SafeMeal vs Equal Eats: two ways to show your allergies abroad
Equal Eats makes dietary translation cards that you can buy as a plastic card, download as a printable PDF or build in its iOS and Android app. SafeMeal is an iOS and Android app that turns your food profile into a restaurant card in the local language. Both do the same job: telling a kitchen abroad what you cannot eat. If you want a physical card, or translations made by professional translators and reviewed by native speakers, Equal Eats is the one to keep.
The short answer
Equal Eats does several things SafeMeal does not: it sells plastic cards and printable PDFs, offers 700 allergens to choose from, publishes a three-step human translation process, and makes non-food cards such as a penicillin allergy card and translated photo ID cards.
SafeMeal is an app only. Its card exists in 143 languages, with English under every line, and adds “Often hidden in”: the local dishes that commonly contain each food on your card, for 68 countries. It can also share the card by link or QR code.
Equal Eats lists 58 languages. If your destination is among them and you want a card in your wallet, it fits well. If your destination’s language is outside that list, or you want local hidden dishes next to the card, SafeMeal covers those.
What Equal Eats is
Equal Eats makes dietary translation cards for people with food allergies, celiac disease, intolerances and special diets. Its site announces a 20th anniversary and 50,000 people helped; its founder and CEO is Kyle Dine, and its app is published by Allergy Translation Inc. You can buy a credit-card-sized plastic card, download a printable PDF, or build cards in the iOS and Android app. Cards exist in 58 languages and draw on a list of 700 allergens. Every translation goes through professional translation, expert proofreading and native-speaker review. English cards are free; other languages in the app need a subscription or a one-month pass for a single language.
What SafeMeal is
SafeMeal is an app for iPhone and Android. You build a food profile from 238 foods and 33 presets, say how serious it is, and the app shows restaurant staff a card in the local language with English under each line: 143 languages across 237 countries and territories. It lists the local dishes that often hide each food and works offline. It does not scan menus or barcodes and does not sell physical cards.
SafeMeal and Equal Eats at a glance
| Criteria | SafeMeal | Equal Eats |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | App that builds a visual restaurant card from your food profile | Translation cards: app, printable PDF, plastic card |
| Platforms | iOS, Android | iOS, Android, web shop |
| Card languages | 143 | 58 |
| Foods and allergens | 238 foods, 33 presets | 700 allergens to choose from; up to 13 per custom plastic card |
| Icon for each food | Yes | Not listed |
| Severity levels | Severe allergy, strict, preference | Card types: allergy, intolerance, celiac, special diet |
| Kitchen precautions (cross-contact) | Yes, for severe allergies: clean pan, clean utensils, fresh oil | Cross-contact warning on the card |
| “Often hidden in” local dishes | Yes, 68 countries, 4,537 lines | Not listed |
| Works offline | Yes | Yes, for saved cards |
| Several profiles | Yes | Yes, several cards saved in the app |
| Sharing | Link and QR code, opens in any browser, can be turned off | By text or email; Family Sharing |
| Physical card | No (image export) | Yes: plastic card and printable PDF |
| Non-food cards (drugs, ID) | No | Yes: penicillin allergy, translated photo ID |
| Price model | Free trial, then yearly or lifetime; every language included | English free; subscription or one-month pass; PDF and plastic sold per card |
Languages, and how Equal Eats translates
Equal Eats lists 58 languages on its product page and its Google Play listing. It describes a three-step process for each translation: professional translation, expert proofreading, then review by a native speaker. It also notes that some allergy terms, such as tree nuts in European languages, have no direct translation. A published human process is a real strength.
SafeMeal’s card exists in 143 languages across 237 countries and territories, with English under each line. If a published human translation process is your first criterion, choose Equal Eats. If your destination’s language is outside its 58, check whether SafeMeal covers it.
What the kitchen sees: card content, cross-contact, hidden local dishes
An Equal Eats card carries an allergy overview, the list of your allergens, a cross-contact warning and a thank-you note. Preset cards add a list of foods that contain the allergen. A customized plastic card holds up to 13 allergens according to the product page (the FAQ says up to 15), chosen from a list of 700. In Waiter Mode, the app shows the card full screen at full brightness.
A SafeMeal card is built from your profile: each food has an icon and one of three levels (severe allergy, strict, preference). For severe allergies the card adds kitchen precautions: clean pan, clean utensils, fresh oil. “Often hidden in” then lists local dishes that commonly contain each food, from 4,537 lines checked dish by dish across 68 countries. A per-country list of local dishes is not listed among Equal Eats’ features. SafeMeal’s catalog is the shorter one: 238 foods against 700 allergens.
Phone app or plastic card: offline use and sharing
Both apps work offline: Equal Eats for saved cards, with a version released on 10 August 2026 described as offline-first on the App Store. Equal Eats also sells what SafeMeal does not: a plastic card with English on one side and the chosen language on the other, and printable PDFs. A physical card has nothing to charge, and the staff can carry it to the kitchen. Delivery takes about 7 business days in the US and UK, and 15 to 25 business days for Australia, New Zealand and other countries.
SafeMeal gives each profile one link and QR code that opens in any browser without the app and can be turned off. It also exports the card as an image in the language you choose and has home-screen widgets. Equal Eats cards can be shared by text or email, and its app supports Family Sharing; sharing by QR code or web link is not listed among its features. Both apps keep several cards or profiles for different people.
Pricing models (verified on 4 October 2026)
Equal Eats has several price points (seen on 4 October 2026). In the app, English cards are free; unlimited languages cost $14.99 per month or $34.99 per year, and one language for one month costs $7.99. Printable PDFs cost $9.99 for a preset card and $15.99 for a customized one, with English printable cards free. A preset plastic card costs $18.99, and customized plastic cards start at $19.99 for one. Emergency cards are free in all supported languages, and refunds are offered within 30 days.
SafeMeal’s model: free trial, then a low yearly price or a one-time lifetime purchase; every language included. The models differ more than the amounts. Equal Eats lets you pay nothing for English, pay once for a physical card in one language, or subscribe for every language in its app. SafeMeal is a single app purchase that covers every language. Prices change, so check each product’s current price before you decide.
Choose Equal Eats if…
- You want a plastic card in your wallet, or one to hand to a child or a caregiver.
- Your allergen is unusual and you need a list of 700 to find it.
- A published process of professional translation and native-speaker review is your first criterion.
- You also need a penicillin allergy card or a translated photo ID card.
Choose SafeMeal if…
- Your destination’s language is outside the 58 that Equal Eats lists.
- You want to see which local dishes commonly contain your foods, next to the card.
- You want the card shared by link or QR code with someone who has no app.
- You manage several profiles or diets and change them often.
Using both is reasonable: a plastic card as a backup in your wallet, the app for everything else.
See your own card in a minute.
Pick your foods, pick a country, and look at what the kitchen would read. Try the live demo or get the app.
Questions about Equal Eats and SafeMeal
How much does the Equal Eats app cost?
Creating English cards is free. For other languages, Equal Eats lists $14.99 per month or $34.99 per year for unlimited languages, or $7.99 for one language for one month (seen on 4 October 2026). Plastic and PDF cards are sold separately on its website.
Is Equal Eats legit?
Yes. It is an established company: its site announces a 20th anniversary in 2026 and 50,000 people helped. Its translations go through professional translation, proofreading and native-speaker review, and it offers refunds within 30 days.
Does Equal Eats work offline?
Yes, for saved cards. Its App Store listing describes an offline mode, and version 3.0.0, released on 10 August 2026, is described as offline-first. SafeMeal’s card also works offline.
How many languages do Equal Eats and SafeMeal support?
Equal Eats lists 58 languages on its product page and its Google Play listing. SafeMeal’s restaurant card is available in 143 languages, with each line followed by English.
Does Equal Eats tell me which local dishes contain my allergen?
Its cards list your allergens and a cross-contact warning, and preset cards add a list of foods that contain the allergen. A country-by-country list of local dishes is not listed among its features. SafeMeal includes “Often hidden in” for 68 countries. With either card, confirm with the restaurant staff before you order.
Can I get a physical card from SafeMeal?
No. SafeMeal is an app; it can export the card as an image in the language you choose. If you want a manufactured plastic card, Equal Eats sells them.
More comparisons
- SafeMeal vsSelectWiselySelectWisely ships pre-printed plastic translation cards; SafeMeal builds the card on your phone, for any combination of foods.
- SafeMeal vsLegal NomadsLegal Nomads sells detailed celiac cards, one per country, as downloads; SafeMeal puts gluten and the other foods in your profile on one card.
- Buyer’s guideAllergy translation cards comparedApps, printable PDFs and plastic cards for food allergies abroad, in one dated and sourced table, free options included.
- HubAll comparisonsEvery page comparing SafeMeal with another app, card or translator.
Sources and method
Every fact about Equal Eats on this page comes from its own website or store listing, checked on 4 October 2026. “Not listed” means we did not find the feature there on that date, not that it does not exist. Prices are the ones shown on that date, in US dollars, and may have changed. SafeMeal publishes this page and is not affiliated with the other brands named. Spotted a mistake? Write to [email protected] and we will correct it.
- Equal Eats: home page
- Equal Eats: app page
- Equal Eats: digital vs physical cards
- Equal Eats: printable cards
- Equal Eats: FAQ
- Equal Eats: about
- Equal Eats: languages and accuracy
- Equal Eats: customized card
- Equal Eats: free peanut allergy card
- Equal Eats on the App Store
- Equal Eats on Google Play
SafeMeal is not a medical device. No card or app can guarantee a safe meal: always confirm with the restaurant staff, and keep your emergency medication with you.