Sova
We make Sova. Read this with that in mind. Competitor details are from public listings as of October 2026 and may change.
The short version
AnyList is a grocery and recipe app with strong shopping lists, recipe tools, and apps on iPhone and Android (and more). Sova is an everyday planner for iPhone: notes, lists, and calendars in groups, Today, and a large widget, with sharing by link. Pick AnyList when the shop and the kitchen are the product. Pick Sova when the shop is one slice of a shared week — and everyone planning with you mostly uses iPhone.
What AnyList does well
Shopping is the centre. AnyList is widely known for shared grocery lists, categories that match how people shop, and recipe features that feed the list. If someone in the household uses Android for the weekly shop, that matters more than any iPhone‑only widget. We are not claiming a full feature inventory here — check AnyList’s own site and store listings as of October 2026 for current plans and extras.
Where Sova is different
Sova keeps groceries in the same product as the rest of life: a Home group with the shopping list, school nights, and notes; Today and the widget show the day, not only the aisle. Sharing is by link or QR into a group — not a separate “list app” identity. Free is complete for lists and the day (two shared lists on Free; Pro raises the ceiling). Screenshot Scan and Dictate are Pro. Private groups stay on the iPhone until you share them. Android is not a full Sova client; invited people without an iPhone can join a shared list in the browser.
Trying Sova after AnyList
Sova does not import from AnyList. The honest path is to copy your current shop list, paste it into a Sova Home group, and invite whoever shops with you by link. Keep AnyList for recipes if that is still the kitchen brain. Use Sova when you also want school nights, trips, and the day on one widget. If after a week you miss aisle‑first tools more than you miss the day view, go back — that is a valid choice.
Honesty about recipes and Android
We will not pretend Sova replaces a dedicated recipe box or a full Android shopping app. Those are AnyList’s home turf. Our claim is narrower: for all‑iPhone (or mostly iPhone) households, putting groceries next to the rest of the shared week reduces the “which app was the list in?” tax. Free Sova is enough to test that claim without ads; Pro is only for Screenshot Scan, Dictate, and higher sharing limits — not for unlocking a basic shared list.
Choose AnyList if…
The weekly shop and recipes are the main job, someone shops on Android, or you want a tool that has been focused on grocery workflows for years. Do not switch to Sova hoping it is a recipe box — it is not.
Choose Sova if…
You want the grocery list beside the rest of the shared week on iPhone: Today, calendars you already use, notes, and one widget. You share by link into separate groups (home vs friends vs a trip). Free without ads is enough to try; Pro waits for Scan, Dictate, and scale.
| AnyList | Sova | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Grocery + recipes | Everyday planner with lists |
| Platforms | iPhone and Android (and more) | iPhone; lists in browser for guests |
| Recipes | Core strength | Not a recipe app (a note can hold a recipe) |
| Day + calendars + widget | Not the centre | Centre of the product |
| Price shape | Free + paid options (see AnyList) | Free complete; Pro optional |
AnyList wins grocery, recipes, and Android. Sova wins when groceries belong beside the rest of a shared iPhone week — lists, day, and widget in one calm place. We make Sova; if the aisle is the whole job, stay on AnyList.