access them hands-free. Plan meals, generate grocery lists, and even create a printed cookbook. This ad-free experience ensures you focus on cooking, not clutter.

**Highlights:** One-tap recipe saving from blogs and social media, Ad-free and distraction-free recipe viewing, Hands-free cooking with voice commands, Automatic grocery list generation, Syncs recipes across all devices, Works offline, AI meal suggestions

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Basic Membership | $4.99 | per month |
| Basic (intro price) | $4.99 | per month |
| Standard Membership | $9.99 | per month |
| Standard (intro price) | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium Membership | $14.99 | per month |
| Premium (intro price) | $14.99 | per month |
| Basic Membership (Annual) | $49.99 | per year |
| Standard (intro price) | $99.99 | per year |
| Standard Membership (Annual) | $99.99 | per year |
| Premium Membership (Annual) | $149.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use and organize recipes
- 📚 Great way to store and access recipes
- 🔍 Convenient recipe search and discovery
- 💻 Seamless sync across devices
- 🤝 Helpful and responsive customer support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional app crashes or freezes
- 💰 Subscription model can be expensive
- 🔍 Inconsistent recipe capture from websites
- 🤔 Confusing or lacking some features
- 🔒 Concerns about data loss or access

**Reported bugs**

- Syncing issues between desktop and mobile versions
- Missing or incorrect recipe details after import
- Compatibility problems with newer device updates

**Requested features**

- Add ability to upload recipe photos
- Improve recipe organization and categorization
- Enhance shopping list and meal planning features
- Provide better integration with other apps and services


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Substitutions free?

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

### Is Recipe Keeper free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Substitutions or Recipe Keeper?

Recipe Keeper is rated higher. Substitutions averages 3.4 out of 5 from 29 ratings, while Recipe Keeper averages 4.7 from 3.8K ratings.

### Do Substitutions or Recipe Keeper have ads?

Neither Substitutions nor Recipe Keeper shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Substitutions or Recipe Keeper?

Substitutions ships an update every 2 months, and Recipe Keeper every 5 days. Most recently, Substitutions was updated on November 10, 2026 and Recipe Keeper on November 13, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Substitutions or Recipe Keeper?

Substitutions currently peaks at #18 in the App Store charts, and Recipe Keeper at #47. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*