Best Free Calorie Counter App for Android (2026)
The best free calorie counter app for Android in 2026 is PlateLens if you want AI photo logging that never expires — its free plan is more generous on Android than on iPhone — FatSecret if you want a fully free manual tracker with no subscription, and Cronometer if accuracy matters most. All three connect to Health Connect.
Android has a real advantage here: several trackers give Android users a larger free allowance than iPhone users, because Google's store fees and platform rules differ. If you are choosing a free plan, Android is the better place to be.
What matters on Android specifically
- Health Connect. Android's replacement for the old Google Fit sync. It is where your calories, steps and weight meet. Check the app supports it rather than only legacy Google Fit.
- Free-plan size. Free allowances are not always identical across platforms. PlateLens gives Android users a larger daily allowance for photo scans than iPhone users.
- Whether the free plan expires. Google Play labels a trial and a free plan the same way — both show as "Free" with in-app purchases.
- Ads. Free Android trackers lean harder on ads than their iOS counterparts. FatSecret and MyFitnessPal both do.
The best free options on Android
1. PlateLens — best free AI photo logging, and better on Android
Photo scans, voice and text logging, barcode scanning and the AI coach are all on the free plan, with daily allowances that reset rather than an expiry date, and no card to start. The Android free plan carries a larger daily photo-scan allowance than the iPhone one. You fix a wrong estimate by describing it instead of searching a database.
- Photo, voice and text meal logging
- Barcode scanning
- The AI coach
- Calories and macros in grams
- Apple Health and Health Connect sync
- Daily allowances that reset, with no expiry date
- Premium at $9.99/month or $34.99/year lifts the daily allowances
- Larger free daily allowance on Android than iOS
- Free plan never expires, no card needed
- AI coach included rather than paywalled
- Health Connect support
- Give it the weights and it uses them instead of estimating
- 82+ micronutrients tracked from USDA FoodData Central
- Photo scans and coach messages still have a daily allowance
- No recipe builder
2. FatSecret — fully free, no subscription
Barcode scanning, gram-level macros, recipes, exercise and weight logging are all free with no subscription requirement at all. Its Google Play rating is among the highest in the category. The database is crowdsourced, so entries for the same food disagree, and the ads are noticeable.
- Unlimited food logging
- Barcode scanning
- Full macros in grams
- Recipes, exercise and weight logging
- Data export
- Nothing essential. Premium+ is optional and removes ads
Head to head: PlateLens vs FatSecret.
3. Cronometer — the most accurate free data
Verified data from USDA FoodData Central instead of user submissions, plus deep micronutrient tracking and free barcode scanning. Steepest learning curve of anything here, and a smaller database for regional packaged foods.
- Food logging, calories and macros
- Barcode scanning
- Micronutrient tracking against verified data
- Biometrics and wearable sync
- Advanced reports and trends
- Fasting tracking
- Saved recipes with full nutrient breakdowns
- Ad-free experience
Head to head: PlateLens vs Cronometer.
4. Lose It! — easiest start
Simple calorie budget, free barcode scanning, streaks and a clean interface. Macro tracking and photo recognition are Premium, so the free tier is calories-only.
- Unlimited food logging
- A daily calorie budget
- Barcode scanning
- Streaks, exercise and weight logging
- Macro tracking in grams
- Snap It photo recognition
- Meal plans and custom goals
- Ad removal
Head to head: PlateLens vs Lose It.
5. MyFitnessPal — biggest database, narrowest free tier
Still the largest food database, which matters for chain restaurants and packaged foods. But barcode scanning moved to Premium in 2022 and gram-level macros need a subscription, so the free Android experience is thinner than most people expect.
- Food logging by search
- Calorie tracking
- Macros as percentages only
- The full 20M+ database
- Weight and exercise logging
- Barcode scanning, moved to Premium in 2022
- Macros in grams
- Meal Scan photo recognition
- Voice logging
- Data export and ad removal
Head to head: PlateLens vs MyFitnessPal.
Side by side on Android
| App | Free access expires? | Health Connect | Free barcode | Free AI photo | Ads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PlateLens | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| FatSecret | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Cronometer | No | Yes | Yes | Limited | Some |
| Lose It! | No | Yes | Yes | Premium | Yes |
| MyFitnessPal | No | Yes | Premium | Premium | Yes |
| Cal AI | Yes — trial | Partial | In trial | In trial | No |
Which to install
- You want photo logging permanently and no ads: PlateLens.
- You want everything free and don't mind ads: FatSecret.
- You weigh food and want verified numbers: Cronometer.
- You're starting from zero: Lose It!
Before you pick an app, work out the number you are tracking against: our calorie calculator gives you a daily target from your own stats. And for the record, PlateLens Premium is $9.99 a month or $34.99 a year — the free plan above needs no card and has no end date.
A bigger free plan on Android
Photo, voice or barcode logging with the AI coach included, and a larger daily allowance than on iPhone. No card required.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free calorie counter app for Android?
PlateLens is the best free option on Android if you want AI photo logging, because its free plan never expires, includes the AI coach and carries a larger daily allowance on Android than on iPhone. FatSecret is the best fully free manual tracker, and Cronometer's free tier has the most accurate data.
Which free calorie apps work with Health Connect?
PlateLens, FatSecret, Cronometer, Lose It! and MyFitnessPal all support Health Connect, which is Android's replacement for the older Google Fit sync. It lets nutrition data sit alongside steps, workouts and weight from other apps.
Is there a free calorie counter for Android with no ads?
PlateLens has no ads on its free plan. FatSecret, Lose It! and MyFitnessPal all show ads in their free Android versions, and removing them requires a subscription.
Is MyFitnessPal free on Android?
Partly. The free tier exists, but barcode scanning moved to Premium in 2022 and gram-level macros need a subscription. Free Android users see macro percentages only, alongside ads.
Do free calorie apps give Android users more than iPhone users?
Sometimes. Free allowances are set per platform and are not always identical — PlateLens gives Android users a larger daily photo-scan allowance than iPhone users. It is worth checking the current in-app plan details rather than assuming parity.
Do free calorie counter apps on Android show ads?
Most do. FatSecret, Lose It! and MyFitnessPal all show ads on their free Android tiers, and removing them requires a subscription. PlateLens has no ads on its free plan.
Do I need a credit card to start on Android?
Not for the genuinely free ones. PlateLens, FatSecret, Cronometer, MyNetDiary and Lose It! all start without payment details. Google Play labels a trial and a free plan the same way, so the card prompt is the reliable signal.
Which free Android calorie app has the best barcode scanner?
FatSecret, Cronometer, MyNetDiary and Lose It! all include barcode scanning free, and PlateLens includes it on its free plan. MyFitnessPal moved scanning to Premium in 2022, which is the main reason its free Android tier disappoints people.
Does Google Fit still work for calorie tracking?
Google Fit's sync has been superseded by Health Connect, which is now the standard place Android apps read and write nutrition, steps and weight. Check that any tracker you pick supports Health Connect rather than only the legacy Google Fit integration.
Can I move my data from MyFitnessPal to a free Android app?
Not directly, and MyFitnessPal puts data export behind Premium. The practical route is to start fresh and let both write to Health Connect for a short overlap, which preserves the trend even though individual meal history does not transfer.
Is there a free calorie counter for Android with photo logging?
Yes. PlateLens includes AI photo logging on its free plan on Android, with a larger daily allowance than on iPhone. Lose It! and MyFitnessPal both keep their photo features behind Premium.