Best plugins for a recipe directory
A recipe directory is a site where the recipes are the content. Visitors browse by category or cuisine, search, save and often submit their own. That is a different job from adding a recipe card under a blog post.
Four things matter most here. Recipes need their own pages, the site needs an index with filters, visitors need a way to submit recipes, and readers need accounts or saved recipes.
Our picks
- Best free option for a recipe directory
Plugixa Recipe
Our own plugin, and the use it was built for. Recipe pages, category and cuisine archives, search, reviews, visitor submissions with moderation, saved recipes and recipe JSON-LD are all free. Weak points are that meal plans are made by editors only, importers are in Pro, and the plugin is new.
Active installs: Fewer than 10 · No ratings yet · From €39 / year
Plugixa Recipe review → - Best for a recipe site with a one-time payment
WP Delicious
The proven choice. Recipe pages, index, advanced search and a user dashboard with favourites are free, and JSON-LD is included. Visitor submissions need Pro at $59 a year.
Active installs: 4,000+ · 4.9 / 5 (71 ratings) · From $59 / year
WP Delicious review → - Most complete free reader tools
Cooked
Recipe search and lists are free; profiles, favourites, ratings and submissions are in Pro at $49. Read recent reviews first.
Active installs: 3,000+ · 3.89 / 5 (90 ratings) · From $49 / year
Cooked review → - Best overall for food blogs
WP Recipe Maker
It can do this at the Elite tier, which adds submissions, collections and meal planning for $149 a year. It remains a card plugin, so recipes sit inside posts.
Active installs: 50,000+ · 4.96 / 5 (355 ratings) · From $49 / year
WP Recipe Maker review →
How we chose
We looked at which of the four needs each plugin meets, and at what price.
If visitor submissions are the deciding feature, only Plugixa Recipe includes them free. If a track record is the deciding feature, WP Delicious is the stronger choice.
The picks side by side
Scroll sideways to see more plugins, or untick some above.
| Feature | Plugixa Recipe | WP Delicious | Cooked | WP Recipe Maker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structured data | ||||
| Recipe schema (JSON-LD)Outputs Recipe structured data as JSON-LD, the format Google recommends for recipe rich results. | 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. | YesFreeSteps are marked as HowToStep, and named step groups as HowToSection. | Not checked | Not checked | YesFree |
| Editors and placement | ||||
| Block editor (Gutenberg)Has its own block for adding a recipe in the WordPress block editor. | YesFreeA Recipe block that embeds one existing recipe, and a block for recipe listings. Recipes are written in the plugin's own editor. | YesFreeNine blocks. | Not checked | YesFree |
| Classic EditorRecipes can be added to posts from the Classic Editor. | PartialFreeThrough the shortcode. There is no editor button. | Not checked | Not checked | YesFree |
| ElementorHas its own Elementor widget. | YesFreeA widget that embeds one recipe and a widget for recipe listings. | PartialFreeThrough the free Delisho companion plugin. | Not checked | YesFree |
| ShortcodeA shortcode displays a recipe or a recipe listing anywhere shortcodes run. | YesFree | PartialFreeA shortcode exists for the "Surprise Me" random recipe feature only. | YesFree | YesFree |
| Recipe card inside a postA full recipe card can be placed inside a normal blog post, under your own writing. | YesFreeEmbeds an existing recipe in a post; the recipe's own page then names the post as canonical. | YesFreeThe Dynamic Recipe Card block. | Not checked | YesFree |
| Standalone recipe pagesEach recipe gets its own page and URL, separate from blog posts. | YesFree | YesFree | Not checked | Not checked |
| Design | ||||
| Templates and layoutsHow many recipe designs come with the plugin. | 4 listing layouts, all free; 1 recipe page template, plus print and round-up views | 3 layouts free; 8 in Pro | 3 layouts, in Pro | Template Editor with unlimited custom templates (free); extra templates in Premium |
| Template editorA visual tool for changing the structure of a recipe template, beyond colours. | 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. | YesFree |
| Ingredients | ||||
| Ingredient groupsIngredients can be split under headings such as "For the sauce". | YesFree | Not checked | YesFree | YesFree |
| Adjustable servingsReaders change the number of servings and the quantities recalculate. | YesFree | Not checked | YesFree | YesPaid: Premium |
| Unit conversionReaders switch between US and metric units on the recipe. | YesFreeConverts the volume and weight units in the site's units table, which ships with the common ones. Other lines stay as written. | Not checked | Not checked | YesPaid: Pro |
| Ingredient linksIngredients can link out, for example to an affiliate product. | YesFreeA link per ingredient, entered by hand and marked nofollow. There is no global link manager. | Not checked | Not checked | YesPaid: Premium |
| Equipment listA section listing the tools a recipe needs, shown to readers. | YesFree | YesPaid: Pro | Not checked | YesPaid: PremiumEquipment links are confirmed in Premium. Whether a plain equipment list is free was not checked. |
| Instructions | ||||
| Step photosA photo or video can be attached to an individual step. | YesFreeA photo and a video per step in the editor; the public form takes a photo per step. | Not checked | Not checked | YesFree |
| TimersTimes in the instructions become timers the reader can start. | YesFree | YesPaid: Pro | YesFree | YesPaid: Premium |
| Nutrition | ||||
| Nutrition labelNutrition values are entered by hand and shown as a nutrition facts label. | YesFree | YesFree | YesFree | YesPaid: Premium |
| Automatic nutrition calculationNutrition values are calculated from the ingredient list using a food 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. | Not checked | YesPaid: ProUses the Edamam API. | YesPaid: ProUses the Spoonacular API. |
| Reader tools | ||||
| Star ratingsReaders can rate a recipe out of five stars. | YesFreeIts own review system with moderation, optional photos and helpful votes. It does not use WordPress comments. | YesFree | YesPaid: Pro | YesFreeRatings through comments are free. Rating inside the card needs Premium. |
| Print viewA print button opens a clean, printable version of the recipe. | YesFree | YesFree | YesFree | YesFree |
| Jump to recipeA button at the top of a post scrolls straight to the recipe card. | YesFreeOn posts that embed a recipe, with a print button next to it. Recipe pages do not need it. | YesFree | Not checked | YesFree |
| Cook modeA switch keeps the reader's screen awake while cooking. | YesFree | PartialPaid: ProA focused reading mode. A keep-screen-awake switch was not confirmed. | PartialFreeA full-screen cooking view. A keep-screen-awake switch was not confirmed. | YesPaid: Premium |
| Saved recipesReaders can save recipes and find them again later. | YesFreeLogged-in users save recipes and see them on a "saved recipes" account page. | YesFree | YesPaid: Pro | YesPaid: Premium |
| Meal planner and shopping listReaders build a meal plan or shopping list from recipes on the site. | PartialFreeVisitors have a shopping list, kept in the browser or in their account. Meal plans are made by site editors in the admin. | PartialPaid add-onThe meal planner is a paid add-on. A shopping list was not confirmed. | Not checked | YesPaid: Elite |
| Building a recipe site | ||||
| Recipe index and searchListing pages where visitors browse, filter and search all recipes. | YesFree | YesFree | YesFree | PartialFreeRecipe search is free. A browsable index needs the separate WP Ultimate Post Grid plugin. |
| Visitor-submitted recipesVisitors send in recipes through a form on the site, for you to moderate. | YesFree | YesPaid: Pro | YesPaid: Pro | YesPaid: Elite |
| WPML or Polylang supportDeclares compatibility with a multilingual plugin so recipes can be translated. | YesFreeWPML and Polylang support, with translatable categories and cuisines and a language per recipe. | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked |
| Migration and extras | ||||
| ImportersWhich other recipe plugins it can import recipes from. | WP Recipe Maker, Tasty Recipes, Create, WP Delicious, Cooked, Zip Recipes and Recipe Card Blocks, plus CSV and JSON (Pro) | Not checked | CSV import | 20+ plugins, including Tasty Recipes, Create, WP Delicious, Recipe Card Blocks, Cooked and Zip Recipes |
| AI recipe draftingGenerates a recipe draft with an AI model. | YesPaid: ProDrafts from a topic, a URL or an uploaded document, with your own OpenAI or Gemini key. | YesPaid add-on | Not checked | 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.