Mealime Pro
Plan meals from user-entered recipes and create a combined shopping list
A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Mealime Pro, plan meals from user-entered recipes and create a combined shopping list. The hard boundary is licensed recipe catalog, nutrition data, retailer links, mobile apps, and personalization, plus sync, integrations, and household adoption.
Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability
What you give up
- licensed recipe catalog, nutrition data, retailer links, mobile apps, and personalization
- frictionless family sync
- retailer and smart-home integrations
- large recipe or product database
- mobile polish
Why people still pay
People still pay for Mealime Pro because household apps survive when every family member actually uses them and the data stays current across devices. The recurring cost buys multi-user conflicts, reminders, notifications, imports, barcode data, smart-home APIs, backups, and long-term maintenance, not just the visible interface.
Your build guide
The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.
Before you start
- modern browser
- local or self-hosted storage
- optional email notifications
Use these project rules and optional skill references alongside the prompt. Review each skill before adding it to your agent; the AGENTS.md export includes the same guidance.
Project rule, data: Model the inputs, state transitions, and outputs named in this family organization, recipes and household inventory prompt; keep source IDs and timestamps.
Project rule, behavior: Create household members, shared lists, calendar items, recipes or inventory records, and assignments.
Project rule, recovery: Provide fast mobile-first capture with large controls, offline queueing, and conflict-safe sync to one server.
Implementation plan
Phase 1, architecture and data
Use Next.js 15, TypeScript, SQLite, Drizzle ORM, and a local-first PWA. Model the inputs, state transitions, and outputs named in this family organization, recipes and household inventory prompt; keep source IDs and timestamps.
Phase 2, implement
Create household members, shared lists, calendar items, recipes or inventory records, and assignments.
Phase 3, implement
Support recurring chores or events, reminders, completion history, and printable views.
Phase 4, review and output
Add CSV or JSON import and export plus photo attachments with clear size limits.
Phase 5, recovery and acceptance
Provide fast mobile-first capture with large controls, offline queueing, and conflict-safe sync to one server. Verify this invariant with a saved fixture: An invalid input or interrupted operation must retain the source and show a recoverable state; exported records must reload with the same IDs. State the practical limit: licensed recipe catalog, nutrition data, retailer links, mobile apps, and personalization.
Build me a focused family organization, recipes and household inventory workflow for the personal core of Mealime Pro. Requirements: - Use Next.js 15, TypeScript, SQLite, Drizzle ORM, and a local-first PWA. Model the inputs, state transitions, and outputs named in this family organization, recipes and household inventory prompt; keep source IDs and timestamps. - Paid product context: Plan meals from user-entered recipes and create a combined shopping list. Build only this DIY scope: Plan meals from user-entered recipes, create a combined shopping list, share or print a simple plan, and keep household data portable and owner-controlled. - Create household members, shared lists, calendar items, recipes or inventory records, and assignments. - Support recurring chores or events, reminders, completion history, and printable views. - Add CSV or JSON import and export plus photo attachments with clear size limits. Allow private and shared items and make every change attributable and undoable. Add backups, household export, member removal, and a simple invite code. - Use a local web page with input, progress, review, and export views. Required input or access: local or self-hosted storage; optional email notifications. - Recovery: Provide fast mobile-first capture with large controls, offline queueing, and conflict-safe sync to one server. - Acceptance: with one labelled sample, show the input, saved intermediate state, and exported result; verify this invariant: An invalid input or interrupted operation must retain the source and show a recoverable state; exported records must reload with the same IDs. - Out of scope: licensed recipe catalog, nutrition data, retailer links, mobile apps, and personalization; frictionless family sync. Keep this a personal, inspectable workflow. - Include a README with setup, a sample input, required keys or permissions, data location, and the supported scope.
$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy AGENTS.md · generated from this app's build plan
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Alternatives to building your own
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Mealime Pro pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| mealime free | $0 | $0 | Free download/use; meal planning, grocery lists and free recipe access; no numeric recipe cap disclosed. |
| mealime pro | $2.99 | — | All Mealime recipes, comprehensive nutrition, calorie filters, recipe notes, two most recent meal plans, email support.Auto-renewing monthly subscription; no annual USD plan verified. |
free tier$0; free to download and use; no numeric recipe/meal-plan cap disclosed.
billingmonthly only verified; auto-renews unless canceled at least 24 hours before period end
hidden costsPro purchased through app stores; refunds not provided for unused portion of term; no cancellation during active subscription period according to App Store terms.
pricing sources checked 2026-08-10 · pricing source ↗
Questions about Mealime Pro
Can you build your own Mealime Pro with AI?
A full replacement is not the recommended project. A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Mealime Pro, plan meals from user-entered recipes and create a combined shopping list. The hard boundary is licensed recipe catalog, nutrition data, retailer links, mobile apps, and personalization, plus sync, integrations, and household adoption.
What does the Mealime Pro build prompt cover?
The prompt starts with this scope: Plan meals from user-entered recipes, create a combined shopping list, share or print a simple plan, and keep household data portable and owner-controlled. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: licensed recipe catalog, nutrition data, retailer links, mobile apps, and personalization; frictionless family sync; retailer and smart-home integrations. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.
How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?
Start with the Mealime Pro prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.
How long will this Mealime Pro project take?
The catalogue estimate is closest consolation build: one sitting for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.
What would I give up by replacing Mealime Pro?
licensed recipe catalog, nutrition data, retailer links, mobile apps, and personalization; frictionless family sync; retailer and smart-home integrations; large recipe or product database; mobile polish. People still pay for Mealime Pro because household apps survive when every family member actually uses them and the data stays current across devices. The recurring cost buys multi-user conflicts, reminders, notifications, imports, barcode data, smart-home APIs, backups, and long-term maintenance, not just the visible interface.
What price is this guide comparing against?
The recorded Pro plan is $2.99/mo (monthly), checked 2026-07-31. Check the linked pricing source before buying. Building your own also has hosting, API and maintenance costs; the recorded amount is not a guaranteed saving.
What can I use instead of building Mealime Pro?
Mealie: A household recipe server with meal plans and grocery lists; you supply the server and patience. Grocy: Meal plans and groceries run through a tiny home ERP, because apparently the fridge needed one. RecipeSage: Plan from your own recipes and combine ingredients into shopping lists; nutrition coaching is not the point. Compare all listed options at https://howtovibecodeit.dev/mealime-pro/alternatives. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.