Top 5 Recipe Software For Under $40

In my quest to find the perfect solution to my ever-growing recipe collection, I searched and tried many different methods of corralling the piles of clippings and old magazines that threatened to overtake my living-room. It took months of research and trying all sorts of techniques, spreadsheets, software and MANY notebooks later,  but I have finally put together a list of the top 5 recipe software for under $40. Because, really, everyone in this economy is on a budget and not wanting to fork over $50 and $100 on pricey software for mere recipes.

1.       BigOven.com . This neat site features over 170,000 recipes and options such as “What’s In Season”, “Use Up Leftovers” and “What’s For Dinner”. Purchase BigOven software for just $29.95 (from their website) or try for free to see if it suits your recipe collection needs. Their recipes seem easy to follow and yummy, and the “What’s For Dinner” page lists what other members are making for dinner (great inspiration). Their software lets you enter your own recipes, create grocery lists and import recipes from the web. If you opt to try the free trial, it allows you to use the software free for thirty days and is fully functional.

2.       Recipecentersoftware.com. I added this to my list since it is completely free. Their home website, Recipecenter.com, is a wealth of recipes! You can add your own recipes, search and download recipes, even add reviews, ratings and comments. Member sign-in is free and gets you all access to the features I listed. The search feature is easy to use and the recipes are easy to read and follow.

3.       Living Cookbook. This software sells for $34.95 (Amazon.com) and has many neat features: easy recipe builder, shopping lists creator, an inventory list (like for pantry, freezer, etc.), calendar and more. Very awesome software if you are into meal planning.

4.       MasterCook Deluxe. Sells for $13.89 (lowest price on Amazon.com). Also has similar features to the other software listed here: recipe manager, menu planner and the recipes are organized into 30 cookbooks. Bonus features include a substitution button (like if you don’t have allspice and need an alternative), options to print out recipes on recipe cards (templates included), even an Embedded Wine List to keep track of your wines.

5.       Cook’n with Betty Crocker (NOT the deluxe version, it is more expensive). Retails for $29.99 (again on Amazon.com). This software’s features: video tutorials, large recipe photos, it’s structured like a traditional cookbook, a recipe manager that allows the user to edit and add own recipes and a menu planner that can calculate nutritional value of foods and recipes.

This list is designed to guide you in your search for the perfect recipe software. Combined with your own needs and wants, this simple list can help you find the perfect software for your family.