If you searched for a PlateJoy review because you wanted to sign up, here is the short answer: you can’t. PlateJoy’s own support page carries a notice that the service ended on July 1, 2025, and the platejoy.com website no longer loads. The app people used to praise for taking the guesswork out of dinner is gone.
I originally wrote this page as a review. I’ve rebuilt it because a review of a closed app wastes your time. Below you’ll find what PlateJoy was, what happened to it, how to check whether any meal-planning app you’re considering is still alive, and what to use now. One warning up front: Mealime, the app this page used to compare PlateJoy with, says it shuts down on October 21, 2026, so it isn’t a safe long-term pick either.
Is PlateJoy still available?
No. The PlateJoy support center opens with a notice that PlateJoy was ending on July 1, 2025. The main website no longer resolves at all, which is why I removed the old link to it from this page. If you still see PlateJoy listed as a “top meal planning app” somewhere, that page is out of date.
That matters for a practical reason. Apps can keep ranking in search results and app-store listings long after the company stops serving customers. If a site tells you to “start your free trial” for a service that has closed, the safest assumption is that the page was never updated, so don’t enter payment details anywhere you can’t confirm the service is live.
What PlateJoy actually did
It’s worth remembering what the app offered, because that tells you what to look for in a replacement. PlateJoy was a subscription meal-planning service. You answered a profile questionnaire about your goals, dietary preferences, allergies, household size and how much time you had to cook, and it built weekly menus around those answers. From the menu it generated a grocery list, and its support pages described options to send that list to delivery services such as Instacart and Amazon Fresh, to swap meals you didn’t like, and to set a calorie goal.
Here are the video walkthroughs and the infographic that were part of the original review, kept for reference so you can see the workflow people were paying for.
Those three pieces show the whole idea: decide the week once, let the list follow from the menu, and shop once. Any replacement you choose should do at least that much.
How to check whether a meal-planning app is still alive
Meal-planning apps close more often than most people expect, and cancelled subscriptions are a hassle you can avoid. Before you commit to any app, run these five checks, which take about ten minutes.
- Open the company’s own website. If the domain doesn’t load, or the home page has a banner about ending service, stop there.
- Read the support or help center, not the sales page. Shutdown notices usually appear on the help pages first.
- Check the app store listing’s “last updated” date. An app untouched for more than a year is a warning sign.
- Look for a free tier or trial you can cancel in-app. Subscriptions started in the Apple App Store or Google Play have to be cancelled there, not on the company’s website.
- Find out what happens to your recipes and data. Mealime’s notice, for example, says personal data will be deleted when the app shuts down, so save anything you care about before the date.
What to use instead of PlateJoy
I checked each of these options’ own websites on the day I updated this page. Prices change often, so I’ve only listed a price where the company or my own shop states one.
| Option | Best for | Status and cost |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung Food | Saving recipes, meal planning and a grocery list in one app | Live. Its website describes the app as free to download; check current premium pricing on the site. |
| Eat This Much | Plans built around a calorie or macro target, with weekly plans and grocery lists | Live. Check the site for current free and paid options. |
| Meals Hub (Albertsons Companies store apps) | Shoppers who already buy groceries from those stores | Named by Mealime as its successor and described there as free. |
| Mealime | Quick weeknight dinners | Closing October 21, 2026, so avoid starting it now. |
| A paper planner | People who want no subscription and no app that can disappear | My 4-Week Weight Loss Planner is $5. |
If you want an app, Samsung Food is the closest all-in-one replacement I found that is clearly alive: it lists recipe saving, meal planning and grocery shopping together. If your main goal is hitting a calorie target, Eat This Much starts from the numbers and builds meals around them, which is a different philosophy from PlateJoy’s preference-first approach. Neither of them replaces the human judgment of someone who knows your week, so treat whatever it generates as a draft you edit.
The no-subscription option: plan your week on paper
Here is what I find most useful about the PlateJoy shutdown: it shows the risk of renting your routine from an app. A planner you own can’t be switched off. If you’re trying to lose weight, my 4-Week Weight Loss Planner gives you printable pages for goals, habits, meals, workouts and progress, and you can use it alongside any free app for the recipes.
📋 Want a meal plan that can’t be shut down?
The 4-Week Weight Loss Planner is a printable set of pages for your goals, meals, habits and weekly check-ins. Use it with any app, or on its own.
How to build a PlateJoy-style week yourself in 30 minutes
You don’t need software to copy the part of PlateJoy that actually worked. Here is the routine, with a worked example.
Step 1: Set your constraints first
Write down how many dinners you really need to cook (most people need four or five, not seven), how long you have on weeknights, any allergies or foods to avoid, and your rough calorie target if you have one. If you don’t know your target, my calorie deficit calculator gives you a starting estimate.
Step 2: Pick two proteins, two vegetables and two starches
Repeating a few ingredients across several meals is what keeps a grocery bill down. For example: chicken thighs and lentils; broccoli and carrots; rice and potatoes. Then combine them into four dinners, such as a chicken, rice and broccoli tray bake, a lentil and carrot stew, a baked potato night, and a stir-fry using whatever is left.
Go meal by meal, tick off what’s already in your cupboard, and write only what’s missing, grouped by store section. This is the “smart grocery list” feature in plain form. If budget is your main constraint, my guide to frugal meal planning shows how to build menus around the cheapest ingredients.
Step 4: Leave one night open
Every plan breaks somewhere. A planned gap for leftovers or a night out keeps one missed meal from making you abandon the whole week.
If you’d rather start from finished menus than a blank page, my free customized meal plans page and the Mediterranean diet 1-week meal plan both come with grocery lists.
What a meal-planning app can and can’t do for weight loss
PlateJoy’s marketing leaned on the idea that planning makes weight loss “way easier.” I’d put it more carefully. A plan removes the 6 p.m. decision, which is when many people reach for takeout, but no app can do the eating for you, and the quality of its calorie and nutrient estimates depends on the recipes behind it. Apps also can’t account for medical conditions, medications, pregnancy or a history of disordered eating. If any of those apply to you, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian to set your targets before you follow an app’s numbers.
If your real goal is to lose weight, comparing plans can help. My Noom vs WeightWatchers comparison covers two of the larger programs, and the Klinio review is another example of an app-based program whose status you should check before paying. If you’re curious about apps that pay you to move more, see the get-paid-to-lose-weight apps I compared.
Common mistakes when you switch planners
- Not exporting your favorites. Copy the recipes you love into a note or document before an app closes, because deleted accounts usually mean deleted data.
- Planning seven dinners. Plan fewer meals than you think you need and let leftovers fill the gaps.
- Trusting the calories blindly. App estimates are averages. Use them as a guide, then adjust based on how your body responds over several weeks.
- Paying annually up front for a new app. Start with the free tier or a monthly plan until you know it fits your week.
Frequently asked questions
Did PlateJoy shut down?
Yes. PlateJoy’s support center states that the service ended on July 1, 2025.
What is the best alternative to PlateJoy?
It depends on what you valued. For an all-in-one recipe, planning and grocery app, look at Samsung Food. For calorie-driven plans, look at Eat This Much. For no subscription at all, a printed planner works.
How much did PlateJoy cost?
PlateJoy was a paid subscription. I removed the price list that used to be here because I can’t verify the final pricing now that the service has closed.
Is Mealime a safe replacement?
Not for new users. Mealime’s own website says it shuts down on October 21, 2026, and points users to Meals Hub in Albertsons Companies store apps.
Can a meal-planning app replace advice from a dietitian?
No. Apps are useful for organizing food, but if you have a medical condition, take medication, are pregnant, or follow a restrictive diet, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian first.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Written by Nada, certified in Nutrition Science (Zewail International Academy) with a pharmacy degree. This article is educational and not a substitute for personal medical advice.
