MyNetDiary vs MyFitnessPal: Which Is Better for Free Calorie Tracking?

MyNetDiary vs MyFitnessPal at a glance

A free download does not tell you which part of your daily food logging stays free. These are the differences most likely to affect the next meal you record.

MyNetDiary's current free-plan matrix and MyFitnessPal's plan comparison support the free-versus-paid split. The ProTrack App Store listing describes its local photo analysis and iPhone requirements.

1. ProTrack AI: the private iPhone third option

Best for: an account-free, offline-first diary with private meal-photo scanning included
Trade-offs: limited free in-app scans, iOS 26 or later, no listed Apple Watch app

ProTrack AI is a narrower choice than either cross-platform competitor. You can log manually, use barcode lookup, scan a meal photo, or repeat a recent meal. Its built-in photo estimation runs on the iPhone after the local model is downloaded; the diary, goals, and history remain on the device. A new barcode lookup needs internet access for Open Food Facts data. The separate browser barcode scanner is unlimited and free, but the iPhone app's scan allowance is limited before a paid option.

It is not the better choice if you require Android, web syncing, Apple Watch, or permanently unlimited free scanning inside the app. The current US options are free to try, $5.99 weekly, and $39.99 lifetime; see ProTrack pricing. For more on local storage and offline use, see our private tracker comparison.

2. MyNetDiary: the stronger permanent free diary

Best for: a free scanner, ad-free daily tracking, and detailed nutrition
Trade-offs: the account-free start is not a promise of local-only storage; advanced automation is paid

MyNetDiary Free includes unlimited barcode scanning, food search, favorites, recent foods, custom foods and recipes, calorie and macro goals, reports, and up to 108 nutrient fields where data exists. Its basic voice entry names individual foods; conversational AI Voice Logging belongs to Premium Plus. You can begin without an account. Premium adds Meal Scan, adaptive targets, scheduled meals, recipe import, and direct Fitbit, Garmin, and Withings integrations.

The practical win is straightforward: a packaged-food scanner and daily macro routine can remain free indefinitely. Do not equate the advertised 108 fields with 108 measured values on every package. MyNetDiary itself says nutrient completeness depends on each record's source.

3. MyFitnessPal: a useful free core with paid capture tools

Best for: keeping established food history, recipes, community links, and partner integrations
Trade-offs: barcode, Meal Scan, voice, export, and ad removal require payment

MyFitnessPal Free still supports food and exercise logs, custom foods, meals and recipes, percentage-based calorie and macro goals, progress tracking, a printable report, and partner-app links. Premium adds barcode scanning, Meal Scan, Voice Logging, gram-based goals, deeper macro views, data export, and no ads. Premium+ adds meal planning and grocery tools.

If those free tools already cover your routine, a scanner paywall alone does not require a switch. But anyone scanning multiple packaged foods each day should compare the ongoing subscription cost with a tracker where that action stays free.

Barcodes, meal photos, voice, and food quality

Barcode: MyNetDiary explicitly includes unlimited scanning in Free; MyFitnessPal puts it in Premium and Premium+. Both scanners retrieve a food record rather than measuring a package, so compare unfamiliar entries with the label. MyNetDiary's PhotoFoods process accepts label photos for staff review when a product is missing.

Meal photos: MyNetDiary Meal Scan begins in Premium, not just Premium Plus. MyFitnessPal Meal Scan is also paid. Neither is a substitute for checking hidden ingredients or portions. Voice: MyNetDiary's basic single-food entry is free, but its conversational AI meal logging is Premium Plus; MyFitnessPal Voice Logging is a paid English-language mobile feature.

MyNetDiary reports more than two million staff-verified foods built from USDA and NCC sources and up to 108 nutrient fields. MyFitnessPal advertises a far larger catalog that mixes company-added and member entries. Its check-mark guidance says reviewed entries can still have mistakes and unchecked entries are not necessarily wrong. The counts measure catalog breadth, not a head-to-head accuracy rate.

For other scanner-first options, see our free barcode scanner guide.

Platforms, accounts, privacy, and integrations

Both competitors support iPhone, Android, web, and watches. MyNetDiary's US App Store listing requires iOS 17 or later and advertises an Apple Watch app. MyFitnessPal is account-based; MyNetDiary lets you start without registration, with an optional account for account-backed sync and backup.

No-account onboarding is not the same as a fully local-only service. MyNetDiary's privacy policy describes server infrastructure and backups, as well as information collected according to the features used. Its free diary is ad-free, but ad-free alone is not a complete privacy guarantee. MyFitnessPal's free service shows ads; a paid tier removes them, while the cloud-account model remains.

MyFitnessPal has the broader direct partner ecosystem and includes partner linking in Free. MyNetDiary includes Apple Health and Health Connect in Free, but direct Fitbit, Garmin, and Withings links require Premium. If a specific wearable connection is already reliable for you, check that exact data flow before switching. A health-platform bridge may not carry the same fields as a direct link.

Published US prices: what you pay for convenience

These are standard published US offers checked September 19, 2026, not legacy or promotional subscriptions. Monthly totals below are twelve separate payments, not annual-plan prices; checkout, taxes, and region can change the amount.

Both competitor diaries have a permanent $0 plan. At the standard annual Premium price, MyNetDiary is $20 less per year than MyFitnessPal. Twelve separate monthly payments cost $107.88 for MyNetDiary Premium and $239.88 for MyFitnessPal Premium. That arithmetic is not a prediction of future prices. MyNetDiary's plan matrix and MyFitnessPal's published membership pricing are the basis for the table.

MyNetDiary advertises a $179.99 lifetime purchase, but confirm which Premium benefits it includes rather than assuming all Premium Plus AI features. MyFitnessPal Premium+ focuses on meal planning and groceries; MyNetDiary Premium Plus focuses on AI coaching and conversational capture. If you only need a barcode scanner, MyNetDiary's free tier may make both upgrades unnecessary. See the separate MyFitnessPal pricing guide for more detail.

Can you move MyFitnessPal history to MyNetDiary?

There is no documented complete one-click diary import. MyNetDiary's switching guide says logging history does not transfer automatically. Exporting an archive, syncing selected health measurements, and importing an editable diary are three different things.

1. Keep a reference copy. MyFitnessPal Premium export emails a ZIP with meal-level nutrition summaries, progress measurements, and exercise CSV files. It is not a complete food-by-food and recipe clone. Free users can save a printable website report.
2. Check health sync direction. Weight may move through Apple Health, but MyFitnessPal says its exercise entries do not export to Apple Health. Only data logged after connecting syncs into MyFitnessPal. Do not assume a new connection backfills years of records.
3. Rebuild repeat foods and recipes. Save the meals you use weekly first. MyNetDiary does not document an importer for private MyFitnessPal recipes.
4. Overlap briefly. Compare your usual breakfast, a packaged food, a saved dinner, and connected-device totals before cancelling the old subscription. Returning to MyFitnessPal Free does not delete your history.

Verdict: which is better for free calorie tracking?

Choose MyNetDiary if your daily routine depends on barcode scanning, detailed nutrients, and an ad-free free diary. Those are ongoing free features, not a short trial. Choose MyFitnessPal if existing recipes, years of history, community, and specific partner links save you more effort than switching would. Its free diary remains functional for manual logging.

Neither choice is universally better. Try logging the same three typical foods in both, check the serving units and nutrient records, and decide based on the routine you will repeat tomorrow. For a wider field, compare our MyFitnessPal alternatives and Foodnoms vs MyFitnessPal guides.

Scan to download

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• MyNetDiary free-plan feature and price matrix, verified food database, switching guide, and privacy policy.
• MyFitnessPal Free/Premium comparison, published membership prices, database review guidance, and voice logging.
• MyFitnessPal paid export, free printable report, and Apple Health sync directions.
• ProTrack AI App Store listing and current pricing; MyNetDiary App Store and MyFitnessPal App Store.