# Substitutions vs Recipe Keeper

The clearest difference is price: Recipe Keeper at Free against Substitutions's $1.99. Recipe Keeper also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.4) and ratings volume (31K vs 29). Substitutions's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On ads, chart position, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Recipe Keeper holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Recipe Keeper has 31K 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 78% of Recipe Keeper's.

Substitutions ships an update every 2 months, Recipe Keeper every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 12, 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) | **[4.8 (31K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/recipe-keeper/id974683711/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 29 | **31K** |
| Positive reviews | 59.5% of reviews | **77.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#29** | #35 |
| Size | 34 MB | 167 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 12.2 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Gormaya](https://appshunter.io/developer/336813706) | [Tudorspan Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/974683710) |

## What reviewers say

### Substitutions

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

**Currently charting:** #29 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/id974683711)

**Currently charting:** #35 Top Grossing · Food & Drink (US App Store)

Organize all your recipes in one place, import from websites, scan handwritten notes, and plan your meals. Automatically generate shopping lists and share your culinary creations with others.

**Highlights:** Recipe import from websites, Scan recipes with OCR, Meal planning calendar, Automatic shopping list generation, Recipe sharing, Cookbook creation, Hands-free cooking with Alexa

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Recipe Keeper Pro Upgrade | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful recipe storage and organization
- 👍 Easy to import recipes from websites
- 📷 Ability to add photos to recipes
- 🍽️ Meal planning and shopping list features
- 🔁 Syncs across devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Requires separate purchase for each device
- 🔍 Difficulty finding and deleting duplicate recipes
- 🔢 Limited free version with only 20 recipes
- 📊 Lack of nutrition information or calorie tracking

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional crashes or freezes
- Issues with recipe import accuracy, especially for handwritten recipes

**Requested features**

- Import recipes from Instagram and other social media
- Pantry inventory management
- Ability to add notes and instructions to meal plans
- Day view option in meal planner
- Automatic ingredient adjustments for recipe scaling


## 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 4.8 from 31K 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 3 weeks. Most recently, Substitutions was updated on November 10, 2026 and Recipe Keeper on November 12, 2026.

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

Substitutions currently peaks at #29 in the App Store charts, and Recipe Keeper at #35. 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.*