Silvio Rizzi’s Mela is a gem. It feels at home on Mac, iPhone and iPad, costs a fair one-time price (~$7 on iOS, ~$15 on Mac), syncs privately over iCloud, and can follow recipe sites by RSS and scan printed pages.
People look elsewhere when something in the house isn’t Apple, like a Windows PC or a partner’s Android phone, or when they have thousands of recipes in nested folders, which Mela keeps flat.
Gratin vs Mela at a glance
Figures come from each app’s public pricing and help pages. Trademarks belong to their owners. Mela website ↗
In an all-Apple home, Mela’s one-time price (~$7 on iOS, ~$15 on Mac) with free iCloud sync costs less than Gratin’s Hosted sync. Gratin’s sync fee ($12/yr or $39 once) pays for encrypted sync and shared books on Windows and Android too, plus the Claude and ChatGPT connector.
See Gratin’s pricing and the 5-year Pay-once guarantee →What Mela does well, and what gets in the way
What Mela does well
- Good-looking design made for Mac, iPhone and iPad
- Flexible recipe import with a live web preview, plus scanning of printed pages
- Private iCloud sync and a clean hands-free cooking mode
What gets in the way
- Only on Apple devices, with no Windows, Android or web version
- Sync only works through iCloud
- Folders and sorting options are kept minimal on purpose
Why people switch from Mela to Gratin
Works on Windows and Android too
Mela is Apple-only and syncs through iCloud. Gratin runs on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, and you can share a recipe book with a partner on Android.
Nested folders for big collections
Past a few hundred recipes, flat tags get hard to browse. Gratin has nested folders and imports your Paprika folders as they are.
Amounts inside each step
Gratin puts ingredients into the steps, so you see ‘200 g flour’ in the line where you mix it. Change the servings and the numbers update.
AI on your device, plus Claude and ChatGPT
Gratin tags recipes and estimates nutrition on your device. With Hosted sync, Claude or ChatGPT can also search, plan from and edit your recipes.
Bottom line
Mela is a lovely, well-priced app if your home is all Apple. If it isn’t, or your collection has outgrown flat tags, Gratin is the better fit.
Questions about Mela and Gratin
Is Gratin free on Mac and iPhone?
Yes, with unlimited recipes. You only pay ($12/yr or $39 once) if you want us to host sync between your devices.
How does sharing a recipe book with a partner work in Gratin and in Mela?
Mela syncs through one Apple ID’s iCloud, so sharing a cookbook with someone on another Apple ID, or on Android, is awkward. With Gratin’s Hosted sync you can share a recipe book across any mix of Apple, Android and Windows devices.
Can I export my recipes from Gratin in an open format?
Yes. Gratin exports your whole collection with photos in a standard recipe format, and single recipes as Cooklang files.