Compare · Mela alternative
Hedgehog Chef vs. Mela: an honest comparison.
Mela is an award-winning recipe manager for iPhone, iPad and Mac: a one-time purchase, private by design, with lovely cooking views. If someone at home isn't on Apple, or you'd like the app to plan the week and price the list, here's how the two compare — including where Mela is the better choice.
Compared using Mela's own website, help page, file-format documentation and App Store listings. Last checked October 13, 2026.
Hedgehog Chef is the better fit if you want…
- It works on Android, Windows, Chromebooks and in any browser, not only Apple devices.
- An AI planner that turns a request into a week of meals and a shopping list.
- A shopping list sorted by aisle, with prices from the stores you choose.
- Nutrition calculated from the ingredients, with daily goals.
- Active development: Mela's last update was in June 2025.
Mela is the better fit if…
- You want to pay once: Mela+ is $6.99 on iPhone and iPad and $14.99 on Mac, with no subscription.
- Privacy above all: its App Store listing says the developer collects no data, and recipes sync through your own iCloud.
- You live in Apple's apps: the meal plan is in Apple Calendar and groceries go to Reminders.
- You love native design: Mela won MacStories' 2021 Best Design award and a Mac App Store Editors' Choice.
- You follow recipe blogs: it reads their RSS feeds.
Why Mela users switch
What Hedgehog Chef does better than Mela
Everyone at home, on any device
Mela runs on iPhone, iPad and Mac, and shares a library with other iCloud users. Hedgehog Chef runs in any browser and installs on iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and Chromebook, so the person with an Android phone or a work PC is in the same kitchen too.
A plan and a list, done for you
Mela puts your meal plan in Apple Calendar and groceries in Reminders, which you fill in. Hedgehog Chef's AI planner reads your recipes, pantry and prices and proposes the week; the list is sorted by aisle, merged, and minus what's already in the pantry.
Numbers you'd otherwise look up
Mela keeps nutrition as free text. Hedgehog Chef calculates it from the ingredients with USDA data, shows day totals against your goals on the plan, and prices each recipe, the list and the week.
Bring your Mela library in one go
Hedgehog Chef imports Mela's own export file — the .melarecipes format Mela documents openly — with photos. Mela stays as it is; use both while you decide.
Side by side
Hedgehog Chef vs. Mela, feature by feature
Every Mela cell comes from Mela's own website, help pages or app-store listing, checked on October 13, 2026.
Getting it and paying for it
| Feature | Hedgehog Chef | Mela |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Hedgehog ChefIn any modern browser, installable on iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and Chromebook as an app | MelaiPhone, iPad and Mac only; no Android, Windows or web version found |
| Price | Hedgehog ChefFree plan with unlimited recipes. Hedgehog Chef Plus ($5.99/month or $49.99/year, on sale soon): one subscription for the whole household, on every device | MelaFree download; Mela+ is a one-time $6.99 on iPhone/iPad and $14.99 on Mac, bought separately |
| Sync | Hedgehog ChefYes: Real time, on every plan | MelaYes: Through your iCloud |
| Data collected | Hedgehog ChefWhat's needed to run your kitchen; no ads, trackers or selling | MelaYes: None, per its App Store listing |
| Track record | Hedgehog ChefNew: launched in 2026 | MelaAward-winning; last updated June 2025 |
Planning with AI
| Feature | Hedgehog Chef | Mela |
|---|---|---|
| Plan meals from a request | Hedgehog ChefYes: Ask for “a week of high-protein dinners under $150”; the planner proposes a plan and a list from your recipes for you to approve | MelaNot mentioned in Mela's website, help or App Store pages |
| Grocery prices | Hedgehog ChefYes: Prices on your list and plan: live prices at Kroger-family stores, community prices from Open Prices, labeled estimates otherwise | MelaNot mentioned in Mela's website, help or App Store pages |
| AI recipe photos | Hedgehog ChefYes: Generated for any recipe without one | MelaNot mentioned in Mela's website, help or App Store pages |
| Works with Claude | Hedgehog ChefYes: A Claude connector: save, search, plan and shop by talking to Claude | MelaNot mentioned in Mela's website, help or App Store pages |
Getting recipes in
| Feature | Hedgehog Chef | Mela |
|---|---|---|
| From recipe websites | Hedgehog ChefYes: Paste a link, or use the bookmarklet, Android share sheet or iOS Shortcut; AI reads pages without recipe markup | MelaYes: In-app browser with recipe detection, share extension, and an importer for pages without markup |
| From a cookbook page | Hedgehog ChefYes: Yes: a photo of a cookbook page or a handwritten card | MelaYes: Book scanning with on-device text recognition |
| From recipe blogs' feeds | Hedgehog ChefNo: No | MelaYes: RSS feeds |
| From videos and social posts | Hedgehog ChefYes: YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest links (the recipe in the description or caption, or the page it links to) | MelaNot mentioned in Mela's website, help or App Store pages |
| From other recipe apps | Hedgehog ChefYes: Paprika (photos included), Mela, Crouton, Recipe Keeper, MasterCook, Plan to Eat, Copy Me That and more | MelaYes: Mela and Paprika files |
Cooking
| Feature | Hedgehog Chef | Mela |
|---|---|---|
| Step-by-step cooking | Hedgehog ChefYes: Full screen, one step at a time, with that step's ingredients and big type | MelaYes: Large text that dims every step but the current one; switch between recipes |
| Timers | Hedgehog ChefYes: Tap a time in a step to start a timer; several at once | MelaYes: Several at once, with Live Activities |
| Hands-free | Hedgehog ChefYes: Voice commands (“next”, “start timer”) and read-aloud in cook mode | MelaNot mentioned in Mela's website, help or App Store pages |
| Nutrition | Hedgehog ChefYes: Calculated from the ingredients with USDA data on every plan, with daily goals and day totals on the plan | MelaPartly: A free-text field; not calculated |
Planning, shopping and pantry
| Feature | Hedgehog Chef | Mela |
|---|---|---|
| Meal planner | Hedgehog ChefYes: Week board with drag and drop, month view, reusable menus, leftovers, a calendar feed and a kitchen display | MelaYes: A calendar kept in Apple Calendar, with a next-meal widget |
| Grocery list | Hedgehog ChefYes: Sorted by aisle, amounts merged, pantry items skipped; your aisle corrections are remembered | MelaPartly: Sent to Apple Reminders |
| Pantry | Hedgehog ChefYes: Fridge, freezer, pantry and spices; expiry dates; “What can I make?” ranked by what you have | MelaNot mentioned in Mela's website, help or App Store pages |
| Export everything | Hedgehog ChefYes: Paprika's own format, web pages, Markdown or JSON, with photos — free on every plan, plus weekly backups | MelaYes: An open, documented format, plus print and PDF |
Your household
| Feature | Hedgehog Chef | Mela |
|---|---|---|
| Share with your household | Hedgehog ChefYes: Yes: up to 2 people on Free, 8 on Hedgehog Chef Plus, each with their own login | MelaYes: Share the library with other iCloud users, who can all edit |
| Someone without an Apple device | Hedgehog ChefYes: Yes: any phone or computer with a browser | MelaPartly: Can see the meal plan through a shared calendar |
Sources, checked on October 13, 2026:
Mela is a trademark of its developer. Hedgehog Chef isn't affiliated with or endorsed by its developer. Spotted something out of date or wrong? Tell us at hello@hedgehogchef.com and we'll fix it.
Questions
Mela vs. Hedgehog Chef: common questions
Is Mela available on Android or Windows?
We couldn't find one: Mela's website links only to its iPhone/iPad and Mac apps. Hedgehog Chef runs in any browser and installs on Android, Windows and Chromebooks as well as Apple devices.
Can I move my recipes from Mela?
Yes. Export your recipes from Mela as a .melarecipes file and import it in Hedgehog Chef, photos included. Mela isn't changed.
Is Mela a subscription?
No. Mela is a free download with a one-time Mela+ purchase: $6.99 on iPhone and iPad and $14.99 on Mac, bought separately. Family Sharing works when Purchase Sharing is on.
Is Mela still being updated?
Mela's most recent App Store release we could find was version 2.6.2 on iPhone and iPad in June 2025, and 2.6.1 on Mac in May 2025.
Is Hedgehog Chef free?
Yes. The Free plan has unlimited recipes, binders, meal plans, shopping lists and the pantry for up to 2 people, with daily allowances for the AI features, and no ads. Hedgehog Chef Plus ($5.99/month or $49.99/year, on sale soon) raises the AI allowances, adds live grocery prices and fits up to 8 people.
Bring your Mela library along.
Export from Mela, import the file in Hedgehog Chef, and invite the people you cook with — on whatever phone they have.
More comparisons
Weighing up other apps too?
- Hedgehog Chef vs. Paprika Paprika for fully offline native apps; Hedgehog Chef for AI planning, the web and a shared household.
- Hedgehog Chef vs. AnyList AnyList for the cheapest shared list and store delivery; Hedgehog Chef for AI planning, a pantry and a free meal planner.
- Hedgehog Chef vs. Plan to Eat Plan to Eat for offline phone use and bulk import; Hedgehog Chef for a free plan, AI planning, a pantry and a login each.
- Hedgehog Chef vs. Samsung Food Samsung Food for a big recipe catalog and Samsung appliances; Hedgehog Chef for your own recipes, no ads and more on the free plan.
- Hedgehog Chef vs. Mealime Meals Hub to keep Mealime's recipes; Hedgehog Chef to plan around your own recipes, with your household.
- All comparisons Every app we've compared, and who each one suits best.
Dinner, looked after.
Start with the recipes you already love. Hedgehog Chef is free to use — bring your household, your favorite sites and your Paprika library.