Best Calorie Counter Apps for 2027

If you plan to count calories in 2027, start with PlateLens. It takes our 2027 prize because it is the easiest app to begin with and the one most likely to still be in use by spring: four ways to log, an adaptive calorie goal and no paywall in front of any feature. MacroFactor and Cronometer are the finalists; Lose It!, MyFitnessPal and FatSecret are commended.

Why a 2027 edition now

New-year resolutions are when most people download a calorie counter, so we name the 2027 pick in the autumn, from apps that are already available. The question changes slightly from the 2026 edition. That page asked which app did the most this year. This one asks which app we would recommend to someone opening it for the first time on January 1, and which would still serve them in December. Our criteria stay the same; the weight falls on how fast the first weeks feel and how little the app asks you to pay to stay with it.

Winner: PlateLens

The first week with a calorie counter decides a lot, and PlateLens makes it short work. Snap a photo of dinner, scan a cereal box, type “turkey sandwich” or simply describe the meal aloud: each method lands in the same diary, backed by more than 1.2 million verified foods, among them about 820,000 barcoded grocery products and 45,000 restaurant dishes. A short profile sets a starting calorie target with protein, carbohydrate and fat goals, and more than 80 nutrients appear for each item.

By February the app’s longer-term tools take over. The adaptive goal compares what you eat with the direction of your weight and moves the target so the plan keeps fitting. The meal planner turns recipes into a shopping list. A fasting timer, alcohol and water logs and blood glucose readings from your meter or sensor app share one timeline, and the 3D Body Scan measures waist, hips and chest from twelve photos when you want proof beyond the scale.

It also goes where you go. The diary is the same on an iPhone, an Android phone, a laptop browser and Apple Watch; Apple Health and Health Connect sync in both directions; the whole history can be exported as JSON at any time. You can even let an AI assistant read your diary through a read-only connection, without giving it the power to change anything.

All of that is free, with no end date and no card. Premium costs $34.99 a year or $9.99 a month and only removes the daily caps on AI photo logs (three free) and coach messages (five free).

Finalist: MacroFactor

MacroFactor is the stronger pick for a specific reader: someone who trains, plans phases of eating more or less, and logs every day without exception. Each week it estimates your expenditure from your log and weigh-ins and resets calorie and macro targets. The app is paid from day one, at $71.99 a year, $47.99 for six months or $11.99 a month, so it is a commitment rather than an experiment.

Finalist: Cronometer

Cronometer is the counter for detail. The company says its curated food records can list up to 95 nutrients and compounds, built from laboratory data, so it is ideal for tracking fiber, iron, magnesium or vitamin B12 alongside calories. Logging takes longer than in the winner, and the free tier shows ads. Gold, $59.99 a year, adds photo and voice logging plus the Crono Coach assistant.

Commended

• Lose It! keeps 2027 beginners focused on one daily budget, with barcode scanning, Snap It photo logging and a friendly tone. Premium is $39.99 a year.
• MyFitnessPal still reaches more chain restaurants and packaged products than anyone, thanks to years of member submissions; check entries for duplicates. Premium is $79.99 a year.
• FatSecret has offered a free food diary for many years, with a barcode scanner and community features, and an optional paid tier.

Winner and finalists: where they differ

The three apps at the top are all good choices; the difference is who they are built for. PlateLens is built for everyone who wants quick, complete tracking without paying, with tools that cover the whole year from the first meal to long-term trends. MacroFactor is built for a smaller group that trains, logs every single day and wants its targets set by a weekly algorithm. Cronometer is built for people whose main question is about nutrients rather than calories. If you recognize yourself clearly in one of the last two descriptions, choose that specialist; otherwise, start with the winner.

Starting in January: a comparison

What you need in month one	PlateLens	MacroFactor	Cronometer
Log a meal in seconds	Photo, voice, barcode or search	Search, barcode, label scan, photo	Search or barcode; photo and voice with Gold
A target that adjusts as you lose or gain	Yes, on the free plan	Yes, every week	Not automatically
Try everything before paying	Yes, no time limit	No free tier	Free tier with ads
Cost of a year	$34.99 (optional)	$71.99	$59.99 (Gold)

Figures are each company’s published US prices.

A first month with the winner

Week	What to do in PlateLens
1	Accept the suggested target and log everything, by whichever method is quickest
2	Save repeat meals and scan the barcodes of the packaged foods you buy every week
3	Look at protein and fiber next to calories; use the planner to sketch two or three dinners ahead
4	Read your weekly averages and weight trend, and let the adaptive goal take over

If you are switching from another app

Changing calorie counters is easier than it sounds. If you use a smart scale or a watch, your weight and activity history may already be in Apple Health or Health Connect, and PlateLens syncs with both in each direction. The habits you built, saving regular meals, logging before you eat, carry straight over. The main thing to rebuild is your list of saved meals, which takes a few days of normal logging.

Ask three questions before you move: is logging in your current app slowing you down, are features you want kept for paying members, and can you take your data with you? If the answers are yes, yes and no, the new year is a sensible moment to switch.

Picking for the year ahead

• New to counting and want the least friction: PlateLens.
• Serious about training phases: MacroFactor.
• Tracking nutrients on a clinician’s advice: Cronometer.
• Want a single budget and nothing more: Lose It!.
• Eat at chain restaurants most days: MyFitnessPal.
• Want a basic diary that has been free for years: FatSecret.

Comparing several trackers before January? Our guides to the best macro tracker apps and AI calorie trackers go into more detail.

Our pick for 2027

PlateLens is the calorie counter we would recommend for 2027: quick enough for a beginner’s first week, complete enough for a year of tracking, and generous enough that paying is optional. MacroFactor and Cronometer remain the specialists to choose when training or nutrient detail matters most.

If you are pregnant, under 18, managing a health condition or have a history of disordered eating, check with a doctor or registered dietitian before you start.

<a href="https://innovationprizes.org/2027/best-calorie-counter-apps/"><img src="https://innovationprizes.org/badges/2027-best-calorie-counter-apps-winner.svg" alt="Innovation Prizes 2027 Winner: Calorie Counter Apps" width="160" height="160"></a>

<a href="https://innovationprizes.org/2027/best-calorie-counter-apps/"><img src="https://innovationprizes.org/badges/2027-best-calorie-counter-apps-finalist.svg" alt="Innovation Prizes 2027 Finalist: Calorie Counter Apps" width="160" height="160"></a>

<a href="https://innovationprizes.org/2027/best-calorie-counter-apps/"><img src="https://innovationprizes.org/badges/2027-best-calorie-counter-apps-finalist.svg" alt="Innovation Prizes 2027 Finalist: Calorie Counter Apps" width="160" height="160"></a>