ReelsMeals vs AnyList
AnyList if the job is a shared grocery list. ReelsMeals if your recipes live in saved reels.
AnyList is a shared shopping-list and meal-planning app for iPhone, Android and the web, with recipes on the side. ReelsMeals reads cooking videos and imports a saved Instagram folder from Instagram’s own export. Prices checked on 7 June 2026.
AnyList is a shared list.
It turns recipe ingredients into a grocery list the whole household shares. It imports recipes from websites through a browser extension and the share sheet, plans meals, and runs on iPhone, Android and the web. The best features need AnyList Complete.
ReelsMeals moves your saves.
It writes a recipe down from a reel’s caption, on-screen text and voiceover. It imports your Instagram saved folder from Instagram’s data export, or TikTok and YouTube links 50 at a time, credits every creator, and runs in the browser on any device.
AnyList can’t open these.
Lasagna soup
McKenna Barry · Instagram reel
Paratha smash burger buns
khudi.nyc · TikTok
Cajun chicken and andouille gumbo
Rachel · Instagram reel
Spicy peanut noodles
vitacoco · Instagram reel
Each is a real recipe on ReelsMeals, and each lived only in a video: there was no recipe page for a web importer to read. ReelsMeals wrote them down from the reel itself.
Feature by feature.
From each app’s own site and store listings, checked 7 June 2026. Where AnyList does something ReelsMeals doesn’t, the table says so.
| Feature | ReelsMeals | AnyList |
|---|---|---|
| Recipes from websites | ReelsMeals: YesPaste a link | AnyList: YesBrowser extension and share sheet |
| Instagram Reels | ReelsMeals: YesCaption, on-screen text and voiceover | AnyList: No |
| TikTok and YouTube videos | ReelsMeals: Yes | AnyList: No |
| Move a whole saved folder | ReelsMeals: YesInstagram’s data export, or links 50 a batch | AnyList: NoOne recipe at a time |
| Photos of paper recipes | ReelsMeals: YesScan a card | AnyList: No |
| Meal planning | ReelsMeals: Yes1 to 7 dinners from your saved recipes, with a short reason for each | AnyList: Yes |
| Shopping list | ReelsMeals: YesBuilt from the plan; send to Apple Reminders on iOS | AnyList: YesIts strength |
| Lists shared with the household | ReelsMeals: No | AnyList: YesSynced across the family |
| Where it runs | ReelsMeals: Any browserPhone, tablet, laptop | AnyList: Apps and webiPhone, Android and the web |
| Claude, ChatGPT and other assistants | ReelsMeals: YesOver MCP, revoke any time | AnyList: Not listed |
| Free to start | ReelsMeals: YesSave public recipes; 3 imports of links or scans | AnyList: YesLimited; Complete is paid |
When AnyList wins.
You shop as a household.
AnyList keeps one grocery list in sync across the family. ReelsMeals builds a list from your plan, without shared household lists.
You want the cheaper plan.
AnyList Complete costs about $10 a year. ReelsMeals costs more.
You want a phone app.
AnyList has apps for iPhone and Android as well as the web. ReelsMeals runs in the browser.
Moving from AnyList.
First, keep AnyList.
Nothing in it changes. Move a few recipes, cook from them for a week, then decide.
Then copy the source links.
Recipes AnyList saved from a website usually keep a link to that site. Copy the links of the ones you still cook.
Paste them, 50 at a time.
ReelsMeals reads each page again and writes the recipe down, credited and linked. A free account includes 3 imports of links or scans, which you can spend on a small batch; a plan imports the rest. Keep the tab open until every batch is sent; queued imports carry on on the server.
Bring the reels AnyList never had.
Request your saved posts from Instagram’s Download your information page and drop the file in. Paste TikTok and YouTube links in the same box.
Recipes you typed into AnyList by hand have no link to follow: copy the recipe text into manual entry, or scan a printout. ReelsMeals can’t read AnyList’s own export file yet.
Questions.
Which is better, AnyList or ReelsMeals?
If the job is a shared grocery list for your household, AnyList is the better choice. Its lists sync across the family, and AnyList Complete costs about $10 a year. If the job is getting recipes out of the Instagram Reels, TikToks and YouTube videos you've saved, ReelsMeals is the better choice. AnyList only imports from recipe websites, while ReelsMeals reads the videos themselves and brings a whole backlog over at once.
Can AnyList import recipes from Instagram or TikTok?
No. AnyList imports recipes from websites, through its browser extension and the share sheet. It doesn’t read a recipe out of a video. ReelsMeals reads a reel’s caption, on-screen text and voiceover.
Can I use both?
Yes. Many people keep AnyList for the household grocery list and use ReelsMeals for the recipes they saved from videos.
Bring the reels AnyList can’t.
Paste one saved reel and get the recipe back, credited to its creator. You can usually try one without an account, and a free account adds 3 imports.
Comparing other apps? Paprika, Pestle, Mela, Samsung Food, Copy Me That, ReciMe, Crouton and Recipe Keeper. Or see all comparisons.