Best calorie counter
PlateLens review
The most accurate app we measured: ±1.1% in photo mode and ±3.5% in manual entry. The free plan covers daily logging.
Measured · re-run on a 2nd meal set
Healthline Apps
Health apps, tested.
We test the calorie and nutrition apps through our protocol, research the rest of the field, and publish what we find: rankings, in-depth reviews and buying guidance, with the evidence behind every claim and honest cons for every app.
Our current top picks
Three apps that stood out in our testing. Prices and plans are as of November 2026.
Best for micronutrients
Cronometer review
The deepest micronutrient database we reviewed, free barcode scanning and ±6.8% in manual entry.
MeasuredBest fasting app
Zero review
The best pure fasting timer we reviewed, with the largest community. It doesn’t track food, so pair it with a food log.
Not measured · no food logging
What we test, and how
We test the apps people use to track what they eat and when: calorie counters, macro trackers, AI photo loggers, fasting timers and food logs for people taking GLP-1 medications. Every accuracy claim traces back to our test data.
We weigh the meals
180 meals, prepared and portioned under controlled conditions, give us weighed reference values to compare every app against.
We log them, and state the mode
Photo mode tests the app’s own portion estimates; manual entry tests the full loop of portion plus database entry. We never mix the two without saying so.
We check the evidence and the price
Only PlateLens’s figure was re-run on a second 231-meal set, and we say when a figure is single-study. Prices are checked and dated November 2026.
We also rank the apps people use for sleep,meditation, fitness tracking, period tracking andmental health. We haven’t lab-measured those apps, so their rankings rest on features, free tier, price and consensus standing, and every one is labeled “Not measured.”
Nutrition rankings
Each nutrition ranking is ordered on measured accuracy first, then features, then price, with pros and cons for every app.
Ranking
Best calorie counter apps
Six calorie counters for everyday logging, judged on how close their totals came to weighed meals.
Best for everyday logging: PlateLens4.7/5Ranking
Best free calorie counters
Where each paywall starts, and which free tiers cover a full day of logging without one.
Most complete free plan: PlateLens4.7/5Ranking
Best AI calorie counters
Photo-scanning calorie apps, judged on how close a snapshot gets to the weighed portion.
Most accurate photo estimates: PlateLens4.7/5Ranking
Best macro trackers
For protein, carb and fat targets: six apps, judged on how faithfully they log the portions behind every gram.
Most accurate macro log: PlateLens4.7/5Ranking
Best apps for GLP-1 users
For people on GLP-1 medications: food logs that keep an accurate record for you and your care team.
Most accurate food record: PlateLens4.7/5Ranking
Most accurate calorie apps
The measurement itself: every app we tested, ranked by error against weighed meals, with the mode stated.
Lowest error in both modes: PlateLens4.7/5Ranking
Best fasting apps
Timers for when you eat, logs for what you eat: our top fasting timer and the food logs to pair with it.
Best fasting timer: Zero4.1/5
Sleep, mind and body rankings
Sleep, meditation, fitness, period and mental health apps, ranked on features, free tier, price and consensus standing. Not lab-measured, and labeled that way.
Ranking
Best sleep tracker apps
Five sleep trackers for phones and watches, and how far to trust what they tell you.
Best overall: Sleep Cycle4.2/5Ranking
Best meditation apps
Five meditation apps, from the biggest free library to the most structured course.
Best overall: Insight Timer4.4/5Ranking
Best fitness tracker apps
Five activity apps, with or without a wearable, and which numbers to trust.
Best overall: Fitbit (Google Health)4.1/5Ranking
Best period tracker apps
Five cycle apps compared on features, price and, plainly, how they handle your data.
Best overall: Flo4.1/5Ranking
Best mental health apps
Five apps for everyday mental health support, with honest notes on the evidence.
Best for daily self-care: Finch4.1/5
Latest reviews
The long-standing phone sleep tracker: the smart alarm and nightly analysis stay free; trends need Premium.
Not measuredThe biggest free meditation library we reviewed, plus a free timer. No ads.
Not measuredSteps, heart rate and sleep in one app, built around Fitbit trackers and Pixel Watch. Renamed Google Health in May 2026.
Not measuredThe most accurate app we measured, with a verified 1.2M+ food database and a free plan that covers daily tracking.
Measured · re-run on a 2nd meal set±1.1% (photo mode); ±3.5% (manual entry)The biggest raw database, but entries are crowd-sourced and barcode scanning is paid.
Measured±11.2% (manual entry)The deepest micronutrient database we reviewed, with free barcode scanning.
Measured±6.8% (manual entry)
Our standards
- Evidence firstAccuracy claims come from measurement, with the mode stated.
- Honest cons, alwaysEvery app gets specific cons, our top picks included.
- No paid placementsNo app can pay to be ranked or reviewed.
- Not measured means not measuredWe label apps we haven’t tested, and we don’t guess.
- Dated pricesEvery price is checked and marked “as of November 2026.”
- Team bylineWritten by the Healthline Apps Team; the methodology carries the authority.