By clicking on the product links in this article, we may receive a commission fee at no cost to you, the reader. Sponsorships and affiliate commissions help support our research so we can help you find the best products. Read full affiliate disclosure here.
Technology has made dieting, meal prep, and food tracking simple and accessible to everyone. There are dozens of food tracking apps, calorie counters, and weight-loss apps available at the tip of your fingers. It can be hard to navigate which apps are actually useful and which are just cash grabs that will leave you frustrated, but we're here to help.
We want to support you in your journey, not just with losing weight, but maintaining your weight loss and other fitness goals. So, we've done the research and gathered a list of the best food tracking apps to help you achieve your goals. As always, we encourage you to talk to your doctor or a registered dietician before starting any diet plans.
The Best Food Tracking Apps - Our Top Picks
- Best Overall Food Tracking App: Noom
- Best Free Food Tracking App: MyFitnessPal
- Best App for Long-Term Weight Management: Cronometer
- Best App for Weight Loss: WW App
- Best Simple Food Tracking App: MyPlate Calorie Counter
ACTIVE.com's editorial team relies on the knowledge and experience of fitness and wellness experts including competitive athletes, coaches, physical therapists, nutritionists, and certified trainers. This helps us ensure the products we feature are of the highest standard. Collectively, the team has spent countless hours researching equipment, gear, and recovery tools in order to create the most accurate, authentic content for our readers. Customer satisfaction is also a key part of our review process, which is why we only feature products that are highly rated. More importantly, each member of our team is a fitness enthusiast. Fitness may be our job, but it is also our passion. Therefore, we strive to bring you products that we trust and would personally use.
Best Overall Food Tracking App - Noom
SPECS
- Membership structure: Monthly fee with discounts for annual membership
- Diet plans: Normal diet, vegetarian, vegan, plant-based
- Free features: None
- Platform: App
START FREE TRIALNoom is a unique food tracking app because it is based on a philosophy of changing your relationship with food. The app offers daily education about the psychology of bad eating habits and how they lead to negative associations that can cause yo-yo dieting or loss of your progress. This content is also personalized because you take a 10-minute quiz before Noom offers you a plan based on your goal and chosen timeframe.
The food tracking system in Noom is also unique because it is a color-coded system of red, yellow, and green foods that measures calorie density. For example, red foods are calorie dense which means a small amount will have a high calorie content compared to yellow or green foods. One thing to know about Noom is that it is all or nothing: You either pay the membership fee or you don't use the program. However, the subscription is free for 14 days, so you can make sure it's a good fit before you invest.
What We Like
- Education-based to change your long-term relationship with food
- 1-on-1 coaching option
- Large, active communities online for support
What We Don't Like
- Limited biometric tracking
- Inputting custom meals can be time-consuming
Best Free Food Tracking App - MyFitnessPal
SPECS
- Membership structure: Free, premium upgrade
- Diet plans: Any
- Free features: Food log, recipe database, community forums
- Platform: App
START FREE TRIALMyFitnessPal offers one of the most complete free experiences of any food tracking app. The user interface is intuitive and easy to use, and the program can accommodate any diet plan or dietary restrictions you may have. With the free membership, you get access to the massive database of recipes, the calorie tracker, and preset nutritional information that is sourced from other users. You can also input your own customized meals that will then be saved to the database.
MyFitnessPal's premium upgrade gives you access to more specific tracking like macronutrient information and calories burned through exercise, and it also eliminates the ads that make the free version possible. MyFitnessPal is best for people who need less structure and support and instead just want a system to track their nutrition.
What We Like
- Easy to use
- Massive database of pre-programmed meals
- Free access to community forums
What We Don't Like
- No macronutrient breakdown with the free version
- Ads in the free version
Best App for Long-Term Weight Management - Cronometer
SPECS
- Membership structure: Free plan, premium membership upgrade
- Diet plans: Any
- Free features: Food log, biometric tracking, exercise log
- Platform: Website and app
SIGN UP FOR FREEOur favorite feature of Cronometer is that it offers you all of the essentials of a food tracking app for free. You can log your food, track your calorie intake, and log your exercise to see how many calories you've burned. Cronometer also syncs with Apple Health and Google Fit to track your biometric data.
But if you're really into data tracking, the sky's the limit if you upgrade to the gold plan. With a paid membership you'll get access to long-term charts, specific nutrient tracking, a shared recipe database, community food diaries, and other support systems to help you over the long term. Cronometer has something for everyone.
What We Like
- All of the essential features are free
- The paid membership is budget-friendly
- Syncs with health apps you're already using
What We Don't Like
- No pre-structured diet plans
- Inputting the custom recipes can be tedious in the free plan
Best for Weight Loss - WeightWatchers App
SPECS
- Membership structure: Multiple plan options
- Diet plans: Any
- Free features: None
- Platform: App
GET 3-MONTHS FREEWeightWatchers is one of the most recognizable names in weight loss, and their app offers the ultimate customized experience for members. There are no free features, but there are a variety of subscription options available, including a basic subscription that gives you a customized diet plan and access to the app, or an unlimited subscription that gives you access to all features of the program including one-on-one coaching.
The standout features of WeightWatchers are the community and the structured plans. For most people, a support system is necessary to lose weight and keep it off. WeightWatchers has one of the most active community networks of any weight-loss plan or food tracking app. The structured plans also lay out exactly what you need to do to lose weight based on your goals.
What We Like
- Highly customizable membership structure
- Very active communities online
- Structured individual plans even with the basic membership
What We Don't Like
- Time-consuming tracking
- The app can be difficult to navigate
Best Simple Food Tracking App - MyPlate Calorie Counter
SPECS
- Membership structure: Free, premium membership upgrade
- Diet plans: Any
- Free features: Food log, recipe database, community forums
- Platform: App
GET NOOM FREE TRIALMyPlate Calorie Counter is a fully free, but basic food tracking app. It is best for people who don't need a structured diet but instead want a simple way to keep track of their nutrition. There are diet plans available with the paid membership upgrade, however. There are also a few preset goals you can select from in the app, but otherwise, the features are limited to inputting and tracking basic nutritional information.
The app does have a database of food that users have uploaded, and there are community forums for discussion and support. One standout feature of MyPlate is the barcode scanner that gathers specific nutritional information from the products that you scan. Other apps have this feature as well, but many put it behind the paid membership wall.
What We Like
- Free barcode scanner
- Very easy-to-use interface
- Free access to most features
What We Don't Like
- You cannot input exercises with the free version
- There are ads unless you purchase the premium version
How to Choose the Best Food Tracking App for You
Personal Goals
The first thing you need to ask yourself when you're choosing a food tracking app is, "What are my goals?" If your goal is to have a simple calorie counter, you likely won't need to pay for a premium service. If your goal is to change life-long habits and you know you'll need a structured program to stay on track, then a simple calorie counting app may not be enough.
Diet
After you figure out your personal goals, you need to decide whether you have a specific diet in mind. Food tracking apps offer a range of meal plan options and food choices like keto diet, vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan, etc. Apps that offer more specific diet plans will likely be more expensive. Another consideration is whether the app has an option to avoid any food allergies or intolerances.
Cost
You also want to go into your search knowing how much you're able to invest in a food tracking app. Some apps are expensive, offering premium membership features like an online community or one-on-one coaching to support you. These apps can have a monthly fee or a one-time program fee. On the opposite end of the spectrum are apps that give you free access to features like calorie calculators, but also have paid membership upgrades.
FAQs About Food Tracking Apps
What is the most accurate food tracking app?
Most of the best food tracking apps are accurate in terms of calorie counting. However, the accuracy depends on how you use the app's features. Some apps have a database of nutrition information that has been input by users. If users put in the wrong information, then the count won't be accurate. However, almost all food tracking apps give you the option of putting in your own nutritional information, which means it is up to you to be accurate.
What is the easiest food tracking app?
Many food tracking apps have a similar philosophy, but deciding which is the easiest to use depends on your preference. Some apps have a barcode scanner to get exact nutritional information from pre-packaged foods, while others allow you to input the actual ingredients of meals you're making and will calculate the nutritional information for you based on those ingredients. Whatever features you're looking for to make your life simpler, there is probably a food tracking app that can accommodate you.
What is the best food tracking app?
The best food tracking app is entirely dependent on your personal goals. If you want to simply count calories, the best app for you will be different than for someone who wants a structured plan to help them lose weight. Decide what your goals are first, then you'll be able to decide which app is best for you.
How much do food tracker apps cost?
There is a range of prices for food tracking apps. Some apps offer access to most of their features with a free membership, others require you to pay monthly to access the app at all. Costs for premium memberships can vary from $9.99 per month to $50 per month, all depending on what features you're looking for.