Best free WordPress recipe plugins
Every plugin in this comparison has a free version, but they hold back different things. One gives nutrition calculation free and charges for adjustable servings. Another does the opposite.
The right free plugin depends on which paid feature you can least do without.
Our picks
- Best free nutrition calculation
Create
Free automatic nutrition calculation, free reviews, and JSON-LD for recipes, how-tos and lists. Adjustable servings and unit conversion are paid.
Active installs: 6,000+ · 4.32 / 5 (25 ratings) · From $150 / year
Create review → - Best overall for food blogs
WP Recipe Maker
Free JSON-LD, Guided Recipes markup, template editor, step photos and importers. Adjustable servings and the nutrition label are paid.
Active installs: 50,000+ · 4.96 / 5 (355 ratings) · From $49 / year
WP Recipe Maker review → - Best free option for a recipe directory
Plugixa Recipe
Free JSON-LD, visitor submissions, reviews with photos, adjustable servings, unit conversion, cook mode, step timers and nutrition calculation from USDA data. Importers are paid.
Active installs: Fewer than 10 · No ratings yet · From €39 / year
Plugixa Recipe review → - Best value for several sites
Recipe Card Blocks
Free cook mode, star ratings, nutrition block and an AI recipe generator. Adjustable servings are paid, and there is no Classic Editor support.
Active installs: 10,000+ · 4.8 / 5 (20 ratings) · From $59 / year
Recipe Card Blocks review → - Most complete free reader tools
Cooked
Free timers, servings switcher, nutrition label, full-screen cooking view and recipe search. Ratings and favourites are paid.
Active installs: 3,000+ · 3.89 / 5 (90 ratings) · From $49 / year
Cooked review → - Best for a recipe site with a one-time payment
WP Delicious
Free recipe index, advanced search, favourites and nine blocks. Visitor submissions are paid.
Active installs: 4,000+ · 4.9 / 5 (71 ratings) · From $59 / year
WP Delicious review →
How we chose
A feature counts as free only if the vendor's own page lists it in the free version. Where we could not confirm the tier, the table says "Not checked".
If you care most about how recipes appear in Google, note that JSON-LD is free in every plugin here, though for Cooked it was only partly confirmed.
The picks side by side
Scroll sideways to see more plugins, or untick some above.
| Feature | Create | WP Recipe Maker | Plugixa Recipe | Recipe Card Blocks | Cooked | WP Delicious |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structured data | ||||||
| Recipe schema (JSON-LD)Outputs Recipe structured data as JSON-LD, the format Google recommends for recipe rich results. | 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. | YesFree | PartialFreeThe plugin outputs schema.org recipe data, described as microdata on wordpress.org. JSON-LD was not confirmed. | YesFree |
| Guided Recipes markupMarks each step so the recipe is eligible for step-by-step guidance on smart displays and Google Assistant. | Not checked | YesFree | YesFreeSteps are marked as HowToStep, and named step groups as HowToSection. | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked |
| Editors and placement | ||||||
| Block editor (Gutenberg)Has its own block for adding a recipe in the WordPress block editor. | 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. | YesFree | Not checked | YesFreeNine blocks. |
| Classic EditorRecipes can be added to posts from the Classic Editor. | YesFree | YesFree | PartialFreeThrough the shortcode. There is no editor button. | NoThe vendor FAQ says the blocks work only with the block editor. | Not checked | Not checked |
| ElementorHas its own Elementor widget. | Not checked | YesFree | YesFreeA widget that embeds one recipe and a widget for recipe listings. | YesFree | Not checked | PartialFreeThrough the free Delisho companion plugin. |
| ShortcodeA shortcode displays a recipe or a recipe listing anywhere shortcodes run. | YesFree | YesFree | YesFree | YesFree | YesFree | PartialFreeA shortcode exists for the "Surprise Me" random recipe feature only. |
| Recipe card inside a postA full recipe card can be placed inside a normal blog post, under your own writing. | YesFree | YesFree | YesFreeEmbeds an existing recipe in a post; the recipe's own page then names the post as canonical. | YesFree | Not checked | YesFreeThe Dynamic Recipe Card block. |
| Standalone recipe pagesEach recipe gets its own page and URL, separate from blog posts. | Not checked | Not checked | YesFree | 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 | 4 listing layouts, all free; 1 recipe page template, plus print and round-up views | 3 card styles free; 5 to 6 in Pro | 3 layouts, in Pro | 3 layouts free; 8 in Pro |
| 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 visual editor for listing designs (columns, colours, type, spacing). The single recipe page has one template, changed only by a theme template override. | Not checked | PartialFreeA shortcode-based template system, not a visual editor. | Not checked |
| Ingredients | ||||||
| Ingredient groupsIngredients can be split under headings such as "For the sauce". | Not checked | YesFree | YesFree | Not checked | YesFree | Not checked |
| Adjustable servingsReaders change the number of servings and the quantities recalculate. | YesPaid: Create Pro | YesPaid: Premium | YesFree | YesPaid: Pro | YesFree | Not checked |
| Unit conversionReaders switch between US and metric units on the recipe. | YesPaid: Create Pro | 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. | YesPaid: Pro | Not checked | Not checked |
| Ingredient linksIngredients can link out, for example to an affiliate product. | Not checked | YesPaid: Premium | YesFreeA link per ingredient, entered by hand and marked nofollow. There is no global link manager. | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked |
| 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. | YesFree | YesPaid: Pro | Not checked | YesPaid: Pro |
| Instructions | ||||||
| Step photosA photo or video can be attached to an individual step. | Not checked | YesFree | YesFreeA photo and a video per step in the editor; the public form takes a photo per step. | YesPaid: ProAn image gallery in the directions is a Pro feature. | Not checked | Not checked |
| TimersTimes in the instructions become timers the reader can start. | YesPaid: Create ProPart of Interactive Mode. | YesPaid: Premium | YesFree | Not checked | YesFree | YesPaid: Pro |
| Nutrition | ||||||
| Nutrition labelNutrition values are entered by hand and shown as a nutrition facts label. | YesFree | YesPaid: Premium | YesFree | YesFree | 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. | YesFreeCalculated from USDA FoodData Central with your own free API key. It is off by default, and you confirm each ingredient match and weight. | YesPaid: ProfessionalThe vendor says it is based on the USDA database. | YesPaid: ProUses the Edamam API. | Not checked |
| Reader tools | ||||||
| Star ratingsReaders can rate a recipe out of five stars. | YesFree | YesFreeRatings through comments are free. Rating inside the card needs Premium. | YesFreeIts own review system with moderation, optional photos and helpful votes. It does not use WordPress comments. | YesFreeStar and comment ratings are free. Written reviews in a rating popup need Pro. | YesPaid: Pro | YesFree |
| Print viewA print button opens a clean, printable version of the recipe. | Not checked | YesFree | YesFree | Not checked | YesFree | YesFree |
| Jump to recipeA button at the top of a post scrolls straight to the recipe card. | Not checked | YesFree | YesFreeOn posts that embed a recipe, with a print button next to it. Recipe pages do not need it. | Not checked | Not checked | YesFree |
| Cook modeA switch keeps the reader's screen awake while cooking. | YesPaid: Create ProInteractive Mode, a hands-free view with checklists. | YesPaid: Premium | YesFree | YesFree | PartialFreeA full-screen cooking view. A keep-screen-awake switch was not confirmed. | PartialPaid: ProA focused reading mode. A keep-screen-awake switch was not confirmed. |
| Saved recipesReaders can save recipes and find them again later. | Not checked | YesPaid: Premium | YesFreeLogged-in users save recipes and see them on a "saved recipes" account page. | Not checked | YesPaid: Pro | YesFree |
| Meal planner and shopping listReaders build a meal plan or shopping list from recipes on the site. | Not checked | YesPaid: Elite | PartialFreeVisitors have a shopping list, kept in the browser or in their account. Meal plans are made by site editors in the admin. | Not checked | Not checked | PartialPaid add-onThe meal planner is a paid add-on. A shopping list was not confirmed. |
| 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. | YesFree | YesPaid: Pro | YesFree | YesFree |
| Visitor-submitted recipesVisitors send in recipes through a form on the site, for you to moderate. | Not checked | YesPaid: Elite | YesFree | YesPaid: Pro | YesPaid: Pro | YesPaid: Pro |
| WPML or Polylang supportDeclares compatibility with a multilingual plugin so recipes can be translated. | Not checked | Not checked | YesFreeWPML and Polylang support, with translatable categories and cuisines and a language per recipe. | YesFreeWPML support is listed in the free version. | Not checked | Not checked |
| 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 | WP Recipe Maker, Tasty Recipes, Create, WP Delicious, Cooked, Zip Recipes and Recipe Card Blocks, plus CSV and JSON (Pro) | WP Recipe Maker | CSV import | Not checked |
| AI recipe draftingGenerates a recipe draft with an AI model. | Not checked | Not checked | YesPaid: ProDrafts from a topic, a URL or an uploaded document, with your own OpenAI or Gemini key. | YesFreePaid plans list 3 AI credits included. | Not checked | YesPaid add-on |
- 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.