ShelfLife
ShelfLife vs Kitche
Kitche is a free, UK-born food waste app with receipt scanning and recipes. ShelfLife focuses on reminders that are hard to miss and on households that share a fridge. Here's how they differ.
Updated November 4, 2026
We make ShelfLife. Information about Kitche comes from its public coverage and listings as of November 2026, much of it from earlier years; check its store listing for current features.
The short version
- Pick Kitche if you're in the UK, want an app that's free with no subscription, and like recipe ideas based on what's in your kitchen.
- Pick ShelfLife if you need reminders that escalate to an alarm, want to share a fridge with your household, or want the app in French.
Side by side
| ShelfLife | Kitche | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Android (launching on Google Play); iPhone coming soon | Android and iPhone |
| Main market | Worldwide, in English and French | United Kingdom |
| Add food | Barcode scan, photo, typing | Barcode and receipt scanning, typing, voice |
| Expiry reminders | Tiered, with an alarm in the last days, and optional email backup | Yes |
| Shared household | Yes, each member gets reminders | Not listed |
| Recipes | No | Yes, based on what you have |
| Waste tracking | Spending and waste in your currency (trends with Premium) | Money saved and wasted, plus water and CO2 impact |
| Price | Free up to 15 active products; Premium monthly or yearly | Free |
Where Kitche is stronger
- Completely free, funded by partnerships rather than subscriptions.
- Receipt and voice input make adding a whole shop quicker.
- Recipes turn what's about to expire into a meal.
- Impact figures show water and CO2, not just money.
Where ShelfLife is stronger
- Reminders that escalate to a real alarm in the final days, with email backup and quiet hours.
- Shared households, where everyone sees the same fridge and gets their own reminders.
- Available in French and aimed at users outside the UK too.
- Data export as JSON or CSV, and account deletion whenever you want.
The verdict
If you're in the UK and want a free app with recipes, Kitche is a good choice. If you share a fridge, keep missing notifications, or live outside the UK, ShelfLife is built for you.
Sources
- Kitche: Springwise
Try ShelfLife free and see if its reminders keep your fridge under control.
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Coming soon toGoogle Play
Coming soon on theApp Store