Pantry Check alternative: Smart Pantry vs the Pantry Check app
Last checked: October 27, 2026
Pantry Check is a grocery inventory with a shopping side: it builds lists from what you use and shows prices and totals. Its free version tracks up to 200 items. Smart Pantry has no shopping list and no prices. It is built around expiration dates: it reads them from a photo, sorts the pantry by them, and sends a summary of what expires soon.
Smart Pantry is our app, so read this comparison with that in mind. The facts about Pantry Check come from the Pantry Check website and from its App Store and Google Play listings on October 27, 2026. Smart Pantry facts come from its store listings and from the app.
Pantry Check, from Sunroom Labs, started on iOS, and its Google Play listing says it is now on Android too. If you are looking for a Pantry Check alternative, the first question is whether you use it for the shopping or for the dates.
| Smart Pantry | Pantry Check | |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | CWTI Ltd | Sunroom Labs, LLC |
| Platforms | Android, iPhone and iPad | iPhone, iPad and Android |
| Free version | Free with ads | Up to 200 items |
| Paid plan (US prices) | Smart Pantry Plus, listed at $3.99 and $22.99 on the App Store | Premium (2,000 items) and Pro (10,000 items), listed at $1.99 to $29.99 on the App Store |
| Ads | Yes in the free version, none with Plus | No ads label on Google Play |
| Barcode scanner | Yes; a product your household names is filled in on the next scan | Yes; crowd-sourced database, and you can submit your own photos |
| Expiry dates | Calendar, quick picks of 3, 5 or 7 days, or AI reads the date from a label photo | Per-item dates, and best by dates estimated for you |
| Reminders | Summary of what expires soon every Sunday, every day with Plus | Expiration reminders; update the inventory from the lock screen |
| Shopping list | No | Yes, built from your usage and inventory |
| Prices and totals | No | Yes, with a running tally and estimated totals |
| History | Items marked as opened, consumed, discarded or expired | Inventory and usage timeline |
| Recipes | AI recipe ideas for food that expires soon | Not listed |
| Household sharing | Invite code for a shared pantry | Real-time sync and family sharing |
Where the Pantry Check app is stronger
Pantry Check covers the shopping side of a pantry. It keeps a timeline of what you use, suggests what to restock, and builds the shopping list from your usage and inventory. While you shop, it shows prices, a running tally and the estimated total of the list. Smart Pantry has none of this: no shopping list, no prices and no quantities.
Its barcode scanner works from a crowd-sourced database. When a product is missing, you take a photo and add the details later, and you can submit your own photos and product information. On the website, Pantry Check also lists reminders that let you update the inventory straight from the lock screen.
If your main question at the store is "do we have this, and how much will this trip cost", Pantry Check answers both, and Smart Pantry answers only the first.
Where Smart Pantry is different
Smart Pantry is about the date on the label. You can point the camera at it and let AI read the expiry date from the photo, pick it from a calendar, or tap 3, 5 or 7 days for fresh food. The pantry sorts by that date, so the food to use first is at the top.
Every Sunday the app sends a summary of what expires soon, and with Smart Pantry Plus it sends one every day. For food close to its date, the app suggests recipe ideas. You can keep more than one pantry, for example one at home and one at a holiday house, and move an item between them.
A household shares a pantry with an invite code. You can start without an account, and sign in with Google or Apple later.
The 200 item limit and what each plan costs
The Pantry Check app tracks up to 200 items for free. Its paid plans are sold by size: Premium holds 2,000 items and Pro holds 10,000. The US App Store lists these purchases at prices from $1.99 to $29.99, and shows the name and price of each one without the billing period.
Smart Pantry is free, with ads. Smart Pantry Plus is an optional subscription that removes the ads, lets AI read expiry dates without a video first, gives more AI recipe ideas and photo scans each day, and sends the summary every day. The US App Store lists it at $3.99 and $22.99.
Which one to pick
Keep Pantry Check if you shop from its lists and watch the totals. Smart Pantry cannot do that part.
Try Smart Pantry if the food you throw away is food you forgot about, like the yogurt behind the milk or the opened jar of sauce. It costs nothing to try, and it cannot import a Pantry Check list, so start with the fridge, where the dates are shortest.
Try Smart Pantry for your expiry dates
Smart Pantry is free on Android and iOS. Point the camera at a label, save the date, and get a Sunday summary of what to use first.
Questions
Is the Pantry Check app free?
Yes, up to 200 items. After that you need Premium for up to 2,000 items or Pro for up to 10,000. The US App Store lists these purchases from $1.99 to $29.99.
Is Pantry Check on Android?
Yes. Pantry Check started on iOS, and it now has a Google Play listing too. Smart Pantry is on Android, iPhone and iPad.
Sources
Each page below was checked on October 27, 2026. Prices and features change, so check the store listing before you buy.