Best WordPress recipe plugins
Seven recipe plugins are actively maintained on wordpress.org today. They fall into two groups. Card plugins add a recipe card to a blog post. Recipe site plugins give each recipe its own page and build an index around them.
The ranking below starts from the needs of a typical food blog, then covers the cases where another plugin fits better.
Our picks
- Best overall for food blogs
WP Recipe Maker
The default choice for a food blog. It has the largest user base, the best rating, and a free version with JSON-LD, Guided Recipes markup and a template editor. Expect to pay $99 a year once you need nutrition calculation or unit conversion.
Active installs: 50,000+ · 4.96 / 5 (355 ratings) · From $49 / year
WP Recipe Maker review → - Best value for several sites
Recipe Card Blocks
A clean block-editor card with cook mode free. The 10-site plan at $99 a year is the best multi-site price here. It does not support the Classic Editor.
Active installs: 10,000+ · 4.8 / 5 (20 ratings) · From $59 / year
Recipe Card Blocks review → - Best free nutrition calculation
Create
The best free version for nutrition, since the calculation is free. It also covers how-to and list cards. The paid plan is expensive at $150 a year.
Active installs: 6,000+ · 4.32 / 5 (25 ratings) · From $150 / year
Create review → - Best for a recipe site with a one-time payment
WP Delicious
The pick for building a whole recipe site, with a free index, search and favourites, and a lifetime licence. The vendor says the intended design depends on a compatible theme.
Active installs: 4,000+ · 4.9 / 5 (71 ratings) · From $59 / year
WP Delicious review → - Best free option for a recipe directory
Plugixa Recipe
Our own plugin. It is a recipe database with free JSON-LD, visitor submissions, reviews, reader tools and a nutrition calculator. It ranks here, not higher, because it is new, has no reviews yet, and is built around recipe pages more than blog cards.
Active installs: Fewer than 10 · No ratings yet · From €39 / year
Plugixa Recipe review → - Simplest paid plans
Tasty Recipes
A simple card with one feature set on every paid plan. It has no built-in nutrition calculator, and prices rise at renewal.
Active installs: 2,000+ · 5.0 / 5 (2 ratings) · From $49 / year
Tasty Recipes review → - Most complete free reader tools
Cooked
A complete free feature set for readers, including timers. Its rating is the lowest here because of older reviews about bugs and support, so check recent feedback first.
Active installs: 3,000+ · 3.89 / 5 (90 ratings) · From $49 / year
Cooked review →
How we chose
We ranked on four things that can be checked. They are what the free version includes, what the paid tiers cost per site, how actively the plugin is maintained, and what its wordpress.org users say.
We did not run speed tests, and we did not test every feature by hand. Values come from each vendor's own pages; the methodology page explains the limits of that.
The picks side by side
Scroll sideways to see more plugins, or untick some above.
| Feature | WP Recipe Maker | Recipe Card Blocks | Create | WP Delicious | Plugixa Recipe | Tasty Recipes | Cooked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | YesFree | PartialFreeThe plugin outputs schema.org recipe data, described as microdata on wordpress.org. JSON-LD was not confirmed. |
| 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 | Not checked | YesFreeSteps are marked as HowToStep, and named step groups as HowToSection. | YesFree | Not checked |
| Editors and placement | |||||||
| Block editor (Gutenberg)Has its own block for adding a recipe in the WordPress block editor. | 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. | YesFree | Not checked |
| 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 | Not checked | PartialFreeThrough the shortcode. There is no editor button. | YesFree | Not checked |
| ElementorHas its own Elementor widget. | YesFree | YesFree | Not checked | PartialFreeThrough the free Delisho companion plugin. | YesFreeA widget that embeds one recipe and a widget for recipe listings. | YesFree | Not checked |
| ShortcodeA shortcode displays a recipe or a recipe listing anywhere shortcodes run. | YesFree | YesFree | YesFree | PartialFreeA shortcode exists for the "Surprise Me" random recipe feature only. | YesFree | Not checked | YesFree |
| Recipe card inside a postA full recipe card can be placed inside a normal blog post, under your own writing. | 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. | YesFree | Not checked |
| Standalone recipe pagesEach recipe gets its own page and URL, separate from blog posts. | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked | YesFree | YesFree | Not checked | Not checked |
| 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 layouts free; 8 in Pro | 4 listing layouts, all free; 1 recipe page template, plus print and round-up views | 3 templates free; 11 on paid plans | 3 layouts, in Pro |
| 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. | 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. | PartialFreeA template styler for colours and options, not a structural editor. | PartialFreeA shortcode-based template system, not a visual editor. |
| Ingredients | |||||||
| Ingredient groupsIngredients can be split under headings such as "For the sauce". | YesFree | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked | YesFree | Not checked | YesFree |
| Adjustable servingsReaders change the number of servings and the quantities recalculate. | YesPaid: Premium | YesPaid: Pro | YesPaid: Create Pro | Not checked | YesFree | YesPaid: Basic | YesFree |
| Unit conversionReaders switch between US and metric units on the recipe. | YesPaid: Pro | YesPaid: Pro | YesPaid: Create Pro | 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. | YesPaid: Basic | Not checked |
| Ingredient linksIngredients can link out, for example to an affiliate product. | YesPaid: Premium | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked | YesFreeA link per ingredient, entered by hand and marked nofollow. There is no global link manager. | YesFreeLinks are added by hand. Automatic linking needs the separate Tasty Links plugin. | Not checked |
| 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 | YesPaid: Pro | YesFree | PartialPaid: All AccessNeeds Tasty Links, included in the All Access plan. | Not checked |
| 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 | YesFreeA photo and a video per step in the editor; the public form takes a photo per step. | Not checked | Not checked |
| TimersTimes in the instructions become timers the reader can start. | YesPaid: Premium | Not checked | YesPaid: Create ProPart of Interactive Mode. | YesPaid: Pro | YesFree | Not checked | YesFree |
| Nutrition | |||||||
| Nutrition labelNutrition values are entered by hand and shown as a nutrition facts label. | YesPaid: Premium | YesFree | YesFree | YesFree | YesFree | YesPaid: Basic | 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. | 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. | PartialPaid: NutrifoxThrough Nutrifox, a separate paid service from the same company. | YesPaid: ProUses the Edamam API. |
| 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 | YesFree | YesFreeIts own review system with moderation, optional photos and helpful votes. It does not use WordPress comments. | YesFreeStar ratings are taken from comments. | YesPaid: Pro |
| Print viewA print button opens a clean, printable version of the recipe. | YesFree | Not checked | Not checked | YesFree | 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 | YesFreeOn posts that embed a recipe, with a print button next to it. Recipe pages do not need it. | YesFree | Not checked |
| Cook modeA switch keeps the reader's screen awake while cooking. | YesPaid: Premium | YesFree | YesPaid: Create ProInteractive Mode, a hands-free view with checklists. | PartialPaid: ProA focused reading mode. A keep-screen-awake switch was not confirmed. | YesFree | YesPaid: Basic | PartialFreeA full-screen cooking view. A keep-screen-awake switch was not confirmed. |
| Saved recipesReaders can save recipes and find them again later. | YesPaid: Premium | Not checked | Not checked | YesFree | YesFreeLogged-in users save recipes and see them on a "saved recipes" account page. | PartialPaid: BasicReaders can email a recipe to themselves or save through Grow or Slickstream. There is no built-in saved list. | YesPaid: Pro |
| Meal planner and shopping listReaders build a meal plan or shopping list from recipes on the site. | YesPaid: Elite | 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. | Not checked | Not checked |
| 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. | YesFree | YesFree | Not checked | YesFree |
| Visitor-submitted recipesVisitors send in recipes through a form on the site, for you to moderate. | YesPaid: Elite | YesPaid: Pro | Not checked | YesPaid: Pro | YesFree | Not checked | YesPaid: Pro |
| 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 | YesFreeWPML and Polylang support, with translatable categories and cuisines and a language per recipe. | Not checked | Not checked |
| 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 | Not checked | WP Recipe Maker, Tasty Recipes, Create, WP Delicious, Cooked, Zip Recipes and Recipe Card Blocks, plus CSV and JSON (Pro) | 11 sources, including WP Recipe Maker, Create and Zip Recipes | CSV import |
| AI recipe draftingGenerates a recipe draft with an AI model. | Not checked | YesFreePaid plans list 3 AI credits included. | Not checked | YesPaid add-on | YesPaid: ProDrafts from a topic, a URL or an uploaded document, with your own OpenAI or Gemini key. | NoNo AI drafting. The plugin offers a setting to block AI scrapers. | Not checked |
- 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.