A Jow alternative where you do your shopping in whichever shop you like.
Jow is a good French app for menus and shopping. ioumi also plans your week and your list, with an estimated price for each meal, and learns what you like week after week. Here is who each one makes sense for.
Last updated: 14 October 2026.
What Jow does
Jow is a French app (iOS, Android, web) that suggests personalised menus based on your preferences and the number of people, then turns those menus into a shopping basket ordered directly from partner click-and-collect services and retailers. The app is free for the user. Its strength is how smooth it is: from the menu to a delivered or collected basket in a few taps.
This model relies on partnerships with retailers: Jow earns its money on the shopping ordered through its partners. That is what keeps it free, and it is also what steers the experience towards ordering from a partner retailer.
What ioumi does
ioumi is a French meal-planning app, on the web and on iPhone (App Store), soon on Android. It plans the week around your diet and your tastes, then works out the shopping list by aisle, pantry included. It also estimates the cost of the week and of each meal. You shop wherever you like, and you know what it will cost before you go. ioumi shows no advertising and takes nothing from your shopping.
Comparison
| Criterion | Jow | ioumi |
|---|---|---|
| Personalised weekly menus | Yes | Yes |
| Generated shopping list | Partner click-and-collect basket | By aisle, any shop |
| Built-in online ordering | Partner retailers | No, by design |
| Estimated cost of the week | Basket price at the chosen partner, as far as we know | Yes, before you shop |
| Cost per meal and per plate | Not highlighted, as far as we know | Yes |
| Pantry taken off the list | Varies | Yes |
| Different diets in one household | Varies | Diet and allergies taken into account |
| Business model | Free, paid for by partner retailers | Free, with no ads or commission |
| Exporting your data | Varies | Full JSON, PDF |
| Data hosting | Varies | European Union |
Who ioumi is a good alternative for, and who it isn't
ioumi makes sense if…
- you want to know what a week costs before you go shopping;
- you shop in several places (market, discount store, supermarket) or outside click-and-collect;
- your household mixes diets (vegetarian, no pork, allergies);
- you have a well-stocked pantry and you're tired of buying rice yet again;
- you want an app with no advertising, one that makes nothing on what you buy.
Jow is still the better fit if…
- you always order from the same partner retailer and going from menu → delivered basket is your priority;
- you're on Android and you want an app installed from Google Play today (ioumi gets there next).
Switching from Jow to ioumi
There is no automatic import from Jow, as the two apps share no common format. Allow half an hour, in three steps.
- Gather your favourite recipes. From Jow, note down or copy the recipes you actually make again (the link to the original recipe when there is one, otherwise the text: title, ingredients, steps). Around ten is enough to start; the rest can be added over the weeks.
- Import them into ioumi. Recipes → Import a recipe: paste the link or paste the text. ioumi pre-fills the form (title, ingredients, quantities, steps); you check and save. Ingredients are linked to the price table so the budget can take them into account.
- Set up your household again. Your profile, with your diet and allergies, is set in the Profile tab. Then fill in the week, by hand or with an automatic suggestion.
Your data in ioumi can be exported at any time (full JSON, shopping list as a PDF), so you can take it with you if you ever change tools.
Common questions
Can I order my shopping online with ioumi, like with Jow?
No. ioumi produces a shopping list by aisle, with an estimated total, which you use in the shop or the click-and-collect service of your choice. It is tied to no retailer and takes no commission.
Can I bring my Jow recipes into ioumi?
There is no automatic import. You can import each recipe into ioumi by pasting its link or its text: the form is pre-filled, you check and save.
Is ioumi free, like Jow?
The core is free: this week and next, the full shopping list, an unlimited pantry, one profile, suggestions. No ads or commission. The Premium offer is paused for now.
Who is Jow still the better choice for?
If what you want above all is to fill a click-and-collect basket in one tap from your menu, and you shop at a partner retailer, Jow does exactly that. ioumi is more for people who want to stay in control of their budget and shop wherever they like.
Put it to the test with your own meals
Look at the week ioumi suggests for you, then add your own recipes from a link or text.