ManageMeals vs Mealie
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted recipe managers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
ManageMeals
Manage recipes, import recipes by URL and organize them without any
VS
Mealie
Self-hosted recipe manager and meal planner
| Feature | ManageMeals | Mealie |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Recipe Managers | Recipe Managers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Svelte | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 61 | ★ 12,932 |
| First released | 2026 | 2020 |
| Replaces | — | Paprika, Plan to Eat |
Why pick each one
Choose ManageMeals if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Svelte
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is ManageMeals or Mealie better?
Mealie is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider ManageMeals if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are ManageMeals and Mealie free and open-source?
Yes. ManageMeals is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Mealie under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ManageMeals and Mealie with Docker?
ManageMeals: yes. Mealie: yes.