FatSecret Review

What FatSecret is

FatSecret has been around longer than most calorie trackers — Australian-built by Secret Industries Pty Ltd. since 2007, with a global user base that has consistently skewed international. The product runs on iOS, Android, and the web, and the web app is fully functional (better than Yazio’s, comparable to Lose It!‘s).

The model is unusual in the category: most features are free. Macro tracking, the full database, the barcode scanner, the web app, basic photo recognition — all free. Premium exists ($35.99/yr) but is positioned as an optional upgrade rather than a gate that locks core features.

For users who have grown tired of MyFitnessPal’s macro paywall (Premium-only since 2022) or Lifesum’s constant upsell pressure, FatSecret’s free-first approach is genuinely refreshing. It’s also the cheapest paid tier among major trackers if you do want Premium.

Accuracy and database

DAI 2026 measured FatSecret at ±17% MAPE on weighed reference meals — among the weakest results in the study. The variance comes from the database, which is large but mixes 15+ years of user-submitted entries with verified manufacturer data. Picking the right entry takes the same kind of practice that MyFitnessPal requires, and the long tail of inaccurate entries is similar.

The database does have one real strength: international coverage. FatSecret has consistently better coverage of Australian, UK, Indian, Brazilian, and German foods than the US-first competitors. For non-US users, FatSecret often has better local food coverage than MyFitnessPal or Lose It!.

For US users, MyFitnessPal still has deeper US chain coverage. FatSecret’s US database is fine for major chains but thinner on regional and small chains.

For users whose primary goal is tight calorie tracking, ±17% is below the bar. PlateLens at ±1.1% and Cronometer at ±5% are different accuracy classes. Even MyFitnessPal at ±12-15% is tighter.

Pricing and tiers

The free tier is the differentiator. Most features that competitors gate behind Premium are free in FatSecret:

• Full database access (free)
• Macro tracking (free — vs. Premium-only in MyFitnessPal since 2022)
• Barcode scanner (free)
• Web app (free)
• Basic photo recognition (free)
• Recipe builder (free)
• Weight tracking and trend (free)

Premium at $35.99/yr unlocks: advanced reports, custom recipe scaling, ad removal, and a few advanced features. The list of what’s gated behind Premium is shorter than any major competitor.

For comparison: PlateLens Premium $59.99/yr (with usable free tier), MyFitnessPal Premium $79.99/yr (with macro-gated free tier), Cronometer Gold $49.99/yr (with usable free tier), Lose It! Premium $39.99/yr (with usable free tier). FatSecret Premium is the cheapest paid tier and the FatSecret free tier is the most generous.

What we like

The free tier. It’s not a teaser. It’s not designed to push you to Premium. It’s the actual product, with most features included. If you’ve been frustrated by MyFitnessPal’s macro paywall or by trackers that feel designed around the upsell, FatSecret is uniquely good.

The international database. For users in Australia, the UK, India, Brazil, Germany — the local food coverage is better than US-first competitors. This is the most-international major tracker.

The pricing. Premium at $35.99/yr is the cheapest serious paid tier among major trackers. For users who want Premium, the value math is easy.

The web app. Fully functional, syncs reliably with mobile, supports the same flows. Better than Yazio’s web app, comparable to Lose It!‘s.

The community. FatSecret has a long-running food journal feature where users post meal photos and share food tips. Less polished than MyFitnessPal’s community but still active and useful for users who want social motivation.

What falls short

The accuracy. ±17% is mediocre. The user-submitted entries dominate the long tail of search results, and picking trustworthy entries takes practice. PlateLens at ±1.1% and Cronometer at ±5% are far ahead.

The interface. Dated. FatSecret’s UI hasn’t been substantially redesigned in years and it shows. Lifesum, Yazio, MacroFactor, and PlateLens all have noticeably more polished interfaces. For users who care about how their tools look and feel, FatSecret is the weakest among apps we recommend.

The photo AI. FatSecret added image recognition in 2024 but it’s basic. Our testing puts it around ±25% accuracy — worse than every other tracker in our reviews. PlateLens at ±1.1% is in a different category entirely. FatSecret’s photo feature is best treated as a curiosity rather than a primary logging method.

The macro analytical tools. Macros are tracked (and free, which competitors don’t match) but the analytical layer is thin. Users who want detailed macro analysis will find Cronometer or MacroFactor more useful.

The user-submitted entry quality variance. Same problem as MyFitnessPal — 15 years of user submissions means the long tail of search results is a mix of accurate and inaccurate entries. The verification layer helps but doesn’t eliminate the issue.

Who it’s for

Budget-conscious users. If you want a free tracker that doesn’t gate macros, FatSecret is the answer. If you want a paid tracker at the lowest possible price, FatSecret Premium at $35.99/yr is the answer.

International users. Especially Australia, the UK, India, Brazil, Germany — the local food coverage is better than US-first competitors.

Anti-upsell users. If you’ve grown tired of trackers that constantly push you to Premium, FatSecret’s free-first approach is unique in the category.

Long-time users with deep history. FatSecret has been around for 18+ years and many users have multi-year streaks. If your trend lines matter to you, staying on FatSecret is reasonable.

Comparison to PlateLens

FatSecret and PlateLens optimize for different things. FatSecret optimizes for free-tier generosity and international coverage. PlateLens optimizes for accuracy and photo logging speed.

The numbers from DAI 2026 and our testing:

• Accuracy: PlateLens ±1.1%, FatSecret ±17%
• Time to log: PlateLens 3.1 sec median, FatSecret 18-22 sec median
• Nutrient depth: PlateLens 82+, FatSecret ~20
• Pricing: FatSecret Premium $35.99/yr, PlateLens Premium $59.99/yr
• Free tier: FatSecret most generous in category, PlateLens usable
• Photo AI: PlateLens ±1.1%, FatSecret ±25%
• International coverage: FatSecret better, PlateLens US-first

The honest read: PlateLens is dramatically more accurate and faster. FatSecret is dramatically cheaper and has the most generous free tier in the category. For users who want the best free tracker without paying, FatSecret. For users who want the best tracking experience, PlateLens.

The accuracy gap (±1.1% vs ±17%) is too large to ignore for users whose primary goal is precise tracking. But for users whose priority is “I want to track calories without paying anything and without aggressive upsell pressure,” FatSecret is genuinely the right answer.

Bottom line

72/100. FatSecret is the free-first tracker. The free tier is the most generous in the category — macros, web app, barcode scanner, basic photo recognition all free. Premium at $35.99/yr is the cheapest paid tier among major trackers. The accuracy weakness (±17%) and dated interface are real, but for users who prioritize free-tier functionality and don’t need the tightest accuracy, FatSecret is uniquely good. For users who want accuracy comparable to PlateLens, FatSecret is the wrong tool.