The Best MyFitnessPal Alternatives in 2026: An Honest Comparison

Why people look for a MyFitnessPal alternative

MyFitnessPal is one of the best-known calorie counters in the world. Its US App Store listing shows a 4.7-star rating from millions of reviews, and the company says its database covers more than 20 million foods. Plenty of people use it happily for years. Others start looking around, usually for one of these reasons.

• The barcode scanner is paid. In 2022 MyFitnessPal moved barcode scanning into Premium, starting October 1, 2022, as widely reported by outlets including The Verge and Digital Trends at the time. Its premium page still lists Barcode Scan and Meal Scan as not included with a free account.
• Ads in the free version. "Ad-free logging" is listed as a Premium feature, so free users see ads while they log.
• Speed of logging. On the free plan you log mostly by searching. Faster methods, such as Meal Scan (photo) and Voice Log, are part of Premium.
• Price. At the time of writing (October 2026), MyFitnessPal Premium is $19.99 a month or $79.99 a year on the US App Store, and Premium+, which adds the Meal Planner, has been listed at $99.99 a year.
• Choosing between entries. In any very large food database that includes entries added by users, a search for a common food can return several versions with different numbers. Some people prefer an app that shows where each number comes from.

One more thing worth knowing: in March 2026 MyFitnessPal announced it had acquired Cal AI, the popular photo-based calorie app. According to TechCrunch's report, Cal AI keeps running as a separate app with its own team and now uses MyFitnessPal's food database. So if you switch to Cal AI, you are staying in the same company's family.

A quick word on how we wrote this: we make Thymi, so we are not neutral. We have tried to describe every app fairly, using each company's own website and US App Store listing, and we say plainly where another app is the better choice. Prices and features change often, so treat everything here as correct at the time of writing (October 2026) and check the store before you subscribe.

How we compared the apps

We looked at the things that decide whether people actually stick with a tracker, which we cover in more depth in how to choose a calorie tracker app:

1. Logging speed. Photo, voice or text, barcode, label scan and saved meals. The fewer taps, the more likely you keep going.
2. What is free. Especially the barcode scanner, which was the trigger for many people leaving MyFitnessPal.
3. Data you can trust. Where the numbers come from and whether you can see it.
4. Targets. Calories and protein at minimum; macros, fiber and micronutrients if you care about them.
5. Price. The real US price for a month and a year.

We left out apps that are mainly diet programs or coaching services, and focused on calorie and macro trackers that are genuinely popular in 2026.

MyFitnessPal alternatives at a glance

Prices are US prices at the time of writing (October 2026), from each app's US App Store listing or website. Some apps change prices with offers, so you may see a different number.

The alternatives, one by one

Thymi

We make Thymi, so read this section with that in mind. Thymi is an AI calorie tracker, food diary and meal planner for iPhone and Android, with one account on both. You can log a meal by taking a photo of your plate, scanning a barcode, photographing a nutrition label, describing it in a sentence ("two eggs on sourdough"), or searching a database of 13,500+ foods plus packaged products.

• Numbers you can check: every item is matched to USDA FoodData Central or Open Food Facts and labelled Verified or Estimated. Portions are adjustable in grams, and "Fix it" corrects a log in plain words ("it was 2 eggs, not 3").
• What it tracks: calories, protein, carbs, fat and fiber, plus water, weight and exercise. A daily Plate Score explains how the day went, and Apple Health sync on iPhone brings in steps, workouts and weight.
• Meal planning: the Menu board plans real dishes for your country and cuisines, sized to your calorie and protein targets, with one-tap logging. We compare it with other planners in the best meal planner apps.
• Tone: no guilt and no red numbers when you go over.

Price at the time of writing: free to start, with 3 AI logs a day, unlimited barcode scans, search and manual logging, and 7 days of history. Pro adds unlimited AI logging, weekly meal plans, full history and long-range trends for $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year in the US, with a 7-day free trial on yearly. Limitations: Thymi tracks calories, protein, carbs, fat, fiber, sugar and sodium, but not vitamins and minerals, and there is no Apple Watch app or Android health sync.

Cronometer

Cronometer is the pick for people who want detail. Its US App Store listing says it tracks 95+ vitamins and minerals, which makes it popular with people managing specific nutrients, athletes and anyone curious about more than calories. Barcode scanning is free. Cronometer Gold removes ads and adds photo and voice logging, a fasting tracker, a recipe importer and deeper insights, at $10.99 a month or $59.99 a year on the US App Store. If you mainly care about calories and protein and want the fastest possible logging, the extra detail may feel like more than you need.

Lose It!

Lose It! has been around for well over a decade and keeps things simple: set a goal, get a daily calorie budget, log your food. The free version includes calorie tracking, a weight loss plan and community support. On the current US App Store listing, the barcode scanner, Photo Meal Logging, AI Voice, intermittent fasting, meal planning and fitness app syncs are Premium features. Lose It! shows a range of Premium prices on the App Store and prices often depend on the offer you see, so check the price in the app before you commit. It is a friendly choice for straightforward weight loss tracking.

MacroFactor

MacroFactor is built for people who care about macros and want the app to adjust their targets for them. It estimates your energy expenditure from what you log and how your weight changes, and updates your targets over time, which takes a lot of guesswork out of a plateau. Logging includes a barcode scanner, label scanning, and AI photo and "describe" logging, which the company says is in open beta. It is ad-free and has no free tier: after a 7-day trial it costs $11.99 a month, $47.99 for six months or $71.99 a year in the US. If you are new to macros, our guide on how to count macros is a good place to start.

Yazio

Yazio is a calorie counter with a strong following in Europe and a built-in fasting tracker with plans such as 16:8 and 5:2. Its website says you can log with AI photo tracking, manually or by barcode, and its App Store listing places the barcode scanner and fasting tracker among the core features. PRO removes ads and adds meal plans, deeper food analysis, Fitbit and Garmin sync and long-term trends. US PRO prices vary by plan length and offer, so check the app. If fasting is part of your routine, see our guide to intermittent fasting and calories.

Cal AI

Cal AI is the app that made "snap a photo, get the calories" mainstream. It is photo-first, so logging a plate is very quick, and since the acquisition it uses MyFitnessPal's food database. Its App Store listing says food scanning results require a subscription, and it shows several subscription options with different prices, so check what you are offered. It suits people who want speed above all and are comfortable reviewing AI estimates. For how far you can trust any photo estimate, see how photo calorie tracking works and how accurate it is.

Who each app is best for

• Thymi: people who want fast photo or sentence logging, a free barcode scanner, numbers they can check, and a meal planner in the same app, without guilt.
• Cronometer: detail lovers who want vitamins and minerals, not just calories, and a free barcode scanner.
• Lose It!: people who want a simple, familiar weight loss tracker and are happy to pay for Premium features.
• MacroFactor: macro trackers and lifters who want targets that adjust automatically and do not mind paying from day one.
• Yazio: people who combine calorie tracking with intermittent fasting.
• Cal AI: people who want the quickest possible photo logging and are fine with a subscription.
• Stay with MyFitnessPal: if you already have years of history, rely on its integrations and do not mind the price, switching may not be worth it.

How to switch without losing momentum

The risky part of switching apps is the week in between, when old habits break and new ones have not formed. A few steps make it smoother.

1. Write down your targets. Note your calorie, protein and other goals before you leave, and your current weight. Re-enter them, or let the new app calculate fresh ones and compare. Our guide on how many calories you should eat a day helps you sanity-check them.
2. Export what you need. If you want to keep your history, check whether your old app offers an export before you cancel.
3. Rebuild your top five meals first. Most people eat the same handful of breakfasts and lunches. Save those in the new app on day one and most of your logging becomes one tap.
4. Try the fastest method. Use photo, sentence or barcode logging for a week before deciding. Our step-by-step guide on how to log food with a photo shows how to get good results.
5. Overlap for a few days. If you are on a paid plan, keep it until the new app feels natural, then cancel. Most free trials renew automatically, so set a reminder.
6. Judge it on week two. Week one is novelty. If you are still logging most meals by day 14, you have found the right app.

Whichever app you choose, the best tracker is the one you will open tomorrow. A simple, honest log you keep beats a perfect one you abandon. For the habit side, see how to keep a food diary.

This article is general information for healthy adults, not medical or nutritional advice. Talk to a doctor or registered dietitian before changing how you eat, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have or have had an eating disorder, have a medical condition, or take medication.