Updated October 11, 2026 · MyPlate
Best Free Calorie Counter Apps in 2026
Choosing a calorie counter app depends on your priorities: free features, AI food scanning, macro tracking, or simplicity. Here is a comparison of the top free calorie counter apps.
Feature Comparison
| App | Pricing | AI Photo Scanner | Macro Tracking |
|---|---|---|---|
| MyPlate | Free to try, 3-day trial | ✓ | ✓ |
| MyFitnessPal | Free tier with ads, $79.99/year | Premium only | ✓ Limited on free |
| Lose It! | Free tier, $79.99/year | Premium only | Premium only |
| Cal.AI | Limited free, subscription | ✓ Limited free | ✓ |
| Cronometer | Free tier, premium | ✗ | ✓ Full micronutrients |
Best for Different Needs
Best for AI Photo Scanning: MyPlate
Why: Photo food scanning with AI recognition. Clean, focused interface.
Best for Large Food Database: MyFitnessPal
Why: Largest community-driven food database. Good if you eat packaged foods or restaurant meals often. AI scanning requires premium ($79.99/year, checked Oct 2026).
Best for Gamification: Lose It!
Why: Challenges, badges, and social features.
Best for Voice Logging: Cal.AI
Why: Voice logging and conversational AI. Subscription required for full features.
Best for Micronutrient Tracking: Cronometer
Why: Tracks vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients. No AI scanner.
Verdict: MyPlate for AI Photo Scanning
For people looking for a calorie counter with AI photo scanning, MyPlate offers photo food logging. Free nutrition calculators available on myplate.world.
Use MyPlate if you want:
- AI photo scanning
- Macro tracking (protein, carbs, fat)
- Clean, focused interface
- Free web calculators (TDEE, BMR, macros, etc.)
More App Comparisons
How to choose
Pick the app you will still be using in a month. A photo log is faster for mixed plates and weaker when oil and sauce are hidden. A barcode or a label is the better record for a package. A manual search is slower and more precise when you weigh the food. MyPlate is free to download, try every feature free, with a 3-day free trial. The calculators on this website stay free either way.
Price rows for other products on these pages are only as current as the date written next to them. Do not treat a feature checkmark as a measured accuracy score. This site does not publish an accuracy percentage it has not measured. If you want a number you can audit, weigh the food and compare it with a USDA record on the food calorie chart.
MyPlate by K-UBE is not USDA MyPlate and it is not the discontinued Livestrong MyPlate Calorie Tracker. Read MyPlate app vs USDA MyPlate and the Livestrong alternative if the name is why you landed here. Set a target with the calorie calculator before you argue about apps.