Create alternatives
Create has a strong free version and is under active development again since its sale by Mediavine in 2025. People look elsewhere because of the paid price or because of the quiet years before the change of owner.
Why people look for an alternative
- Create Pro costs $150 a year for one site, the highest single-site price here.
- Adjustable servings, unit conversion and the hands-free mode are paid.
- Its wordpress.org rating is lower than the other card plugins.
- Nutrition calculation and some other features run through the vendor's hosted service.
The alternatives
- Best overall for food blogs
WP Recipe Maker
The largest install base, a free template editor, and a free importer for Create recipes.
Active installs: 50,000+ · 4.96 / 5 (355 ratings) · From $49 / year
WP Recipe Maker review → - Simplest paid plans
Tasty Recipes
Simple plans from $49 in the first year. It imports from Create.
Active installs: 2,000+ · 5.0 / 5 (2 ratings) · From $49 / year
Tasty Recipes review → - Best value for several sites
Recipe Card Blocks
Servings, unit conversion and cook mode for less, with cook mode free. It has no Create importer.
Active installs: 10,000+ · 4.8 / 5 (20 ratings) · From $59 / year
Recipe Card Blocks review → - Best free option for a recipe directory
Plugixa Recipe
Adjustable servings, reviews, submissions and nutrition calculation free, in a recipe database. Its Create importer is in Pro.
Active installs: Fewer than 10 · No ratings yet · From €39 / year
Plugixa Recipe review →
Moving your recipes
WP Recipe Maker and Tasty Recipes both ship free importers for Create, and Plugixa Recipe has one in Pro. If you rely on Create's free nutrition calculation, note that WP Recipe Maker and Tasty Recipes charge for the equivalent, while Plugixa Recipe's is free with your own USDA API key.
The picks side by side
Scroll sideways to see more plugins, or untick some above.
| Feature | Create | WP Recipe Maker | Tasty Recipes | Recipe Card Blocks | Plugixa Recipe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structured data | |||||
| Recipe schema (JSON-LD)Outputs Recipe structured data as JSON-LD, the format Google recommends for recipe rich results. | YesFree | YesFree | YesFree | YesFree | YesFreeRecipe JSON-LD with breadcrumbs on recipe pages and an ItemList on listings. It can be switched off site-wide or per recipe. |
| Guided Recipes markupMarks each step so the recipe is eligible for step-by-step guidance on smart displays and Google Assistant. | Not checked | YesFree | YesFree | Not checked | YesFreeSteps are marked as HowToStep, and named step groups as HowToSection. |
| Editors and placement | |||||
| Block editor (Gutenberg)Has its own block for adding a recipe in the WordPress block editor. | YesFree | YesFree | YesFree | YesFree | YesFreeA Recipe block that embeds one existing recipe, and a block for recipe listings. Recipes are written in the plugin's own editor. |
| Classic EditorRecipes can be added to posts from the Classic Editor. | YesFree | YesFree | YesFree | NoThe vendor FAQ says the blocks work only with the block editor. | PartialFreeThrough the shortcode. There is no editor button. |
| ElementorHas its own Elementor widget. | Not checked | YesFree | YesFree | YesFree | YesFreeA widget that embeds one recipe and a widget for recipe listings. |
| ShortcodeA shortcode displays a recipe or a recipe listing anywhere shortcodes run. | YesFree | YesFree | Not checked | YesFree | YesFree |
| Recipe card inside a postA full recipe card can be placed inside a normal blog post, under your own writing. | YesFree | YesFree | YesFree | YesFree | YesFreeEmbeds an existing recipe in a post; the recipe's own page then names the post as canonical. |
| Standalone recipe pagesEach recipe gets its own page and URL, separate from blog posts. | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked | YesFree |
| Design | |||||
| Templates and layoutsHow many recipe designs come with the plugin. | 5 card styles free; 2 more in Pro | Template Editor with unlimited custom templates (free); extra templates in Premium | 3 templates free; 11 on paid plans | 3 card styles free; 5 to 6 in Pro | 4 listing layouts, all free; 1 recipe page template, plus print and round-up views |
| Template editorA visual tool for changing the structure of a recipe template, beyond colours. | PartialPaid: Create ProCustom CSS only, in the paid plan. | YesFree | PartialFreeA template styler for colours and options, not a structural editor. | Not checked | PartialFreeA visual editor for listing designs (columns, colours, type, spacing). The single recipe page has one template, changed only by a theme template override. |
| Ingredients | |||||
| Ingredient groupsIngredients can be split under headings such as "For the sauce". | Not checked | YesFree | Not checked | Not checked | YesFree |
| Adjustable servingsReaders change the number of servings and the quantities recalculate. | YesPaid: Create Pro | YesPaid: Premium | YesPaid: Basic | YesPaid: Pro | YesFree |
| Unit conversionReaders switch between US and metric units on the recipe. | YesPaid: Create Pro | YesPaid: Pro | YesPaid: Basic | YesPaid: Pro | YesFreeConverts the volume and weight units in the site's units table, which ships with the common ones. Other lines stay as written. |
| Ingredient linksIngredients can link out, for example to an affiliate product. | Not checked | YesPaid: Premium | YesFreeLinks are added by hand. Automatic linking needs the separate Tasty Links plugin. | Not checked | YesFreeA link per ingredient, entered by hand and marked nofollow. There is no global link manager. |
| Equipment listA section listing the tools a recipe needs, shown to readers. | Not checked | YesPaid: PremiumEquipment links are confirmed in Premium. Whether a plain equipment list is free was not checked. | PartialPaid: All AccessNeeds Tasty Links, included in the All Access plan. | YesPaid: Pro | YesFree |
| Instructions | |||||
| Step photosA photo or video can be attached to an individual step. | Not checked | YesFree | Not checked | YesPaid: ProAn image gallery in the directions is a Pro feature. | YesFreeA photo and a video per step in the editor; the public form takes a photo per step. |
| TimersTimes in the instructions become timers the reader can start. | YesPaid: Create ProPart of Interactive Mode. | YesPaid: Premium | Not checked | Not checked | YesFree |
| Nutrition | |||||
| Nutrition labelNutrition values are entered by hand and shown as a nutrition facts label. | YesFree | YesPaid: Premium | YesPaid: Basic | YesFree | YesFree |
| Automatic nutrition calculationNutrition values are calculated from the ingredient list using a food database. | YesFreeUses API Ninjas, relayed through the vendor's service. | YesPaid: ProUses the Spoonacular API. | PartialPaid: NutrifoxThrough Nutrifox, a separate paid service from the same company. | YesPaid: ProfessionalThe vendor says it is based on the USDA database. | YesFreeCalculated from USDA FoodData Central with your own free API key. It is off by default, and you confirm each ingredient match and weight. |
| Reader tools | |||||
| Star ratingsReaders can rate a recipe out of five stars. | YesFree | YesFreeRatings through comments are free. Rating inside the card needs Premium. | YesFreeStar ratings are taken from comments. | YesFreeStar and comment ratings are free. Written reviews in a rating popup need Pro. | YesFreeIts own review system with moderation, optional photos and helpful votes. It does not use WordPress comments. |
| Print viewA print button opens a clean, printable version of the recipe. | Not checked | YesFree | YesFree | Not checked | YesFree |
| Jump to recipeA button at the top of a post scrolls straight to the recipe card. | Not checked | YesFree | YesFree | Not checked | YesFreeOn posts that embed a recipe, with a print button next to it. Recipe pages do not need it. |
| Cook modeA switch keeps the reader's screen awake while cooking. | YesPaid: Create ProInteractive Mode, a hands-free view with checklists. | YesPaid: Premium | YesPaid: Basic | YesFree | YesFree |
| Saved recipesReaders can save recipes and find them again later. | Not checked | YesPaid: Premium | PartialPaid: BasicReaders can email a recipe to themselves or save through Grow or Slickstream. There is no built-in saved list. | Not checked | YesFreeLogged-in users save recipes and see them on a "saved recipes" account page. |
| Meal planner and shopping listReaders build a meal plan or shopping list from recipes on the site. | Not checked | YesPaid: Elite | Not checked | Not checked | PartialFreeVisitors have a shopping list, kept in the browser or in their account. Meal plans are made by site editors in the admin. |
| Building a recipe site | |||||
| Recipe index and searchListing pages where visitors browse, filter and search all recipes. | PartialFreeA List card type for round-ups. A searchable recipe index was not confirmed. | PartialFreeRecipe search is free. A browsable index needs the separate WP Ultimate Post Grid plugin. | Not checked | YesPaid: Pro | YesFree |
| Visitor-submitted recipesVisitors send in recipes through a form on the site, for you to moderate. | Not checked | YesPaid: Elite | Not checked | YesPaid: Pro | YesFree |
| WPML or Polylang supportDeclares compatibility with a multilingual plugin so recipes can be translated. | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked | YesFreeWPML support is listed in the free version. | YesFreeWPML and Polylang support, with translatable categories and cuisines and a language per recipe. |
| Migration and extras | |||||
| ImportersWhich other recipe plugins it can import recipes from. | 11 plugins, including WP Recipe Maker, Tasty Recipes and Zip Recipes | 20+ plugins, including Tasty Recipes, Create, WP Delicious, Recipe Card Blocks, Cooked and Zip Recipes | 11 sources, including WP Recipe Maker, Create and Zip Recipes | WP Recipe Maker | WP Recipe Maker, Tasty Recipes, Create, WP Delicious, Cooked, Zip Recipes and Recipe Card Blocks, plus CSV and JSON (Pro) |
| AI recipe draftingGenerates a recipe draft with an AI model. | Not checked | Not checked | NoNo AI drafting. The plugin offers a setting to block AI scrapers. | YesFreePaid plans list 3 AI credits included. | YesPaid: ProDrafts from a topic, a URL or an uploaded document, with your own OpenAI or Gemini key. |
- Yes: The plugin does this.
- Partial: It does part of this; the note says what is missing.
- No: The plugin does not do this.
- Not checked: We could not confirm it from the vendor's own pages, so we do not claim either way.