MyNetDiary barcode scanner: quality data without the paywall

The database is the reason to look

MyNetDiary curates. Entries are reviewed rather than accepted from any user who types something in, which produces a database meaningfully cleaner than MyFitnessPal's.

The practical difference shows in searching. In a largely user-submitted database, "chicken breast" returns dozens of near-identical entries with wildly varying figures, and picking the wrong one is a bigger source of error than any arithmetic you might do afterwards. A curated database returns a small number of correct entries.

The trade-off is coverage of obscure items — an unreviewed database will sometimes have a small local product that a curated one does not.

What is free

• Barcode scanning, unlimited
• Calories and full macros in grams
• Diary history
• Weight and exercise logging
• A daily nutrition summary

Premium adds micronutrient tracking, custom macro targets per meal, more detailed analysis and no ads, at roughly $9 a month or $60 a year.

Crucially, the free tier includes macros in grams — which Lifesum charges for and MyFitnessPal reserves for Premium.

Where it falls short

Interface. Better than FatSecret, some way behind Lifesum. Competent rather than pleasant.

Community. Small. If forums and friend feeds are part of what keeps you going, this is not where they are.

Integrations. Fewer than MyFitnessPal. The common ones are covered; the long tail is not.

Name recognition. Not a product flaw, but it explains why a better-curated free scanner keeps losing to apps that charge for the same feature.

Against the others

MyNetDiary sits neatly between the two: better data than MyFitnessPal, easier to live with than Cronometer, free where it counts.

Who it suits

Choose MyNetDiary if you want a clean database without paying, if MyFitnessPal's duplicate entries have frustrated you, or if you want macros in grams free in an installed app.

Choose Cronometer instead if micronutrients matter and you will tolerate a steeper interface. Choose a browser scanner if you want to check something now without installing anything or creating an account — that is here, with the first scan free.