Paprika has been the go-to recipe app for more than a decade. It runs on every major platform, works offline and has no subscription. If you’re happy with it, keep using it.
People leave for three reasons. You pay separately for Mac ($30), Windows ($30), iOS ($5) and Android ($5). The design feels stuck in the mid-2010s. And a .paprikarecipes export flattens your nested folders into one list. Gratin fixes all three.
Gratin vs Paprika Recipe Manager at a glance
Figures come from each app’s public pricing and help pages. Trademarks belong to their owners. Paprika Recipe Manager website ↗
If you only buy Paprika on one phone ($5), it costs less upfront than Gratin’s paid sync. Buy it on Mac ($30), Windows ($30) and your phone ($5), and Gratin costs less. Gratin’s sync is $12 a year, or $39 once for the life of Gratin 1 (at least five years, or you get a refund for the time left). Running your own sync server is free.
See Gratin’s pricing and the 5-year Pay-once guarantee →What Paprika Recipe Manager does well, and what gets in the way
What Paprika Recipe Manager does well
- Has run reliably on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android for over ten years
- Built-in web browser for saving recipes from websites
- Paid once per platform, with cloud sync, meal calendars and pantry lists
What gets in the way
- You buy it separately on each platform: ~$30 Mac, ~$30 Windows, ~$5 mobile
- Its .paprikarecipes export flattens nested folders into plain categories
- Sync only works through Paprika’s own cloud
Why people switch from Paprika Recipe Manager to Gratin
Bring your whole Paprika library, folders and all
In Gratin, go to Settings → Data and sign in to your Paprika account, or load your export file and let Gratin fetch the folders. Recipes, photos, notes and folders all come across.
Free on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android
No $30 for your laptop and another $5 for your phone. Every feature is free everywhere.
Amounts right in each step
Each step shows how much of each ingredient it uses, so you don’t scroll back to the list. Change the servings and the amounts update.
AI on your device, plus Claude and ChatGPT
Gratin tags recipes and estimates nutrition on your device. With Hosted sync you can also connect Claude or ChatGPT to your recipes to plan dinners or scale dishes.
Bottom line
Paprika is a dependable app with a loyal following. Choose Gratin if you want a cleaner cooking view and your Paprika folders, without paying for each device.
Questions about Paprika Recipe Manager and Gratin
How do I move my recipes and folders from Paprika to Gratin?
Go to Settings → Data → Import Recipes. Choose ‘Import from Paprika account’ to bring over every recipe, photo and folder, or load a .paprikarecipes file and tick the option to fetch your folders.
How does Gratin’s price compare with Paprika’s?
The app is free. Hosted sync between your devices is $12/year, or $39 once for the life of Gratin 1. Running your own sync server costs nothing. Beta testers get Hosted sync free for life.
If I leave Gratin later, can I take my recipes with me?
Yes. Settings → Data → Export All Recipes saves everything in a standard recipe format, with your photos included. You can also export single recipes as Cooklang files.