Our verdict

This MyFitnessPal review is an editorial assessment drawn from MyFitnessPal's own product, Premium and privacy pages and from independent reviews by outlets that have used the app. NerdBible has not run its own hands-on trial. On that evidence, MyFitnessPal remains the most complete general-purpose food and nutrition logger: its food database is one of the largest available, it connects with a long list of fitness devices, and a capable free version still exists.

The trade-offs have grown, though. Some of the tools people most associate with the app, including barcode scanning, are now reserved for the paid Premium plan, and several reviewers say they are less enthusiastic than they used to be for that reason. Many food entries are added by users, so accuracy varies. And MyFitnessPal is a tracking tool, not a diet plan or a medical service. This review does not offer diet or nutrition advice. If you have diabetes, kidney disease, an eating disorder or history of one, are pregnant, take weight-loss medication or have any other medical reason to watch what you eat, work with a registered dietitian or your doctor rather than relying on an app's targets.

What it is and who it is for

MyFitnessPal is a food diary and nutrition tracker for iOS, Android and the web. You log meals, drinks and exercise, and the app totals calories, macronutrients and micronutrients against daily goals. Its home page describes it as the world's leading nutrition tracking app and says more than 280 million people have joined.

It tends to suit:

  • People who want an accurate picture of what they currently eat, without following a particular diet programme.
  • People who already use a fitness tracker or smart scale and want food data alongside activity and weight.
  • Anyone working with a dietitian or coach who wants a shared, detailed food log to discuss.

It suits less well people who want structured coaching, meal plans written for them, or a gentler approach that does not focus on numbers.

Key features

The food database

The core of MyFitnessPal is search. The home page says the app gives access to more than 20 million foods from around the world, including fresh foods, packaged goods and restaurant items, plus foods and recipes you save yourself. Independent reviewers consistently rate this as the app's biggest strength, though the size comes partly from user submissions, which introduces inconsistency (more on that below).

Logging tools

Free members can search for foods and log them by hand. According to the Premium page, the faster tools are Premium features:

  • Barcode Scan for packaged foods.
  • Meal Scan, which uses the phone camera to identify foods on a plate.
  • Voice Log, where you describe a meal aloud and confirm the entries.
  • Multi-day logging to repeat the same food for up to seven days.
  • Quick-add macros without a food search.

Nutrition tracking

All members can track calories, macronutrients, vitamins and other micronutrients, plus water, weight, exercise and steps, according to the home page. Premium adds custom macro goals in grams or percentages, different goals for different days of the week, a net carbs mode, food insights and comparisons, and an intermittent fasting tracker.

How goals are set

MyFitnessPal explains on its home page that it estimates your basal metabolic rate with the Mifflin St Jeor equation, adjusts for activity, then adds or subtracts calories according to the weight change you choose. It also says it uses a BMI check to stop people setting weight goals below a certain level. These are general population estimates; individual needs differ, which is one reason a dietitian or doctor is the right person to set targets if you have health considerations.

Device and app connections

The site says more than 35 to 40 apps and devices connect, depending on the page, including Apple Watch, Fitbit, Garmin, Samsung Health, Google Fit, Health Connect and smart scales, so steps, workouts, weight and sleep can flow into the diary automatically.

AI features and medication logging

The home page also promotes an AI Nutrition Coach that offers suggestions based on your diary, and the ability to log medication doses and side effects alongside nutrition. Treat any automated suggestion as general information, not individual advice, and discuss medication questions with the prescriber.

Your own recipes

You can save your own foods and recipes and log them like any other entry, which helps with home cooking. Restaurant menu items from many chains are also in the database.

How much does MyFitnessPal cost? Plans and pricing structure

We do not list prices here; our page shows them from our own data. Structurally:

  • A free version covers food search and logging, calorie and nutrient tracking, weight, water and exercise logging, and device syncing.
  • Premium is a paid subscription, billed monthly or annually, with the annual plan substantially cheaper per month according to the Premium page.
  • A seven-day free trial of Premium is available to people who have never had Premium or a trial before. It renews automatically unless cancelled.
  • Cancellation is handled in the app settings, the App Store or Google Play depending on where you subscribed, and Premium stays active until the end of the paid period.
  • The home page notes the subscription may be HSA or FSA eligible for some US users who qualify.

Some independent reviews also describe a higher Premium+ tier with extra features such as meal planning. The current Premium page we reviewed presents Premium alone, so check the in-app options before choosing.

Is MyFitnessPal safe? Privacy and data use

A food diary holds sensitive information about your health and habits, so the privacy terms matter. MyFitnessPal's privacy policy says the company does not expressly sell information, but that some cookie-based advertising on its website may count as a sale or sharing under certain privacy laws. It says it shares information with service providers, business partners and marketing and advertising partners, and that it engages in targeted advertising, with controls to opt out of personalised ads.

The policy also says information you send from Apple HealthKit, Google Health Connect or Samsung Health is not used for marketing or advertising and is not transferred to third parties for those purposes. The company also publishes a separate Washington consumer health data privacy policy, which lists the categories of health data it may collect, including body measurements, calorie counts and data from connected wearables. If privacy is a priority, review the personalised advertising settings when you sign up and limit the data you connect.

What other reviewers found

  • PCMag called the food database the app's best feature, noting that it found entries for almost everything, including unusual international brands. It also said it had become less enthusiastic about the app because the Premium price has risen and the free version lost the barcode scanner, while still recommending the free tier for basic calorie counting.
  • Garage Gym Reviews, whose team includes registered dietitians, praised the database, community and device support, but said the free version lacks tools some users feel should be included, such as barcode scanning and detailed macro tools.
  • Healthline listed MyFitnessPal among its top calorie counters and flagged that because users upload most foods, calorie counts may not always be accurate.
  • PCMag also observed that MyFitnessPal is not a weight-loss programme and that people who want coaching and structured guidance may be better served by a programme built for that purpose.

Where they agree: the database is the reason to choose MyFitnessPal, and device syncing is broad. Where they differ: on value. Healthline and Garage Gym Reviews treat the free tier as a reasonable starting point, while PCMag places more weight on what has moved behind the paywall. The question of database accuracy also cuts both ways: size means you will usually find a match, but you may need to choose carefully between several entries for the same food. For a buyer, the free tier is the sensible place to start; upgrade only if you find yourself wanting the scanning and macro tools every day.

What could be better

  • Barcode scanning is paid. One of the most convenient logging tools now requires Premium.
  • User-submitted entries vary. Duplicate or inaccurate entries are common enough that reviewers warn about them. Prefer entries that match the label in front of you.
  • Advertising in the free version. Premium removes ads; the free tier carries them.
  • Numbers-first design. The app is built around targets and totals, which some people find motivating and others find stressful.
  • Personalised advertising by default. Under the privacy policy, opting out of targeted ads requires adjusting your preferences.

Who should choose something else

  • Anyone with a history of disordered eating. Detailed calorie counting can be harmful. Speak to a doctor or a specialist dietitian before using any tracker.
  • People with medical nutrition needs, such as diabetes, kidney disease or food allergies, should have targets set by a qualified professional. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics offers a directory for finding a registered dietitian nutritionist in the US.
  • People who want coaching or a plan may prefer a structured programme.
  • People who only want to log occasionally may find a simpler or fully free app enough.

Bottom line: is MyFitnessPal worth it?

As a food logger, MyFitnessPal still does the core job better than most: the database is huge, it connects with the devices people already wear, and the free version is genuinely usable. That is why it ranks first on our list. The paid Premium tier makes logging faster and macro tracking more flexible, but whether it is worth paying for depends on how often you log. Start free, check entries against labels, and if your goals are linked to a medical condition, let a dietitian or doctor set the targets the app tracks.

Frequently asked questions

Is MyFitnessPal free?

Yes, there is a free version that lets you search the food database, log meals, exercise, water and weight, and track calories and nutrients. Premium is a paid upgrade, billed monthly or annually, that adds barcode and meal scanning, voice logging, custom macro goals, an ad-free experience and intermittent fasting tools. New Premium users can usually start with a seven-day free trial.

Does the free version have a barcode scanner?

No. MyFitnessPal's own pages list Barcode Scan as a Premium tool, and independent reviewers, including PCMag, note that the scanner moved behind the paywall. Free members can still find packaged foods by typing a search, and most popular products are in the database. If you scan dozens of items a day, that convenience is one of the main reasons people choose to pay.

How accurate is the MyFitnessPal food database?

The database is very large, more than 20 million foods according to MyFitnessPal, and covers many international and restaurant items. Because many entries are added by users, reviewers such as Healthline caution that values are not always accurate and duplicates are common. Comparing an entry with the nutrition label on the packet before saving it is the simplest way to reduce errors.

Can MyFitnessPal tell me what I should eat?

MyFitnessPal calculates calorie and macro targets from general equations and offers AI suggestions, but it is not a substitute for individual advice. It does not know your full medical history. If you have a health condition, take medication that affects appetite or weight, or are pregnant, ask a registered dietitian or your doctor to set targets that are safe for you.

Does MyFitnessPal sell my data?

Its privacy policy says it does not expressly sell information, but that some advertising cookies on its website may count as selling or sharing under certain privacy laws, and that it shares data with advertising partners for targeted ads. You can opt out of personalised advertising in your settings. Data sent from Apple Health, Health Connect or Samsung Health is not used for advertising, per the policy.

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