Barcode Scanner

A barcode scanner is a feature in calorie tracking apps that uses your phone’s camera to read a food product’s barcode (UPC or EAN), automatically retrieve the nutritional information from the app’s database, and pre-fill the log entry. You confirm the serving size and tap to log.

Why the barcode scanner matters

Before the barcode scanner, logging a packaged food required: knowing the product name, typing it into search, finding the right entry among duplicates, matching the serving size to what the label says. For products with complex names (e.g., “Kellogg’s Special K Red Berries 500g”), this takes 30–60 seconds per food.

With the barcode scanner: open camera, point at product, confirm, tap. Under 10 seconds.

For most users who log packaged food regularly, the barcode scanner reduced per-item logging time by 70–80%. This is why it became the feature most associated with calorie tracking apps, and why MyFitnessPal’s decision to paywall it was so controversial.

The MyFitnessPal paywall (2022)

In late 2022, MyFitnessPal moved the mobile barcode scanner to its Premium tier (currently £64/year in the UK). The scanner remains available on the web version and has partial availability on Android, but iOS Premium-free users cannot use it on the app.

This decision drove a significant migration of users to competitor apps, particularly Lose It!, which kept its scanner free. The ongoing search volume for “MyFitnessPal barcode scanner premium” and “MyFitnessPal alternative” reflects this migration.

Which apps have a free barcode scanner in 2026

App	Free scanner	Notes
Lose It!	Yes	iOS and Android. The primary reason for the MFP migration.
Cronometer	Partial	iOS free tier: no mobile scanner, but web version has it. Android: available. Gold unlocks iOS mobile scanner.
FatSecret	Yes	Both platforms. Smallest database of the free apps.
MyFitnessPal	No (Premium required)	iOS scanner requires £64/year Premium. Web version is free but requires desktop.
MacroFactor	Yes	Full scanner on all tiers. £72/year required.

Barcode scanner accuracy

The scanner reads the barcode and retrieves the nutritional data associated with that barcode from the app’s database. If the database entry for that barcode is accurate, the log entry is accurate. If the entry is a user-submitted approximation, the log entry inherits that error.

This is why Cronometer’s scanner is more accurate per scan than MyFitnessPal’s, even though MFP’s database is larger — Cronometer only surfaces verified entries per barcode.