Best Calorie Tracker Apps in 2026: 9 Apps Tested and Compared

There are hundreds of calorie tracker apps, and most of them do the same job: you tell them what you ate and they add up the numbers. What separates them is how long that takes, what they charge, and what they ask of you before you can start. We compared nine of the most used apps in 2026 on exactly those points, and updated every price and feature in October.

The Best Calorie Tracker App for Each Need

If you only read one part of this guide, read this one. Each pick has a full review further down.

• Best free app with AI photo logging: Metrical. You log a meal from a photo or a sentence at no cost, and there is no account to create.
• Best for the largest food database and barcode scanning: MyFitnessPal.
• Best for vitamins and minerals: Cronometer, which tracks over 80 micronutrients from verified sources.
• Best for coaching that adjusts your targets: MacroFactor, if you are happy to pay for it.
• Best fully free traditional tracker: FatSecret.
• Best for a structured weight loss program: Noom.
• Best on Android without installing anything: Metrical, which runs in the browser and can be added to your home screen.

How We Compared Them

We logged the same meals in each app and looked at four things: how long a typical meal takes to log, what is free and what costs money, whether the app can log from a photo or a sentence, and whether you need an account before you start. Prices are US list prices in October 2026. They change by country and app store, and some apps show different offers to different people.

Quick Comparison Table

1. Metrical

Metrical is built around one idea: logging a meal should take seconds. You snap a photo or type what you ate in plain words, like "two eggs and toast", and the AI estimates calories and macros right away. There is nothing to install and no account to create, because it runs in the browser on any phone or computer. Your log stays on your device by default. If you want it on more than one device, Metrical Cloud adds sync, backup and saved meal photos for a single payment of $29.99.

• Pros: logs a meal from a photo or a sentence in seconds, AI photo logging included for free, no account, works on iPhone, Android and desktop, local by default, English and Spanish
• Cons: estimates instead of a verified food database, no barcode scanner, no social features or coaching

2. MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal is the best known tracker, with one of the largest food databases and integrations with most fitness devices. In 2026 it moved more features behind its paid plans. Meal Scan, which estimates a whole plate from a photo, is now Premium only, and Premium costs $19.99 a month or $79.99 a year. Its parent company also bought Cal AI, a photo-first tracker, in March 2026.

• Pros: very large food database, barcode scanner, integrations with most fitness apps and devices, recipe import
• Cons: the best features need Premium, ads on the free plan, logging by search takes longer, account required

3. Lose It!

Lose It! keeps a clean design focused on weight loss and a free plan that covers basic logging. Its photo feature, Snap It, is part of Premium ($39.99 a year) together with macro goals and meal planning. In independent tests the photo feature identifies the type of food more reliably than the portion size.

• Pros: clean interface, clear weight loss focus, solid free plan for basic logging
• Cons: photo logging and macros need Premium, portion estimates from photos are rough, account required

4. Cronometer

Cronometer is the pick if you care about vitamins and minerals. It tracks over 80 nutrients from verified sources instead of user-submitted entries, which makes it more precise than crowd-sourced databases. It does not offer AI photo logging, and logging a meal takes longer as a result. Gold costs about $59.99 a year.

• Pros: the most detailed nutrient tracking, verified food data, good for specific diets such as keto or vegan
• Cons: slower to log, clinical interface, steeper learning curve, account required

5. FatSecret

FatSecret is one of the most complete free trackers. The food diary, barcode scanner, exercise log, weight tracking and community recipes all work without paying. The interface feels older than newer apps, and the free version shows ads.

• Pros: free core features, barcode scanner, community recipes and challenges
• Cons: dated interface, ads, account required, little in the way of AI logging

6. Yazio

Yazio combines calorie tracking with recipes, meal plans and intermittent fasting timers in a polished design. Most of the interesting features, including photo recognition, are part of Pro, which costs about $48 a year in the US.

• Pros: polished design, meal plans and recipes, fasting tracker
• Cons: most features need Pro, photo recognition is inconsistent in tests, account required

7. Noom

Noom is a behavior change program more than a calorie tracker. It sorts foods by calorie density with a color system and adds daily lessons and coaching. It is also the most expensive option here: about $70 a month on a monthly plan, or around $209 for a full year.

• Pros: psychology-based approach, coaching, educational content
• Cons: expensive, basic food logging, long onboarding, account required

8. MacroFactor

MacroFactor adjusts your calorie and macro targets every week from your real weight trend instead of a fixed formula. It now includes AI logging from a photo or a description. There is no free plan: after a 7-day trial it costs $11.99 a month or $71.99 a year.

• Pros: targets that adapt to your progress, detailed analytics, AI logging, verified food data
• Cons: no free plan, more setup than simpler apps, account required

9. Samsung Health

Samsung Health comes installed on Samsung phones and pairs with Galaxy watches for activity and sleep. Food logging is basic and works by searching a database. It suits people who want one app for everything on a Samsung device more than people who want a dedicated calorie counter.

• Pros: free, already on Samsung phones, activity and sleep tracking, works with Galaxy wearables
• Cons: food logging is basic, no AI photo logging, best only inside the Samsung ecosystem

What About Photo-First AI Apps Like Cal AI?

A newer group of apps is built entirely around the camera: you photograph the plate and the app estimates everything. Cal AI is the best known, now owned by the same company as MyFitnessPal, and PlateLens is another. Both are subscription apps with a few free scans per day. If photo logging is the main reason you want an app, compare them with Metrical, which includes photo logging for free and does not ask for an account.

Which App Should You Choose?

Start from what matters most to you. If you want the fastest logging with no account and no cost, Metrical. If you rely on scanning barcodes and branded foods, MyFitnessPal. For vitamins and minerals, Cronometer. For targets that adapt every week and a budget for it, MacroFactor. And if you want a structured program with coaching, Noom.