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Productivity · head to head

Mealime vs Things 3

Mealime logo

Mealime

Productivity

Freemium meal planning app that suggests simple recipes and builds a grocery list, subscription for full customisation

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Things 3 logo

Things 3

Productivity

The award-winning personal task manager

From
$9.99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Mealime has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Mealime its recipe library is its own and deliberately simple, so it does not accommodate importing or organising an existing personal recipe collection the way Paprika does.; Things 3 no team collaboration, task sharing, or task assignment features
  • They diverge on capability: Mealime covers Personalised weekly meal plans, Things 3 covers Today view.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mealime and Things 3 actually diverge.

Attributes where Mealime and Things 3 differ
AttributeMealimeThings 3
Starting priceFree$9.99/one-time
Pricing modelFreemium subscriptionUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebmacOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS
FoundedUnknown2004

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Mealime

  • Personalised weekly meal plans
  • Consolidated grocery list
  • Simple recipe library
  • Recipe swapping
  • Dietary filters
  • Grocery delivery integration

Only in Things 3

  • Today view
  • Projects and areas
  • Quick entry
  • Tags
  • Calendar integration
  • Apple Calendar
  • Siri
  • Shortcuts

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Mealime

  • Someone who finds deciding what to cook each week more tiring than the cooking itselfnot Things 3
  • A household with specific dietary restrictions wanting meal suggestions pre-filtered to fit themnot Things 3
  • A beginner cook who wants simple, short-ingredient recipes rather than an open-ended personal collectionnot Things 3
  • Someone who wants a grocery list generated automatically from a week of planned meals without manual entrynot Things 3

Things 3

  • Schedulingnot Mealime
  • Appointment bookingnot Mealime
  • Time trackingnot Mealime
  • Resource managementnot Mealime
  • Team coordinationnot Mealime

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Mealime

  • Its recipe library is its own and deliberately simple, so it does not accommodate importing or organising an existing personal recipe collection the way Paprika does.
  • The free tier limits customisation and recipe swaps, pushing habitual users toward the paid Pro subscription for a fuller experience.
  • Recipes lean toward quick, mainstream weeknight cooking, so someone wanting more ambitious or cuisine-specific recipes will find the library thin.
  • Grocery delivery integration is only available in supported markets, so users outside those regions get the grocery list without the delivery convenience.
  • Because meal suggestions come from the Mealime catalogue rather than the wider web, variety is narrower than a service like Paprika that can import from anywhere.

Things 3

  • No team collaboration, task sharing, or task assignment features
  • Apple ecosystem only, with no Windows, Android, or web version
  • No third-party app integrations beyond Apple's ecosystem
  • Cannot attach files or images to tasks, only text notes
  • No time blocking or calendar integration for scheduling tasks into specific time slots

Pricing, plan by plan

Mealime

Free
  • MealimeFree
    • Basic weekly meal plan generation
    • Consolidated grocery list
  • Mealime Pro$5.99/month
    • More recipe swaps and customisation
    • Nutrition tracking
    • Larger recipe library access

Things 3

$9.99/one-time
  • iPhone/Watch$9.99/one-time
  • iPad$19.99/one-time
  • Mac$49.99/one-time

Which should you pick?

Choose Mealime if

  • You need personalised weekly meal plans.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want consolidated grocery list.
Mealime review

Choose Things 3 if

  • You need today view.
  • You work on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS.
  • You also want projects and areas.
Things 3 review

Questions people ask

Is Mealime or Things 3 better?
Neither clearly leads. Mealime starts at Free and Things 3 at $9.99/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mealime or Things 3?
Mealime has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Mealime and $9.99/one-time for Things 3.
Does Mealime or Things 3 run on more platforms?
Mealime runs on iOS, Android, Web. Things 3 runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS.
Can I use Mealime for free?
Yes. Mealime has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Things 3 starts at $9.99/one-time.
What is Mealime best used for?
Mealime is most often used for someone who finds deciding what to cook each week more tiring than the cooking itself, a household with specific dietary restrictions wanting meal suggestions pre-filtered to fit them, a beginner cook who wants simple, short-ingredient recipes rather than an open-ended personal collection, someone who wants a grocery list generated automatically from a week of planned meals without manual entry. Of those, someone who finds deciding what to cook each week more tiring than the cooking itself and a household with specific dietary restrictions wanting meal suggestions pre-filtered to fit them are not what Things 3 is typically brought in for.
What can Mealime do that Things 3 cannot?
Mealime covers Personalised weekly meal plans, Consolidated grocery list, Simple recipe library, Recipe swapping. Things 3 covers Today view, Projects and areas, Quick entry, Tags.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Mealime: Is Mealime free?

There is a free tier with basic weekly plans; a paid Pro subscription unlocks more customisation and nutrition tracking.

Things 3: Does Things 3 support team collaboration?

No. Things 3 is designed for individual use only with no task sharing, team workspaces, task assignment, or commenting features.

Source
Mealime: Can I add my own recipes to Mealime?

No, it works from its own recipe library rather than importing external recipes, unlike Paprika.

Things 3: What platforms does Things 3 run on?

Things 3 is exclusive to Apple devices: macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and visionOS. There is no Windows, Android, or web version.

Source
Mealime: Does it integrate with grocery delivery?

Yes, in supported markets, generated grocery lists can be sent to a delivery or pickup service such as Instacart.

Things 3: How much does Things 3 cost?

Things 3 uses a one-time purchase model: $9.99 for iPhone/Watch, $19.99 for iPad, and $49.99 for Mac. Total cost for all platforms is approximately $80 with no subscription required.

Source
Things 3: Does Things 3 sync across devices?

Yes. Things Cloud keeps your to-dos in sync across all your Apple devices automatically. There is no extra cost for cloud synchronization.

Source
Things 3: Can you attach files or images to tasks in Things 3?

No. Things 3 does not support attachments. You can only add notes (text) to tasks.

Source
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