I have long come to terms with the fact that I am just fantastically bad at remembering things, especially when they are very specific. Shopping in supermarkets is definitely an unpleasant experience, especially since I always remember that I forgot to buy something very important once I am at home and stocking my shelves with the chocolates and other mostly useless things I always buy. Although shopping for groceries online here in the UK is amazing and I frequently take use of the provided services, trips to the local shops are a necessity and this is where my trusty Android phone comes in.
There are plenty of amazing grocery list apps out there, catering to various types of people so there is something for everyone out there. Today we are going to be taking a look at what I consider to be the top grocery-shopping list apps available in Android at the time of this writing but feel free to include your favorite ones in the comments in case I do not mention them.
One of the most popular apps of its kind in Android and for plenty of good reasons, Out of Milk provides its users with a ton of features that you might not even know you need. You can create four different types of shopping lists that you can easily manage and categorize in lots of different orders and even though the UI is not very pretty, it does a decent job at presenting your lists. The lists can then be shared to other users of the app or to the web. The most interesting list is the pantry one as it lets you list things you actually currently own and cross them off when you run out of them. Then, when you run to the supermarket, you can take a look at your pantry list and figure out what important item you need instead of having to put that item in a shopping list all the time.
Another great utility is the barcode scanner that automatically retrieves information about a product, including a price history so that you know whether you are actually getting a good deal on the item or not. Out of Milk’s database is very strong so there is a good chance you will find information about most of the items you are looking for. If you are located in the US, you can also get detailed information about grocery deals for specific stores so that you know if another shop offers a better deal than the one you were planning on visiting.
All of these features are absolutely free but users can opt to purchase the premium version of the app in order to get customization options in the form of fonts and themes as well as support from the app’s staff.
A grocery-list app that is very much dedicated to families or households with very friendly roommates, Our Groceries is probably your best bet if you are looking for the best syncing features in the market. Right from the get go, this app allows you to share your shopping lists with every user of the app and seeing as how it is available across Android, iOS and the web, it is an incredibly convenient way of doing things. Syncing is done automatically and documents every single change so there is no room for confusion if all of you vow to use the app.
The UI here is also a fairly strong point as it uses the Holo design guidelines that still look great today. The main features are also robust with the option to attach photos to your items being one of the most outstanding ones in the app. Another very interesting utility is the ability to quickly create recipes and list specific items so that you can tell your partner to pick up all the necessary ingredients for that amazing Chow Mein chicken you wanted to cook. Managing all the lists is also very fast and responsive which is vital for an app like this.
The app is absolutely free with the option to remove ads via the purchase of a key.
The wonky name should prepare you for what you are going to find in Buy Me a Pie! as the interface is one of the liveliest ones I have ever had the pleasure of using. The UI looks absolutely stunning and it only gets reinforced by the fact that you can color-code your lists with the “smart grouping” feature. Users can assign a color to a category, add items to that category and the app will list color-list them automatically.
The self-learning dictionary and word prompter are also very neat features as the app can constantly improve itself through usage so it slowly wins you over every time it automatically suggest your own nicknames for food. Finally, the developers have made a huge point out of making the app as simple to use as possible so that all of your family members can use it.
Unfortunately, syncing with its iOS counterpart and creating multiple shopping lists is limited to the premium version but if you like the app enough, that should not be too much of a compromise.
If you are looking for an app that offers a unique design, look no further. To my mind, Bring!’s interface is unmatched and its design is second-to-none. The app looks stunning with grocery items being assigned one of the available 350 hand-drawn icons and all of them are just plain pretty.
Creating and managing your lists is very easy with items being automatically added to categories like Fruit and Vegetables, Meat and Fish and more. The app allows you to input specific quantities of everything like a liter of milk and a kilo of potatoes and shows that quantity right below the hand-drawn icons. Items you need to buy right now are put at the top of the app and colored in red while previously bought/added items are located in a separated category and colored in green.
Of course, the interface is not the only important point of the app but the rest of the features are equally robust. The syncing features are top notch and quite rich indeed as users can create neat user profiles complete with pictures with ease. Users can then send a notification to the group that they are going shopping so if there is something else they want to add to the shopping list, they can do it right then and there leaving no room for forgotten items. If you happen to be the proud owner of an Android Wear device, you will also be pleased to know that the app is available on the platform albeit with a much more limited feature set than its Android and iOS equivalents.
The app is provided completely free of charge.
