Everyone needs to buy groceries, which is one of the reasons it can be a stressful process! So we thought to ourselves, how can we make life easier for everyone? Behold! Our list of what we consider the best apps for creating your grocery shopping list on your smartphone. We only list free apps which already have all the features you should need without making in-app purchases or upgrading to the pro version.
Why would you have a shopping list? Save time scanning endless supermarket aisles wondering if you have everything you need, and making extra trips back to the shops when you forget something. You can save money by cutting down on impulse ‘extra’ purchases and preventing ‘double-ups’. Oh, and you can help save the environment by having an electronic list instead of writing on paper!
Grocery app features to look for
We’ll get to our list of cool grocery shopping apps in a second, but first here are some general tips on things to look for.
- Ability to create ‘favourites’ lists, or create multiple lists
- Sharing and syncing lists with multiple people via the app itself, text or email
- Syncing between web and phone in real time
- Building shopping lists by recipe
- Budgeting tools
- Barcode scanner and voice recognition
You can even save time by organising your shopping list section by section – according to how you typically move through the supermarket. The quicker you move, the less likely you are to get frustrated by other shoppers, or anything else that gets your back up at the supermarket. All of the apps listed here allow you to sort items in a particular order or categorise them by section.
Best for keeping shopping records
- Search for coupons for various items
- Voice recognition
- Barcode scanner
- Three lists: Shopping, Pantry and To Do
- Template lists for people who have moved out of home for the first time
- Take a photo of the item so you can’t forget what it looks like
- View featured recipe suggestions
- Listonic was the most functional and user-friendly app we found for Android users
- Read smart food tips for hacks on buying, preserving and cooking food
- Budgeting assistance included
- View archived lists to find past items
- Works offline as well as online – no need for an internet connection
- Voice recognition
- Barcode scanner
Best for families
- Automatically shares and updates list with all family members’ phones and emails
- Search and add recipes to list
- Superbly user-friendly
- Share and update list with all family members’ phones and emails
- Very popular (used by millions of people)
- Search for recipes to be sure your list contains everything you need
Best for planning meals
- Budgeting assistance included
- Create different lists for different needs such as regular groceries or special occasions
- Keep an inventory of your pantry – app will remind you when you’re running low
- View recipe suggestions based on the items on your list
- Made specifically for Aussie shoppers, so the measurements are metric and prices in AUD
- Barcode scanner can create a list for any store
Best for making healthier choices
FoodSwitch by Bupa Australia Health
- View nutritional information and Health Star Ratings for items on your list
- Filter items to create lists for various health needs (e.g. low fat, low cholesterol, low sugar, gluten free)
- Has information on many packaged products, not just generic products
Best for forgetful people
- Create location-based reminders so you remember to drop by the grocery store on your way home from work
- Voice recognition: Add items to list using Siri
- Browse recent items so you know you haven’t forgotten anything
- Add photos of items
- Personalise lists with different coloured themes and backgrounds
Best for specific stores
- Items sorted by aisle automatically
- Search over 100,000 Coles products and add to list
- View weekly specials
- Enter your flybuys card number to view even more specials available
- Featured recipes from Feed Your Family by Curtis Stone
- View weekly Special Buys
- Create reminders to pick up certain items on certain days
- Use Store Locator to find your nearest ALDI’s opening hours
- Items sorted by aisle
- Search thousands of Woolworths products and add to list
- View weekly specials
- View list of which fruits and veg are in season
- Check and compare local fuel prices at Caltex Woolworths
- Use store locator to find your nearest Woollies’ opening hours
- Add recipes direct to your shopping list
Supermarket satisfaction ratings
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