Recipe Keeper alternative
Looking for a Recipe Keeper alternative?
Recipe Keeper relies on typing recipes in or scanning them with basic OCR. Bonchef's AI pulls a clean recipe out of a Reel, a TikTok, a website, or a cookbook photo — and one subscription covers every device you own.
10 imports a month, free to start. iPhone, iPad, and web — one account.
The problem
Why people leave Recipe Keeper
Recipe Keeper has loyal fans, and for good reason — a one-time purchase and a friendly, no-nonsense interface. But two things send people looking for an alternative.
The first is in the reviews again and again: you pay for it on one device, then discover you have to pay again for your iPad, your Mac, your Windows laptop — and Apple Family Sharing doesn't bridge it. People expect one purchase; they end up paying two or three times.
The second is how recipes get in. Recipe Keeper handles typed entry and photo scanning, but it can't pull a recipe out of an Instagram Reel or a TikTok — the formats most people now save from.
The solution
What Bonchef does instead
Bonchef closes both gaps. The AI captures recipes from the sources you actually use, and one account covers all your screens.
- Reels, TikTok, Shorts — extracted from captions and spoken audio
- Recipe websites — clean, structured output
- Paper cookbooks, index cards, screenshots — vision AI reads even messy, angled, or handwritten pages, where basic OCR struggles
- One subscription — iPhone, iPad, and the web, no per-platform fees
Bonchef vs Recipe Keeper at a glance
| Feature | Bonchef | Recipe Keeper |
|---|---|---|
| AI import from Reels / TikTok | ✓ | ✗ |
| Recipe from voice-narrated video | ✓ Reads the audio | ✗ |
| Import from recipe websites | ✓ AI-first | ✓ |
| Scan paper / handwritten recipes | ✓ Vision AI | ✓ OCR |
| Covers all your devices | ✓ One account | ✗ — pay per platform |
| Available on | iPhone · iPad · Web | iOS · Mac · Windows (separate each) |
| Pricing model | Subscription | One-time, per device |
| Price | €3.99/mo · €29.99/yr · all devices | ~$20 each platform |
| Free tier | 10 imports/month | ~12–20 recipes |
Comparison reflects features and pricing verified May 2026. Recipe Keeper Pro is sold separately per platform; figures shown are standard US prices.
Why people switch from Recipe Keeper
- 01
Capture recipes from video, not just type them in
Recipe Keeper is built around manual entry and photo scanning. Bonchef's AI reads a recipe straight out of a Reel or TikTok — including from spoken narration — so the recipe you saw at lunch is in your collection by dinner, without retyping a thing.
- 02
Smarter scanning of paper and handwriting
Both apps scan recipes, but Bonchef uses a vision-language model rather than basic OCR. That means it handles the hard cases better: angled photos, multi-column cookbook layouts, faded print, even handwriting on a recipe card.
- 03
One subscription, every device
This is the complaint Recipe Keeper users raise most. Bonchef Pro covers iPhone, iPad, and the web on one account — including any Mac or Windows laptop through the browser. One subscription, every screen — no second or third purchase to remember.
- 04
Try it before any commitment
10 imports a month, free — enough to make the app part of your routine before deciding on Pro. When you do, it's €3.99/month or €29.99/year, which comes in below what Recipe Keeper costs once you've bought it on more than one platform.
Other recipe app alternatives
ReciMe
Closest to Bonchef on AI import, but its "free" is a 7-day auto-billing trial with reliability complaints.
Paprika
A decade-old favorite for food-blog imports and meal planning, but no social-media or video import (and also per-platform pricing).
Crouton
Beautiful design and Apple Watch support, but AI smart import is locked behind a Plus subscription.
Copy Me That
A trusted web clipper, recently capped free users at 40 recipes.
Bonchef sits closest to Recipe Keeper on intent — a private, organized recipe collection — with AI video import and one price across devices.
Switching from Recipe Keeper — FAQ
Do I have to pay separately for each device?
No. One Bonchef Pro subscription covers iPhone, iPad, and the web. On a Mac or Windows laptop you use the web app — no extra purchase.
Can Bonchef import from Instagram and TikTok?
Yes — that's a core feature Recipe Keeper doesn't have. Share a Reel, TikTok, or Short into Bonchef and the AI extracts the recipe, including from spoken audio.
Is Bonchef's scanning better than Recipe Keeper's?
Bonchef uses a vision-language model rather than basic OCR, so it handles messy inputs — angled photos, multi-column pages, handwriting — more reliably. For clean printed pages, both do well.
Can I move my recipes from Recipe Keeper?
A direct import is on the roadmap. For now, paste source URLs into Bonchef, or photograph a Recipe Keeper recipe and import the image.
I prefer one-time purchases. Why a subscription?
The AI import that makes Bonchef useful runs on ongoing costs that don't fit a one-time payment. The trade-off: €29.99/year for unlimited on every device, versus paying ~$20 per platform for Recipe Keeper. For multi-device households, Bonchef usually costs less overall.
Does it work on Windows or Mac?
Yes — through the web app in any browser. There's no native desktop app.
What happens to my recipes if I cancel Pro?
They stay. Cancelling returns you to the free tier (10 new imports a month); everything saved remains accessible.
Start saving recipes the modern way.
Bonchef is made by a small indie team who got tired of losing recipes to screenshots and bookmarks. We're not trying to be the biggest recipe app — just the one you actually use.
Available on iPhone, iPad, and the web. 10 imports a month free, no trial, no card.