MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal is a food, exercise, calorie, and nutrition tracker for Android, iOS, and the web. It suits individuals who want a large food database and can build a routine around logging; people who need detailed macro controls or guided meal planning will have to pay.

The free tier makes a useful starting point, but the most convenient logging tools are paid, and Meal Planner access is limited by both subscription and country.

Overview

The Today tab opens a public database of 22 million food items. Free users can log food and exercise, use recipes and measurements, and connect partner apps, while progress tracking helps keep records over time. That covers the essentials for individual tracking, but MyFitnessPal does not offer client goals or a client mobile app, so practitioners seeking client-management tools should look elsewhere.

Accounts sync automatically across supported platforms when the same login and an internet connection are used. With relevant permissions enabled, MyFitnessPal can sync food, exercise, weight, and sleep data with Apple Health. Other connections include Google Health (formerly Fitbit), Apple Watch, Health Connect, Garmin Connect, and Samsung Health.

Key features

Logging and nutrition controls

Premium adds barcode scanning, Meal Scan, voice logging, and multi-day food logging. These options can make regular record-keeping less cumbersome, but they are not part of the free plan. Premium also provides nutrition analysis and macro goals set by grams or percentage, with different goals for different days—a meaningful upgrade for users whose targets vary through the week.

Meal planning

Premium+ adds customized weekly meal plans, more than 1,500 recipes, automated logging, grocery lists, and recipe sharing. The package is geared toward people who want planning as well as tracking; it is less compelling if a food log is all they need. Meal Planner is available only to Premium+ users in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia, and it is not available on the website.

Privacy and support

Premium subscribers receive priority customer support. MyFitnessPal says it maintains technical, organizational, and administrative safeguards for personal information, while cautioning that no security measures can guarantee security. Its services are intended for people aged 18 and older.

Pricing

MyFitnessPal uses a freemium model, with a 7-day trial and paid plans starting at $19.99/mo. The free plan costs nothing and includes food and exercise logging, recipes, measurements, and partner app connections. It is the sensible choice for users who do not need Premium’s extra logging and nutrition tools.

The annual options cost less than paying the corresponding monthly price for a full year, but require annual billing. Choose monthly Premium if you want the logging and nutrition upgrades without a yearly commitment; choose Premium+ only if its planning tools are available in your country and you expect to use them. The free plan gives up barcode and voice logging, custom nutrition goals, ad-free use, and priority support; meal planning requires Premium+.

Platforms

MyFitnessPal runs on Android, iOS, and the web, with automatic account sync across supported platforms when users share a login and have an internet connection. Apple Health syncing depends on enabling the relevant sharing permissions. Meal Planner is the notable exception to the otherwise cross-platform setup: it is not available on the website.

Who it's for

MyFitnessPal is best for adults who want a broad food database, basic food and exercise records, and the option to add nutrition analysis or structured meal planning. The free plan can suit people content with straightforward logging. Premium fits users who want more entry methods or flexible macro targets, while Premium+ is for users in supported countries who want weekly plans and grocery lists. It is not a good match for practitioners looking for client goals or a client-facing mobile app.

Pros and cons

• Pros: The 22 million-item public food database gives users a broad pool of foods to record.
• Pros: Free includes food and exercise logging, recipes, measurements, and partner app connections, so basic tracking does not require a subscription.
• Pros: Cross-platform sync and connections with Apple Health and other named services can bring tracking into a wider device setup.
• Cons: Barcode scanning, Meal Scan, voice logging, and custom nutrition goals require Premium, which costs $19.99 a month when billed monthly.
• Cons: Meal Planner requires Premium+, is restricted to six named countries, and cannot be used on the website.
• Cons: The absence of client goals and a client mobile app rules it out for client-management workflows.

Alternatives

For nutrient detail rather than meal planning, Cronometer is a relevant alternative: its free Basic plan tracks up to 84 nutrients and other compounds and includes reports and charts within a 7-day window; Gold costs $10.99 a month.

If automated meal planning and grocery lists are the priority, Eat This Much offers a Premium plan at $5 a month with an annual subscription, including weekly meal planning, automatic grocery lists and delivery integration, and leftovers.

Coaches comparing client-focused tools can consider CoachVana, which offers a free plan for the first 3 active clients with every coaching feature, and a Coach plan at $29 a month for up to 5 clients. Practice Better is another practitioner-oriented option, with a free Sprout plan for 3 active clients, 100 MB of storage, and 1 practitioner license.

Other alternatives in the directory include Theron, Tyzra, Nutritionix Track, and Promealplan.

Browse the Fitness Nutrition Software and Fitness Workout Tracking Software directories for more options.

Verdict

Choose MyFitnessPal if you want an individual food and exercise tracker with a large database, broad device connections, and a free entry point. Its strongest case is the option to grow from basic logging into detailed nutrition controls and meal planning. Look elsewhere if you need those conveniences without a substantial subscription, if you live outside Meal Planner’s supported countries, or if you need tools for coaching clients.