Best Calorie Counter App for Keto and Low-Carb
The key feature is net-carb tracking: total carbs minus fibre minus sugar alcohols. Most apps handle this incorrectly or require manual calculation.
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).
Net carbs matter for keto because dietary fibre and most sugar alcohols do not significantly impact blood glucose or ketosis. Tracking total carbs on keto is overly restrictive and will prevent you from eating adequate vegetables. Tracking net carbs correctly — and only net carbs — requires an app that handles the subtraction automatically.
Cronometer Gold — the accurate pick for keto
Cronometer's verified USDA database is the most reliable for net-carb calculations. Fibre is tracked as a primary field (not hidden in the "more nutrients" section). Sugar alcohols are tracked individually by type — erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol — and subtracted correctly.
For anyone on therapeutic keto (epilepsy management, metabolic conditions), Cronometer is the only consumer app accurate enough to use without a parallel manual tracking spreadsheet. Full Cronometer review → · What are net carbs? →
Yazio Pro — the UX pick for keto
Yazio has a dedicated keto mode that displays net carbs as the primary macro, not an afterthought. The UX is cleaner than Cronometer for casual keto users who are not tracking micronutrients. The database is smaller and less accurate than Cronometer's for branded products but adequate for whole-food keto eating. Price: £24.99/year first year, £34.99/year renewal.
MyFitnessPal — why it fails for keto
MFP lumps natural and added sugars, does not separate sugar alcohols by type, and requires manual workarounds to display net carbs. The 18% error rate on user-submitted entries is particularly damaging for keto users where a 5g net-carb error on a single food can represent 30% of a daily limit. Cronometer vs MyFitnessPal →
See also: What is keto? → · Calorie apps for diabetics →