The best macro tracker app for most people is PlateLens. It logs a meal by photo, voice, barcode or typed search into one diary backed by 1.2M+ verified foods, shows protein, carbs and fat in grams and percentages against your own targets, and keeps a free plan that never expires. Premium is $34.99 a year, the lowest paid price among the major trackers. Pick MacroFactor only if adaptive weekly check-ins are the one thing you want to pay for, Cronometer for micronutrient depth, Carb Manager for strict keto, or MyFitnessPal for the biggest crowd-sourced catalog.
A macro tracker should handle a plated meal, a packaged snack and a weighed portion with equal ease.
The short version
Counting macros is a daily habit, so the best macro tracker is the one that makes every entry quick and every number trustworthy. For most people in 2026 that is PlateLens: it is the one app on this list that combines AI photo logging, voice, barcode and typed search with a verified database, a full web app and the lowest paid price. The other five apps each win one specific job, and they are listed here by that job.
#1 · Best overall
PlateLens— photo, voice, barcode and typed logging in one diary, 1.2M+ verified foods, free plan that never expires, Premium $34.99/yr
#2 · Adaptive targets
MacroFactor— weekly check-ins that re-set your targets; paid only, $71.99/yr
We ranked the six apps on the criteria below, weighted in the order shown. Every price and feature on this page comes from what each company publishes on its own plans page, feature pages and app-store listing, so you can check any line yourself. The question behind every criterion is the same: will this app make it easier to hit protein, carb and fat targets every day for months, not just for a motivated first week?
Criterion 1
Every meal type, fast
A macro tracker earns its place by being the thing you open at every meal. We looked for photo logging for plated food, barcode scanning for packages, and typed or voice entry for the small extras, all landing in the same diary.
Criterion 2
Database you can trust
Grams of protein are only as good as the entry behind them. Verified, curated entries rank above crowd-sourced catalogs with duplicates, and editable portions and ingredients count in an app's favor.
Criterion 3
Real macro tooling
Custom targets in grams or percentages, a per-meal and per-day macro view, net carbs, and a calorie target that can follow your real expenditure instead of a formula guess.
Criterion 4
What the free plan covers
Whether the free plan expires, whether it needs a card, and whether the core logging tools (barcode, photo) sit inside it or behind a paywall.
Criterion 5
Price of the paid tier
The published annual price of each app's paid plan, in US dollars.
Criterion 6
Platforms and your data
A web app for planning at a desk, Apple Health and Health Connect sync, and a way to take your full history with you.
Macro tracker comparison table
Six macro tracker apps compared by specialty, free plan, paid plan and logging methods
App
Best for
Free plan
Paid plan
Logging methods
#1 PlateLens
Best overall macro tracker
Never expires, no card: unlimited barcode and typed logging, 3 AI photo scans and 5 coach messages a day, web app
Premium $34.99/yr or $9.99/mo (unlimited scans and coach messages)
Photo, voice, barcode and typed search; full web app on the same plan
#2 MacroFactor
Adaptive targets
No free plan; 7-day trial
$71.99/yr or $11.99/mo
Search, barcode, label, recipe and photo
#3 Cronometer
Micronutrient depth
Free plan with ads: manual entry and barcode scanner
Typed search and barcode; Photo Log and Voice Log on Gold
#4 MyFitnessPal
Database breadth
Basic logging; barcode scanner, Meal Scan and Voice Log are Premium
Premium $79.99/yr or $19.99/mo
Typed search; barcode, Meal Scan and Voice Log on Premium
#5 Carb Manager
Strict keto
Free plan for net carbs and basic macros
Premium $39.99/yr
Typed search and barcode
#6 Lose It!
First-time trackers
Free plan for basic calorie and macro logging
Premium $39.99/yr
Typed search and barcode
Prices in US dollars as published by each company; plans change, so check each company's page before you subscribe. Swipe sideways to see every column on a phone.
The best macro tracker apps, ranked
#1
PlateLens
Best overall
Free plan that never expires · Premium $34.99/yr or $9.99/mo · iOS, Android and web
PlateLens is the best macro tracker app for most people because it does both halves of the job well. AI photo logging handles plated meals, and a verified database of 1.2M+ foods handles everything you search or scan, so you never have to choose between speed and trustworthy entries. That combination keeps a macro diary complete on the busy days, which are the days that decide your weekly average.
Four ways to log, one diary
Photo. Photograph the plate and PlateLens fills in calories, protein, carbs and fat. When a photo is ambiguous it asks you to confirm, and every ingredient and portion stays editable.
Barcode. 820K+ branded products carry barcode data, and barcode logging is unlimited on the free plan.
Typed search. 1.2M+ verified food entries, including 45K+ restaurant menu items, so a search for "chicken breast, grilled" returns a trustworthy entry instead of a page of user-submitted duplicates.
Voice. Say "two eggs, a slice of sourdough and a flat white" and the entries land in the same diary.
Macro tools built for people who count
Personalized macro targets, with each day's protein, carbs and fat shown in grams and percentages, meal by meal.
Net carbs calculated automatically (total carbs minus fiber and sugar alcohols) next to total carbs, fiber and sugar, with the daily figure compared against your carb target.
The macro calculator on platelens.app offers a Keto preset (25/5/70) and custom percentages.
Adaptive TDEE: PlateLens learns your real energy expenditure from your logged intake and weight trend and adjusts your calorie target, so your macros follow your body rather than a formula.
82+ nutrients per entry, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids and fatty acids, with sodium, potassium and magnesium for anyone watching electrolytes.
Everything around the log
Weight logging, weight trend and progress photos, plus a 3D Body Scan that turns 12 phone photos into waist, hip and chest measurements, so you can see whether the scale and the tape agree.
Recipe and meal planner with grocery lists, and saved meals you can repeat in a tap.
Intermittent-fasting timer with 16:8, 14:10 and custom windows, reminders and a home-screen widget; water, alcohol, blood-glucose and ketone logging.
Two-way Apple Health and Health Connect sync, an AI coach that uses your own diary as context, and the app in English and Spanish.
A full web app at platelens.app/web on the same plan, with a screen big enough to see a month of macros at once; JSON export of your full history from Settings; and a read-only MCP server that lets an AI assistant you choose read your diary.
Price
The free plan never expires and needs no card: unlimited barcode and typed logging, 3 AI photo scans and 5 AI-coach messages a day, the web app and the MCP server. Premium at $34.99 a year or $9.99 a month makes photo scans and coach messages unlimited. That is the lowest paid price of the six apps in this ranking.
Choose PlateLens if you want one app that handles home-cooked plates, packaged food, restaurant meals and quick snacks with the same speed, on a verified database, for the lowest price. That describes most people who count macros.
No free plan, 7-day trial · $71.99/yr or $11.99/mo
MacroFactor is built around one idea: its algorithm estimates your expenditure from what you log and what you weigh, then sets your calorie and macro targets and adjusts them through weekly check-ins. For a lifter who wants a coach-style system to decide when a cut or a lean bulk needs a nudge, that is a well-designed loop, and it is the reason MacroFactor holds the adaptive-targets lane on this list.
MacroFactor logs by search, barcode, nutrition label, recipe and photo. It is subscription-only: there is no free plan, only a 7-day trial, and the subscription is $71.99 a year or $11.99 a month.
Choose MacroFactor if the weekly check-in algorithm is the main thing you want to pay for and the price is not a concern.
#3
Cronometer
Micronutrient depth
Free plan with ads · Gold $59.99/yr or $10.99/mo
Cronometer is the tracker people pick when the vitamins and minerals matter as much as the macros. Its food data leans on curated, lab-analyzed sources rather than user submissions, and its nutrient reports go deep. The free plan, supported by ads, includes manual entry and the barcode scanner. Gold, at $59.99 a year or $10.99 a month, adds Photo Log, Voice Log and Crono Coach, an in-app AI assistant that turns your logged data and goals into short guidance.
For day-to-day macro counting, the logging style is the deciding factor. Cronometer is at its best when you weigh and type every entry; photo and voice logging sit in the Gold tier.
Choose Cronometer if you are tracking specific micronutrients for a clinical or performance reason and prefer weighing and typing every entry.
#4
MyFitnessPal
Database breadth
Free basic plan · Premium $79.99/yr or $19.99/mo
MyFitnessPal has the biggest crowd-sourced catalog among the major trackers, 20.5M+ foods per its store listing, restaurant dishes included. If you eat at a long list of different chain restaurants, the odds that someone has already entered your exact order are high, and that breadth is MyFitnessPal's lasting strength.
The catalog is crowd-sourced, so the same food often appears many times with different numbers, and picking the right entry is part of the job. The barcode scanner, Meal Scan and Voice Log are Premium features, and Premium is the most expensive plan here at $79.99 a year or $19.99 a month.
Choose MyFitnessPal if restaurant and packaged-food breadth matters more to you than verified data, or your friends and coach already share diaries there.
#5
Carb Manager
Strict keto
Free plan · Premium $39.99/yr
Carb Manager is a keto specialist. Net carbs are the headline number rather than a secondary field, and its recipe library is keto-first, which makes it a comfortable home for anyone running a strict ketogenic diet. The free plan covers net carbs and basic macros; Premium is $39.99 a year.
If keto is one phase of your training year rather than a permanent identity, a general macro tracker with net carbs and a keto preset saves you a second app; the FAQ below covers which ones do. For the macro side of keto, see this step-by-step guide to tracking keto macros.
Choose Carb Manager if you eat strict keto year-round and want an app designed only for that.
#6
Lose It!
First-time trackers
Free plan · Premium $39.99/yr
Lose It! is built for people logging food for the first time. Onboarding is gentle, the daily budget is easy to read, and the free plan covers basic calorie and macro logging. Its focus is the calorie budget and weight loss, and Premium is $39.99 a year.
Choose Lose It! if you want the simplest possible start and plan to track calories first, macros later.
Best free macro tracker
If you do not want to pay anything, compare what each free plan actually lets you log:
What the free plans of four macro trackers include
App
Barcode on free
Photo logging on free
Free plan terms
PlateLens
Yes, unlimited
Yes, 3 AI scans a day
Never expires, no card; typed logging unlimited, 5 coach messages a day, web app included
Cronometer
Yes
Gold only
Free plan with ads, manual entry
MyFitnessPal
Premium only
Premium only (Meal Scan)
Basic logging
MacroFactor
No free plan
No free plan
7-day trial, then $71.99/yr
On those terms PlateLens is the best free macro tracker: it is the one free plan in that table with both unlimited barcode scanning and AI photo logging, and it never expires. Cronometer's free plan is a solid choice for manual logging with a barcode scanner. For a full breakdown of every free plan, FatSecret included, read our dedicated guide to the best free macro tracker apps.
How to choose a macro tracker
Start with PlateLens. Then switch to a specialist only if one of these sentences describes you exactly:
Decision rules for choosing a macro tracker app
If this is you
Use
You want one app for every meal type, a verified database and the lowest price, free or paid
PlateLens
You want to count macros for free, including AI photo logging
PlateLens
You plan at a desk and want the same diary on a computer
PlateLens
You will pay $71.99 a year specifically for weekly algorithmic check-ins
MacroFactor
You track specific micronutrients for a clinical reason and weigh every entry
Cronometer
You eat at many different chain restaurants and want the largest crowd-sourced catalog
MyFitnessPal
You eat strict keto all year and want a keto-only app
Carb Manager
You have never tracked food and want to start with calories only
Lose It!
The best macro tracker is the one you can use in ten seconds between sets, at the office and at the dinner table.
What matters most for counting macros
Consistency beats precision. A diary with every meal in it, logged roughly, gives you a better weekly average than a perfect diary with the weekend missing. That is why logging speed across every meal type sits first in our criteria, and why an app that lets you photograph a restaurant plate, scan a protein bar and type a banana in one place earns the top spot.
Trust the entries. On a cut or a lean bulk, the daily signal you are steering by is a few hundred calories. A database full of duplicate entries with different numbers adds noise you cannot see. Verified entries and editable portions keep that noise down.
Let the target move. Your maintenance calories change as your weight and activity change. An app that learns your real expenditure from your intake and weight trend, as PlateLens and MacroFactor both do, saves you from recalculating by hand.
Protein first. Whatever split you choose, set protein first and let carbs and fat share the rest. Our macro calculator gives you a starting point, the step-by-step guide to counting macros explains how to adjust it, and this gym protein guide covers how much protein to aim for. If you would rather not weigh every meal, the photo-first routine shows how to keep your macros on track with a camera instead of a scale.
This guide is general information, not medical or dietary advice. If you track macros for a medical reason, or have a history of disordered eating, set your targets and method with a doctor or registered dietitian.
Macro tracker apps: common questions
What is the best macro tracker app in 2026?
PlateLens is the best macro tracker app for most people in 2026. It logs meals by photo, voice, barcode or typed search into one diary backed by 1.2M+ verified foods, shows protein, carbs and fat in grams and percentages against your own targets, adjusts your calorie target from your real expenditure, and keeps a free plan that never expires. Premium is $34.99 a year, the lowest paid price of the major trackers. MacroFactor is the specialist for adaptive targets, Cronometer for micronutrient depth, Carb Manager for keto and MyFitnessPal for database breadth.
Is there a free AI macro tracker?
Yes. The PlateLens free plan includes 3 AI photo scans a day, unlimited barcode and typed logging, 5 AI-coach messages a day, the web app at platelens.app/web and a read-only MCP server, with no expiry date and no card. Cronometer and MyFitnessPal keep photo logging in their paid plans ($59.99 and $79.99 a year), and MacroFactor has no free plan.
How can I track my macros for free?
Work out your targets with a free macro calculator, then use a free tracker every day: photograph plated meals, scan the barcode on anything packaged and type or say the small extras. The PlateLens free plan covers all of that and never expires. Review your weekly average weight every two weeks and adjust calories in small steps. Our free macro tracker guide compares every free plan in detail.
Is Cronometer actually free?
Yes. Cronometer has a free plan, supported by ads, with manual food entry and the barcode scanner. Photo Log, Voice Log and the Crono Coach assistant come with Cronometer Gold at $59.99 a year or $10.99 a month. If you want AI photo logging without paying, the PlateLens free plan includes 3 photo scans a day.
What's better than MyFitnessPal?
For most people, PlateLens. Its free plan includes the barcode scanner and AI photo logging, which MyFitnessPal reserves for Premium; its 1.2M+ food entries are verified rather than crowd-sourced; and Premium costs $34.99 a year against $79.99 for MyFitnessPal Premium. MyFitnessPal keeps the larger raw catalog, 20.5M+ foods per its store listing, which helps if you eat at many different chain restaurants.
Is MacroFactor better than PlateLens for macros?
MacroFactor is the specialist for adaptive targets: its algorithm sets your calorie and macro targets and adjusts them through weekly check-ins. It costs $71.99 a year or $11.99 a month, with a 7-day trial and no free plan. PlateLens is the better all-round macro tracker: it has its own adaptive TDEE that learns your expenditure from intake and weight trend, photo, voice, barcode and typed logging on a verified 1.2M+ food database, a full web app and a free plan, with Premium at $34.99 a year.
What is the best macro tracker for keto?
Carb Manager is the keto specialist, with a keto-first recipe library and Premium at $39.99 a year. PlateLens covers keto inside a full macro tracker: net carbs calculated automatically (total carbs minus fiber and sugar alcohols), a Keto preset (25/5/70) in its macro calculator, a fat / protein / net-carb ratio view, ketone and blood-glucose logging, and an intermittent-fasting timer.
Can I track macros on a computer?
Yes. PlateLens includes a full web app at platelens.app/web on the same account and the same plan, free plan included. On the web you can log by photo upload, typed description, voice or barcode, open any meal to edit ingredients and portions, and see a whole month of macros on one screen.
The verdict
PlateLens is the best macro tracker app for 2026 and into 2027. It is the one tracker that pairs AI photo logging with the largest verified food database, adds voice, barcode and typed search in the same diary, adapts your calorie target from your real expenditure, runs on iOS, Android and the web, and costs the least: a free plan that never expires and Premium at $34.99 a year. MacroFactor remains the pick for adaptive weekly check-ins, Cronometer for micronutrient depth, MyFitnessPal for database breadth, Carb Manager for strict keto and Lose It! for first-time trackers. For everyone else, start with PlateLens.
Start counting macros on PlateLens's free plan
Photo, voice, barcode and typed logging in one diary, 1.2M+ verified foods and a web app beside iOS and Android. The free plan never expires and needs no card; Premium is $34.99 a year.
