Ollie alternative: where to plan your meals now that Ollie is shutting down
Ollie shuts down on November 6, 2026, so if you used it to plan family dinners you'll need a new app before then. The closest replacements are eMeals or Eat This Much if you want meals planned for you, Samsung Food or Plan to Eat if you'd rather plan from recipes you save, and Cado if you want recipes adjusted to a health goal; first, save the data export Ollie says it will text you. Ollie also says it will cancel billing for Ollie and Ollie for Meals and refund any partial or unused months. Below: what you lose, what to look for in a replacement, five options with their App Store prices and ratings, and how to move your meals over.
Cado vs Ollie
| Cado | Ollie | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Available on iPhone and Android | Shutting down November 6, 2026. Ollie says it will text you a data export and refund partial or unused months |
| How you use it | An app on your phone | By text (iMessage or SMS), plus a separate Ollie for Meals app |
| Where recipes come from | Import recipes from TikTok, Instagram, recipe blogs or any website, or ask Cado for ideas | Ollie's AI wrote recipes for your family's profile |
| Planning the week | Build a weekly plan from your saved and imported recipes | Texted meal ideas for the week; you swiped to add them to your menu, and it could auto-plan going forward |
| Grocery list and ordering | Grocery list generated from your plan, with checkout through Instacart | List organized by aisle with like ingredients combined; order by text through Amazon, Instacart or Walmart |
| Health and diet | A health score on every recipe, and AI edits that boost protein, go dairy-free or fit a diet while recalculating nutrition | Learned your family's tastes and preferences over time |
| Beyond meals | Food only: recipes, planning, groceries | Calendars, school emails, reminders, to-do lists, bookings and orders |
| Price | Free, with limits on imports, AI edits and health scores; Cado Pro $9.99/month or $59.99/year | Assistant plans were Free, $25/month and $100/month; Ollie for Meals had a 1-month free trial, then a subscription |
Pick Cado if…
- You save recipes from TikTok, Instagram or food blogs and want them in the same place as your plan
- You want to change recipes to fit you (more protein, dairy-free, anti-inflammatory) rather than search for new ones
- You want a health score and nutrition on every recipe
- You order groceries through Instacart
Pick Ollie if…
- You loved having the plan made for you: eMeals sends 7 new recipes a week, and Eat This Much generates plans to your calorie and macro targets
- You want a free planner: Samsung Food's recipe saving, weekly planning and shared shopping lists are free
- You want your family's own recipes on a calendar with leftovers and freezer tracking: Plan to Eat
- You order groceries from Walmart or Amazon: eMeals connects to both, while Cado checks out through Instacart only
- You mostly used Ollie for calendars, school emails and reminders: none of these meal apps replace that part
How to switch to Cado
- Before November 6, look for the text from Ollie with your data export and save it somewhere you'll keep (Notes, email or a file). Ollie says it will send one to every user.
- Go through the export and your Ollie menus, and write down the meals your family actually liked. Ollie's recipes were written by its AI for your profile, so most won't have a web link to re-import.
- For each favorite, find a version on a recipe site, TikTok or Instagram and save it to your new app. In Cado, paste the link into recipe import.
- Adjust anything that doesn't fit. In Cado, ask for changes like "make this dairy-free" or "more protein" and it rewrites the recipe and recalculates nutrition.
- Build this week's plan and grocery list. Ollie says billing for Ollie and Ollie for Meals will be canceled with a refund for partial or unused months; email hello@ollie.ai with any questions.
Questions
Is Ollie shutting down?
Yes. Ollie says it is sunsetting effective November 6, 2026, in a farewell letter from Bill Lennon on behalf of the Ollie team.
What happens to my Ollie data?
Ollie says it will text you an export of your data that you can share with another assistant you trust. Save it before November 6, 2026.
Will I get a refund from Ollie?
Ollie says that if you have a subscription to Ollie or Ollie for Meals, billing will be canceled and you'll receive a refund for any partial or unused months. Questions go to hello@ollie.ai.
Is Ollie for Meals shutting down too?
Ollie's farewell letter covers subscriptions to both Ollie and Ollie for Meals, and says billing for both will be canceled with refunds for unused months.
What should I look for in an Ollie replacement?
Decide which part of Ollie you relied on. If it was having dinner decided for you, pick an app that builds the plan (eMeals, Eat This Much). If it was the aisle-sorted grocery list and delivery, check which stores the app connects to: eMeals lists Walmart, Instacart, AmazonFresh and Kroger among others, while Cado uses Instacart. If your family has diet or health goals, look for nutrition on every recipe and a way to adjust recipes. And check the price after any trial.
What is the best Ollie alternative for meal planning?
If you want meals planned for you, eMeals (family dinner plans) or Eat This Much (calorie and macro targets). If you'd rather plan from recipes you save, Samsung Food (free) or Plan to Eat. If you want recipes adjusted to a health goal like high protein or anti-inflammatory eating, Cado.
Is there a meal planner that works by text like Ollie?
None of the five apps compared here work by text; they're all apps. eMeals and Eat This Much come closest to Ollie's "just tell me what's for dinner" approach because they build the plan for you.
Meal planning, finally solved
Plans, grocery lists and a cooking assistant you can talk to.
Download CadoSources (checked 2026-11-01): A farewell to Ollie (shutdown notice) · Ollie: AI meal planning for families · Ollie homepage · Ollie pricing · Ollie FAQ · eMeals on the App Store · Eat This Much on the App Store · Samsung Food on the App Store · Plan to Eat on the App Store · Cado on the App Store