Plan to Eat does one thing very well: drag recipes onto a calendar and get a tidy, aisle-organised grocery list out the other end. If weekly meal planning is your ritual, it's built for you.
But it's subscription-only after the trial, and it's entirely account-and-cloud based. There's no local app, and your plan lives on their servers. Gratin covers planning and grocery lists too, as part of a free, local-first recipe book you own.
Gratin vs Plan to Eat, side by side
Based on how each product generally works today. Product names belong to their owners. Visit Plan to Eat ↗
Gratin is markedly cheaper: Plan to Eat is subscription-only at about $49 a year, while Gratin's app is free and hosted sync is $12 a year, a one-time $39, or self-hosted yourself if you're technically inclined. You also get a way out a subscription-only app can't offer: your recipes are yours to keep even if you never pay us again.
See how Gratin is priced, and why →What Plan to Eat gets right, and where it grates
Where Plan to Eat shines
- Excellent drag-and-drop meal planning calendar
- Auto grocery lists organised by store aisle
- Handy recipe clipper and responsive support
Where it can frustrate
- Subscription only, no permanent free tier
- Cloud and account required
- It's a planner, not a local recipe box
Why people move to Gratin
No forced subscription
Plan to Eat charges every month or year, with no way out. Gratin's app is free, and if you want hosted sync you can pay once ($39) instead of forever, or self-host the relay yourself if you're technical.
Planning plus a real recipe box
Gratin isn't only a planner. It's your full recipe collection, with menus, meal plans, and aisle-sorted grocery lists included.
On your device, works offline
Plan to Eat is cloud-first and needs an account. Gratin keeps your data local so it works offline and stays yours.
The verdict
If your life revolves around a weekly planning calendar, Plan to Eat is worth the subscription. If you want planning and grocery lists inside a free recipe app that lives on your device, Gratin is the better home.
Frequently asked questions
Does Gratin do meal planning and grocery lists?
Yes. You can plan meals, build dinner-party menus, and generate grocery lists sorted by aisle, then check them off as you shop.
Is Gratin cheaper than Plan to Eat?
The app is free versus Plan to Eat's subscription. Optional hosted sync is $12/year or a one-time $39, and if you're technically inclined you can self-host the relay yourself.
Can I use Gratin offline?
Yes. Everything is local-first, so your recipes and plans work without a connection. Plan to Eat is cloud-based by design.