The best calorie counter apps with a barcode scanner, compared

How to read this comparison

We make one of the tools listed, so treat our own row with appropriate suspicion and check the claims. We take no payment for inclusion and no affiliate commission from anything here — the editorial policy sets out the rules we hold ourselves to.

The four questions that actually decide this:

1. Is barcode scanning free? It costs almost nothing to provide, so charging for it is a pricing decision.
2. Are macros free? Calories alone are half the picture.
3. Does the database cover your shop? Regional, and the single biggest practical difference.
4. Can you get your data out? A diary you cannot export is a retention device.

The comparison

The short verdicts

MyFitnessPal

The default for a decade, and the reason this search term exists. Barcode scanning moved behind Premium in late 2022. The database remains enormous but is heavily user-submitted, which means many duplicates and a meaningful rate of wrong entries. Genuinely strong ecosystem integrations. If you are not paying, the scanner is not yours — details on the MyFitnessPal barcode scanner page.

FatSecret

The most complete genuinely free option. Scanning, macros and full history at no cost, funded by advertising. The interface shows its age and the community features are noise for most people, but it does the job without a paywall. More on the FatSecret barcode scanner page.

Cronometer

The most accurate database here by some distance, because entries are curated rather than user-submitted, and the only one taking micronutrients seriously — 80-odd nutrients rather than the usual handful. Less forgiving to use, and the curation means slightly worse coverage of obscure own-brand items. The right choice if accuracy is the priority.

Lifesum

The best-looking of these by a wide margin, with guided plans that suit people who want structure rather than a blank diary. More features sit behind the subscription than the others, including much of the macro detail. See the Lifesum barcode scanner page.

MyNetDiary

Underrated. A curated database closer to Cronometer's standard than MyFitnessPal's, with a friendlier interface than either, and scanning free. Smaller community and fewer integrations. Covered on the MyNetDiary barcode scanner page.

Lose It!

Simple, pleasant, US-focused. Coverage drops noticeably outside North America. Good at goal-setting and weekly framing; less good if you want nutrient depth.

Yazio

Strong European packaged-food coverage, which matters if you shop in Germany, France or Spain where US-weighted databases struggle. Fasting features are prominent whether or not you want them.

Calorie Scanner

Ours. One free scan to try, then $19.99 a month or $59.99 a year for unlimited barcode, photo and search scanning with full macros. Nothing to install, and cancelling is two clicks in Stripe's own portal.

Where it is genuinely weaker: no notifications, no fitness-tracker integration, no offline scanning, and no recipe import from a URL. If those matter to you, an installed app is the better tool and we would rather say so than pretend otherwise.

Choosing

• You want to scan something right now: a browser scanner, because there is nothing to install.
• You want accuracy above all: Cronometer.
• You want free and full-featured, and tolerate ads: FatSecret.
• You already pay for MyFitnessPal and like it: stay. Switching costs history.
• You shop in Europe: Yazio or this scanner, both built on European-strong data.
• You want structure and prompts: Lifesum.

An honest closing note: the differences between these matter far less than whether you keep using one. The best calorie counter is the one whose friction is low enough that you are still logging in a month.