Comparison

Food Expiry Tracker vs Shelf

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

Head to head
About

Food Expiry Tracker

Features
Read full description

Stop finding forgotten food at the back of the fridge. KeepFresh shows what expires next across your fridge, pantry and freezer, then reminds your household before it goes to waste. Scan a barcode to fill in the product name and brand, add the date printed on the package, and see what to use first at a glance. KEY FEATURES: β€’ Barcode Scanner: Quickly add food items by scanning their barcodes. We autofill the name and brand to save you time. β€’ Expiry Tracking: Enter the date from the package whenever you have it β€” package dates always come first. β€’ USDA FoodKeeper storage guidance: When a package date is missing, choose a food category and get optional storage-reference day ranges based on USDA FoodKeeper data (estimates only β€” not a certified use-by date). You confirm before anything is saved. β€’ Storage Zones: Organize your food into Fridge, Pantry, Freezer, or Other. β€’ Smart Reminders: Get push notifications 3 days before an item expires. β€’ Family Sync: Invite family members via a code or link. Everyone can view and update the same inventory in real-time. PREMIUM FEATURES: Upgrade to KeepFresh Premium (Personal, Family2, or Family8 plans) to unlock: β€’ Unlimited items (Free version limited to 20 items per family) β€’ Completely ad-free experience β€’ Custom reminder days (1 to 90 days before expiry) β€’ Custom storage zones β€’ CSV and PDF data export Estimates only β€” when in doubt, throw it out. Storage guidance does not replace package labels or your judgment. FoodKeeper data Β© USDA FSIS (CC0). Keep your kitchen organized, reduce food waste, and save money with KeepFresh! Privacy Policy: https://i-mars.cc/KeepFresh.html Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Shelf

Features
Read full description

Stop throwing away expired food and forgotten groceries! Shelf is an intelligent, beautifully designed expiration date tracker and home pantry manager. It helps you keep track of your food, cosmetics, skincare, and medicines before they expireβ€”saving you money and reducing household waste. SMART SCANNING & INSTANT ENTRY β€’ Packaging OCR Scanner: Point your camera at the expiry date (EXP, BBE, Best Before) and let on-device AI read it instantly. β€’ Cascading Barcode Lookup: Scan any product barcode to auto-fill the brand, product name, and category via Open Food & Beauty databases. β€’ PAO (Period After Opening) Calculator: Keep track of cosmetics and skincare using the jar icon duration (3M, 6M, 12M, 24M) starting from the date you opened it. CUSTOMIZABLE SMART NOTIFICATIONS β€’ Set customized alert schedules per category or individual item (e.g., 3 days before for dairy, 14 days for cosmetics). β€’ Pick your preferred notification time so you're reminded when it suits you best. β€’ Never let a fresh item go to waste again. INSIGHTS & WASTE TRACKING β€’ Track the exact amount of money and items saved versus wasted. β€’ View intuitive monthly charts and category breakdowns to improve your shopping habits. DESIGNED FOR iOS & PRIVACY FIRST β€’ Seamless iCloud Sync: Keep your pantry in sync across all your Apple devices securely. β€’ 100% Offline Capable: Scan, manage, and receive reminders even without an internet connection. β€’ Clean, Modern Aesthetics: Native SwiftUI design, full Dark Mode support, and effortless gestures. Download Shelf today to reduce food waste, organize your home, and save money effortlessly! Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Food Expiry Tracker4 screens
Shelf3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Shelf at none against Food Expiry Tracker's shown. Food Expiry Tracker's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Food Expiry Tracker sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year and Shelf sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Food Expiry Tracker ships an update every 9 days, Shelf every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Food Expiry Tracker versus Shelf: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFood Expiry TrackerShelf
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 9 days β€” betterEvery 11 days
AdsYesNo β€” better
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 β€” better17.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size52 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperI-Mars Limitedismail kirenli

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Food Expiry Tracker

Subscriptions3
  • Personal Premium Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Family 2 Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Family 8 Yearly7 Days trial$24.991 Year
3 purchases

Shelf

Subscriptions2
  • Shelf Pro Monthly$0.991 Month
  • Shelf Pro Annual7 Days trial$4.991 Year
One-time1
  • EXP Pro Lifetime$9.99

Questions

Is Food Expiry Tracker free?
Food Expiry Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shelf free?
Shelf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Food Expiry Tracker or Shelf have ads?
Food Expiry Tracker shows ads; Shelf does not.
Which is updated more often, Food Expiry Tracker or Shelf?
Food Expiry Tracker ships an update every 9 days, and Shelf every 11 days. Most recently, Food Expiry Tracker was updated on October 28, 2026 and Shelf on October 17, 2026.

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