Switch from Mela to Pluck
Mela is a beautifully designed recipe manager for Apple devices. But if you want Android support, recipes from what's said and shown in a video rather than its description, or an AI assistant that answers your cooking questions, Pluck has you covered. Here's how to move your recipe collection over.
How to export your Mela recipes
Open Mela on your Apple device
Launch Mela on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. The export feature works the same across all Apple platforms.
Select recipes to export
You can export individual recipes or your entire collection. To export all, go to your recipe list and select all recipes using the Edit button.
Export as Mela backup
Use the share sheet and choose Export as Mela Backup (.melarecipes). This creates a backup file containing all your recipes, images, and metadata. You can also export individual recipes as text.
Import into Pluck
Open Pluck and go to Settings → Data → Import Recipes. Choose Mela, pick your .melarecipes backup, and every recipe in it is converted and organized into your recipe box automatically.
Import to Pluck - available now
Import is live in Pluck today. Download Pluck on iOS or Android, open Settings → Data → Import Recipes, and your .melarecipes backup transfers the whole collection in one pass.
Why people switch from Mela
Works on Android too
Mela runs on iPhone, iPad and Mac only. If you switch to Android, or cook with someone who uses it, Pluck works on both iOS and Android.
Reads the video, not just its description
Since January 2025, Mela can pull a recipe out of a YouTube, TikTok or Instagram description. When the quantities are only spoken or shown on screen, there's nothing in the description to find. Pluck watches the frames, reads on-screen text and listens to the narration as well.
Facebook, carousels and an AI cooking assistant
Pluck also saves from Facebook videos and turns Instagram and TikTok photo carousels into one recipe, which Mela doesn't. On paid plans, its AI cooking assistant answers questions from the step you're on in cook mode.
Frequently asked questions
Can I import my Mela recipes into Pluck?
Yes. Pluck reads both Mela export formats (.melarecipes and .melarecipe) - pick Mela under Settings → Data → Import Recipes and everything in the backup is transferred automatically. Get the app first: download Pluck on Android or download Pluck on iOS.
Does Pluck work on Android?
Yes. Unlike Mela, Pluck is available on both iOS and Android. It has no Mac app, which Mela does.
How does Pluck's recipe extraction compare to Mela's?
Mela saves from recipe websites, reads YouTube, TikTok and Instagram descriptions with on-device machine learning, and scans printed recipes with OCR. Pluck uses AI on web pages, social posts and photos (handwriting included), and reads the video itself - frames, on-screen text and audio. See our full comparison for details.
Will my Mela recipe images transfer?
Mela backup files reference recipe images, and Pluck's import brings them across alongside your recipe titles, ingredients, instructions, and notes.
What does Pluck cost compared to Mela?
Mela is a free download with a one-time Mela+ unlock: $6.99 on iOS and $14.99 separately on Mac. Pluck offers a free tier (3 extractions/month, 10 recipes), Light at $2.99/mo (10 extractions, AI cooking assistant), Plus at $6.99/mo (50 extractions, 100 AI messages), and Pro at $11.99/mo (200 extractions, 300 AI messages, unlimited recipes).
Pluck vs Mela - full comparison, Best recipe apps compared, How Pluck's AI extraction works, or Import from Paprika.
Ready to upgrade your recipe app?
Pluck is available on iOS and Android, with recipe import built in.
See how Pluck compares: Pluck vs Mela