FatSecret review

FatSecret is a straightforward free calorie counter with less upselling than most. The free app includes a food diary, a barcode scanner, photo recognition for foods and meals, an exercise diary, a diet calendar, a weight tracker, reminders and reports with goals for calories and macros. It runs on Apple Watch with complications and syncs calories burned, steps, foods and weight with Apple Health, plus Fitbit exercise data. Premium is narrow: dietitian-built meal plans for styles such as keto, Mediterranean and high protein low carb, advanced meal planning, six extra meal headings and water tracking. That means you can count calories well without paying. The weak points are depth and transparency. FatSecret calls its database the world's highest quality but does not publish its size or how entries are checked, and it tracks fewer nutrients than Cronometer or MyNetDiary. The US App Store lists several monthly, quarterly and annual prices, so we mark pricing as pending.

Who it is for

People who want a capable calorie counter for free and only want to pay, if ever, for meal plans.

Price

See vendor pricing (USD check pending).

US price check pending. See the vendor pricing page.

Key features

• Food diary, exercise diary, diet calendar and weight tracker
• Barcode scanner and food photo recognition
• Detailed reporting and goals for calories and macros
• Apple Watch app and Apple Health sync
• Premium adds dietitian meal plans, advanced meal planning, six extra meal headings and water tracking

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Core tracking, including barcode scanning, is free
• Strength: Photo recognition included in the app's feature list
• Strength: fatsecret Professional lets you share data with a health professional
• Weakness: The vendor does not publish a database size
• Weakness: Fewer nutrient details than Cronometer or MyNetDiary
• Weakness: The US App Store lists several monthly and annual prices, so the current price is unclear

Key facts

• Free plan: Yes, core tracking
• Region: Customized for US foods and brands
• Premium: Meal plans, advanced meal planning, water tracking
• Devices: iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
• App Store rating: 4.7 from 15K ratings

Where it ranks

FatSecret is No. 6 in our Best Calorie Counting Apps verdict.