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Epicurious alternatives: 3 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Nov 8, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rankAll recipe sites and cooking apps

Top picks

Common reasons people leave Epicurious: some content sits behind a paid subscription, and heavy advertising on free pages. We ranked 3 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Epicurious, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. NYT Cooking currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingVerified priceOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1NYT Cooking logoNYT CookingFree plan + paid—NoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 468.8
2Delish logoDelishFree plan + paid—NoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 464.8
3Food Network logoFood NetworkFree—NoWeb3 of 361.8
  1. NYT Cooking logo

    1. NYT CookingTop pick

    Best for: Cooks who want professionally tested recipes and will pay for a cleaner, curated experience

    Free plan + paidWeb, iOS, Android

    68.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Epicurious

    Curated, tested recipes with editorial guides and reader notes, under a separate subscription.

    Pros

    • Recipes tested and edited by a newsroom food team
    • Recipe Box imports recipes from other sites
    • Private notes and Cook Mode

    Cons

    • Most recipes need a paid subscription
    • Not included in the Basic NYT news plan
    • No meal planner or grocery list as full as dedicated apps
    Visit NYT Cooking Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is NYT Cooking a good Epicurious alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Billing
    Every 4 weeks or annually
    Checked Nov 8, 2026nytimes.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Included in All Access
    Yes (not Basic)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026nytimes.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Recipe import
    Yes, into Recipe Box
    Checked Nov 8, 2026nytimes.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free account
    Save recipes, read open recipes
    Checked Nov 8, 2026nytimes.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Delish logo

    2. Delish

    Best for: Casual cooks who want quick, crowd-pleasing recipes with short how-to videos

    Free plan + paidWeb, iOS, Android

    64.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Epicurious

    Quick, trend-driven recipes and short videos, aimed at easy weeknight cooking.

    Pros

    • Easy, popular recipes with step-by-step videos
    • Free to read, with recipe bookmarking for signed-in users
    • Strong coverage of holiday and party food

    Cons

    • Smaller archive than older magazine recipe sites
    • Food news and trend pieces compete with recipes on the home page
    • Ad-heavy unless you pay for the membership
    Visit Delish Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Delish a good Epicurious alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Recipes
    About 10,000
    Checked Nov 8, 2026delish.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Owner
    Hearst
    Checked Nov 8, 2026delish.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Paid membership
    All Access
    Checked Nov 8, 2026delish.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Mobile app
    Yes, free
    Checked Nov 8, 2026delish.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Food Network logo

    3. Food Network

    Best for: Home cooks who want free, tested recipes from well-known TV chefs.

    FreeWeb

    61.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Epicurious

    Recipes from TV chefs and shows, plus cooking videos, much of it free to browse.

    Pros

    • Free access to a very large library of recipes from TV shows and chefs
    • Recipes from its own test kitchen are tested and edited before publishing
    • Useful collections by appliance, ingredient and cooking time

    Cons

    • Pages are heavy with ads, videos and shopping links
    • No current dedicated app; the Food Network Kitchen app was withdrawn in 2024
    • No built-in meal planner or shopping list like dedicated recipe apps offer
    Visit Food Network Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Food Network a good Epicurious alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Owner
    Warner Bros. Discovery
    Checked Nov 8, 2026foodnetwork.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Recipe testing
    In-house test kitchen
    Checked Nov 8, 2026foodnetwork.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Show streaming
    HBO Max
    Checked Nov 8, 2026foodnetwork.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Epicurious alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

NYT Cooking logo

Best Epicurious alternative for most people

NYT Cooking

Curated, tested recipes with editorial guides and reader notes, under a separate subscription.

Food Network logo

Best Epicurious alternative for a free option

Food Network

Recipes from TV chefs and shows, plus cooking videos, much of it free to browse.

Delish logo

Best Epicurious alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Delish

Quick, trend-driven recipes and short videos, aimed at easy weeknight cooking.

NYT Cooking logo

Best Epicurious alternative for iPhone and Android

NYT Cooking

Curated, tested recipes with editorial guides and reader notes, under a separate subscription.

NYT Cooking logo

Best Epicurious alternative for working in the browser

NYT Cooking

Curated, tested recipes with editorial guides and reader notes, under a separate subscription.

Epicurious alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Epicurious?

NYT Cooking ranks first right now. Curated, tested recipes with editorial guides and reader notes, under a separate subscription. Delish and Food Network follow it in our ranking.

Epicurious vs NYT Cooking: what's the difference?

Both Epicurious and NYT Cooking are free with paid plans. Both run on Web, iOS and Android.

Is Epicurious free?

Epicurious is free with paid plans. Starting price: $6 a month (monthly digital access); Annual Digital Access plan: $40 a year ($36 for the first year); Print + Digital plan: $70 a year ($60 for the first year). Checked on Epicurious's own site, November 2026.

Is there a free alternative to Epicurious?

Yes. NYT Cooking (free plan + paid), Delish (free plan + paid) and Food Network (free) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Epicurious?

None of the 3 alternatives in this list is open source.

Why do people switch from Epicurious?

The complaints we hear most: some content sits behind a paid subscription; heavy advertising on free pages; overlaps a lot with Bon Appétit's recipes.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Epicurious, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.