If the macro paywall and ads drove you off — five honest replacements, including where MFP still wins. Updated September 6, 2026 · Comparison sources: August 2026
The comparison
BodyDex
vs
Other options
Features Pricing Trade-offs
Find the fit for how you track.
The short answer
The best MyFitnessPal alternative depends on what you want to change.
BodyDex: free custom macros + barcode
Compare coaching, fasting and price
More context +
If you want an alternative to MyFitnessPal, two differences to compare are custom macros and barcode scanning behind a $19.99/mo paywall, and ads on the free tier. BodyDex un-paywalls both, has no ads, and adds AI scanning plus protocol tracking. MacroFactor is the coaching upgrade; Lose It! the veteran like-for-like; Cal AI the minimal AI option; Yazio (~$47.90/yr) the budget fasting pick. MFP still has the biggest database.
At a glance
App
Free macros
Ads
Pricing (August 2026)
MyFitnessPal
Free macrosNo — custom macros are Premium
AdsYes, on free tier
Pricing (August 2026)$19.99/mo or $79.99/yr (Premium+ $24.99/mo or $99.99/yr)
BodyDex
Free macrosYes — custom targets free
AdsNone on any tier
Pricing (August 2026)$9.99/mo or $79.99/yr
MacroFactor
Free macrosNo free tier — all subscription
AdsNone
Pricing (August 2026)$11.99/mo or $71.99/yr
Cal AI
Free macrosNo usable free tier
AdsNone
Pricing (August 2026)Hidden until after onboarding (~$2.99/wk to ~$29.99/yr)
Lose It!
Free macrosBasic free; advanced macros Premium
AdsYes, on free tier
Pricing (August 2026)$79.99/yr for new subscribers (raised December 2025)
Best overall MyFitnessPal alternative. BodyDex un-paywalls the exact things that push people off MyFitnessPal: custom macro targets and barcode scanning are free, and there are no ads on any tier. On top of that it adds multi-item AI photo scanning, peptide / GLP-1 protocol tracking, a workout logger, an AI coach grounded in your data, and on-device storage. The food database (FatSecret + USDA + Open Food Facts) is smaller than MFP's, which is the honest trade. Recent releases push further: a restaurant menu scanner that turns a photo of the printed menu into dishes with estimated calories (Premium), a night-shift day window that shows overnight meals together in one working-day view, and an injection-site log on a body map for any injectable protocol — not just GLP-1s. Premium is $9.99/mo or $79.99/yr — half MFP Premium's monthly price.
Pick it if: Custom macro targets and barcode behind a $19.99/mo paywall is exactly why you're leaving, and you want AI scanning and protocol tracking in the same app.
2. MacroFactor — adaptive weekly macro coaching
Best for serious macro coaching. MacroFactor doesn't just log macros — its adaptive expenditure algorithm recalculates your targets weekly from your real weight and intake data, which is genuinely best-in-class for cutting, lean bulking, and recomp. It added AI photo logging in April 2025 and has no ads. The catch: no free tier at all — $11.99/mo or $71.99/yr (~$5.99/mo annual) after the trial. You're trading MFP's free tier for a much smarter paid one.
Pick it if: You used MFP to manage a cut or bulk and want the math done for you each week.
3. Cal AI — the minimal AI-first option
Best for photo-only logging. Cal AI strips calorie tracking down to pointing your camera at the plate. If MFP felt bloated, that minimalism is the appeal. The trade-offs are real: it's subscription-only with pricing hidden until after the onboarding quiz (typically ~$2.99/wk to ~$29.99/yr), manual logging and database search are thin, and there's no macro coaching, protocol tracking, or workout logging. Without paying, it reverts to a basic manual logger.
Pick it if: You want the absolute fastest logging and will never open a food database.
4. Lose It! — the closest like-for-like
Closest like-for-like substitute. Lose It! is the most direct MFP substitute on this list: a veteran calorie counter with a claimed 56-million-item database and a gamified, social experience. Premium is $79.99/yr for new subscribers — raised from $39.99 in December 2025, matching MFP Premium's annual price (legacy subscribers may keep older pricing) — and includes "Snap It" AI photo logging. Caveats: the free tier shows ads just like MFP's, barcode scanning now requires Premium for new accounts, and advanced macro features are paywalled. You change the flavor, not the model — or, since the price increase, the annual cost.
Pick it if: You like how MFP works and mainly want the same experience with a more gamified, social feel.
5. Yazio — budget pick with fasting built in
Best for intermittent fasting. Yazio PRO runs about $47.90/yr (frequently discounted) — the lowest listed annual price among the apps compared here, as of August 2026 — and bundles structured fasting plans (16:8, 5:2, 6:1), 3,000+ curated recipes, and PRO-only AI photo tracking added with its 2026 rebrand. Its multi-million-item claimed database has strong European coverage. Its free food diary includes barcode scanning, while AI photo logging and extended fasting features require PRO. The free tier carries ads.
Pick it if: You want fasting plans alongside calorie tracking at a budget price, especially with European foods.
Where MyFitnessPal is still the right call
Database breadth. Fifteen-plus years of user contributions make MFP's food database one of the largest in the category — 20M+ foods by MFP's own description. If obscure chain and regional items are your daily reality, it's the long-standing default.
Community. MFP's forums and social features are long-established. None of the alternatives here replicates that at the same scale.
You already pay for Premium+ meal planning. MFP's meal-planning tier has no direct equivalent in this list, and Premium subscribers also get MFP's new AI Coach (launched June 2026).
Free GLP-1 Support. Launched April 2026, MFP's GLP-1 Support tracks medication type, dose, injection site, and side effects with dose reminders — free for all US users. It's GLP-1-only and cloud-stored, but it's free.
FAQ
Why do people leave MyFitnessPal?
Two changes dominate: custom macro targets and barcode scanning moved behind the $19.99/month Premium paywall — with whole-plate meal scanning and recipe-URL import following in 2026 — and the free tier carries ads and sponsored content. For people who only used MFP for basic macro tracking, paying $19.99/month for what used to be free feels steep — and several alternatives now un-paywall exactly those features.
What's the best free MyFitnessPal alternative?
BodyDex has the strongest free tier in this list: custom macros, barcode scanning, manual logging, recipes, weight tracking, and peptide / protocol tracking are free indefinitely with no ads. Lose It! and Yazio also have usable free tiers but both show ads and paywall their barcode scanners for new users as of 2026.
Which alternative tracks macros for free?
BodyDex — custom protein, carb, and fat targets are part of the free tier, no paywall. Lose It! and Yazio show basic macro breakdowns free but gate advanced macro features behind their paid plans. MacroFactor and Cal AI have no meaningful free tier at all, so their macro features are paid by definition.
Which alternative has the biggest food database?
MyFitnessPal's user-contributed database is one of the largest in the category — over 20 million foods by MFP's own description — and that's the honest reason some people stay. Lose It! claims 56+ million items. BodyDex combines FatSecret, USDA, and Open Food Facts, which covers branded and restaurant foods well but is a smaller catalog. Yazio claims a multi-million-item database with strong European coverage.
Can I export my MyFitnessPal data before switching?
Yes — MyFitnessPal lets you export your food and exercise history as CSV from the website (Reports / data export, Premium gates some of it). Most switchers don't migrate history at all: calorie tracking value is forward-looking, and starting fresh at a natural boundary like a new cut works fine in practice.
Is BodyDex really cheaper than MyFitnessPal?
Monthly, yes — BodyDex Premium is $9.99/month versus MFP Premium at $19.99/month. Annual plans are identical at $79.99/year. The bigger difference is what's free: custom macro targets and barcode scanning are free in BodyDex and Premium-gated in MyFitnessPal, so many former MFP Premium subscribers can use BodyDex without paying at all.
Which alternative is best for GLP-1 users?
BodyDex — it's the only app in this list whose protocol tracker goes beyond GLP-1s: weekly dose schedules, dose-change history, reconstitution math, and supply alerts for peptides, all medications, and supplements, alongside macros and weight, stored on-device. MyFitnessPal launched a free GLP-1 Support tool in April 2026 (US users) that tracks GLP-1 dose, injection site, side effects, and reminders — a real option if a GLP-1 is all you track, though it's GLP-1-specific and lives in a cloud account. See our GLP-1 tracker guide.
Do I need AI photo scanning at all?
No — it's a speed feature, not a requirement. Manual logging with a barcode scanner and database search remains the most accurate method. AI scanning earns its keep on mixed plates and eating out, where it turns a two-minute search into a five-second draft you correct. Every app here gates AI scanning behind its paid tier as of August 2026.
BodyDex is not affiliated with or endorsed by MyFitnessPal, MacroFactor, Cal AI, Lose It!, or YAZIO. Pricing and features verified August 2026 from each publisher's public marketing pages and app-store listings — products evolve, so always confirm current details on the publisher's site before deciding. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
BodyDex
