Comparison

Menu Decoder vs Magic Menu

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

Head to head
About

Menu Decoder

Translate menus from foreign languages using your camera. Get detailed descriptions of dishes, including flavor profiles and estimated calories. Save your favorite finds for future reference.

Highlights
  • Visual menu translation via camera
  • Multi-language support for translation
  • Detailed dish descriptions and cultural context
  • Flavor profile insights with icons
  • Save menus and dishes for later
Features
Read full description

Traveling or trying new cuisine? Don’t guess what you’re ordering. Menu Decoder is your pocket translator, food guide, and cultural assistant—all in one. How it works: 1. Snap a photo of the menu (up to 9 images). 2. Let the app magically translate and decode dishes into your preferred language. 3. Explore clear explanations, flavor profiles, and estimated calories. Features: • Visual Menu Translation: Use your camera to instantly translate menus in real time. • Multi-Language Support: Choose your app language and your dish decoding language. • Dish Descriptions & Cultural Context: Know what you’re eating—with helpful notes about ingredients and regional styles. • Flavor Insights: See icons showing likely taste profiles (e.g., spicy, sweet, sour). • Save & Remember: Save menus and dishes you’ve tried for easy reference later. Whether you’re abroad or exploring new restaurants at home, Menu Decoder helps you confidently choose dishes you’ll enjoy.

About

Magic Menu

Features
Read full description

Traveling with a dietary restriction? Stop scanning every line of a foreign menu hoping something is safe. Magic Menu reads any menu — printed, handwritten, or chalkboard — and shows you only the dishes you can eat. Set your dietary profile once. Every scan filters automatically. WORKS FOR EVERY DIET · Kosher — no pork, no shellfish, no meat and dairy combinations · Halal — no pork, halal-only meat · Vegan and vegetarian · Gluten-free and lactose-free · Pescatarian, keto, and more ANY LANGUAGE, ANYWHERE Point your camera at a menu in Italian, Japanese, French, Arabic, Hebrew, Thai, Mandarin, or 45+ other languages. Magic Menu translates instantly and applies your filters — dish names, descriptions, and ingredients in your language, not theirs. DIETARY-FIRST, NOT TRANSLATION-FIRST Other apps translate the whole menu and add a small icon. Magic Menu inverts this: your diet is the lens. Safe dishes come first. Everything else is filtered out. You see what matters. BUILT FOR OBSERVANT TRAVELERS Keeping kosher or halal abroad is genuinely hard. Menus don't explain ingredients. Staff don't always know. Magic Menu gives you a clear first pass — which dishes are likely safe, which definitely aren't, and which need a follow-up question with the kitchen. WHAT YOU GET · Scan any restaurant menu in seconds · See only dishes that match your diet · Full dish descriptions and ingredient breakdowns · Scan history saved by restaurant · Switch between dietary profiles anytime FREE TO START 5 full menu scans free — no account required. Unlock unlimited scanning for $2.99/month. Magic Menu does not replace professional kosher or halal certification. Always confirm with the restaurant for your specific requirements. --- SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Magic Menu Pro – Monthly • Duration: 1 month • Price: $2.99 per month Magic Menu Pro – Yearly • Duration: 1 year • Price: $24.99 per year • Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. • Subscription automatically renews unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. • Manage or cancel your subscription anytime in your Apple ID Account Settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://doc-hosting.flycricket.io/magic-menu-privacy-policy/4b0232de-dc4a-40ec-9113-b1bb29a84154/privacy

Screenshots

Menu Decoder1 screens
Magic Menu3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Menu Decoder at none against Magic Menu's 2. Magic Menu's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 6 months). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. Magic Menu sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Menu Decoder asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Menu Decoder ships an update every 6 months, Magic Menu every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 12, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Menu Decoder versus Magic Menu: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMenu DecoderMagic Menu
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB35 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEzLife Limited Liability Companyran yanay

In-app purchases

None

Menu Decoder

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Magic Menu

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Payment$2.991 Month
  • Magic Menu Yearly$24.991 Year

Questions

Is Menu Decoder free?
Menu Decoder is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Magic Menu free?
Magic Menu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Menu Decoder or Magic Menu have ads?
Menu Decoder shows ads; Magic Menu does not.
Which is updated more often, Menu Decoder or Magic Menu?
Menu Decoder ships an update every 6 months, and Magic Menu every 5 days. Most recently, Menu Decoder was updated on September 12, 2026 and Magic Menu on September 30, 2026.

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