fotorieThere are dozens of calorie counting apps, and almost all promise the same thing. The real difference lies in how long it takes to log a meal, whether the database is reliable, and what they let you do without paying. This is our selection for 2026, written from a nutrition center and with a disclaimer: Fotorie is our app, so we put it last and with its drawbacks clearly visible.
What to look for before choosing
- Logging speed. If logging dinner takes five minutes, you’ll quit in two weeks. It’s the number one reason for abandonment.
- Data quality. Community databases have duplicate and poorly entered items; verified ones are shorter but reliable.
- What’s truly free. Almost all offer a free plan that falls short exactly where you need it most (scanner, macros, reports).
- More than just counting. A counter only tells you the number. If it also helps you decide what to eat, adherence improves significantly.
MyFitnessPal
The best known and most widely tried app. Its database is huge, with millions of foods and many Spanish brands, and it has an active community.
Pros: you can find almost any packaged product; syncs with watches and scales; many user-uploaded recipes.
Cons: many entries are duplicated or incorrect, so you have to be careful which one you choose; features like the barcode scanner and per-meal macros have moved to the paid version; the interface has become cluttered with ads and promotions. For a detailed comparison, see our MyFitnessPal alternative page.
FatSecret
Probably the most complete free app in terms of features. It counts calories, macros, has a barcode scanner, and an exercise diary without paying.
Pros: truly free for essentials; database with many Spanish products; large community.
Cons: the database is community-driven, with the same problems of duplicates and errors; the design is functional but outdated; logging is still manual, food by food.
Yazio
A German app very popular in Europe, with more of a “plan” approach than a simple counter: recipes, intermittent fasting, and guided programs.
Pros: beautiful and easy to use; recipes with pictures; integrated intermittent fasting; good translation into Spanish and English.
Cons: the free plan is very limited (most recipes and analyses require a subscription); logging is still by search; plans are generic, not adapted to your medication or your day.
Lifesum
Similar to Yazio in concept: counter plus diet plans (keto, Mediterranean, fasting) with a very polished interface.
Pros: good user experience; “quality” ratings for each meal; varied plans.
Cons: almost everything interesting is paid; guided diets are templates; fewer Spanish products than the previous ones.
Cal AI
The app that popularized calorie counting with a photo. You point the camera at the plate and the AI estimates the foods and calories.
Pros: photo logging is much faster than searching; estimation for simple dishes is reasonable.
Cons: works with a subscription after the trial; designed for the Anglo-Saxon market (dishes and portions from there, interface largely in English); no meal plan and does not take your health into account. It only takes the photo. We compare the two photo apps in Cal AI alternative.
Fotorie
Our app. It’s made by Vitasane, a network of nutrition centers in Seville, and starts from the same idea as Cal AI, the photo, but with what comes next: a weekly menu with real recipes (AI-generated illustrations, not photographs of actual cooked dishes), an AI coach that knows your weight, your training, your medication, and your blood pressure, and a calorie plan with floors that the app won’t let you cross.
Pros: logging a meal is taking a photo (or telling the coach via text or voice note); all in Spanish and English and designed for local dishes; the free plan includes photos and messages to the coach every day; data on EU servers.
Cons, stated clearly: it’s a young app, so there are still rough edges to polish; the free plan includes 50 recipes and paid plans unlock the full catalog of more than 200; photo estimation has a margin of error, especially in stews and sauces, and the portion needs to be corrected when the weight is known; the free plan has a limit on daily photos and messages, and voice and family features are paid.
You can find details of what’s included on the calorie counter page.
Our recommendation
| If you’re looking for… | Try |
|---|---|
| Totally free and don’t mind manual logging | FatSecret |
| The largest product database | MyFitnessPal |
| Guided plans and fasting, and don’t mind paying | Yazio or Lifesum |
| Logging with a photo, nothing more | Cal AI |
| Photo, menu, and coach in Spanish and English with nutritionist criteria | Fotorie |
Whichever you choose, the app that works is the one you keep using after two months. Choose the one that’s fastest for you to use, not the one with the most features.
The cited brands belong to their owners. Comparison as of September 2026; app features change over time.
