# Thyme vs Mela

The clearest difference is rating: Mela at 4.6 against Thyme's 3.0. Mela also leads on review sentiment (84% vs 47%) and ratings volume (884 vs 73). Thyme's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mela sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Thyme asks for nothing beyond the download.

Mela holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mela has 884 ratings behind it against 73, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of Thyme's written reviews are positive against 84% of Mela's.

Thyme ships an update every 10 days, Mela every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Thyme | Mela |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (73 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thyme-a-modern-kitchen-timer/id771737226/reviews) | **[4.6 (884 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mela-recipe-manager/id1548466041/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 73 | **884** |
| Positive reviews | 46.7% of reviews | **84.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#150** |
| Size | 31 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Thuy Gia Nguyen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1378832816) | [Silvio Rizzi](https://appshunter.io/developer/325502382) |

## What reviewers say

### Thyme

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thyme-a-modern-kitchen-timer/id771737226)

This app offers a simple and intuitive kitchen timer experience with a unique stove-like interface. It allows users to set multiple timers simultaneously for various cooking tasks, ensuring precise timing for delicious meals.

**Highlights:** Multiple timers simultaneously, Stove-inspired UI, Easy timer setting, Hours and minutes support, Modern design

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Mela

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mela-recipe-manager/id1548466041)

**Currently charting:** #150 Top Grossing · Food & Drink (US App Store)

This app helps you organize your recipes, browse and save them from the web, and manage your grocery lists. It offers a cook mode with timers and supports meal planning through your calendar.

**Highlights:** iCloud recipe syncing, In-app browser with live preview, Recipe blog feeds, Cook mode with timers, Recipe scanner, Grocery list integration, Meal planning calendar

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mela+ for iOS/iPadOS | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Beautiful and intuitive design
- 🚀 Seamless recipe importing from websites
- 👍 Excellent organization and categorization
- 💡 Convenient meal planning and grocery list features
- 🔒 No data collection or subscription required

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional sync issues across devices
- 🔍 Difficulty navigating to search bar
- 📋 Limited options for recipe scaling and measurements
- 🛒 Grocery list could be more organized by aisle or category

**Reported bugs**

- Recipes sometimes disappear from calendar and widgets
- PDF import not working for some users
- Typing becomes slow and unresponsive with large recipe collections

**Requested features**

- Add ability to rate and review recipes
- Implement nested categories and tags
- Improve recipe scanning and OCR accuracy
- Add option to assign recipes to specific users or family members
- Integrate with external grocery delivery services


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Thyme free?

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

### Is Mela free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Thyme or Mela?

Mela is rated higher. Thyme averages 3.0 out of 5 from 73 ratings, while Mela averages 4.6 from 884 ratings.

### Do Thyme or Mela have ads?

Neither Thyme nor Mela shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Thyme or Mela?

Thyme ships an update every 10 days, and Mela every 3 weeks. Most recently, Thyme was updated on October 26, 2026 and Mela on October 29, 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.*