Comparison

Looking for a Cal AI alternative?

Cal AI was acquired by MyFitnessPal, with the deal announced on 2 March 2026. If that is why you are here, this page sets out what actually changed, what did not, and what the honest options are, including ours.

By Alen Yaco · Double bachelor's in biological sciences and social ecology, UC Irvine · Published 17 September 2026

What happened to Cal AI?

MyFitnessPal acquired Cal AI in a deal that closed in December 2025 and was announced on 2 March 2026. Cal AI continues to run as a standalone app rather than being folded into MyFitnessPal, and its founder stayed on. Reporting at the time put Cal AI at over 15 million downloads and more than $40 million in trailing sales.

The visible change for users has been the food data underneath. Since the deal closed, Cal AI has integrated MyFitnessPal’s database: reporting cites 20 million foods, 68,500 brands and meals from more than 380 restaurant chains. If you liked Cal AI for its speed, that has not changed. If your concern is who now owns your food diary, that has.

Is Cal AI still worth using after the acquisition?

For most people, yes, on the merits. It remains a fast photo-first tracker and it now sits on a much larger food database than it had before. The acquisition is a reason to reconsider only if your objection is to the owner, the direction, or the pricing rather than to the app itself.

Being taken over is not in itself a defect. It is worth being clear about that, because a great deal of writing about this acquisition is by companies who would like you to switch. The honest questions are whether the free tier still covers what you need, and whether you are comfortable with where the data sits.

What do Cal AI and CalorieCounter each cost?

Cal AI’s premium tier is commonly listed at about $9.99 a month or $29.99 a year with a short free trial, though it uses regional and in-app pricing so what you are shown varies. CalorieCounter is $11.99 a month or $49.99 a year with a 7-day trial on the annual plan.

CalorieCounter is the more expensive of the two. We are not going to pretend otherwise on our own comparison page.

What is actually different about CalorieCounter?

Two things. The free plan keeps barcode scanning, search, quick add, voice logging, full history and export permanently rather than as a trial. And every photo estimate carries one of 3 labels, Pretty sure, Best guess or Check this, instead of a single accuracy percentage across the whole app.

The label choice is the one we would defend hardest. A single accuracy number averages the meals an app gets right with the meals it gets wrong, and tells you nothing about which plate in front of you is which. The longer argument is here.

There is also no advertising SDK, no App Tracking Transparency prompt and no data sale, and analytics are off unless you turn them on. The privacy page sets out what that means in detail.

What should you do if you want to switch today?

Use something you can actually install. CalorieCounter is not on the App Store yet, so if you need a tracker this week it is not an option, and the waitlist is the only thing we can offer. FatSecret is the usual recommendation for a genuinely free tier with barcode scanning included.

If you can wait, the waitlist sends one email on launch day and nothing else. If you cannot, that is a completely reasonable answer and we would rather say so than pretend a pre-launch app solves a problem you have now.

Prices and tiers checked 17 September 2026. Other apps change their plans without notice and several use regional or in-app pricing, so confirm in the App Store before you subscribe.

FAQ

Did MyFitnessPal buy Cal AI?

Yes. The deal closed in December 2025 and was announced on 2 March 2026. Cal AI continues to operate as a standalone app rather than being merged into MyFitnessPal.

Is Cal AI free?

It is free to download with a limited free tier, commonly listed at 3 AI photo scans a day plus food search and barcode scanning. Unlimited photo scanning requires the paid tier.

Is there a free Cal AI alternative?

FatSecret is the usual recommendation for a free tier that includes barcode scanning and macro tracking. CalorieCounter will keep 2 AI photo scans a day and unlimited barcode scanning free, but it has not launched yet.

Sources

• TechCrunch, MyFitnessPal has acquired Cal AI, the viral calorie app built by teens, 2 March 2026
• MyFitnessPal, membership pricing tiers