MyFitnessPal Alternatives: 6 Free & Paid Apps

Quick answer: The right MyFitnessPal alternative depends on what you want to change.

Free barcode scanning: Cronometer includes it in its free Basic plan.
Simple free diary: FatSecret keeps its core food diary free.
Adaptive calorie targets: MacroFactor is paid-only, but it adjusts your targets from your weight trend.
Faster logging: photo-based trackers such as Lilbite and Cal AI let you log a meal from a picture, usually on a paid plan.

MyFitnessPal is still one of the best-known calorie counters, with a large food database and a free tier. Many people start looking for apps like MyFitnessPal because several features are now Premium-only. According to MyFitnessPal's own Premium page, these include:

the barcode scanner
meal scan
voice logging
custom macro goals
ad-free logging

This guide compares six alternatives by what you get for free, how barcode scanning works, how each app charges, and who each one suits.

How we compiled this: Features and pricing models come from each company's official pages and app store listings where available, checked in October 2026. Prices change often and vary by country, so confirm the current price in the app before subscribing. Lilbite is our app; we have included it alongside the others and noted where it is weaker.

MyFitnessPal alternatives at a glance

App	Free plan	Barcode scanner on free plan	Pricing model	Best for
MyFitnessPal (for reference)	Yes, with ads	No (Premium)	Free + Premium subscription	Large database, familiar workflow
Cronometer	Yes, with ads	Yes	Free + Gold subscription	Micronutrient detail on a free plan
FatSecret	Yes, with ads	Reported as free	Free + Premium subscription	A free, no-frills food diary
Lose It!	Yes	Premium for many new accounts	Free + Premium subscription	Simple weight-loss budgeting
MacroFactor	No	Included (paid app)	Paid subscription only	Adaptive targets for macro trackers
Lilbite	Yes, no sign-up	Premium	Free + Premium (free trial)	Quick AI photo logging and weekly calorie planning
Cal AI	Limited	Scanning needs subscription	Subscription	Photo-first calorie estimates

1. Cronometer: best free MyFitnessPal alternative with a barcode scanner

If your main frustration is losing the free barcode scanner, Cronometer is the closest fix. Cronometer's free features page says Basic accounts get unlimited use of the barcode scanner.

What stands out

Detailed nutrient tracking, including vitamins and minerals, not just calories and macros.
A free Basic plan that covers everyday food logging and barcode scanning.
Gold adds extras such as a fasting timer, recipe importer, macro scheduler, custom charts, and ad-free logging, according to Cronometer's Gold page.

Trade-offs: The free plan shows ads and limits some history and charting views. The level of nutrient detail can feel like more than you need if you only want a calorie total.

Best for: People who want free barcode scanning and care about micronutrients such as fiber, iron, or vitamin D.

2. FatSecret: best for a free, no-frills food diary

FatSecret is a long-running calorie counter whose core diary remains free. FatSecret's Premium page describes the free tier as covering the tools you need to track food. Premium adds features such as meal planning and a smart food scan.

What stands out

A free food diary with a large database.
Independent 2026 reviews report that barcode scanning is included on the free plan.
A simple interface that is easy to learn if you only want to count calories.

Trade-offs: The free version is ad-supported. Like any large database, some community or third-party entries can be inaccurate, so check the entries you log most often against the label.

Best for: Budget-conscious users who want a free diary and basic tracking without a subscription.

3. Lose It!: best for simple calorie budgeting

Lose It! focuses on weight loss with a clear daily calorie budget and a friendly interface. It has a free tier and a Premium subscription that unlocks additional tracking features.

What stands out

A straightforward daily calorie budget based on your weight goal.
A clean, beginner-friendly logging experience.
Optional Premium features for people who want more detail.

Trade-offs: Barcode scanning has moved behind Premium for many newer accounts, according to recent independent coverage, so check what your account includes before relying on it.

Best for: Beginners focused on weight loss who want a simple calorie target more than detailed macro control.

4. MacroFactor: best for adaptive macro targets (paid only)

MacroFactor takes a different approach. It estimates your energy expenditure from your logged food and weight trend, then adjusts your calorie and macro targets over time. There is no free plan. MacroFactor's help center lists the single app at $11.99 per month, $47.99 per six months, or $71.99 per year (USD, before local taxes).

What stands out

Targets that adapt to your real-world results instead of a one-time estimate.
Detailed macro tracking designed for lifting, cutting, and bulking phases.

Trade-offs: You pay from the start (beyond any trial offered in your app store), so it is not a free MyFitnessPal alternative. It also rewards consistent logging and weighing, which not everyone wants.

Best for: Lifters and macro trackers who log consistently and want their targets adjusted automatically. If you are planning a lean bulk or a cut, adaptive targets save a lot of manual recalculation.

5. Lilbite: best for quick AI photo logging

Lilbite is our nutrition tracker for iOS and Android. The free version lets you set a calorie goal, calculate macros, and look up nutrition data for thousands of foods, without creating an account. It can also write calories, protein, carbs, and fat to Apple Health.

What stands out

No sign-up required to start logging.
AI photo logging (Premium): photograph a meal to get an estimated food log, then adjust portions before saving.
Weekly calorie planner (Premium): set a weekly calorie budget and give different days different targets, such as more on training days or weekends and less on rest days.
Ask AI (Premium): ask nutrition questions about your day, such as how to hit your protein target.
Barcode scanning and custom foods (Premium).
Free web calculators for IIFYM macros, TDEE, and protein that pair with the app.

Trade-offs: Lilbite's photo logging, barcode scanner, weekly planner, and AI features are Premium features, so the free plan is best for basic calorie and macro tracking. Premium includes a free trial. As with any photo-based tracker, photo estimates are a starting point: check portion sizes, cooking oils, and sauces before relying on the totals.

Best for: People who find manual searching tedious and want faster logging, or who want a weekly calorie budget instead of the same target every day.

Download Lilbite to try it.

6. Cal AI: best for photo-first calorie estimates

Cal AI is built around taking a photo of your meal and getting an estimated calorie and macro breakdown. Its App Store listing notes that food scanning analysis requires a subscription, so the app is effectively subscription-based for its main feature.

What stands out

Fast logging centered on meal photos.

Trade-offs: The core scanning feature is paid, and photo estimates can miss hidden ingredients such as oil, butter, and dressings. Independent coverage reports that Cal AI tests different paywall prices, so the price you see may differ from what others quote.

Best for: People who mainly want to snap photos and do not need a detailed food database workflow.

How to choose the right MyFitnessPal alternative

Start with the feature you are actually missing, not the longest feature list.

You want a free barcode scanner: start with Cronometer. FatSecret is also reported to include one for free.
You want everything free and simple: try FatSecret or the free tier of Lose It!.
You track macros seriously: MacroFactor if you are happy to pay for adaptive targets, or Cronometer if you want a free starting point.
Logging takes too long: try a photo-based tracker such as Lilbite or Cal AI during a free trial and see whether its estimates match your meals.
The same target every day doesn't fit your week: look for weekly budgeting or per-day targets, such as Lilbite's weekly calorie planner, so training days, weekends, and meals out are planned in advance.

Before committing, log one normal day in each app you are considering, including drinks, cooking oil, and snacks. You will quickly see which workflow you can stick with, and consistency matters more than any single feature. If you are new to logging, our guide on how to track macros walks through the basics.

For a wider comparison of nutrition apps, see our guide to the best nutrition tracking apps. If macro targets are your priority, read the best macro tracking app comparison.

Moving your data from MyFitnessPal

Before you cancel, export or note anything you want to keep, such as saved recipes, frequent meals, and your weight history. Many apps let you import weight data through Apple Health or Google Health Connect, but food diaries rarely transfer cleanly between apps. Plan to rebuild your most common meals in the new app during the first week.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best free alternative to MyFitnessPal?

For most people, Cronometer is the strongest free MyFitnessPal alternative, because its free Basic plan includes the barcode scanner and detailed nutrient tracking. FatSecret is another good free option if you want a simpler food diary. Both free plans show ads, and both offer paid upgrades for extra features.

Is there an app like MyFitnessPal with a free barcode scanner?

Yes. Cronometer states that its free Basic plan includes unlimited barcode scanning, and independent reviews report that FatSecret's free plan includes scanning too. MyFitnessPal now lists its barcode scanner as a Premium feature, and Lose It! has moved scanning behind Premium for many newer accounts.

Why are people leaving MyFitnessPal?

Common reasons include moving the barcode scanner and custom macro goals to Premium, ads on the free plan, and the cost of the subscription. Others want features MyFitnessPal does not focus on, such as detailed micronutrients, adaptive calorie targets, or photo-based logging.

Is MacroFactor better than MyFitnessPal?

It depends on your goal. MacroFactor is paid-only, but it adjusts your calorie and macro targets from your weight trend, which suits consistent macro trackers. MyFitnessPal has a free tier and a very large food database. If you want a free plan, MyFitnessPal or Cronometer fits better. If you want automated target adjustments, MacroFactor is the stronger choice.

Are AI photo calorie trackers accurate?

AI photo trackers give useful estimates, but they can miss hidden ingredients such as cooking oil, butter, and sauces, and they can misjudge portion sizes. Treat the result as a draft: check the foods and portions, adjust anything that looks wrong, and weigh calorie-dense foods when accuracy matters.

The bottom line

There is no single best MyFitnessPal alternative. Pick the app that fixes the problem that made you look:

The paywall: Cronometer and FatSecret keep the most useful features free, including barcode scanning.
Your macro targets: MacroFactor adapts them automatically if you are willing to pay.
Slow logging: photo-based trackers such as Lilbite and Cal AI are worth trying during a free trial.

Whichever you choose, set realistic targets first with the TDEE calculator and the IIFYM macro calculator, then stick with one app long enough to see your trend.