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. One thing no app fixes for you: matching raw or cooked weights to the right database entry - weigh cooked chicken but log a raw entry, and even a verified database is 37% off.
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.
