What changed at MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal is still the biggest name in calorie counting, and its free plan still lets you log food and track your weight. But its own comparison table lists these as Premium only: Barcode Scan and Meal Scan, ad-free logging, voice logging, and macro tracking with custom goals. Premium is $19.99 a month or $79.99 a year in the US.
One more change worth knowing: in March 2026, MyFitnessPal announced it had bought Cal AI, the photo calorie app. Cal AI still runs as its own app, but if you were choosing between those two, they now belong to the same company. (We compare Wellew and Cal AI directly here.)
Free plan vs free plan
| Feature | MyFitnessPal free | Wellew free |
|---|---|---|
| Ads in the food diary | Yes | None |
| Barcode scanner | Premium only | Free |
| Log a meal from a photo | Premium only (Meal Scan) | 3 scans a day, plus bonus scans from logging streaks |
| Custom macro goals | Premium only | Free |
| Weight logging and trend | Free | Free, with a weight projection |
| Food database | Very large, mostly user-submitted | Smaller. Leans on photos, barcodes and your own saved meals |
| iPhone app | Yes | Almost here (Android today) |
Why Wellew has no ads
An ad in a food diary sits exactly where friction hurts most: between you and the log button. Every extra tap at dinner is a small reason to skip an entry, and skipped entries are how most people end up quitting. Wellew makes money from an optional Pro plan, so there's no ad slot in the free app to sell, and no reason to add one.
The same logic is why the barcode scanner is free. Scanning the yogurt you eat every morning is the most basic habit a tracker can build. Charging for it is charging for consistency, which is the one thing that actually makes tracking work.
What you give up by switching
We'd rather you know this now than find out in week two.
- The giant food database. MyFitnessPal has millions of searchable entries, including a lot of chain restaurant menus. Wellew is built around taking a photo, scanning a barcode, or describing the meal in words. If you mostly eat out and like searching menu items by name, MyFitnessPal has more of them.
- Your history. Wellew can't import a MyFitnessPal diary yet, so you start fresh. Anything you log once can be found and logged again without using a scan, so your regulars come back quickly.
- iPhone, for now. Wellew is on Google Play. The iPhone app is almost here, and you can join the waitlist to hear the day it lands.
- Forums and a social feed. MyFitnessPal has a large community. Wellew has no public feed by design. If you want to track with someone, you link with a partner or family member instead.
What Pro adds, if you want it
The free plan is meant to be usable on its own, not a trial. Pro is for people who want more help:
- The Coach, which gives guidance built from your own logs rather than generic advice.
- Unlimited photo scans instead of 3 a day.
- The full analytics deck, plus Health sync, progress photos, and backup and restore.
- Partner and Family plans, which give Pro to one or three other people and let you log meals for each other. More on that in our guide to tracking as a couple.
Prices for Pro, Partner and Family are shown in the app before you subscribe.
Switching in about ten minutes
- Get your numbers. Use the free calorie calculator and macro calculator. No signup.
- Install Wellew from Google Play and enter those targets as your goals.
- Scan your regulars. The handful of packaged foods you eat every week are the fastest wins. Barcode scans don't use your daily photo scans.
- Save your go-to home meals as recipes once, then log them in a tap.
- Keep your MyFitnessPal account for a couple of weeks until you're sure. There's no rush to delete anything.
Try it on your next meal
Free on Android, no ads, barcode scanner included. The iPhone app is almost here.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a MyFitnessPal alternative without ads?
Yes. Wellew has no ads on the free plan or on paid plans. The free plan also includes barcode scanning and 3 photo scans a day.
Does Wellew have a free barcode scanner?
Yes. Barcode scanning is free and doesn't use up your daily photo scans. Product details come from Open Food Facts, an open food database.
Can I import my MyFitnessPal history into Wellew?
Not right now. You start with a fresh diary. Your regular foods come back quickly, because anything you've logged once can be found and logged again without using a scan.
Is Wellew on iPhone?
Wellew is on Android through Google Play today. The iPhone app is almost here, and you can join the waitlist to hear the day it lands.
Who owns Cal AI now?
MyFitnessPal announced in March 2026 that it had acquired Cal AI. Cal AI still runs as a separate app. See Cal AI vs Wellew for a direct comparison.
Sources
Checked October 2026. Prices and features change, so check each app's own pages before you buy.
- myfitnesspal.com/premium: free vs Premium table; Premium $19.99/month or $79.99/year
- Pulse 2.0: MyFitnessPal acquires Cal AI (March 2026), Cal AI to run as a standalone app
- Open Food Facts: the open database behind Wellew's barcode lookups