Grocery List and AnyList are both shared grocery list apps for iPhone, but they're built for different households. AnyList is a full kitchen organizer: recipes, a meal-planning calendar and the shopping list in one, across iPhone, Android, Mac, Apple Watch and the web, with an AnyList account and a yearly subscription (AnyList Complete) for most extras. Grocery List is only a shopping list, for iPhone and iPad: no account, no ads, a notebook-style design, and one payment instead of a subscription for sharing and recipe import.
Grocery List is our app. The AnyList facts below come from AnyList's website and App Store listing, checked on the date at the top of this page.
At a glance
| Grocery List | AnyList | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free; Premium is one payment, no subscription | Free; AnyList Complete is $9.99/year, or $14.99/year for a household (US) |
| Ads | None | None mentioned |
| Account | None; uses your Apple ID through iCloud | AnyList account |
| Shared lists | Premium (only the person sharing needs it) | Free |
| Recipe import | Premium: most recipe sites, plus TikTok, Instagram and YouTube captions | Websites, via the share extension; 5 recipes on the free tier |
| Meal planning | No | Yes, a meal-planning calendar |
| Siri | Yes | Yes, plus Alexa |
| Photo of a handwritten list | Yes, free | Not stated |
| Lock Screen | Live Activity you can check off; widgets | Home Screen widgets |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Android, Mac, web (web needs Complete) |
Where Grocery List is different
- One payment, not a subscription. Sharing, recipe import, templates and item photos come with Premium, which you buy once.
- No account. Your list lives in your own iCloud, and the people you share with use their Apple IDs.
- Recipes from social video. Share a TikTok, Instagram or YouTube recipe and the ingredients in its caption or description become list items.
- Photo of a paper list. Take a picture of a handwritten list and the items are typed up for you, for free.
- The Lock Screen. Your list can sit on the Lock Screen as a Live Activity, and you check items off without unlocking.
When AnyList is the better pick
- You plan meals. AnyList keeps recipes and a meal calendar next to the list. Grocery List doesn't store recipes or plan meals.
- Someone at home uses Android, or you want the list on a Mac, Apple Watch or the web. Grocery List is iPhone and iPad only.
- You want free sharing. Sharing in AnyList is free. In Grocery List it needs Premium on the sharer's side.
FAQ
Is AnyList free?
AnyList is free to download and share lists with. AnyList Complete, a yearly subscription, adds unlimited recipes, themes, the web app and more. It was $9.99 a year, or $14.99 for a household, on the US App Store on the date above.
Can I move my list from AnyList to Grocery List?
There's no import. The quickest way is to copy your items as text, one per line, then open Grocery List, tap + and choose Paste from Clipboard. Each line becomes an item.