In short: Most savings apps in Switzerland show you promotions, flyers or coupons. What you cook with them and what goes on the shopping list is still up to you. Eini is the Swiss savings app that takes over that step: it automatically builds a weekly meal plan and the matching shopping list from the real weekly promotions (Aktionen) at Coop, Migros, Lidl, Aldi, Denner and Aligro. You save money at the shop and time on the planning.
Transparency: This guide is written by Eini. So that you can still decide fairly, we describe every kind of savings app factually and say clearly further down what Eini cannot do.
What kinds of savings apps are there in Switzerland?
People searching for a “savings app” often mean very different things. In everyday Swiss life there are six kinds:
| Kind of app | What it does | Does it plan for you? | Typical cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meal-plan app built on promotions (Eini) | Builds the weekly meal plan and shopping list automatically from the week’s promotions, with price comparison, pantry list and loyalty cards | Yes, plan and list are created automatically | Download, promotions, price comparison and first plan free; then CHF 1.00 per week | Households that want to save money and planning time |
| Deal search app | Shows current promotions from several supermarkets, often with product search and price alerts | No, you pick dishes and products yourself | Mostly free | Finding specific products on promotion |
| Flyer app | Digital flyers from many retailers and sectors to browse | No | Mostly free, ad-funded | Bargains outside of food |
| Shopping list app | Shared shopping list that syncs between several people | No | Free or freemium | Families and flat-shares who shop together |
| Food rescue app | Reserve and collect surplus food from shops and restaurants at a steep discount | No, the contents are a surprise | App free, you pay per bag | Flexible eaters in cities |
| Retailer app | Coupons, loyalty points and digital receipts for a single chain | No | Free | Everyone who shops there: the coupons only exist there |
The key difference is in the third column. Five of the six kinds of app give you information. Only one takes on the work of turning it into a plan. That step is exactly what costs the most time in everyday life.
Which app builds the weekly plan automatically from the promotions?
Eini. You say once how many adults and children you cook for, how you eat (for example vegetarian, vegan, lactose-free or gluten-free), which ingredients you don’t like and which appliances you have. Eini’s own algorithm then puts together lunch and dinner for the days you cook and aligns them with the real promotions of the week at Coop, Migros, Lidl, Aldi, Denner and Aligro.
The shopping list follows from the plan with no extra work, sorted by category, store or recipe. You decide whether Eini calculates the cheapest basket across all stores or only uses your preferred stores. What you already have at home drops off the list thanks to the pantry list, and with the leftovers feature you cook once and eat twice. Individual dishes can be swapped at any time.
Rule of thumb: Other savings apps show you what is cheap this week. Eini turns it into the weekly plan and the shopping list.
How do you save money and time on groceries at once?
Every kind of savings app saves you money. You only save time where the app takes decisions off your hands. In practice, a weekly shop with Eini looks like this:
- Wednesday evening or Thursday: have the plan created. That is when the big chains start their new weekly promotions, and the plan follows them.
- Tick off your pantry: what you have at home disappears from the list.
- In the shop: shopping mode with check-off, sorted by store or category, also offline. Your loyalty cards are ready in the card wallet.
- Afterwards: each list shows how much you saved, and the total counter keeps running.
You still activate coupons and loyalty points in your retailer’s app. Eini does not replace those apps; it makes sure you walk into the shop with a finished plan. More in the guide to meal planning in Switzerland and the Swiss supermarket price comparison.
Saving in everyday life: what can Eini do beyond groceries?
Groceries are only one line in a Swiss budget. Eini Premium includes four more modules:
- Career: compares your salary with the official Swiss wage statistics for your role, canton and experience.
- Taxes: estimates what you pay in your municipality and finds deductions you can claim.
- Housing: works out whether you are left with more after a move, counting rent, taxes, health insurance premium and commute.
- Insurance: keeps policies and cancellation deadlines in one place and compares premiums.
What Eini cannot do
- No live shelf prices. Promotions are updated daily and follow each retailer’s weekly cycle. The final price is the one on the shelf.
- Six grocery retailers. Coop, Migros, Lidl, Aldi, Denner and Aligro. Eini has no flyers for electronics, furniture or fashion.
- Not completely free. Browsing promotions, price comparison and the first meal plan cost nothing. Unlimited meal plans cost CHF 1.00 per week, with a 7-day free trial, cancellable anytime.
- No coupons and no loyalty points. Those only run through the retailers’ own apps.
How much can you realistically save with a savings app?
According to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (BFS), the average Swiss household spends around CHF 636 per month on food and non-alcoholic beverages. How much of that you save depends on three things: whether you plan around promotions instead of habit, how much you throw away today, and whether you switch stores for large price differences.
Eini estimates savings of CHF 150 to 300 per month for a family of four spending CHF 1,200 a month. That is Eini’s own estimate based on self-reported data, not a guarantee. An app alone saves nothing. It saves when it makes planning easy enough that you actually do it every week.
Frequently asked questions about savings apps in Switzerland
Which app is best for saving money on groceries in Switzerland?
It depends on what you want taken off your hands. Most savings apps show you promotions or flyers, and the planning stays with you. Eini goes one step further: the app automatically builds a weekly meal plan and shopping list from the current promotions at Coop, Migros, Lidl, Aldi, Denner and Aligro. For coupons and loyalty points you also need your retailer’s own app.
Is there an app that creates the meal plan automatically from the weekly promotions?
Yes, Eini. You enter household size, diet and excluded ingredients, and Eini’s own algorithm puts together lunch and dinner from the week’s promotions at Coop, Migros, Lidl, Aldi, Denner and Aligro. A shopping list is created automatically, sorted by category, store or recipe. The first meal plan is free; unlimited plans cost CHF 1.00 per week.
What is the difference between a deals app and Eini?
A deals app shows you what is reduced this week. What you cook with it and what goes on the shopping list is then your decision. Eini turns the promotions directly into the weekly plan and the shopping list, takes your pantry into account and plans for leftovers. So you save not only money but also the planning time.
Is Eini free?
Eini is free to download. Browsing promotions, comparing prices across six Swiss retailers and your first meal plan are free. Unlimited meal plans and shopping lists cost CHF 1.00 per week, with a 7-day free trial, cancellable anytime. Eini Premium with the Career, Taxes, Housing and Insurance modules costs CHF 3.00 per week or CHF 90.00 per year.
Which app saves both money and time in everyday life?
You save time where an app takes decisions off your hands. Eini combines both directly, because the meal plan and shopping list are created in one step from the week’s promotions, in under a minute according to Eini. With the Career, Taxes, Housing and Insurance modules, Eini Premium also covers other areas of saving in Swiss everyday life.
How much can a household realistically save with a savings app?
According to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, the average Swiss household spends around CHF 636 per month on food and non-alcoholic beverages. How much you save depends on how consistently you plan around promotions, how much you throw away today and whether you switch stores. Eini estimates CHF 150 to 300 per month for a family of four spending CHF 1,200 a month; this is Eini’s own estimate based on self-reported data, not a guarantee.
Your weekly plan from this week’s promotions.
Real promotions from Coop, Migros, Lidl, Aldi, Denner & Aligro. Meal plan and shopping list in under a minute. The first plan is free.
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