Food & protein

Protein and food-tracking apps compared

Pending medical review

By Joshua Nichvolodoff · Fact-checked against sources November 2, 2026 · Next review due January 31, 2027

Clinical review: not yet reviewed by a clinician. How review works · Editorial policy

If you want to track protein, a food-logging app can help. Here is what four popular apps say they offer and charge, taken from their own pages and US App Store listings on November 2, 2026. Light Years has no affiliation with any of them and earns nothing if you sign up.

At a glance

Food-tracking apps, as described by their makers (US, November 2026)[1][2][4][5][3]
ItemFree tierFood database (maker's claim)
CronometerYes (Basic)“Over 1M lab-analyzed or verified foods”
MacroFactorNone described“About 1.36M verified items”
MyFitnessPalFree to download20.5M+ foods
Lose It!Yes56M+ items
Database sizes are the makers' own claims; a bigger database is not necessarily a more accurate one.

Prices

Cronometer Gold: US$10.99 a month, or US$59.99 a year (as reported by Cronometer, November 2, 2026; checked November 2, 2026 — may have changed)[1]. MacroFactor: US$11.99 a month, $47.99 per 6 months, or $71.99 a year (as reported by MacroFactor help center, November 2, 2026; checked November 2, 2026 — may have changed)[2]. MyFitnessPal: Monthly Premium $19.99; Yearly Premium $79.99 (as reported by Apple App Store (seller: MyFitnessPal, Inc.), November 2, 2026; checked November 2, 2026 — may have changed)[5]. Lose It!: Premium Features $39.99 (as reported by Apple App Store (developer: FitNow, Inc.), November 2, 2026; checked November 2, 2026 — may have changed)[3]. App Store listings show other, unlabelled prices too, and Canadian prices were not confirmed.

What's in each paid tier

Cronometer Gold adds photo and voice logging, a recipe importer, timestamps and a fasting timer[1]. MyFitnessPal Premium adds barcode and meal scanning, voice logging, custom macro goals and ad-free logging[5]. Lose It! Premium adds photo and voice logging, a barcode scanner, macro tracking and meal targets[3]. MacroFactor says many of its common foods come from research databases such as the NCC Food and Nutrient Database[4].

Do you need an app?

Not necessarily. Light Years' protein calculator gives you a target range, and a list of a few go-to foods with their protein (see small high-protein meals) is enough for many people. If logging every meal starts to feel stressful, it's fine to stop.

General information. Prices and features change; check the app's own page before you pay.

Sources

  1. Cronometer Gold — pricing and features. Cronometer. https://cronometer.com/gold. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text
  2. How MacroFactor subscriptions and bundles work. MacroFactor help center. https://help.macrofactorapp.com/en/articles/393-how-macrofactor-subscriptions-and-bundles-work. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text
  3. Lose It! – Calorie Counter — US App Store listing. Apple App Store (developer: FitNow, Inc.). https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lose-it-calorie-counter/id297368629. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text
  4. Food search database. MacroFactor help center. https://help.macrofactorapp.com/en/articles/46-food-search-database. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text
  5. MyFitnessPal: Calorie Counter — US App Store listing. Apple App Store (seller: MyFitnessPal, Inc.). https://apps.apple.com/us/app/myfitnesspal-calorie-counter/id341232718. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text

Figures marked “as reported” are historical: they show what the source said on that date, not today's price or rule.

Changes to this page

  • — First published.

Substantive corrections are also logged at corrections.

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