# CookShelf vs Efficient Eats

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Efficient Eats at 100% against CookShelf's 56%. Efficient Eats also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 6) and update cadence (daily vs every 3 days). CookShelf's advantage is ratings volume (755 vs 3) and chart position (#25 vs unranked). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. CookShelf sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Efficient Eats asks for nothing beyond the download.

Efficient Eats holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CookShelf has 755 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of CookShelf's written reviews are positive against 100% of Efficient Eats's.

CookShelf ships an update every 3 days, Efficient Eats daily. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CookShelf | Efficient Eats |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (755 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cookshelf-search-cookbooks/id6743496454/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/efficient-eats/id6768825624/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **755** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 56.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#25** | — |
| Size | 91 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 26.2 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [CookShelf Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1784556751) | [Neeshant Parikh](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896608431) |

## What reviewers say

### CookShelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cookshelf-search-cookbooks/id6743496454)

**Currently charting:** #25 Top Grossing · Food & Drink (US App Store)

Discover recipes within your physical cookbook collection. Search by ingredient, dish, or craving to find exactly what you need and where to find it. Track your cooking progress, set goals, and reduce food waste by using ingredients you already have.

**Highlights:** Search across personal cookbooks, Find recipes by ingredient, Track cooking progress, Set cooking goals, Bookmark favorite recipes, Add photos and notes to recipes, Reduce food waste

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CookShelf Premium - Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| CookShelf Premium - Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| CookShelf Premium - Annual | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Instant gratification
- 👍 Fav kitchen companion
- 👍 Game changer
- 👍 Worth the wait!
- 👍 Amazing!

**Requested features**

- Eliminate multiple entries of the same book in the database


### Efficient Eats

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/efficient-eats/id6768825624)

Streamline your cooking experience by extracting only essential recipe information. This app removes extraneous text, ads, and scrolling, providing a clean interface for ingredients, steps, and timing. It also offers features like allergen detection and step-by-step guidance.

**Highlights:** Paste recipe links, Scan recipe cards with camera, Step-by-step cooking mode, Allergen detection and alternatives, Ingredient tracker, Save favorite recipes, Recipe history

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CookShelf free?

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

### Is Efficient Eats free?

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

### Which has better reviews, CookShelf or Efficient Eats?

Efficient Eats is rated higher. CookShelf averages 4.6 out of 5 from 755 ratings, while Efficient Eats averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do CookShelf or Efficient Eats have ads?

Neither CookShelf nor Efficient Eats shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CookShelf or Efficient Eats?

CookShelf ships an update every 3 days, and Efficient Eats daily. Most recently, CookShelf was updated on October 19, 2026 and Efficient Eats on September 20, 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.*