WP Recipe Maker alternatives
WP Recipe Maker is the most used recipe plugin and a sound default. People usually look elsewhere because of how its features are split across three paid tiers, or because they need something other than a card in a post.
Why people look for an alternative
- Nutrition calculation and unit conversion need the Pro tier at $99 a year.
- Collections, meal planning and visitor submissions need Elite at $149 a year.
- Adjustable servings and cook mode are not in the free version.
- A browsable recipe index needs a separate plugin.
The alternatives
- Best value for several sites
Recipe Card Blocks
Cook mode is free, and the Business plan covers 10 sites for $99 a year. It imports from WP Recipe Maker.
Active installs: 10,000+ · 4.8 / 5 (20 ratings) · From $59 / year
Recipe Card Blocks review → - Best free nutrition calculation
Create
Automatic nutrition calculation is free. It imports from WP Recipe Maker.
Active installs: 6,000+ · 4.32 / 5 (25 ratings) · From $150 / year
Create review → - Simplest paid plans
Tasty Recipes
Every paid plan includes the same features, so there are no feature tiers to compare. It imports from WP Recipe Maker.
Active installs: 2,000+ · 5.0 / 5 (2 ratings) · From $49 / year
Tasty Recipes review → - Best for a recipe site with a one-time payment
WP Delicious
A recipe index, search and favourites are free, and a lifetime licence is available. An importer from WP Recipe Maker was not confirmed.
Active installs: 4,000+ · 4.9 / 5 (71 ratings) · From $59 / year
WP Delicious review → - Best free option for a recipe directory
Plugixa Recipe
Visitor submissions, reviews, a recipe index, cook mode, unit conversion and nutrition calculation are free. It is a recipe database first, and its WP Recipe Maker importer is in Pro.
Active installs: Fewer than 10 · No ratings yet · From €39 / year
Plugixa Recipe review →
Moving your recipes
Recipe Card Blocks, Create and Tasty Recipes each ship a free importer for WP Recipe Maker recipes. Plugixa Recipe has one in Pro; it copies the text, times, ingredients, instructions, images and nutrition, but not ratings. Test any importer on a staging copy first and check that ratings and images came across.
The picks side by side
Scroll sideways to see more plugins, or untick some above.
| Feature | WP Recipe Maker | Recipe Card Blocks | Create | Tasty Recipes | WP Delicious | 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 | 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. | YesFree | Not checked | Not checked | 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 | YesFreeNine blocks. | 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 | NoThe vendor FAQ says the blocks work only with the block editor. | YesFree | YesFree | Not checked | PartialFreeThrough the shortcode. There is no editor button. |
| ElementorHas its own Elementor widget. | YesFree | YesFree | Not checked | YesFree | PartialFreeThrough the free Delisho companion plugin. | 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 | YesFree | Not checked | PartialFreeA shortcode exists for the "Surprise Me" random recipe feature only. | 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 | YesFreeThe Dynamic Recipe Card block. | 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 | YesFree |
| Design | ||||||
| Templates and layoutsHow many recipe designs come with the plugin. | Template Editor with unlimited custom templates (free); extra templates in Premium | 3 card styles free; 5 to 6 in Pro | 5 card styles free; 2 more in Pro | 3 templates free; 11 on paid plans | 3 layouts free; 8 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. | YesFree | Not checked | PartialPaid: Create ProCustom CSS only, in the paid plan. | 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". | YesFree | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked | YesFree |
| Adjustable servingsReaders change the number of servings and the quantities recalculate. | YesPaid: Premium | YesPaid: Pro | YesPaid: Create Pro | YesPaid: Basic | Not checked | YesFree |
| Unit conversionReaders switch between US and metric units on the recipe. | YesPaid: Pro | YesPaid: Pro | YesPaid: Create Pro | YesPaid: Basic | Not checked | 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. | YesPaid: Premium | Not checked | Not checked | 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. | YesPaid: PremiumEquipment links are confirmed in Premium. Whether a plain equipment list is free was not checked. | YesPaid: Pro | 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. | YesFree | YesPaid: ProAn image gallery in the directions is a Pro feature. | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked | 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: Premium | Not checked | YesPaid: Create ProPart of Interactive Mode. | Not checked | YesPaid: Pro | YesFree |
| Nutrition | ||||||
| Nutrition labelNutrition values are entered by hand and shown as a nutrition facts label. | YesPaid: Premium | YesFree | YesFree | YesPaid: Basic | YesFree | YesFree |
| Automatic nutrition calculationNutrition values are calculated from the ingredient list using a food database. | YesPaid: ProUses the Spoonacular API. | YesPaid: ProfessionalThe vendor says it is based on the USDA database. | YesFreeUses API Ninjas, relayed through the vendor's service. | PartialPaid: NutrifoxThrough Nutrifox, a separate paid service from the same company. | Not checked | 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. | YesFreeRatings through comments are free. Rating inside the card needs Premium. | YesFreeStar and comment ratings are free. Written reviews in a rating popup need Pro. | YesFree | YesFreeStar ratings are taken from comments. | YesFree | 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. | YesFree | Not checked | Not checked | YesFree | YesFree | YesFree |
| Jump to recipeA button at the top of a post scrolls straight to the recipe card. | YesFree | Not checked | Not checked | YesFree | YesFree | 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: Premium | YesFree | YesPaid: Create ProInteractive Mode, a hands-free view with checklists. | YesPaid: Basic | PartialPaid: ProA focused reading mode. A keep-screen-awake switch was not confirmed. | YesFree |
| Saved recipesReaders can save recipes and find them again later. | YesPaid: Premium | Not checked | Not checked | PartialPaid: BasicReaders can email a recipe to themselves or save through Grow or Slickstream. There is no built-in saved list. | YesFree | 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. | YesPaid: Elite | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked | PartialPaid add-onThe meal planner is a paid add-on. A shopping list was not confirmed. | 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. | PartialFreeRecipe search is free. A browsable index needs the separate WP Ultimate Post Grid plugin. | YesPaid: Pro | PartialFreeA List card type for round-ups. A searchable recipe index was not confirmed. | Not checked | YesFree | YesFree |
| Visitor-submitted recipesVisitors send in recipes through a form on the site, for you to moderate. | YesPaid: Elite | YesPaid: Pro | Not checked | Not checked | YesPaid: Pro | YesFree |
| WPML or Polylang supportDeclares compatibility with a multilingual plugin so recipes can be translated. | Not checked | YesFreeWPML support is listed in the free version. | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked | 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. | 20+ plugins, including Tasty Recipes, Create, WP Delicious, Recipe Card Blocks, Cooked and Zip Recipes | WP Recipe Maker | 11 plugins, including WP Recipe Maker, Tasty Recipes and Zip Recipes | 11 sources, including WP Recipe Maker, Create and Zip Recipes | Not checked | 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 | YesFreePaid plans list 3 AI credits included. | Not checked | NoNo AI drafting. The plugin offers a setting to block AI scrapers. | YesPaid add-on | 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.