10 Best Apps To Save Money On Food — From Groceries To Restaurants

 

10 Best Apps To Save Money On Food — From Groceries To Restaurants

Food prices aren’t what they used to be, and it’s getting harder for the best of us to keep grocery bills under control. Even eating out comes with sticker shock these days.

But if you know where to look, there are apps that can help you save real money on food, whether you’re shopping for the week or grabbing lunch on the go.

We tested some of the best apps to save on food in 2025, including grocery rewards, fast food freebies and restaurant discounts.

These are our favorites:

Flashfood

Grocery store apps

Ibotta

Checkout 51

Fetch

Flipp

Rakuten

Fast food apps

InKind

Discounted gift cards

1. Flashfood Best for grocery deals on meat, produce and other perishables | Cost: $0

Flashfood

What it does

Flashfood partners with grocery stores to sell food nearing its sell-by date or with minor packaging issues at steep discounts — sometimes up to 50% off or more.

How it helps you save

After you download the app, Flashfood shows you nearby stores — like Piggly Wiggly, Meijer or Giant — with discounted items available. You reserve your food in the app and pick it up in-store, usually from a designated cooler.

Our take

We’ve seen some pretty impressive deals. A gallon of Organic Valley whole milk was marked down to $3.68 from $9.19 because it was expiring in five days. A DiGiorno three-meat pizza dropped from $10.39 to $4.16 due to a damaged box. Even a carton of Eggland’s Best cage-free eggs was priced at $2.28 (down from $5.69) — though it was missing one egg.

If you’re meal prepping, planning to freeze items or just flexible with brands and packaging, this is a smart way to cut grocery costs and reduce food waste. Just don’t wait too long—the best deals tend to disappear quickly.

💰 Sign up at Flashfood

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2. Your grocery store’s app Best for weekly deals, digital coupons and personalized savings | Cost: $0

Target

What it does

Most major store brands — like Target, Safeway, Kroger, Walmart, Costco and even local chains — offer apps that include weekly ads, digital coupons, and loyalty rewards.

How it helps you save

You can scan current sales, clip digital coupons, and build your shopping list based on what’s marked down. Many stores offer app-exclusive perks, like $10 off a $50 purchase, BOGOs if you shop on a specific day of the week or points you can cash in later. Some even let you preload coupons directly onto your rewards card or use scan-and-go features to skip the checkout line.

Our take

If you’re already loyal to a store, this is one of the easiest ways to save. Check the app before you shop and build your grocery list around what’s on sale. Stack that with other savings apps, and it adds up fast.

💰 Sign up with your favorite store or retailer

3. Ibotta Best for earning cash back on groceries and everyday purchases | Cost: $0

Ibotta

What it does

Ibotta gives you cash back for buying certain items — just activate the offers in the app and scan your receipt after shopping.

How it helps you save

You’ll find cash back on everything from bread and cheese to cleaning products. You can also link loyalty cards from stores like Hy-Vee or Walmart to automatically apply rewards.

Our take

It takes an extra minute to scan your receipt, but the rewards add up. Ibotta claims the average user can earn around $261 a year from everyday shopping. If you do a big grocery haul, it’s especially worth it.

💰 Sign up at Ibotta

Dig deeper: Best cashback apps to stretch your dollar — and earn rewards on your shopping

4. Checkout 51 Best for weekly cashback offers on groceries and gas | Cost: $0

Checkout 51

What it does

Checkout 51 is similar to Ibotta, but it offers new grocery deals every Thursday. It also includes gas savings.

How it helps you save

Open the app, activate offers — for example, $1 off Kellogg’s cereal or $1.50 off Jimmy Dean frozen biscuits — and then upload your receipt. You can also earn cash back on gas purchases at participating stations when you check in through the app.

Our take

It’s a nice companion to Ibotta. Some weeks, the two apps even offer cash back on the same items, so you can double up on rewards.

💰 Sign up at Checkout 51

5. Fetch Best for turning receipts into free gift cards | Cost: $0

Fetch

What it does

Fetch lets you earn points by scanning your grocery receipts. Every time you upload a receipt, you’ll get points (usually at least 25), and if your receipt includes specific participating brands, you’ll earn even more.

How it helps you save

You don’t have to plan ahead or clip offers. Just upload your receipt after you shop, and Fetch handles the rest. You can also connect your email or your account with places like Amazon, Walmart and Instacart to earn points automatically from e-receipts. Once you’ve racked up enough points, you can redeem them for gift cards to places like Target, Amazon, Panera and more.

Our take

If you buy name-brand items regularly, Fetch is a low-effort way to get rewarded for purchases you’re already making. The app takes seconds to use, and the rewards rack up faster than you’d think.

💰 Sign up at Fetch

Dig deeper: 100 best discounts for ages 50+: Groceries, dining, retail, travel and more

6. Flipp Best for comparing grocery ads across local stores | Cost: $0

Flipp

What it does

Flipp lets you browse digital flyers from nearby grocery stores so you can see what’s on sale without driving from store to store.

How it helps you save

You can search for a specific item — like strawberries or paper towels — and instantly see which store has the lowest price. Then tap to add it to your in-app shopping list.

Our take

If you shop at multiple stores or love hunting for deals, this app is for you. It's a smart way to compare prices in one place and build a shopping list around the best local deals.

💰 Sign up at Flipp

7. Rakuten Best for getting cash back on grocery delivery and takeout | Cost $0

Rakuten

What it does

Rakuten gives you a percentage of your money back when you shop online through its app or browser extension, including for groceries, delivery services and warehouse clubs.

How it helps you save

You’ll find rotating cashback offers like 2% back on Instacart, up to 4% back on Grubhub, up to 1.5% back at Safeway, and as much as 10% back when placing an online order with Sam’s Club. Just tap the offer in the app or browser extension, then Rakuten will redirect you to the store’s site so you can complete your purchase like normal and earn cash back.

Our take

This is an easy way to earn money back on purchases you were already planning to make. We’ve seen decent cashback rates on everything from takeout to grocery staples, especially with services like Instacart and Sam’s Club.

💰 Sign up at Rakuten

Dig deeper: 20+ clever ways to save money: Earning, spending and boosting your bottom line

8. Fast food apps Best for earning free meals from places you already go | Cost: $0

McDonald's

What it does

Most major fast food chains have their own apps with exclusive deals, coupons and rewards programs that let you earn points for every purchase.

How it helps you save

You’ll unlock deals like a free sandwich at Chick-fil-A, a free soft taco at Taco Bell, or a free Big Mac at McDonald’s. Each order racks up points you can redeem for free items, no coupons or receipts needed. Many apps also give free food on your birthday or when you join.

Our take

We’ve redeemed free fries, breakfast sandwiches and nuggets just for ordering through the app instead of the counter. If you grab fast food even a couple times a month, these apps can seriously stretch your budget (and speed up your pickup too).

💰 Sign up with your favorite fast food chain

9. InKind Best for saving at sit-down restaurants | Cost: $0

InKind

What it does

InKind partners with upscale restaurants to offer bonus dining credit when you pay your bill through the app. For example, if you spend $100 at a participating restaurant and pay with InKind, you might get $20 in bonus credit to use on your next visit or at another InKind partner.

How it helps you save

Every time you pay your bill through the InKind app, you earn bonus credit (typically around 20%) to use at another participating restaurant. It’s a smart way to get more from meals you were already planning to enjoy, especially if you dine out regularly.

Our take

We’ve seen offers like $25 off your first meal or 20% bonus credits. These are great if you enjoy date nights or group dinners. It’s not ideal for everyday takeout — but for nicer meals, it stretches your money further.

🔍 Expert tip: If you're a Costco member, check for InKind gift card deals—like paying $79.99 for a $100 dining credit. Since inKind already gives bonus spending power when you load funds, this lets you stack two discounts for even bigger savings.

💰 Sign up at InKind

Dig deeper: 9 age-smart ways to save on car insurance (that can apply to all drivers)

10. Discounted gift cards Best for instant savings at grocery stores and restaurants | Cost: $0

Gift cards

What it does

Brands like Costco, Sam’s Club, Chase and Discover offer discounted gift cards to a slew of popular restaurants.

How it helps you save

For example, you could buy a $100 gift card for $90, and that’s an automatic 10% off your next grocery run or takeout order. Credit card portals like those for Discover or Chase Ultimate Rewards also let you redeem points for gift cards at a better-than-cash rate, sometimes giving you $50 in value for 4,500 points instead of 5,000.

Our take

We regularly use Discover’s rewards portal to grab gift cards at a 5% to 10% discount, especially for restaurants we already visit. Costco also offers restaurant bundles — like $100 to Ruby Tuesday for $74.99 — which are great for gifts or planning ahead for busy weeks when takeout is inevitable. It’s an underrated way to save on everyday expenses you were already planning to make.

There’s no single best way to save on food. But combining just a few of these apps can make a real dent in your monthly spending. Start with one that matches your habits — like a fast food rewards app or your local grocery store’s — and build from there. With a little planning and a few smart clicks, you’re able to stretch your grocery or dining budget much further.

💰 Sign up with your favorite retailer or card issuer

Other stories in our money-saving series About the writer

Cassidy Horton is a finance writer who specializes in banking, insurance, lending and paying down debt. Her expertise has been featured in NerdWallet, Forbes, MarketWatch, CNN, USA Today, Money, The Balance and Consumer Affairs, among other top financial publications. Cassidy first became interested in personal finance after paying off $18,000 in debt in 10 months of graduation with an MBA. Today, she's committed to empowering people to stand up and take charge of their financial futures.

Article edited by Kelly Suzan Waggoner

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