Customer Reviews (500)

cbawls • 2025-03-22T15:42:34-07:00

We are finding this app easy to use and very helpful. Having my grocery list made for me saves me a lot of time. I also like how I can tap on an ingredient to find substitutions. I’d like to see a setting for more than 6 servings to help with freezing partially made meals. But that’s minor.

Snowhumbug • 2025-03-21T23:46:46-07:00

This was the best meal planning app gave up on meal order plans and used this instead. Love the fact I could seamlessly order my food from my local grocery store. Also the frequent new recipes. Recipes don’t seem as varied or as interesting as before and certainly not as often. I use to recommend this to all my friends especially those who used meal subscriptions. Not so sure about keeping my subscription for the Pro plan

Bruton_Gaster • 2025-03-21T20:07:07-07:00

I love this app. Not only are there a ton of recipes, but they are nicely organized by diet and by type of meal. The app will even create a meal plan for you based on your food preferences. And now you can import recipes as well. The upgraded version is well worth the money, but honestly, the free version is pretty great too. I highly recommend downloading this app

Summary of Key Insights

Mealime is a highly regarded app for meal planning, grocery shopping, and recipe management, particularly appreciated for its ease of use and ability to reduce food waste. The overall sentiment is overwhelmingly positive, evidenced by a high percentage of 5-star reviews (71.8%). Key strengths include a vast recipe library, customizable meal plans, seamless grocery list integration, and features like "cooking mode". However, several users have expressed concerns about infrequent recipe updates, limitations with custom recipes, and a lack of certain dietary filters (e.g., Mediterranean, low sodium). The app's core functionality is well-received, but addressing these pain points and feature requests could significantly enhance user satisfaction and retention.

Quantitative Metrics:

  • Overall Rating: Approximately 4.5 stars (calculated from score distribution)
  • 5-Star Reviews: 71.8% (359/500)
  • 4-Star Reviews: 10.8% (54/500)
  • 3-Star Reviews: 7.2% (36/500)
  • 2-Star Reviews: 4% (20/500)
  • 1-Star Reviews: 6.2% (31/500)

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 500 reviews
  • Time Frame: The reviews appear to be relatively recent, spanning from 2024 to early 2025. Many reviews mention recipe updates ceasing in November 2024, suggesting a focus on the last few months.
  • Analysis Methods: The analysis involved a combination of sentiment analysis (assessing the overall positive, negative, or neutral tone of reviews) and keyword extraction (identifying frequently mentioned terms and phrases related to app features, issues, and user requests). Reviews were manually categorized and summarized to identify recurring themes.

Key User Pain Points

  • Infrequent Recipe Updates: Many users, especially Pro subscribers, complain about the lack of new recipes, particularly since November 2024. This is a major driver of dissatisfaction and subscription cancellations.
  • Limitations with Custom Recipes: Users find it challenging to manage and utilize custom recipes effectively. Specific issues include:
    • Difficulty finding and sorting custom recipes.
    • Inability to print or export custom recipes.
    • Inconsistent integration with grocery lists.
  • Missing Dietary Filters: Several users request additional dietary filters, such as Mediterranean, low sodium, low fat, and kosher options.
  • App Glitches and Stability Issues: Some users report app crashes, freezing, and problems with online shopping integration.
  • Difficulty Deleting Meal Plans: Some users reported an inability to delete meal plans.
  • Nutritional Information Issues: Some users report inaccurate or missing nutritional information, especially for user-added recipes, and a lack of total daily nutritional information.

Frequently Requested Features

  • More Recipe Variety: Users desire more diverse and frequently updated recipes, including those catering to specific diets (Mediterranean, low sodium, etc.) and cooking methods (slow cooker, Instant Pot).
  • Improved Custom Recipe Management: Users want better organization, search, and printing/exporting capabilities for custom recipes.
  • Enhanced Dietary Filters: The addition of more specific dietary filters (e.g., Mediterranean, low sodium, kosher, high protein, low fat) is frequently requested.
  • Family Sharing for Subscriptions: Users want the ability to share Pro subscriptions with family members.
  • Calendar View: Users desire a calendar view for meal plans to easily visualize and manage their weekly meals.
  • Pantry Inventory: A feature to track pantry items and suggest recipes based on available ingredients was requested.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Ease of Use: The app is consistently praised for its user-friendly interface and intuitive design.
  • Grocery List Integration: Users appreciate the seamless integration with grocery store apps for online ordering and in-store shopping.
  • Recipe Quality: Many users find the recipes delicious, healthy, and easy to follow.
  • Food Waste Reduction: The app's focus on minimizing food waste is a significant selling point.
  • Customizable Meal Plans: Users value the ability to personalize meal plans based on dietary preferences, dislikes, and allergies.
  • Cooking Mode: The hands-free "cooking mode" is a popular feature.
  • Value for Money: Many users consider the Pro subscription to be a good value, while also acknowledging the usefulness of the free version.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  1. Address Recipe Update Issue: Immediately resume regular recipe updates, focusing on variety and catering to different dietary needs. Communicate the update schedule to users to manage expectations.
  2. Improve Custom Recipe Management: Implement features for searching, sorting, organizing, and printing/exporting custom recipes.
  3. Fix App Glitches and Stability Issues: Prioritize bug fixes and performance improvements to address reported crashes, freezing, and online shopping integration problems.

Medium Priority:

  1. Add Missing Dietary Filters: Incorporate frequently requested dietary filters such as Mediterranean, low sodium, kosher, and low fat.
  2. Implement Family Sharing: Enable family sharing for Pro subscriptions to enhance user value and encourage adoption.
  3. Enhance Nutritional Information: Improve the accuracy and completeness of nutritional information, especially for user-added recipes. Add the option for total daily nutrition information.

Low Priority:

  1. Add Calendar View: Implement a calendar view for meal plans to improve organization and planning.
  2. Develop Pantry Inventory Feature: Explore the feasibility of adding a pantry inventory feature to suggest recipes based on available ingredients.
  3. Improve Recipe Importing Functionality: Enhance the recipe importing feature to better handle various websites and formats.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • Meal Planning App with Advanced Dietary Filters: Develop a meal planning app that offers highly specific and customizable dietary filters, catering to niche diets and food sensitivities.
  • AI-Powered Recipe Recommendation Engine: Create an app that uses AI to analyze user preferences and suggest recipes based on available ingredients, dietary goals, and cooking skill level.
  • Meal Kit Service with Zero Packaging Waste: Offer a meal kit service that focuses on sustainability by using reusable containers and locally sourced ingredients.
  • Grocery Delivery Service with Recipe Integration: Build a grocery delivery service that seamlessly integrates with meal planning apps, allowing users to order ingredients directly from their chosen recipes.

Trends and Observations

  • Demand for Health-Conscious Options: A significant portion of users are interested in healthy recipes and dietary filters, reflecting a growing trend towards mindful eating.
  • Price Sensitivity: While many users find the Pro subscription affordable, some are hesitant to pay for features they consider essential.
  • Emphasis on Convenience: Users highly value features that save time and effort, such as grocery list integration and online ordering.
  • Need for Inclusivity: Some users have pointed out a lack of diversity in the chefs and recipes, suggesting an opportunity to broaden the app's appeal to a wider audience.
  • Stagnation Concerns: The lack of recent recipe updates has led to concerns about the app's long-term support and development.
  • Desire for a Spanish Version: One user specifically requested a Spanish version of the app.

Conclusion

Mealime is a successful app with a strong user base and a highly positive reputation. However, addressing the identified pain points and implementing requested features is crucial for maintaining user satisfaction, preventing churn, and attracting new subscribers. Prioritizing recipe updates, improving custom recipe management, and adding missing dietary filters are key steps towards enhancing the app's value and competitiveness. The app team should also consider exploring opportunities to expand the app's features and services, such as family sharing, a calendar view, and a pantry inventory feature.

By focusing on these areas, Mealime can solidify its position as a leading meal planning app and continue to meet the evolving needs of its users.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mealime-meal-plans-recipes/id1079999103?uo=2