Mealie is one of the best self-hosted recipe managers going: open source, ad-free, and genuinely capable, with a great URL importer, meal planning, shopping lists, and multi-user groups. If you already run a home server, it's a treat, and we're fans.
The catch is the server. Mealie is a web app you host yourself, which means Docker, an account, and a box that has to stay online and patched. Gratin keeps the same own-your-data spirit but as a native app you just download, with your recipes on the device itself and nothing to host.
Gratin vs Mealie, side by side
Based on how each product generally works today. Product names belong to their owners. Visit Mealie ↗
Mealie is free to self-host, and so is the heart of Gratin: the app costs nothing and you can run the sync relay yourself. The only thing we charge for is hosting that relay so you never have to stand up a server, $12 a year or a one-time $39. If you're happy self-hosting, neither of us costs you a cent; the real difference is that Gratin doesn't need a server in the first place.
See how Gratin is priced, and why →What Mealie gets right, and where it grates
Where Mealie shines
- Open source (AGPL-3.0) and self-hostable
- Strong recipe URL importer, meal planning, and shopping lists
- Multi-user groups, a full API, and automatic backups
Where it can frustrate
- You have to run and maintain a server (Docker)
- Web only, with no native desktop or mobile apps
- Setup and upkeep assume some technical comfort
Why people move to Gratin
No server to run
Mealie needs Docker and a machine that stays up. Gratin is a native app you download; your recipes live on the device, and there's nothing to host or maintain.
No account, works offline
Mealie is account-based and needs its server reachable. Gratin needs no account and works fully offline, because the data is local, not sitting on a server.
Self-host only what you want
With Gratin the app is local by default. If you want cross-device sync, host just the small encrypted relay, or let us run it, rather than a whole recipe server.
The verdict
Mealie is a fantastic choice if you want a fully open-source recipe server and enjoy self-hosting. Gratin is for people who want that same own-your-data ethos without running a server: a native, offline-first app with no account, and sync you can still self-host if you like.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gratin self-hosted like Mealie?
Not the whole app, and that's the point. Gratin runs locally on your device with no server to host. If you want sync, you can self-host just the small encrypted relay, or let us run it. Mealie asks you to host the entire application.
Do I need Docker or a server for Gratin?
No. You download the app and start cooking. A server only enters the picture if you choose to self-host the sync relay, which is optional and far simpler than hosting a full recipe server.