Best Calorie Counter Apps 2026
We tested five apps over 12 weeks. Every review includes a Safety Handicap score — the one thing no other review site surfaces. No vendor copy. No affiliate-first verdicts.
Calorie tracking apps have a documented association with disordered eating in at-risk populations. Every review on this site includes a Safety Handicap score (1–5) rating the app on clinical floor enforcement, deficit alerts, recovery mode, resource links, and age verification. If you or someone you live with has a history of difficult relationships with food, please read our safety floor guide first. UK resources: Beat · US resources: NEDA
Our 2026 Rankings
Noom
Weight-loss beginners wanting coaching
/ 10
Cronometer
Lifters and condition-specific users
/ 10
MacroFactor
Serious lifters with adaptive targets
/ 10
Lose It!
Post-MFP migrants needing free scanner
/ 10
MyFitnessPal
US restaurant chain food coverage
/ 10
What logging this seriously looks like
The typical user who logs 5+ days per week for 12 weeks loses 4–8 lb. Heavier starting weights see more; smaller deficits see less. If you log ad-hoc 2–3 days per week, expect roughly no change — the difference between "tracking" and "tracking enough" is the whole game.
Real annual cost in 2026: Truly-free track-only = £0 (Lose It free, Cronometer free, FatSecret). Solid mid-tier = £24–£60/year (Cronometer Gold £48, Yazio Pro £35, MacroFactor £72). Coaching-included = £150–£300/year (Noom 6-month £159, WW Core £276/year).
The one thing every other review site misses
MyFitnessPal has 14 million food entries. But independent studies found an 18% average error rate on user-submitted calorie counts. On a 2,000 kcal/day target, that means you could be eating 2,360 kcal and your app says 2,000. Over 12 weeks, that is the difference between the result you expected and nothing.
Cronometer uses only USDA and Health Canada verified databases — roughly 400,000 entries, each audited. It is slower to find specific branded foods. It is consistently accurate. For anyone counting calories to hit a target, database accuracy variance of 18% makes MFP unusable as a precision tool.
This distinction never surfaces in trials because users testing apps typically search for common foods where all apps are accurate. It emerges over weeks of tracking branded packaged foods and restaurant meals.
Quick comparison
| App | Score | Safety | Free scanner | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacroFactor | 9/10 | 4/5 | Yes (paid) | £72/yr |
| Cronometer | 8.5/10 | 3/5 | Web free / Gold mobile | Free |
| Lose It! | 7.8/10 | 2/5 | Yes (free) | Free |
| Noom | 7.5/10 | 3/5 | Yes (free) | £27/mo |
| MyFitnessPal | 5.5/10 | 2/5 | Premium only | Free (no scanner) |
Find your fit
Former MFP user
Free barcode scanner options post-paywall
Weight-loss beginner
Coaching and accountability
Serious lifter
Macro precision and adaptive targets
Keto / low-carb
Net-carb tracking that actually works
Intermittent fasting
Fasting timer + calorie log in one app
Just want it free
Genuinely-free trackers, no upsell wall