Overview

AnyList is a shared list app that also organizes recipes and connects meal plans to groceries. It is a strong fit for households coordinating shopping and cooking across devices; people who only need a basic list may find its paid recipe and planning tools unnecessary.

Instant updates, cloud backup, and support for Android, iOS, Mac, web, and an extension make it useful across a household’s mix of devices. AnyList’s privacy policy says it uses SSL encryption and reasonable safeguards, while acknowledging that security cannot be guaranteed.

For more options, see our Shopping List Apps guide.

Key features

Lists that adapt to daily errands

Shopping lists offer autocomplete and automatic grocery categorization, which can reduce the effort of keeping shared lists organized. Updates appear instantly for collaborators. Custom lists also cover tasks and packing, making AnyList more versatile than a grocery-only tool. Barcode scanning is supported, and items can be added by voice through Siri or Alexa.

Online shopping connects with Instacart, Walmart, Kroger, Safeway, Albertsons, Amazon Fresh, and H-E-B. That range is useful for shoppers who already use those services, though the app’s central strength remains coordinating lists rather than replacing a retailer’s own shopping experience.

Recipes and meal planning

Recipes can be grouped into collections and searched by name or ingredient. Their ingredients can be sent to a shopping list, linking recipe organization to the practical work of shopping. Imports from popular recipe sites and blogs are capped at five on the free plan; Complete removes that cap.

The meal-planning calendar accepts recipes and notes and can generate a grocery list for selected dates. That makes Complete the more compelling choice for people who plan meals regularly; occasional cooks can still use the free tier for shared lists without paying for planning tools.

Pricing

AnyList is freemium, with a free plan and two annual Complete subscriptions. The free plan costs 0.00 USD per free and includes core list creation and sharing plus up to five imported web recipes. It is a reasonable starting point for list-focused households, but the import cap and lack of meal planning leave recipe-heavy use cases constrained.

AnyList Complete — Individual: 9.99 USD per year, billed $9.99 / year. Includes unlimited web recipe imports, Mac and web apps, meal planning, and premium features. It suits one person who wants the full recipe and planning workflow.
AnyList Complete — Household: 14.99 USD per year, billed $14.99 / year. It includes a household subscription alongside unlimited imports, Mac and web apps, meal planning, and premium features. Choose it when a household subscription is preferable to an individual plan.

Complete subscribers also receive priority in the support queue; AnyList says it reads and responds to every email. Both paid options are annual, so the free plan is the lower-commitment choice for people who do not need the added planning and import capacity.

Platforms

AnyList supports Android, iOS, macOS, web, and an extension. Lists and recipes sync across signed-in devices, with account data backed up in the cloud. This breadth is a practical advantage for households that switch between phones and computers.

Who it's for

Choose AnyList if shared shopping lists are only part of the job and you also want recipes, meal planning, and grocery-list generation from planned meals. It is less suited to someone seeking only a lightweight grocery list or who does not want an annual subscription for unlimited imports and meal planning.

Pros and cons

Pros: Instant shared-list updates and automatic grocery categorization help households coordinate and keep shopping items orderly.
Pros: Recipe search, collections, ingredient-to-list transfer, and calendar-based meal planning connect cooking plans to shopping.
Pros: Android, iOS, Mac, web, and extension support, plus cross-device sync and cloud backup, support mixed-device use.
Cons: The free plan allows only five imported web recipes and does not include meal planning, limiting the app’s recipe workflow without Complete.
Cons: The full recipe and planning experience requires an annual paid plan, which is unnecessary for users who only need core lists.

Alternatives

Buy Me a Pie! is worth considering if a free trial and a specific allowance of three shopping lists shared with two other accounts fit better than AnyList’s recipe and meal-planning emphasis.

BuyBye may suit someone who wants a free tier with up to five shopping lists, two people per list, a five-recipe box, and current-week meal planning.

Listonic is an alternative for readers who prioritize unlimited lists on a free plan.

OurGroceries is a free option with list sharing and all features included, though its free app shows ads on a few screens.

Pepperjack is an iOS-only alternative whose free plan includes two lists, unlimited guests, shared lists, and real-time sync.

Bring! is another free option for core functions including shared shopping lists, recipes, and special offers.

Grocery Buddy is a free Android and iOS alternative with all features included.

GroceryShare offers a free tier with grocery lists, smart categories, shopping mode, and basic recipes for Android, iOS, and macOS.

Verdict

AnyList is the right choice for households that want shared lists to lead naturally into recipe organization and meal planning. Its main advantage is that connection, from recipe ingredients through a planned week’s grocery list; its chief trade-off is that unlimited imports and meal planning require an annual Complete subscription. If you need only straightforward shared lists, the free tier or a simpler alternative is likely enough.

	AnyList	Josh Approved Grocery List
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	$0.83/mo	Free
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Android, extension, iOS, macOS, Web	Android, iOS
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Shared lists	Yes	Yes
Real-time syncing	Yes	Yes
Barcode scanning	Yes	—
Recipe import	Yes	—

AnyList vs Josh Approved Grocery List

AnyList

Josh Approved Grocery List