MyFitnessPal Alternatives: 5 Calorie Trackers Compared

Quick answer: The best MyFitnessPal alternative depends on what you need to track. MyFitnessPal's own Premium page lists barcode scanning as a paid feature ($19.99 a month or $79.99 a year). Cronometer, FatSecret and, in our check, Lose It! include barcode scanning in their free versions, while MacroFactor has no free tier. Cronometer tracks the most nutrients and MacroFactor adapts your targets. Add an ingredient checker if the label matters more than the calories.

People look for a MyFitnessPal alternative for a few common reasons: the price of Premium, a wish to track more than calories, or a feeling that logging has become a chore. This guide compares five calorie and nutrition trackers using what each app says on its own site and our own October 2026 check of their features, and explains where an ingredient checker fits if your concern is what is in your food and not just how much of it you eat.

Why People Look for an Alternative

• Barcode scanning is a Premium feature. MyFitnessPal's Premium page lists "Barcode Scan & Meal Scan" as not included with a free account, along with voice logging, macro tracking with custom goals and ad-free logging. Nutrition and weight tracking and exercise tracking are included free.
• The price. The same page lists Premium at $79.99 a year or $19.99 a month, with a 7-day trial for people who have never started one.
• You want more than calories. Some apps track dozens of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, while others track only a handful.
• You want targets that adapt. Only one of the five apps below adjusts your calorie target automatically.
• You need to know what is in the food. Calorie trackers do not check ingredients.

What to Compare Before You Switch

• Is barcode scanning free? It is the feature most people use every day.
• How many nutrients does it track, and where does the nutrition data come from? Some apps describe their data as lab-analyzed or verified.
• Are targets fixed or adaptive?
• What does the free version include, what do ads and paywalls cover, and what does Premium cost?
• Does it have a web app as well as iOS and Android apps, and does it connect to your devices and health apps?
• Which logging methods are free? In our check, photo logging is a paid feature in all five apps.

Alternatives to MyFitnessPal Compared: Free and Paid Calorie Trackers

Two patterns are worth noticing. Photo logging is a paid feature in all five apps, so do not choose on that alone. And the web is a weak spot: in our check Cronometer has the only current web app, MyFitnessPal, Lose It! and FatSecret have dated ones, and MacroFactor has none.

Cronometer: Best for Detailed Nutrient Tracking

Cronometer tracks more nutrients than the others. Its Gold page says the free Basic plan tracks "up to 84 nutrients and other compounds", includes a barcode scanner and custom macro and micronutrient targets, and draws on a database of over 1 million lab-analyzed or verified foods, with reports and charts limited to a 7-day window. Gold costs $10.99 a month or $59.99 billed annually, and adds photo logging, voice logging, an AI-powered coach called Crono Coach, unlimited history and an ad-free experience. It is available on web, iOS and Android, and its site lists integrations with devices such as Fitbit, Garmin, Apple Health, Oura, Whoop and Dexcom.

• Best for: people who care about vitamins, minerals and other nutrients as well as calories.
• Keep in mind: the free plan shows ads and limits history reports to a 7-day window.

MacroFactor: Best for Adaptive Targets

MacroFactor describes itself as a macro tracker and diet coach. Its site describes calorie targets that adapt over time, and lists a barcode scanner and nutrition label scanning among its features. There is no free tier: it offers a 7-day free trial, then charges about $11.99 a month or $71.99 billed yearly.

• Best for: people who want targets that adjust to their progress and are willing to pay for it.
• Keep in mind: no free version, and no web app in our check.

Lose It!: Best for Weight-Loss Goals and Simple Logging

Lose It! describes itself as "a calorie counting, nutrition tracking, and intermittent fasting tool" that lets you track your food, weight and activity. Its home page leads with "Say It. Snap It. Scan It." and a three-step flow: set your goals and receive personalized goals, track your food against a daily calorie budget, and keep setting new goals. It says its free Basic version has the basic features for calorie counting, and its Premium page lists features such as a personalized weight loss plan, a smart camera, device syncing, advanced tracking and meal and exercise planning. In our check, Premium is $79.99 a year.

• Best for: people whose main goal is weight loss and who want a goal-led plan.
• Keep in mind: it tracks only a handful of micronutrients in our count, and its site quotes member results and an average-weight-loss claim for Premium, which are the company's own figures, not independent evidence.

FatSecret: Best for Free Calorie Counting

FatSecret says its core features are "completely free to use", including calorie and macro tracking, weight logging, the barcode scanner and its community. Premium is a paid upgrade in the app that adds dietitian-designed meal plans, advanced tracking tools, a water tracker and a learning center, with pricing that varies by region and is shown in the app. In our check it was about $14.99 a month or $59.99 a year.

• Best for: people who want a free food diary and barcode scanner.
• Keep in mind: it tracks about 13 micronutrients in our count and its web app looks dated. Confirm the current price in the app.

Calorie Counters Do Not Read Ingredients

All of the apps above answer how much you ate. None of them is designed to answer what is in it. Two foods with identical calories can differ completely in additives, sweeteners, oils and preservatives, which matters if you have a food sensitivity, an autoimmune condition or a digestive disorder. That is a different job, and it is what Foodsage is built for.

In Foodsage you choose your conditions, custom sensitivities and clean-eating goals, scan a barcode or an ingredient list, and get a verdict with the specific ingredients that matched. It is not a calorie counter and does not track your daily calories, so the two kinds of app work well together. For more ingredient scanners, see Yuka alternatives and how to choose an ingredient checker app.

Who Should Be Careful With Calorie Tracking

A 2017 study in Eating Behaviors, by Simpson and Mazzeo, reported that people who tracked calories with a phone app were more likely to report eating disorder symptoms. It is an association and does not show that the apps cause them, but it is a reason to be careful. If you have or have had an eating disorder, or tracking makes you anxious about food, talk to a clinician before using any of these apps. Our calorie counting apps guide covers this in more detail.

Best MyFitnessPal Alternative: Which One Should You Pick?

• If you want free barcode scanning and a simple diary, try FatSecret, Cronometer or Lose It!.
• If you care about vitamins and minerals, try Cronometer, which tracks the most.
• If you want targets that adapt to your progress, try MacroFactor.
• If you want a goal-led weight-loss plan with simple logging, try Lose It!.
• If you like MyFitnessPal and the price is the only issue, compare Premium against the free options above.
• If a condition, sensitivity or allergy shapes what you buy, add Foodsage to check ingredients, alongside whichever tracker you use.

A Tracker Is Not a Label Check

Whichever app you use, the package is the primary source. Check the serving size and the ingredient list, and talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian about how much and what to eat. Foodsage provides ingredient information to help you shop. It does not diagnose or treat any condition, and nothing here is medical advice.