ShelfLife
The best food expiry tracker apps for Android
Expiry tracker apps all promise the same thing: less food in the bin. They differ in how you add food, how hard they remind you, and what you pay. Here's how the main options compare, including our own.
Updated November 4, 2026
We make ShelfLife, so we're not neutral. We've tried to be fair: information about other apps comes from their store listings and public coverage as of November 2026. Features and prices change, so check the listing before you subscribe.
At a glance
| ShelfLife | NoWaste | Kitche | Fridgely | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Android | Yes (launching on Google Play) | Yes | Yes | No official Play listing found |
| iPhone | Coming soon | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Add by barcode | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Receipt scanning | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Expiry reminders | Tiered, with an alarm in the last days | Up to two per item | Yes | Yes |
| Shared household | Yes | Yes | Not listed | Yes |
| Recipes | No | Recipe books, AI recipes | Yes, from what you have | Yes, from what you have |
| Shopping lists | No | Yes | Not listed | Yes |
| Spending and waste tracking | Yes (trends with Premium) | Not listed | Yes | Not listed |
| Price | Free, with Premium subscription | Free, with Pro (annual or lifetime) | Free | Free, with one-time upgrade |
ShelfLife: for reminders you can't miss
ShelfLife is built around one job: making sure you use food before it expires. Reminders get more frequent as the date approaches, and in the last days a real alarm rings until you deal with it, with optional email backups. You can share a household's fridge with up to 3 people for free, and see what you spend and waste in your own currency.
- Best for: people who forget what's in the fridge, households sharing food.
- Not for: anyone who wants recipes or shopping lists in the same app.
- Price: free for up to 15 active products; ShelfLife Premium adds unlimited products, more households, trends and no ads.
NoWaste: the most complete inventory
NoWaste is a mature inventory app with lists for fridge, freezer and pantry, custom locations, barcode, receipt and photo scanning, shopping lists, meal plans and recipe books. Its Pro plan has annual and lifetime options. Full comparison: ShelfLife vs NoWaste.
- Best for: organized users who want inventory, shopping and meal planning in one place, on iPhone and Android.
Kitche: free and focused on waste
Kitche is a free, UK-born app that tracks what you buy, reminds you before food expires, suggests recipes and shows the money you've saved or wasted. Full comparison: ShelfLife vs Kitche.
- Best for: people in the UK who want a free app with recipes and waste tracking.
Fridgely: simple, on iPhone
Fridgely is a simple iPhone app with expiry alerts, receipt scanning and recipe ideas. We couldn't find an official Android version on Google Play, and reviews mention infrequent updates. Full comparison: ShelfLife vs Fridgely.
- Best for: iPhone users who want something minimal.
Or no app at all
A whiteboard on the fridge or a shared spreadsheet costs nothing and works for some households. Here's how they compare with an app.
How to choose
- Check your phone: if you're on iPhone today, ShelfLife isn't available yet.
- Decide how much you'll type: barcode and receipt scanning save time if you buy a lot of packaged food.
- Think about reminders: if you've ignored notifications before, an app that escalates to an alarm helps.
- Count the people: if several people share a fridge, pick an app with shared households.
- Look at the price model: subscription, one-time purchase or free.
Sources
- NoWaste on the App Store
- Fridgely on the App Store and AlternativeTo
- Kitche: Springwise
Try ShelfLife free and see whether its reminders fit the way you shop.