Best Free Food Tracker Apps With No Subscription (2026)
The best free food tracker and calorie counter apps in 2026, and what each free tier really includes, from barcode scanning and macros to ads and photo logging.
"Free" means very different things in calorie tracking apps. Some are free forever with a few extras for paying users. Some are free to download but lock the useful parts behind a subscription. A few are a free trial in disguise. We went through what each popular app's free tier actually includes in October 2026, using each app's own plan pages and App Store listing.
The short answer
- Best free all-rounder: MyNetDiary. Free barcode scanning, macros and over 100 nutrients, and the free tier has no ads.
- Best for nutrition detail: Cronometer. Free unlimited barcode scanning and the most detailed vitamin and mineral tracking.
- Best simple free option: FatSecret. Barcode scanning, calories and macros are free.
- Best with no paid tier at all: Samsung Health on Android, or open-source apps like Waistline and OpenNutriTracker.
- Not really free: MacroFactor and Cal AI need a subscription after a short trial.
What each free tier includes
| App | Free logging | Free barcode scan | Free macros | Photo logging | Ads on free |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MyNetDiary | Yes | Yes | Yes | Paid | No |
| Cronometer | Yes | Yes | Yes, plus micronutrients | Paid | Yes |
| FatSecret | Yes | Yes | Yes | Paid | Yes |
| Carb Manager | Yes | Yes | Yes | Paid | Yes |
| Yazio | Yes | Yes | Yes | Paid | Yes |
| Lifesum | Limited | Yes | Custom goals paid | Paid | Yes |
| MyFitnessPal | Yes | No, paid since 2022 | Percentages only | Paid | Yes |
| Lose It! | Yes | No, paid since mid-2025 | Basic only | Paid | Yes |
| SnapCalorie | Yes | Yes | Yes | 3 a day free | No |
| Samsung Health | Yes | Yes | Yes | None | No |
| MacroFactor | Trial only | Paid | Paid | Paid | No |
| Cal AI | Trial only | Paid | Paid | Paid | No |
Ad details for some apps change often, so treat that column as a guide. Plans and features change too. We'll keep this page updated.
The best free calorie trackers
MyNetDiary: the most complete free tier
MyNetDiary's free version includes unlimited barcode scanning, basic voice logging, macro tracking and 108 nutrients, with reports over any date range. Unusually, the free tier has no ads. Premium adds photo logging, diet plans and coaching. It runs on iPhone, Android, Apple Watch, Wear OS and the web.
Cronometer: free and detailed
Cronometer's free Basic plan includes unlimited barcode scanning on mobile, custom macro targets and over 80 tracked nutrients from verified databases. The limits are ads and charts that only cover the last 7 days. Gold ($10.99 a month or $59.99 a year in the US) adds photo and voice logging, longer history and no ads. Read our full Cronometer review.
FatSecret: simple and free
FatSecret says its app and core features are completely free, including barcode scanning and calorie and macro tracking. Premium adds AI photo logging, a smart assistant and meal plans.
Samsung Health and open-source apps: no paid tier at all
Samsung Health has free food logging with barcode scanning (added in 2024) and no subscription. It works best on Android. If you want something with no company account and no ads, open-source apps like Waistline (Android) and OpenNutriTracker (iPhone and Android) use the Open Food Facts database, scan barcodes and store everything on your phone. They are less polished but genuinely free.
Free MyFitnessPal alternatives
If you came here looking for a free MyFitnessPal, the closest matches are MyNetDiary and FatSecret, which feel similar but keep barcode scanning free, and Cronometer if you want more detail. All three can import or rebuild your usual foods quickly, and none needs a subscription for everyday logging. Our free MyFitnessPal alternatives page compares them in more depth.
Apps that used to be free but now charge
- MyFitnessPal moved barcode scanning to Premium in 2022. Logging by search is still free, but gram-based macro goals, photo and voice logging are paid. Premium is $19.99 a month or $79.99 a year. See is MyFitnessPal Premium worth it?
- Lose It! listed its barcode scanner as Premium from mid-2025. Read our Lose It! review.
- Yazio and Lifesum both moved AI photo logging into their paid plans.
Apps that are not free
MacroFactor has a 7-day trial and no free tier, though it has no ads and a strong adaptive coaching algorithm. Cal AI, now owned by MyFitnessPal, needs a subscription after a 3-day trial. Both are fine choices if you are happy to pay, but they don't belong on a free list.
Where Bento Bunny fits
Bento Bunny is our app, so we've kept it out of the ranking. It's free to download, and water, weight, streaks and quests stay free. Meal logging by photo, text or barcode is part of Premium, which comes with a 3-day free trial on the yearly plan. If you want a free food diary, the apps above are the better fit. If you've tried free trackers before and quit because logging took too long, that's the problem Bento Bunny is built to solve.
How to choose
- Decide what you'll log most. Lots of packaged food means free barcode scanning matters (MyNetDiary, Cronometer, FatSecret). Mostly home cooking means a good recipe builder matters more.
- Check the free tier against your goal. If you need gram-based macro targets, MyFitnessPal and Lose It!'s free tiers will frustrate you.
- Try it for a week before moving your history. The best tracker is the one you'll still be opening in a month.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a completely free calorie counter app?
Which free calorie apps have barcode scanning?
Is MyFitnessPal still free?
Which calorie counter has no ads?
Are there free AI photo calorie trackers?
What is the best free food tracker app?
Is Cronometer free?
Start tracking with Bento Bunny
AI calorie tracking — just Type what you eat.