The Best Open Source Recipe Managers in 2026

There are now several solid open source options for managing recipes. Each takes a different approach — from plain text files to full web applications — and the right choice depends on how you cook and how much infrastructure you want to run.

Here's an honest look at the main options.

Cooklang

Cooklang is a markup language, not an app. You write recipes as plain text files using a simple syntax that marks ingredients (@), cookware (#), and timers (~). Tools built around the format handle everything else.

Strengths:

• Recipes are plain text — readable, editable, version-controllable
• No database, no server required for basic use
• Ecosystem of tools: CookCLI for shopping lists and a local web server, mobile apps for iOS and Android, Obsidian plugin, VS Code extension
• Sync through whatever you already use (Git, Dropbox, iCloud)
• Federation for discovering community recipes
• Free and open source, no vendor lock-in

Limitations:

• No built-in web scraping for importing recipes from websites (CookCLI's import command handles this but requires an OpenAI API key)
• No multi-user access control — it's files, so permissions are filesystem-level
• Requires comfort with text editing and command line for full power

Best for: Developers, plain-text enthusiasts, people who want total control over their data with zero dependencies.

Mealie

Mealie is a self-hosted web application focused on recipe management and meal planning. It runs as a Docker container and provides a polished web interface.

Strengths:

• Polished UI — looks good, easy to use
• Web scraping imports recipes from most popular cooking sites
• Meal planning with calendar view
• Automatic shopping lists from meal plans
• Multi-user with permissions (useful for families)
• API access for automation
• Active community (11,000+ GitHub stars)
• Frequent updates

Limitations:

• Requires Docker or a server to run
• Recipes live in a database — export/backup requires the app
• Self-hosting means you're responsible for updates and maintenance

Best for: Families who want a shared recipe app with meal planning, people who import recipes from websites frequently.

KitchenOwl

KitchenOwl is a self-hosted grocery list and recipe manager built with Flutter (frontend) and Flask (backend). It emphasizes household collaboration.

Strengths:

• Real-time grocery list sync — everyone sees updates instantly
• Native mobile apps (Android, iOS) that work partially offline
• Meal planning calendar
• Expense tracking for grocery budgets
• Multi-user designed from the ground up
• Clean, mobile-first interface

Limitations:

• Tries to do a lot (recipes + shopping + expenses) — can feel unfocused if you only want recipes
• Smaller community than Mealie
• iOS app is on TestFlight (not yet on App Store)

Best for: Households that want shared grocery lists and meal planning in one app, people who value mobile-first design.

Tandoor Recipes

Tandoor is a feature-rich self-hosted recipe manager with advanced capabilities like nutritional tracking and meal cost calculation.

Strengths:

• Powerful recipe editor with detailed ingredient tracking
• Automatic nutritional value calculation
• Shopping lists sorted by supermarket aisle with real-time sync
• Meal planning with calendar export
• Recipe sharing with granular permissions (including secret recipes)
• Search by available ingredients ("what can I make with what I have?")
• Supports Docker, Kubernetes, Unraid, Synology

Limitations:

• More complex to set up than simpler alternatives
• Feature-rich means a steeper learning curve
• Heavier resource requirements

Best for: People who want nutritional tracking alongside recipe management, advanced self-hosters who want maximum features.

Others Worth Knowing

Recipya — A newer Go-based recipe manager focused on simplicity. Web scraping, shopping lists, nutritional info. Lighter than Tandoor with a clean interface.

Grocy — Not strictly a recipe manager — it's a household management system that includes recipes alongside inventory tracking, chore management, and battery tracking. If you want to manage your entire household, not just recipes, Grocy covers more ground.

Paprika — Not open source, but worth mentioning because it's the commercial benchmark. Excellent web scraping, polished UX, works offline. One-time purchase per platform ($4.99 mobile, $29.99 desktop). If you don't care about open source and want something that works immediately, Paprika is hard to beat.

How to Choose

Start with Cooklang if you want simplicity and data ownership. Your recipes are text files you control forever. Add tools as you need them.

Start with Mealie if you want a polished web app that handles everything and you're comfortable with Docker.

Start with KitchenOwl if your household needs shared grocery lists and you want native mobile apps.

Start with Tandoor if you want the most features and don't mind complexity.

All of them are free. Try whichever matches your priorities — the cost of experimenting is just your time.

-Alex