App review
FatSecret Review: Fully Free, a Little Dated
Our verdict
A free calorie counter with a dated interface. We haven’t measured its accuracy, so its score rests on features and consensus standing.
Not measuredPros of FatSecret
- Core tracking free, as of our November 2026 check
Cons of FatSecret
- Dated interface
- Not measured in our accuracy testing
Not measured: score rests on features and consensus standing. We don't publish sub-scores.How we score apps.
FatSecret has one clear selling point: its core tracking is free. That’s what our shopping desk found when it checked prices in November 2026. Against that, its interface is dated, and we haven’t measured how accurate it is.
If cost is your main concern, it deserves a look. Here’s what to weigh first.
What FatSecret does well
Its core tracking is free. You can track without a subscription. Compare that with MyFitnessPal, which charges $79.99 a year for barcode scanning, or MacroFactor, which has no free tier and costs $71.99 a year.
For many people, free is the deciding factor. If you’ve signed up for paid apps before and resented the paywall, FatSecret removes that friction entirely.
Where it falls short
The interface is dated. You’ll open a calorie counter several times a day, so how it looks and feels matters. If design matters to you, Yazio is nicely designed and also has a real free tier.
It hasn’t been measured. FatSecret wasn’t part of our 180-meal weighed-food validation. Without a measurement, we can’t tell you how close its numbers come to reality, and its 3.4 score rests on features and consensus standing.
Accuracy: what we know
We haven’t measured FatSecret, and we label it “Not measured” wherever it appears. That isn’t a finding that it’s inaccurate. It means we don’t have evidence either way.
For context, the apps we measured ranged from ±1.1% (PlateLens in photo mode) to ±11.2% (MyFitnessPal in manual entry). In manual entry, much depends on you: the error includes your portion estimate and the entry you choose. If you use FatSecret, weigh a few meals now and then and check your entries against nutrition labels.
Free vs paid
As of November 2026, FatSecret’s core tracking is free. That makes it the simplest pricing story of any app we reviewed.
How it compares with other free options
Being free isn’t unique. Several apps offer a free tier, and some have measured accuracy behind them:
- PlateLens: unlimited barcode and manual logging plus about three AI photo scans a day, free. Measured ±1.1% in photo mode and ±3.5% in manual entry.
- Cronometer: free barcode scanning and the deepest micronutrient database we reviewed. Measured ±6.8% in manual entry.
- Lose It!: free barcode scanning and the best onboarding of the manual apps. Measured ±9.4% in manual entry.
- Yazio: a nicely designed app with a real free tier. Not measured.
Who it’s for
- You want to pay nothing, ever.
- You don’t mind an older-looking interface.
- You’re comfortable checking your own entries against nutrition labels, since we can’t vouch for its accuracy yet.
Who should skip it
- You want measured accuracy for free. PlateLens’s free plan is the strongest option we tested.
- You care about design. Yazio is nicely designed and also has a free tier.
The bottom line
FatSecret’s core tracking is free, and for some people that settles it. But its interface is dated and its accuracy is unmeasured, while free tiers from PlateLens, Cronometer and Lose It! come with measured figures. See our best free calorie counters for the full comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Is FatSecret really free?
The core calorie tracking is free, and it has stayed free; FatSecret also sells an optional Premium tier that removes ads and adds extras. Our desk checked in November 2026.
Is FatSecret accurate?
We haven’t measured it. FatSecret wasn’t part of our 180-meal weighed-food validation, so its 3.4 score rests on features and consensus standing.
What’s the best free alternative to FatSecret?
PlateLens’s free plan includes unlimited barcode and manual logging and a daily allowance of AI photo scans, and it measured ±1.1% in photo mode and ±3.5% in manual entry. Cronometer and Lose It! also have measured free tiers with barcode scanning.
FatSecret or MyFitnessPal?
Both have free versions. MyFitnessPal has the bigger raw database and a measured figure (±11.2% in manual entry), but charges $79.99 a year for barcode scanning. FatSecret’s core tracking is free but hasn’t been measured.
Why isn’t FatSecret ranked higher in your free list?
Our rankings put measured accuracy first. FatSecret’s core tracking is free, but it hasn’t been measured and its interface is dated, so free tiers with measured accuracy, from PlateLens, Cronometer and Lose It!, rank above it. Yazio also places ahead on design.