Apps Like MyFitnessPal But Cheaper: Every Option Under $19.99/Month Ranked

MyFitnessPal Premium now costs $19.99 per month. That is $239.88 per year for a calorie tracking app. For perspective, that is more than most streaming services, more than many gym memberships, and more than every single competitor in the nutrition tracking category. If you are looking for an app like MyFitnessPal but cheaper, the good news is overwhelming: literally every alternative is cheaper, and most offer more features for the money.

This guide ranks every major MFP competitor by price, breaks down what you get at each price point, and calculates the actual features-per-dollar so you can make an informed decision.

How MyFitnessPal Became the Most Expensive Calorie Tracker

MyFitnessPal was acquired by Under Armour in 2015 for $475 million, then sold to Francisco Partners in 2020. Since the private equity acquisition, the pricing strategy has shifted dramatically. Premium pricing has climbed from $9.99 per month to $19.99 per month — a 100 percent increase. The free tier has become increasingly ad-heavy, creating more pressure to upgrade. Meanwhile, the core product — a food diary with a crowdsourced database — has not fundamentally changed.

You are not imagining that MFP has gotten more expensive. It has. And the product has not improved proportionally.

Every Cheaper Alternative Ranked by Price

Here are the six best MyFitnessPal alternatives, sorted from cheapest to most expensive. Every single one costs less than MFP Premium.

1. FatSecret — Free ($0/Month)

Annual cost: $0 Savings vs MFP Premium: $240/year

FatSecret is the only major calorie tracker that offers a complete feature set at zero cost. You get a full food diary, barcode scanning, a large food database, recipe tools, and community features without ever paying a cent.

What you get for $0:

• Full food diary with calorie and macro tracking.
• Barcode scanning for packaged foods.
• Large international food database.
• Recipe creation and community sharing.
• Weight and exercise tracking.

What you give up:

• Database accuracy is crowdsourced (15-20% error rates).
• Ads are present throughout the app.
• Micronutrient tracking is minimal (calories, protein, carbs, fat).
• The interface feels dated.
• No AI logging, no recipe import from URLs.

Best for: Users with a hard budget of zero who need basic calorie counting.

2. Nutrola — €2.50/Month (~$2.70/Month)

Annual cost: €30 ($32) Savings vs MFP Premium: ~$208/year

Nutrola offers the best features-per-dollar of any calorie tracking app on the market. At €2.50 per month, you get a feature set that does not just match MFP Premium — it surpasses it on every measurable dimension.

What you get for €2.50/mo:

• 1.8 million+ verified food database with 3-5% error rates.
• AI photo logging — snap a picture and the app logs your meal.
• AI voice logging — describe your meal and it is recorded.
• Barcode scanning with verified nutritional data.
• 100+ nutrients tracked including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids.
• Zero ads on every plan.
• Apple Watch and Wear OS integration.
• Recipe import from any URL.
• Available in 15 languages.
• Free trial to test everything before committing.

What MFP Premium gives you for $19.99/mo that Nutrola does not:

• A larger (but less accurate) food database.
• Brand name recognition.

That is a short list, because MFP Premium's feature set is narrower than Nutrola's despite costing nearly 8 times more.

Start your free trial of Nutrola — experience premium features at a fraction of the price.

3. Lose It Premium — ~$3.33/Month (Annual Billing)

Annual cost: ~$40 Savings vs MFP Premium: ~$200/year

Lose It Premium unlocks advanced features beyond the solid free tier, including detailed nutrient tracking, Snap It photo logging, meal planning, and an ad-free experience.

What you get for ~$3.33/mo:

• Ad-free experience.
• Snap It photo logging.
• Expanded nutrient breakdown.
• Meal planning features.
• Advanced food insights.
• Themes and customization.

What you give up vs MFP:

• Database is partially crowdsourced (10-15% error rates).
• Nutrient tracking covers 20-30 nutrients, not 100+.
• No voice logging.
• Limited international food coverage.

Best for: Users who want a simple, clean tracker at a budget price.

4. Cronometer Gold — $5.49/Month

Annual cost: ~$66 Savings vs MFP Premium: ~$174/year

Cronometer Gold is the choice for users who prioritize data accuracy and micronutrient depth above all else. The verified database and 82+ nutrient tracking make it the most detailed nutrition tracker available.

What you get for $5.49/mo:

• Verified database from government sources (USDA, NCCDB).
• 82+ nutrients tracked including all major vitamins and minerals.
• Ad-free experience.
• Timestamp logging and fasting features.
• Custom charts and reporting.
• Lab result tracking.

What you give up vs MFP:

• Smaller food database.
• No AI photo or voice logging.
• Steeper learning curve.
• Fewer social and community features.

Best for: Users who want clinical-grade nutritional data and detailed micronutrient reports.

5. Yazio Pro — €6.99/Month

Annual cost: €84 ($91) Savings vs MFP Premium: ~$149/year

Yazio bundles meal planning with calorie tracking, making it a good option for users who want their app to suggest what to eat, not just track what they ate.

What you get for €6.99/mo:

• Ad-free calorie and macro tracking.
• Built-in meal plans (keto, fasting, high-protein, and more).
• Fasting tracker.
• Extended food database with European coverage.
• Nutrient tracking beyond basic macros.
• Recipe suggestions based on dietary goals.

What you give up vs MFP:

• Database accuracy is mixed (some verified, some crowdsourced).
• No AI photo or voice logging.
• Micronutrient tracking is less detailed than Cronometer or Nutrola.

Best for: European users who want meal plans integrated into their tracking app.

6. MacroFactor — $11.99/Month

Annual cost: ~$144 Savings vs MFP Premium: ~$96/year

MacroFactor is the most expensive alternative on this list but justifies its price with an adaptive algorithm that adjusts your calorie and macro targets based on your real-world results.

What you get for $11.99/mo:

• Adaptive TDEE algorithm that learns your metabolism.
• Verified food database.
• Weekly macro target adjustments based on weight trends.
• Zero ads, clean interface.
• Detailed macro coaching and expenditure tracking.

What you give up vs MFP:

• No AI photo or voice logging.
• Micronutrient tracking is limited (30-40 nutrients).
• English only.
• No smartwatch app.

Best for: Users who want the app to intelligently adjust their nutrition targets.

Price Comparison Table: Every App vs MyFitnessPal

App	Monthly Price	Annual Cost	Savings vs MFP/Year	Verified Database	Nutrients Tracked	AI Logging	Ads
FatSecret	Free	$0	$240	No (crowdsourced)	15-20	No	Yes
Nutrola	€2.50	€30 ($32)	~$208	Yes (1.8M+ entries)	100+	Photo + Voice	Zero
Lose It	~$3.33	~$40	~$200	Partial	20-30	Photo only	No (Premium)
Cronometer	$5.49	~$66	~$174	Yes (gov. sources)	82+	No	No (Gold)
Yazio	€6.99	€84 ($91)	~$149	Partial	20-30	No	No (Pro)
MacroFactor	$11.99	~$144	~$96	Yes	30-40	No	Zero
MFP Premium	$19.99	~$240	—	No (crowdsourced)	20-30	No	No (Premium)

Features-Per-Dollar: Which App Gives You the Most for Your Money?

Price alone does not tell the full story. A free app with bad data is not a good deal. An expensive app with unique features might be worth it. Here is how to think about value.

Nutrola: Best Features-Per-Dollar

At €2.50 per month, Nutrola delivers verified data, AI logging (photo + voice + barcode), 100+ nutrients, zero ads, smartwatch support, recipe import, and 15-language support. No other app at any price point offers this combination. You would need to spend $8.49 or more on Cronometer Gold to get comparable accuracy, and even then you would not get AI logging or as many tracked nutrients.

FatSecret: Best Features-Per-Zero-Dollars

At zero cost, FatSecret gives you functional calorie tracking with barcode scanning and community features. The accuracy trade-off is real, but if your budget is genuinely zero, you cannot do better.

MacroFactor: Premium Price, Unique Value

At $11.99 per month, MacroFactor is expensive — but it is the only app that adjusts your targets algorithmically based on your actual results. If you specifically need adaptive coaching, no cheaper alternative replicates this.

MFP Premium: Worst Features-Per-Dollar

At $19.99 per month, MFP Premium gives you an ad-free experience, basic meal plans, and slightly expanded nutrient tracking — all built on a crowdsourced database with 15 to 25 percent error rates. Every alternative on this list offers better value.

How Much Can You Save by Switching From MyFitnessPal?

If You Switch To	Annual Savings	What You Gain	What You Lose
FatSecret	$240/year	Free forever	Accuracy, features, modern UX
Nutrola	~$208/year	Verified data, AI, 100+ nutrients, no ads	MFP's larger (but less accurate) database
Lose It	~$200/year	Simpler interface, photo logging	Nutrient depth, accuracy
Cronometer	~$174/year	Verified data, 82+ nutrients	AI logging, database size
Yazio	~$149/year	Meal plans, European foods	AI logging, nutrient depth
MacroFactor	~$96/year	Adaptive algorithm, verified data	AI logging, multilingual support

The minimum savings is $96 per year (switching to MacroFactor). The maximum savings is $240 per year (switching to FatSecret). The best balance of savings and feature upgrades is Nutrola at approximately $208 per year saved while gaining features MFP Premium does not offer.

How to Evaluate if a Cheaper App Meets Your Needs

Ask Yourself Three Questions

1. What do I actually use in MFP? Most users use food search, barcode scanning, and a daily calorie summary. Every app on this list does those three things. If that is all you need, even the cheapest option works.

2. How important is accuracy to me? If you are in a calorie deficit for weight loss, a 20 percent database error can erase your entire deficit. Verified databases (Nutrola, Cronometer, MacroFactor) cost more than FatSecret but deliver data you can trust.

3. Would I pay for convenience? AI photo and voice logging saves 30 to 60 seconds per meal. Over a month, that adds up to 1 to 2 hours. If your time has value, Nutrola's €2.50 per month pays for itself in saved minutes.

How to Switch From MFP to a Cheaper App

Export Your Data

Go to MFP Settings and select "Download Your Data." Save the export file for reference.

Cancel Your MFP Subscription First

If you are on MFP Premium, cancel your subscription before it renews. You can do this through your app store subscription settings (Apple or Google) or through MFP's website.

Set Up Your New App With Matching Goals

Enter the same calorie targets, macro splits, and goals you had in MFP. This ensures continuity in your tracking without having to recalculate everything.

Build Your Frequent Foods List

Log your 20 to 30 most common foods in the first few days. This rebuilds the quick-access list that makes daily logging fast.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest app like MyFitnessPal?

FatSecret is free. Nutrola costs €2.50 per month after a free trial. Lose It Premium costs approximately $3.33 per month on an annual plan. All three are dramatically cheaper than MFP Premium at $19.99 per month.

Is there a calorie tracking app under $5 per month?

Yes. Nutrola (€2.50/mo) and Lose It (~$3.33/mo) both cost under $5 per month and offer feature sets that match or exceed MFP Premium. Nutrola adds verified data, AI logging, and 100+ nutrients at its price point.

Why is MyFitnessPal so expensive now?

MFP Premium increased from $9.99/mo to $19.99/mo following its acquisition by private equity firm Francisco Partners in 2020. The price increase was not accompanied by proportional feature improvements. The higher price reflects a monetization strategy, not a product upgrade.

Can I get everything MFP Premium offers for cheaper?

Yes. Every core MFP Premium feature — ad-free experience, expanded nutrients, barcode scanning, food insights — is available for less money from alternatives. Nutrola offers all of those plus AI logging, 100+ nutrients, and a verified database for €2.50 per month.

Is it worth paying for a calorie tracking app at all?

If accuracy matters to your goals, yes. Free apps with crowdsourced databases have error rates of 15 to 25 percent. A small investment in a verified database (Nutrola at €2.50/mo or Cronometer at $5.49/mo) dramatically improves the reliability of your tracking data. For weight loss specifically, accurate data is the difference between a real deficit and an imaginary one.

The Bottom Line: Cheaper and Better Is Not a Contradiction

Every calorie tracking app on the market is cheaper than MyFitnessPal Premium. That is not an exaggeration — it is a fact. But cheaper does not have to mean worse. Nutrola costs 87 percent less than MFP Premium while offering verified data, AI logging, 100+ nutrients, and zero ads. The features-per-dollar comparison is not even close.

Start your free trial of Nutrola and get more than MFP Premium delivers — for €2.50 per month after the trial. Your wallet and your nutrition data will both thank you.