ShelfLife
ShelfLife vs NoWaste
NoWaste is a complete kitchen inventory with shopping lists and meal planning. ShelfLife does less, but puts everything into making sure you never miss an expiry date. Here's the difference in detail.
Updated November 4, 2026
We make ShelfLife. Information about NoWaste comes from its App Store listing as of November 2026; check it for current features and prices.
The short version
- Pick NoWaste if you want one app for inventory, shopping lists, meal plans and recipes, on iPhone or Android, and you're happy to keep it organized.
- Pick ShelfLife if your problem is forgetting food until it's too late, and you want reminders that get louder as the date approaches, plus a household everyone can share.
Side by side
| ShelfLife | NoWaste | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Android (launching on Google Play); iPhone coming soon | iPhone and Android |
| Languages | English, French | English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and more |
| Add food | Barcode scan, photo, typing | Barcode, receipt and photo scanning, typing |
| Organize by | Categories (fridge, freezer, pantry and your own) | Lists and custom locations (home, cabin, boat) |
| Expiry reminders | Tiered: gentle weeks out, more frequent as the date nears, an alarm in the last days | Up to two reminders per item |
| Email reminders | Yes, optional | Not listed |
| Quiet hours | Yes | Not listed |
| Sharing | Shared households with members; each member gets reminders | Invite members to a location; members can share a Pro purchase |
| Shopping lists, meal plans, recipes | No | Yes, including AI recipe ideas |
| Spending and waste tracking | Yes, in your currency (trends with Premium) | Not listed |
| Data export | JSON or CSV | Not listed |
| Ads | On the free plan only | No ads |
| Price | Free up to 15 active products; Premium monthly or yearly | Free version; Pro annual or lifetime |
Where NoWaste is stronger
- It does more: shopping lists, meal planning and recipe books live next to your inventory.
- Receipt scanning adds a whole shop at once.
- It's on iPhone today, and in more languages.
- A lifetime Pro option if you prefer not to subscribe.
Where ShelfLife is stronger
- Reminders you can't sleep through. ShelfLife's reminders escalate, and the final days bring a real alarm, not just a notification.
- Email backup for every alert, and quiet hours for everyday reminders.
- Spending and waste tracking shows what you buy and throw away in money, not just items.
- Focused: fewer features means less to set up.
The verdict
Both apps help you waste less food. NoWaste suits people who enjoy running a full kitchen inventory. ShelfLife suits people who mostly need a firm nudge before food goes off, especially in shared households. If you're on iPhone today, NoWaste is the one you can use.
Sources
- NoWaste on the App Store
Try ShelfLife free and see if alarm-style reminders work for you.
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Coming soon toGoogle Play
Coming soon on theApp Store