How-to
Mealime is shutting down: how to save your recipes and what to do next
Short answer
Mealime will be discontinued on October 21, 2026, and Mealime says all personal data will be deleted at shutdown. It has not documented a way to export recipes, so save the ones you cook now: print them or copy their share links. Mealime says its owner, Albertsons Companies, is pointing users to Meals Hub.
We build WeeknightBite, which is one of the options in this post, and it is not in the App Store yet. Everything about Mealime below comes from Mealime’s own closing page, its homepage, its privacy policy and its App Store release notes, checked on September 22, 2026. We will update this page if Mealime’s plans change.
When is Mealime shutting down?
Mealime will be discontinued as of October 21, 2026, according to its closing page. The same date is on the Mealime homepage and in the App Store release notes, most recently version 4.21.36, posted the same day we checked: “Here’s a new set of recipes as we continue preparing for Mealime’s shutdown on October 21st. Thanks to everyone in the Mealime community for trying out Meals Hub.”
Mealime says it has been owned by Albertsons Companies since 2021, and that Albertsons is moving Mealime customers to Meals Hub, its own recipe and meal-planning feature. Mealime’s closing page describes this as a move to a more streamlined experience. It does not give a financial reason.
One thing on the homepage has not caught up with the banner. The shutdown notice sits at the very top, and further down the same page still reads “Join over 4,500,000 others for free today.” Both lines are on the same screen as of today.
What happens to my saved recipes, meal plans and account?
Mealime says all personal data will be deleted when the app shuts down. It also says there is no account transfer: you sign in to an Albertsons Companies store app, and some preferences need to be set up again in Meals Hub.
What the closing page does not say is whether your own saved recipes, favorites, meal plans or grocery lists carry over. It says Mealime’s recipe catalog will be available on Meals Hub, which is the catalog, not your personal collection. The safe assumption is that anything you have not saved elsewhere will be gone.
We also could not find an export feature in Mealime’s help center. What it does document is printing recipes and grocery lists, and the app has a share option.
How do I save my Mealime recipes before October 21?
Do this now rather than in the last week. Mealime has not said whether anything stops working before the shutdown date, and links to your recipes may stop working once your data is deleted.
- List what you actually cook. Open your favorites and past meal plans and pick the 10 to 20 recipes you make again. That is usually enough, and it takes about ten minutes.
- Print or save each one as a PDF. Mealime’s help center says to log in to the web app, open a recipe and click the printer icon; the article is old, so the button may look different. The grocery list can be printed from the iPhone app or the web app. Choose “Save as PDF” in the print dialog to keep a file.
- Copy the share link for each recipe. In the Mealime app, open a saved recipe, tap Share, and copy the link. It looks like
mealime.com/recipes/.... Paste all the links into one note. - Put the links somewhere that reads them. WeeknightBite’s recipe rescue tool takes your Mealime links and your email, and your recipes will be waiting for you when the app launches. The catch is that WeeknightBite has not launched yet, so you cannot use them today. Whichever app you move to, keep the note as well.
- Screenshot the ingredient list as a last resort. It is not elegant, but a screenshot of a recipe you cannot get another way is better than nothing.
There is also a formal route, though it is slower and returns less than you might expect. Mealime’s privacy policy gives users the right to “receive their Data in a structured, commonly used and machine readable format,” and the request goes to privacy@mealime.com. Two things to know before you rely on it: Mealime does not commit to a turnaround time, so a request sent close to October 21 may come back after the app is already gone, and what you get is a file about your account, not something a meal-planning app can import. The California privacy portal the policy itself links to, mealime.ethyca.com, did not load at all when we checked on September 22, 2026, so email is the route that actually works.
Will Meals Hub replace Mealime?
Meals Hub is what Mealime recommends. According to Mealime’s closing page it is a recipe, meal-planning and shopping-list feature inside Albertsons Companies store apps (Safeway, Vons and Jewel-Osco are among them). You find it under “More” in the app. Mealime says it is free, including the recipes that were previously Pro.
Mealime also says you can use Meals Hub without shopping at an Albertsons Companies store: you can browse recipes, build meal plans and make shopping lists, and there is a web version reached through Albertsons store websites, where you pick a local store. It is a different product from Mealime, so expect to set your preferences up again.
If you already shop at one of those stores, it is the least effort. If you do not, read on.
What should I look for in a Mealime replacement?
Mealime’s closing is a reminder to check a few things before you commit to the next app:
- Are recipes included, or do you bring your own? Some apps come with a library. Others are tools for saving and organizing recipes you find elsewhere.
- Does it build the grocery list for you? The useful version combines the same ingredient across recipes into one line.
- Can you try it before you pay? Look for a free tier or a trial that does not need a card up front.
- Can you get your data out? This is the lesson of the last few weeks. Ask before you spend a month building a collection.
- Does it run on your phone? Check iPhone or Android before you sign up.
Where can Mealime users go?
There is no single right answer. Meals Hub is the official route. Paprika and Plan to Eat are established apps for saving and planning recipes you bring yourself. WeeknightBite is the app we are building: it comes with a recipe library and builds one grocery list from your plan, but it is launching soon and not available yet.
We compare them side by side, with sources and dates, in Mealime alternatives compared: 12 apps for busy families. If you want to save your recipes and be first in line at launch, the waitlist and recipe rescue page is the place to start.
Frequently asked questions
When exactly does Mealime shut down?
October 21, 2026, according to Mealime’s closing page. The date matches the Mealime homepage and the App Store release notes.
Can I still use Mealime until then?
Mealime says it will be discontinued as of October 21. It does not say whether anything stops working earlier, so save your recipes now instead of on the last day.
Will I be charged for Mealime Pro?
Mealime says Pro subscribers will not be charged any more subscription fees, and that Pro features are free to everyone. Check your subscription in your App Store or Google Play account to be sure it will not renew. We could not find anything from Mealime about refunds.
Can I export my Mealime recipes?
Mealime has not documented an export. You can print recipes and the grocery list, or copy the share link for each recipe, as described above.
Does Meals Hub work if I do not shop at an Albertsons store?
Mealime says it does: you can browse recipes, make meal plans and build shopping lists without shopping at an Albertsons Companies store. It is delivered through Albertsons Companies store apps and websites, so it may not suit everyone.