You know your calorie target. You have a kitchen scale. Now you need somewhere to log it all. These are the best calorie tracking apps for weight loss — ranked by how easy they make the actual daily habit of logging food.
What Makes a Good Calorie Tracking App
The best app is the one you'll actually use every day. Features matter less than friction — if it takes 30 seconds to log a meal, you'll stick with it. If it takes 3 minutes, you'll quit by week two.
What to look for:
- Large food database — can you find what you ate in the first search?
- Barcode scanner — scan packaged food instead of typing
- Quick add — log calories without searching (for when you know the number)
- Custom foods — save your common meals for one-tap logging
- Free tier — the core logging should be free. Premium is for extras.
1. MyFitnessPal — Best Overall
Free tier: Full food logging, barcode scanner, macro breakdown
Premium: $19.99/month — meal plans, advanced insights, no ads
The biggest food database (14+ million foods), the most popular app, and the most recognized barcode scanner. If you scan a product, it's almost certainly in there. Custom meals, recipe builder, and integration with most fitness trackers.
Best for: Most people. It does everything well enough. The free tier is sufficient for calorie counting.
Downside: The app has become bloated with features. Finding the basic "log food" screen takes more taps than it should. Ads on free tier are aggressive.
2. Cronometer — Best for Accuracy
Free tier: Full food logging, micronutrients, no user-submitted data
Premium: $9.99/month — recipe sharing, fasting timer, no ads
The key difference: Cronometer's database uses only verified sources (USDA, NCCDB). No user-submitted entries, which means fewer junk entries and more accurate data. It also tracks 82 micronutrients — overkill for most people, but valuable if you care about vitamin and mineral intake.
Best for: People who want accurate data and don't mind a less polished UI. The data quality is noticeably better than MyFitnessPal.
Downside: Smaller food database. Packaged/branded foods are harder to find. The UI feels clinical compared to MFP.
3. Lose It! — Best Free Experience
Free tier: Full food logging, barcode scanner, calorie budget, weight tracking
Premium: $39.99/year — meal planning, macros, water tracking
The cleanest free experience. No ads pushing premium on every screen. The food logging is fast — 2-3 taps for most entries. Barcode scanner works well. The free tier includes everything you need for basic calorie counting.
Best for: People who want simple calorie counting without the noise. Best free-to-premium value.
Downside: Macros (protein, carbs, fat) are premium-only. If you're tracking macros, you need to pay or use another app.
4. MacroFactor — Best for Adaptive Coaching
Price: $11.99/month (no free tier, 7-day trial)
The smartest approach: MacroFactor learns your actual metabolism from your weight and food data, then adjusts your targets automatically. No more recalculating TDEE manually when you hit a plateau — the app does it for you.
Best for: Serious trackers willing to pay for a genuinely smart algorithm. The adaptive TDEE is the best implementation available.
Downside: No free tier. The food database is good but not as large as MFP. Requires consistent daily logging to work well (which you should be doing anyway).
Quick Comparison
| App | Free Tier | Database Size | Macros Free? | Best Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MyFitnessPal | Yes | 14M+ foods | Yes | Biggest database |
| Cronometer | Yes | Smaller (verified only) | Yes | Data accuracy |
| Lose It! | Yes | Large | No (premium) | Cleanest free UX |
| MacroFactor | No ($12/mo) | Large | Yes | Adaptive TDEE |
Which One Should You Pick?
- Just starting out? Lose It! — simplest free experience, no overwhelm
- Want the biggest database? MyFitnessPal — you'll find any food
- Care about data accuracy? Cronometer — no junk entries
- Willing to pay for smart coaching? MacroFactor — adapts to your body
The app matters less than the habit. Pick one, use it for 2 weeks, and switch if it feels like a chore. The goal is daily logging — our calorie counting guide covers how to build that habit without it taking over your life.
Whatever app you choose, you'll still need your calorie target. Use our daily calorie calculator to find yours, and our macro calculator to set protein, carbs, and fat targets.
