Pluck: An Ad-Free Osta Alternative
Osta is a popular recipe saver (about 4.8 stars on iOS, 4.4 on Google Play) that pulls recipes from Instagram, TikTok and websites into a clean collection, with shared folders and grocery lists. Its free tier carries ads, it doesn't import from YouTube or Facebook, and it doesn't say whether it reads the video or only the caption. Pluck reads the video itself, covers YouTube and Facebook too, adds an AI cooking assistant, and shows no ads. We're biased, obviously, so here are the details.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Pluck | Osta |
|---|---|---|
| Web recipe extraction | AI (any URL) | Yes (websites) |
| Instagram recipes | Yes (Reels, video posts, carousels) | Yes |
| TikTok recipes | Yes (watches & listens) | Yes |
| Facebook recipes | Yes (videos, Reels) | No |
| YouTube recipes | Yes (watches & listens) | No |
| What it reads from a video | Frames, on-screen text, audio and caption | Not stated |
| Photo / image extraction | AI vision (cookbooks, handwriting, screenshots) | Premium only |
| AI cooking assistant | Yes, in cook mode (paid plans) | No |
| Cook mode | Yes (step timers, ingredients per step) | Not listed |
| Ads | None | Free tier has ads (removed with Premium) |
| Shared folders | On our roadmap | Yes |
| Grocery list | Yes (merged, sorted by aisle, shared with up to 5 people) | Yes (shared) |
| Meal planning | Yes (weekly; free: current week) | Simple meal plans (per its App Store screenshots) |
| Plans the week for you | Fill my week, from your own recipes (Plus and Pro) | None stated |
| Nutrition info | On our roadmap | Premium only |
| Privacy posture | GDPR/CCPA, analytics off by default | Ad-supported; App Store label lists data used for third-party ads |
| Platforms | iOS, Android | iOS, Android, Mac (Apple Silicon) |
| Price | Free; paid plans from $2.99/mo | Free with ads; Premium $7.99/mo or $49.99–59.99/yr |
Where Osta falls short
Ads in the free tier
Osta's free tier is ad-supported; Premium removes the ads. Pluck shows no ads on any plan, including free.
No sign it reads the video
Osta imports from TikTok and Instagram, but its listing doesn't say how, and we found no evidence that it watches or listens to the video. When a creator says "a pinch of this" or shows the amount on screen without writing it down, that's what Pluck is built to catch: it reads the frames, on-screen text, audio and caption together.
No YouTube or Facebook support
Osta handles Instagram, TikTok and websites. It doesn't import YouTube cooking videos or Facebook recipe videos. Pluck does both.
Photo scanning is Premium-only
Scanning a handwritten recipe card in Osta needs Premium ($7.99/month). Pluck's AI vision works on every plan, including free (3 extractions a month).
What Pluck does differently
Reads the whole video
Pluck watches the video frames, reads on-screen text, listens to the narration and reads the caption. When a TikTok creator shows ingredients on screen, says measurements aloud or flashes a recipe card for two seconds, Pluck can catch it.
No ads on any plan
Free users get 3 extractions a month and 10 saved recipes with no ads. Paid plans start at $2.99/month, less than half of Osta Premium's monthly price.
AI cooking assistant
Stuck mid-recipe? Ask "Can I use almond milk here?" or "Scale this to 6 servings" from the step you're on in cook mode. The assistant knows your recipe.
Plan the week, then shop
A weekly meal plan that Fill my week can fill from your own recipes (Plus and Pro), one grocery list built from it, merged and sorted by aisle, plus "What can I cook?" to find recipes in your recipe box from what's in the fridge, typed in or from a photo.
Frequently asked questions
Is Osta free?
Osta has a free tier with ads. Osta Premium ($7.99/month, or about $49.99–59.99/year) removes ads and adds nutrition info and photo scanning. Pluck also has a free tier (3 extractions a month, 10 recipes) with no ads.
Can Osta extract recipes from YouTube or Facebook?
No. Osta supports Instagram, TikTok and websites. Pluck supports those plus YouTube, Facebook and photos of cookbook pages and handwritten recipes.
Does Osta have an AI cooking assistant?
No. Osta gives you the saved recipe but no interactive help while cooking. Pluck's AI cooking assistant answers questions about the recipe you're following: substitutions, scaling, unit conversion and technique.
What makes Pluck better than Osta?
We're biased (hi, we made Pluck), but the key differences are: Pluck reads the video itself, supports YouTube and Facebook, includes an AI cooking assistant, can plan your week from your own recipes (Fill my week, on Plus and Pro), and shows no ads. Both let you share a grocery list. Osta also shares recipe folders with your household and Pluck's recipe box is personal, so if a shared recipe collection is a must-have, factor it in.
Is Osta good for saving TikTok recipes?
Osta imports TikTok recipes, and when the creator wrote the full recipe in the caption it should do fine. Osta doesn't say whether it reads the video. Pluck watches and listens to the video, so recipes that are only shown or spoken come through too.
Does Osta have shared grocery lists?
Yes, and so does Pluck: invite up to 5 people to a list and everyone adds and ticks off items live. Osta also has shared recipe folders for family or roommates. A shared recipe box for households is on our roadmap. If sharing your whole recipe collection is the priority, Osta has the edge.
Read our comparison of the best recipe apps in 2026.
Related reading: Best Recipe Apps 2026, Pluck vs ReciMe, Pluck vs Flavorish, and Pluck vs Preplo.
Ready for a recipe app that actually watches the video?
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Pluck reads video frames, on-screen text, audio and captions to extract recipes from social media, blogs and photos, with no ads. See how the AI extraction works.
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