Best Calorie Tracker Apps 2027, Ranked
Eight calorie trackers ranked for the year ahead, sorted into all-rounders, specialists and programs so you can see which kind you actually need.
Three kinds of calorie tracker
Most rankings line every app up on one scale. That hides the most useful fact about this category: the apps are not all trying to do the same job. For 2027 we sorted them into three kinds before ranking them.
All-rounders try to make every meal easy to log and serve most goals in one diary. PlateLens is the clearest example: a verified database with photo, barcode, typed and voice logging on top.
Specialists are outstanding at one thing. Cronometer goes deepest on nutrients, MacroFactor on adaptive coaching, MyFitnessPal on catalogue size, and YAZIO on European groceries. If your need matches the specialty exactly, a specialist can be the right call.
Programs give you a plan to follow. Lifesum’s diet plans are the example here; Noom, which we cover separately, is a paid behaviour-change course with a food log inside.
The ranking above weighs which kind serves the most people, then how well each app does its own job. That is why an all-rounder leads and the specialists sit just behind it.
What each price point buys
| You pay | What you can have |
|---|---|
| $0 | PlateLens’s free plan (unlimited scanning and search, three photo scans a day, goals, web app, fasting timer), Cronometer’s ad-supported free version and FatSecret’s free diary |
| About $35–40 a year | PlateLens Premium ($34.99, unlimited photo scans and coach messages) or Lose It! Premium ($39.99) |
| About $60 a year | Cronometer Gold ($59.99), which adds photo and voice logging and Crono Coach |
| About $72–80 a year | MacroFactor ($71.99, the only way to use it) or MyFitnessPal Premium ($79.99) |
Why PlateLens leads the 2027 ranking
Three things put it at the top for the coming year.
First, it removes a trade-off. Database-first trackers ask you to type; camera-first apps are quick but lighter underneath. PlateLens gives you both, plus barcode scanning and voice.
Second, its calorie goal now learns. Adaptive TDEE estimates what you actually burn from your intake and weight trend and moves the goal to match.
Third, the economics are friendly. The free plan never expires and asks for no card, and Premium is the least expensive of the major trackers.
How to pick in one question
Ask yourself what you would complain about after a month. If it is “logging takes too long”, choose PlateLens. If it is “I can’t see my micronutrients”, Cronometer. If it is “my target never changes”, PlateLens or MacroFactor. If it is “it can’t find my takeaway order”, MyFitnessPal. If it is “I don’t know what to eat”, Lifesum.
Our 2027 Ranking
PlateLens
Best Calorie Tracker 2027The all-rounder. Camera, barcode, keyboard and voice all write to one diary, backed by a database the company describes as verified, so you never have to pick between fast logging and dependable numbers.
What we like
- Four ways to log a meal, one diary
- Verified catalogue with packaged products and restaurant dishes
- Free tier: unlimited scanning and search, 3 photo scans a day, no card
- Adaptive TDEE adjusts your calorie goal from your own trend
- Fasting timer, glucose log, meal planner and 3D Body Scan in the same app
- Alcohol tracking and a JSON export of your full history
- Lowest Premium price among the major trackers
Best for: Almost everyone setting up a calorie tracker for 2027, from first-timers to people on low-carb or fasting plans.
MyFitnessPal
The catalogue champion. Built by its members over many years, it covers more chain restaurants and regional brands than anything else.
What we like
- Largest crowd-sourced food catalogue
- Broadest chain-restaurant coverage
- Large ecosystem of device and app integrations
- Meal planning, recipes and a long-running community
What falls short
- The same food often appears several times with different values
- Barcode scanning, Meal Scan and voice logging listed as Premium benefits
- Most expensive Premium of the major trackers
Best for: People who eat at chain restaurants several times a week.
Cronometer
The micronutrient specialist, with up to 95 nutrients and compounds per food according to the company and data it calls lab-analysed.
What we like
- Up to 95 nutrients and compounds per food, per the company
- Barcode scanning on the free version
- Crono Coach turns your logs into short guidance (Gold)
- Suits diets that need watching, such as B12 and iron on a vegan diet
What falls short
- Slower, more exacting logging than photo-first apps
- Photo Log, Voice Log and Crono Coach are Gold features
- Free version shows ads
Best for: Anyone tracking specific vitamins and minerals for a health reason.
MacroFactor
The coaching specialist. It estimates expenditure from your intake and weigh-ins and revises calorie and macro targets every week.
What we like
- Weekly target adjustments from your own data
- Fast, dense logging for experienced trackers
- Barcode and label scanning, recipe import, photo or text meal descriptions
What falls short
- No free plan, only a trial
- No browser or desktop version, per the company's FAQ
- Needs several weeks of consistent logs to settle
Best for: Committed lifters running structured cuts and bulks.
Lose It!
The beginner's app: one daily calorie budget, worked out from your goal weight, on a cheerful, simple screen.
What we like
- Very quick, friendly setup
- Snap It photo recognition and barcode scanning
- Challenges and meal planning to build the habit
- Second-lowest Premium price of the major trackers
What falls short
- Fewer nutrients per entry than the leaders
- Many insights and planning tools are Premium
Best for: First-time trackers who want as little as possible on screen.
Lifesum
The program-style tracker, with ready-made eating plans from high-protein to Mediterranean and keto, wrapped in a polished design.
What we like
- Diet plans to follow rather than invent
- Attractive, readable design
- Food diary and barcode scanning
What falls short
- Most plans and recipe features are Premium
- Less nutrient detail than the specialists
Best for: People who want a plan handed to them.
Yazio
Calorie counting and intermittent fasting in one app, with a scanner that knows European supermarket products well.
What we like
- Strong European grocery coverage
- Fasting features alongside counting
- Recipe library with nutrition information
What falls short
- Many plans and analysis features are PRO
- Narrower coverage of US chain restaurants
Best for: Shoppers in Europe who fast.
FatSecret
The long-running free diary, with barcode scanning, exercise and weight logs and an active community.
What we like
- Most of the core app is free
- Active member forums
- Catalogue used by other companies through its developer platform
What falls short
- Fewer modern logging methods
- Less nutrient detail per entry
Best for: People who want a free diary and some company.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best calorie tracker app for 2027?
PlateLens is our 2027 pick. It is the all-rounder: photos, barcodes, typed search and voice go into one diary, the food data is verified, the free plan has no end date and Premium is $34.99 a year. Choose a specialist only if you have one narrow need, such as Cronometer for micronutrients or MacroFactor for weekly coaching.
What is the difference between an all-rounder and a specialist tracker?
An all-rounder handles every common way of logging and most goals in one app. A specialist is excellent at one thing (Cronometer at nutrient depth, MacroFactor at adaptive coaching, MyFitnessPal at catalogue breadth) and asks you to accept trade-offs elsewhere. Programs such as Lifesum and Noom add plans or lessons on top of tracking.
How were the scores calculated?
Scores are our editorial ratings on a 100-point scale, the same ones used across this site's rankings, reviewed when features or prices change. Features and prices come from each company's current plans and store listings, with dates shown.
Which calorie tracker is cheapest in 2027?
Most have free versions. Among paid tiers, PlateLens Premium is the lowest at $34.99 a year, followed by Lose It! at $39.99, Cronometer Gold at $59.99, MacroFactor at $71.99 and MyFitnessPal Premium at $79.99.