15 Best Apps to Save Money on Groceries

These are the best apps to save money on groceries -- all of them free -- that will help you save money, time and hassle when you're grocery shopping.

Groceries are a constant expense. They ebb and flow with the cost of living, but they are always there. It is important to have an arsenal of apps that help you save money on groceries in order to stretch every dollar as far as it can go. Plus, technology is here to help, in more ways than one.

I have always been an avid fan of couponing. I would spend hours clipping coupons, organizing them, and planning my shopping trips. And although I still enjoy some occasional coupon-clipping – there are so many other ways to save money on groceries these days! Below are my top 15 picks for apps for saving money on groceries which you can use right now to start saving money at the supermarket.

Apps to Save Money on Groceries

Here is a list of the best apps to save money on groceries.

1. Ibotta

ibotta app

With Ibotta, you can earn real cash back every time you shop online or in-store.

Simply check Ibotta before you shop in-store or online, travel, dine out, or make a purchase in your favorite apps, and you can get rewarded with cash back.

Ibotta works with leading brands and retailers, including Best Buy, Lowe’s, Safeway, eBay, and so many more, to help you save money without the hassle of traditional coupons, or promo codes.

You can even earn with the app’s newest feature, Pay with Ibotta, too! When you use Pay with Ibotta, you can pay for your purchases right from the app, and earn cash back on your entire purchase, instantly.

Ibotta’s customers have earned over $550 Million in cash back, just for shopping at their favorite stores. Start your shopping with Ibotta to save money on every purchase. Download the free app now for your chance to earn a $20 welcome bonus.

How Ibotta works:

✔️ Add cash back offers – Before you go shopping, find and add offers in the app for things you want to buy.

✔️ Go shopping – Shop at your favorite stores, retailers, restaurants, bars, and apps

✔️ Redeem offers – Upload your receipt or link your loyalty card for instant cash back.

✔️ Get cash back – Watch your savings grow! When you’re ready, Withdraw your cash earnings via PayPal, Venmo, or your choice of a variety of gift cards.

Ibotta is one of the best apps to help you save money on groceries. You can literally earn cash back rewards simply by uploading a photo of your receipt. Plus, you get your money quickly and easily. Ibotta helps you earn cash back on purchases at more than 500,000 locations (and counting).

Ibotta partners include: Walmart, Uber, Target, Lowe’s, Kohl’s, Kroger, CVS, Rite Aid, Groupon, Jet.com, eBay, Boxed, Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond, JOANN Fabrics, Drizly, Hotels.com, Minibar, AMC, eBags, HotelTonight, Thrive Market, HotelStorm, Safeway, Walgreens, Costco, World Market, Petco, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and many more.

Plus, you can earn extra cash when you refer friends with your Ibotta referral code. Or earn even more with extra cash bonuses on specific products or when you hit shopping milestones.

Ready to ditch the promo codes and old paper coupons and shop with Ibotta to earn real cash back?

✔️ Download the Ibotta app now to start earning cash back on every purchase, and watch your savings grow!

2. Shopkick

shopkick app

With Shopkick you can earn rewards and get free gift cards for the shopping you already do.

With this grocery savings app, you can get exclusive deals and discounts as you collect points by walking into stores, scanning items, or receipts (you don’t even need to buy anything to earn your ‘kicks’).

Kick are the apps reward points. Earn them in-store and online, then redeem for a wide selection of gift cards delivered digitally to your phone.

Most Shopkickers can earn enough for a gift card in a week. Choose your preference from the app’s wide selection of gift cards from Starbucks, Target, Sephora & Amazon.

With Shopkick, you can treat yourself and indulge guilt-free as you shop.

If you choose to use this app to save money on groceries, you would join the millions of Shopkickers who have earned over $78 million in free gift cards to Walmart, Target, Amazon, Starbucks, Sephora, and at many more retailers.

There are six easy ways to earn rewards as you shop with this savings app.

Find the method that suits you: incorporate them as you run your shopping errands or as you relax on your couch.

Earn your kicks:

✔️ Walk in to stores

✔️ Scan barcodes

✔️ Purchase & submit a receipt

✔️ Purchase items from select partner stores with a linked card

✔️ Make online purchases

✔️ Watch videos

✔️ Invite friends to join the Shopkick craze

The best part comes next as you can redeem your kicks and rewards for exclusive deals, cashback, and gift cards to some of your favorites stores.

Discover daily challenges to earn kicks just for walking into nearby stores or scanning products in a fun scavenger hunt. Get cash back just for scanning products and for more bonus points, submit your receipt after you purchase products.

Download the app to explore the rest of the apps exclusive deals to some of your favorite brands! Shopkick is the new way to shop retail and you can learn more in our Shopkick review.

3. Fetch Rewards

fetch rewards app

Fetch Rewards is one of the quickest and easiest ways to save when you grocery shop.

Fetch Rewards turns your grocery receipts into savings. Simply scan any grocery receipt after you shop and save on thousands of popular products throughout the store.

You can earn points on every receipt you scan so you don’t have to worry about clipping coupons, chasing down expiring deals, or missing out on savings.

Just shop, scan, and save. It’s that easy. With Fetch Rewards, just snap a quick photo of ANY grocery receipt and in seconds we’ll deliver points to your account on thousands of popular products

The Fetch Rewards app brings everyday savings to your life with a quick and easy mobile app that rewards you for the purchases you already make.

You’ll earn points on every receipt you scan.

Unlike other cash back and rebate apps like Ibotta and Shopkick that require you to unlock coupons before you go grocery shopping, causing you to miss out on savings, Fetch Rewards gives you savings every time you purchase a participating product.

Just scan your grocery receipt after you shop and earn points in seconds.

To save money and earn rewards, simply scan your grocery receipt from grocery stores, convenience stores, liquor stores, big box stores, and anywhere else you purchase grocery products – and submit.

Within seconds you’ll have points in your account that can be redeemed for hundreds of rewards.

You can submit grocery receipts up to 14 days after the purchase date on the receipt and you’ll still get all your points.

Other cash back and grocery reward apps require choosing coupons before or after you shop in order to save, but sometimes you forget or make an impulse purchase while shopping, and that shouldn’t keep you from earning rewards.

With Fetch Rewards you can just shop and let the savings come to you. In addition to offering quick and easy savings with a scan, Fetch Rewards also features helpful tools to plan your shopping trip, find inspiration for your next recipe, and track your grocery budget.

Build and manage your next shopping list or search the apps recipe library for thousands of recipes.

Find a recipe you want to try? Save it to your digital recipe box and add the ingredients to your shopping list with the tap of a button.

View your personalized shopping history to see where you shop and how much you spend and save.

Fetch Rewards makes it easy and rewarding to save on groceries. Simply shop, scan, and save.

You can also check out our full Fetch Rewards review to learn more.

4. Dosh

dosh app

Dosh allows you to save money on groceries plus at thousands of brands and over 600k hotels.

Shop with Dosh and you can get cash back for shopping on items you already buy. That means getting back money for shopping, eating, and booking hotels.

You can get paid when you shop and dine at the places you visit every week including Wendy’s, Uber, Sephora, Papa John’s, Grubhub, Old Navy, Gap, Domino’s, Forever 21, Apple Music, and more!

You can even get real cash back on your hotel booking.

Simply download the Dosh app, securely connect your credit and debit cards, and live life as usual.

Every time you use those cards, Dosh searches for available offers. If it finds one, Dosh automatically redeems the offer and converts it into cold, hard cash, then deposits it directly into your Dosh Wallet. You don’t have to do a thing.

Five reasons you’ll love using Dosh to get cash back:

✔️ Pay with your card and get cash back – Securely link your credit and debit cards and whenever you pay with your linked cards, Dosh gets you cash back. It’s as simple as that!

✔️ Shop and dine out – Pay with your linked card at thousands of stores, and restaurants, and get cash back automatically in your Dosh Wallet.

✔️ Book a hotel globally – Book at thousands of hotels worldwide from the app and get up to 40% cash back in your Dosh Wallet.

✔️ Mobile offers are available – Open the Dosh app, find your favorite brands, tap Shop from the app to launch the brand website (or app) and do your shopping. When you’re done check out and get your cash back!

✔️ Use your cash however you want – Transfer your cash to bank accounts, Venmo, PayPal, or donate to charity from the app.

This cash back app can get you cash back automatically, unlike other cash back apps, there’s no need to cut coupons, scan receipts, or remember discount codes.

Through secure credit and debit card connection, Dosh automatically finds existing offers, redeems them, then puts the cash into your Dosh Wallet.

Plus, you can also get paid for each friend who signs up with your referral code. When you share Dosh with people you love, it’s like putting cash right into their pockets.

5. ReCap

ReCap lets you easily turn your shopping receipts into fantastic rewards with just a quick pic.

Unlike most similar grocery apps, you can use NCP ReCap to take pictures of all your receipts, from grocery stores to hardware stores (and everything in between).

Send the pictures of your receipts using the app, and you’ll earn reward points to redeem towards a pretty solid selection of gift cards. Or just cash out for a free Amazon Gift Card, which is my favorite option.

Users can earn up to 500 reward points for their weekly receipt pictures. Plus, every receipt captured earns you sweepstakes entries for even more rewards.

You’ll also be invited to take online surveys – giving you additional reward options.

Grocery store, department store, pet store, convenience store, home improvement – you name it, you can scan in your receipt to earn rewards.

Forgot to scan in a receipt? Don’t worry – you have up to 14 days after your purchase to capture your receipt picture and send it in for your rewards.

Signing up is easy and you can start earning rewards right away.

6. Checkout 51

checkout 51

In many ways, this cashback service from Checkout 51 is similar to the one that we have already discussed here – Ibotta.

Checkout 51 is also a cash back app where you can get gas rewards and cash back that saves you tons of money on your favorite brands, groceries, and necessities.

Also, you can get fuel rewards where smart drivers can get their gas cash back and grocery offers on everything you buy.

On this grocery savings app, new deals are available on everyday items from all your favorite stores. Grocery offers and cash rewards are updated every Thursday.

With Checkout 51, grocery offers and cash back rewards are right at your fingertips. Get grocery promo savings, cash back offers, and more right from your phone. Grocery offers are easy to redeem, just snap a photo of your receipt and earn cash back rewards.

Save money on groceries with these simple steps:

✔️ Browse grocery offers that are updated every Thursday

✔️ Buy groceries and other products from any store

✔️ Take a photo of your receipt to redeem your offer

✔️ Earn cash rewards!

7. SavingStar

savingstar

Want to save money at the grocery store, but don’t have the time or desire to clip coupons?

Use SavingStar’s grocery coupons to earn cash back on in-store grocery purchases at over 70,000 retail locations.

There’s nothing to clip or print!

You’ll earn cash back quickly with the grocery savings app exclusive Healthy Offers and big savings on your favorite brands.

Just scan your loyalty card at the grocery store during checkout to redeem offers.

For stores without loyalty cards, you’ll take photos of your receipts and submit them to SavingStar.

Your savings are automatically added to your SavingStar account. Cash out to PayPal, your bank account, or gift cards when you reach $5!

SavingStar is free and easy to use:

✔️ Save money without the hassle of clipping grocery coupons. Just tap the offers you like!

✔️ Who says grocery coupons are for unhealthy products? Save on fresh produce with the Healthy Offer of the Week (bananas, apples, tomatoes, and more).

✔️ Link deals to your supermarket and drugstore loyalty cards! For stores without loyalty cards, take a picture of your receipt using our app.

Ready to earn cash back when you purchase in-store at your favorite supermarkets and drugstores like Walmart, Target, Safeway, Albertsons, Kroger, Stop & Shop, CVS, Meijer, ShopRite, and 100+ other grocery chains?

8. ReceiptHog

Receipt Hog is another fun and easy way to turn your everyday receipts into real cash and rewards.

How this grocery saver app works:

✔️ Take pictures of your receipts from any store, restaurant or cafe…

✔️ Earn Receipt Hog rewards like coins, spins at the virtual slot machine, and sweepstakes prizes…

✔️ Cash out with PayPal or Amazon gift cards. Cha-ching!

Receipt Hog is an exclusive opportunity to join a diverse community of people who get paid for uploading pictures of their receipts for market research.

The grocery app had so many people join its panel of shoppers (they actually have already paid out over $2.5 million!), that spaces are now limited.

With this app you can save money on groceries and earn more when you level up, win sweepstakes prizes, and complete short surveys. Plus you can enjoy a totally uncluttered wallet as Receipt Hog allows you to access a digital copy of your receipts in one secure place.

You can learn more in our Receipt Hog review.

Other Apps to Consider

9) Weekly Ads (iOS)

This is a great app for keeping up with grocery store weekly ads. It gives you notifications when new ads are posted and you can easily browse your favorite stores’ deals from the palm of your hand. The best part is there are no limits on how many times you can earn cash back, so it’s a great way to save money week after week without doing any extra work! If you want to double-check that an item is offering cash back before you purchase it, just check the weekly ad preview for your grocery store and scan the barcode of each item with your smartphone camera.

10) Key Ring (iOS/Android/Desktop)

Key Ring is a great app for organizing your grocery coupons. It stores all of your coupons electronically, so you don’t have to carry around any paper coupons. The app is available on iOS, Android, and desktop. You can also access coupons from the Key Ring app when you are shopping in the store.

11) Grocery Gadget (iOS)

Grocery Gadget is an iPhone app that helps you organize your grocery list and save money on groceries. The app’s couponing section lets you browse coupons from your favorite stores and add the ones you want to your shopping list. The best part? You can earn cash back on some of your purchases by using your rewards card in store.

12) RetailMeNot (iOS/Android)

RetailMeNot is an expansive coupon-sharing site that has all of the best grocery coupons listed, even for items that are not usually couponable. So if you see a great deal at Publix or Kroger, search RetailMeNot for a coupon to go with it. You can also use this app to save money on non-grocery items, like clothes and home products.

13) CardStar (iOS/Android)

CardStar is another coupon-organizing app. It works by saving your local grocery store’s loyalty card to your smartphone. Many stores already offer a digital version of their loyalty cards, like Kroger’s . You can also scan the barcode on your card and save it to the app. So no more forgetting your rewards card! If you are a member of any shopper club programs, you can use CardStar to avoid carrying around all of those plastic cards in your wallet or purse.

14) Favado (iOS/Android)

Favado is a grocery price comparison app that helps you find the best deals on groceries. The app pulls prices from local supermarkets and compares them so that you can find the best deal on each item. Favado also has a built-in grocery list so you can easily add items to your list as you find them. The app also includes recipes, meal ideas, and tips for saving money on groceries. Favado even has a barcode scanner so that you can compare prices on items when you are in

15) Snap by Groupon (iOS/Android)

Snap by Groupon is another app that pays you back for shopping at local stores. New offers are added to the app daily, and all you have to do is snap a picture of your receipt from buying those items in store. The offer you buy will be added to your account and you’ll receive cash back for that purchase in 7-10 days. If Groupon cash back on those items, you will get money deposited to your PayPal account.

In Summary

The retail industry is constantly evolving with new innovations and technologies that help consumers save time and money while shopping at their favorite stores!

If you’re looking for ways to save money on groceries, there are plenty of apps out there that can help. These apps offer cash back, discounts, and rewards for shopping at local stores. So whatever your grocery shopping strategy is, be sure to use one or more of these apps to maximize your savings!

So there you have it – 10 great apps that can help you save money on groceries. Whether you’re looking for a cash-back app, a coupon app, or an app that compares prices, there’s sure to be an app out there that meets your needs. So be sure to try out some of these apps the next time you go grocery shopping! You may be surprised by just how much you can save.

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Author

Brian Meiggs
Brian Meiggs
Brian is the chief editor of SavingJunkie and is a personal finance expert who has spent the last few years writing about how Millennials can make smarter money moves. He has been fortunate enough to have appeared in several online publications, including Yahoo! Finance, NASDAQ, MSN Money, AOL, Discover Bank, GOBankingRates, and more. He is also diversifying his portfolio by adding a little bit of real estate. But not rental homes, because he doesn't want a second job, it's diversified small investments in hands off real estate investing via an app called Fundrise.

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