Cookpad

At a glance

• Editor score
  9.0 / 10
• Pricing
  Free plan
• Best for
  Community recipes and personal collections
• Free plan
  Yes
• Recipe import
  Yes
• Founded
  1997 · Tokyo, Japan
• Facts checked
  5 Oct 2026

• Where it wins

  • Search community recipes by ingredient, dish name, or cooking utensil
  • Save recipes in searchable collections and organize them into folders
  • Write recipes to keep private or share with others

• Where it doesn't

  • Recipe imports require Premium and are available only in the app
  • Personal recipe notes require Premium and are available only in the app
  • Advanced search filters are reserved for Premium

Our verdict on Cookpad

Cookpad is a recipe-sharing service for home cooks who want to discover community-published recipes and keep their own collection organized. Recipes can be searched by ingredient, dish name, or cooking utensil, then saved to a searchable collection and sorted into folders. Members can also write recipes and choose whether to keep them private or publish them. Cookpad is available on the web and through iOS and Android apps, making it relevant to solo cooks looking for a mix of community ideas and personal recipe storage.

The free plan covers the core discovery and collection workflow: browsing and searching community recipes, saving them, and creating and sharing recipes. Premium adds unlimited imports from web and social apps, advanced search filters, personal recipe notes, and ranking popular recipes first. Imports and notes are app-only, so buyers who need those features should factor in mobile app availability. Premium pricing and availability can vary by country and subscription channel; the published US website starting price is 4.99.

Cookpad’s clearest strength is combining community-published recipes with tools for maintaining a personal library, rather than focusing only on recipe discovery. The free plan gives occasional cooks a way to explore and organize recipes before subscribing. Premium is a closer fit for people who regularly bring recipes in from other services or want more control over searching and note-taking. Cooks who need imports or personal notes on the web should weigh that app-only limitation, while those content with browsing, saving, and writing recipes can start with the free plan.

Cookpad pricing

All 2 Cookpad plans and prices →

Cookpad fact sheet

Alternatives to Cookpad

• NCNYT CookingA paid recipe service pairing a 20,000-recipe library with guided cooking and grocery lists.9.2
• FFood.comA free recipe catalog for browsing, saving favorites, and sharing cooking notes.8.8
• EEpicuriousA paid recipe archive with dietary filters, cooking tutorials, and shopping lists.8.7

See all Cookpad alternatives →

Cookpad vs the competition

• CNCCookpad vs NYT Cooking
• CFCookpad vs Food.com
• CECookpad vs Epicurious
• CCCookpad vs Chefkoch
• CBCookpad vs BigOven
• CSFCookpad vs Samsung Food

Compare Cookpad with any tool side by side →

Featured on iTechGuides

Cookpad is listed in our Recipe Apps directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.

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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. How we rank.

Last updated 9 Oct 2026 · How we research and update