Head-to-Head Comparison · Alternative to Plan to Eat · 🏠 home
Plan to Eat vs Tandoor Recipes
The full recipe-plan-shopping loop; free for personal self-hosting, but the license is not actually open source. Here is how Tandoor Recipes ($0/mo free) stacks up against Plan to Eat ($5.95/mo) across cost, hosting, data privacy, and real-world trade-offs.
Plan to Eat vs Tandoor Recipes Specification Matrix
facts verified 2026-08-10
| Dimension | Plan to Eat (Paid) | Tandoor Recipes (Replacement) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $5.95 / mo | $0 / mo |
| 1-Year Cost (1 seat) | $71 / yr | $0 / yr (Save $71) |
| 1-Year Cost (5 seats) | $357 / yr | $0 / yr (Save $357) |
| 1-Year Cost (10 seats) | $714 / yr | $0 / yr (Save $714) |
| Source & License | Proprietary SaaS | free |
| Where It Runs | Vendor Cloud | Self-host (your server) |
| Platforms | Web / Cloud | webself-hosteddocker to self-host |
| GitHub Stars | — | ★ $0 forever |
Deep Dive: Switching from Plan to Eat to Tandoor Recipes
Trade-offs, installation & data architecture
What you trade away
Tandoor does the recipe-plan-list loop, but self-hosting and its denser web UI are a large downgrade from Plan to Eat's simple hosted calendar and importer.
How to deploy Tandoor Recipes
Docker Compose with PostgreSQL; manual Django deployment is also documented
What it takes to run
The first obstacle is a multi-container Django/PostgreSQL deployment with secrets, volumes, HTTPS, email, and backups; its Commons-Clause-modified AGPL license is also not an OSI-approved open-source license.
Where your data lives
Recipes, users, meal plans, shopping lists, books, and permissions live in PostgreSQL in the standard Docker deployment; uploaded images and static/media files live in mounted volumes, and recipe data can be exported through Tandoor's export tools.
Why fork Tandoor Recipes instead of vibe-coding a Plan to Eat clone?
The core loop is small enough for a capable coding agent to produce a useful local version in one sitting. For Plan to Eat, store recipes, drag them onto a calendar, and generate a shopping list. The hard boundary is browser clipping, mobile apps, sync, household sharing, and workflow polish, plus sync, integrations, and household adoption.
Plan to Eat vs Tandoor Recipes FAQ
Is Tandoor Recipes a good free alternative to Plan to Eat?+
Yes. Tandoor Recipes is a verified free replacement for Plan to Eat. The full recipe-plan-shopping loop; free for personal self-hosting, but the license is not actually open source.
What is the catch when switching from Plan to Eat to Tandoor Recipes?+
Tandoor does the recipe-plan-list loop, but self-hosting and its denser web UI are a large downgrade from Plan to Eat's simple hosted calendar and importer.
How much do you save switching from Plan to Eat to Tandoor Recipes?+
Plan to Eat costs $5.95/mo ($71/yr) per seat, whereas Tandoor Recipes is $0/mo. Switching saves $71/yr for a solo user, $357/yr for a 5-person team, and $714/yr for a 10-person team.
How do I install or self-host Tandoor Recipes instead of Plan to Eat?+
Install: Docker Compose with PostgreSQL; manual Django deployment is also documented. Setup: The first obstacle is a multi-container Django/PostgreSQL deployment with secrets, volumes, HTTPS, email, and backups; its Commons-Clause-modified AGPL license is also not an OSI-approved open-source license.
