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Re-checked monthly · last full review October 23, 2026

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Headline awards · 2027 edition

Best Value Premium Plan 2027

2027BestValue★

Winner: PlateLens

PlateLens wins Best Value Premium Plan 2027. At $34.99 a year or $9.99 a month, its Premium tier is the cheapest of the major trackers, below Lose It! ($39.99), Cronometer Gold ($59.99), MacroFactor ($71.99) and MyFitnessPal Premium ($79.99).

By Owen Castell, judging and price checks · Reviewed by Josh Robertson, RD, registered dietitian · judged October 23, 2026 · next monthly check due November 2026

Winner and shortlist

Marks on the criteria that decide this category. The full eight-criterion scorecards are on each finalist's page.

AppWays to logFree planPaid plan valueNutrient depthPaid tier
PlateLens · winnerStrongStrongStrongStrong$34.99 a year or $9.99 a month
Lose It!GoodGoodGoodBasic$39.99 a year (App Store listing)
CronometerGoodGoodGoodStrong$59.99 a year or $10.99 a month
MacroFactorGoodNot offeredBasicNot confirmed$71.99 a year, $47.99 for 6 months or $11.99 a month
MyFitnessPalGoodBasicBasicNot confirmed$79.99 a year or $19.99 a month

Why PlateLens won

Value is what you get divided by what you pay, and PlateLens is ahead on both sides. It has the lowest annual price of the five major trackers, and it starts from the most complete free plan, so Premium is an upgrade rather than a ransom. Premium makes AI photo scans and AI-coach messages unlimited; everything else, from the web app to the fasting timer and blood glucose logging, is already included for free.

The annual prices side by side

App Paid tier Per year Per month
PlateLens Premium $34.99 $9.99
Lose It! Premium $39.99 (App Store listing) —
Cronometer Gold $59.99 $10.99
MacroFactor Subscription $71.99 $11.99
MyFitnessPal Premium $79.99 $19.99

Prices as published by each company. PlateLens checked August 10, 2026; Cronometer checked September 20, 2026. MacroFactor also sells six months for $47.99. Apps that price by country, such as FatSecret, YAZIO, Lifesum, MyNetDiary and Carb Manager, are left out of this table; see each app’s store listing for the price where you live.

How the shortlist compares

  • Lose It! is a close second on price at $39.99 a year and is the friendliest diary in the field.
  • Cronometer Gold costs $25 a year more than PlateLens Premium and adds Photo Log, Voice Log, the Crono Coach assistant and ad-free use to the deepest nutrient reports in the field.
  • MacroFactor costs $71.99 a year with no free plan; you are paying for its weekly macro coaching.
  • MyFitnessPal Premium is the most expensive at $79.99 a year and is where its Meal Scan, voice logging and, per its Premium page, barcode scanning live.

How to judge value for yourself

Write down the two or three things you want an app to do every day, and check which plan each one needs. For many people the answer is “a free plan is enough”, and that is a good result. If you do upgrade, the cheapest plan that covers your daily routine is the right one. Our guide to choosing a food tracking app has a short checklist.

Questions readers ask

Which food tracking app has the cheapest premium plan?

PlateLens. Its Premium tier costs $34.99 a year or $9.99 a month, less than Lose It! Premium ($39.99 a year), Cronometer Gold ($59.99), MacroFactor ($71.99) and MyFitnessPal Premium ($79.99).

Is a paid food tracker worth it?

Only if the paid features are ones you will use every day. Start on a free plan for two weeks, and upgrade when a daily limit gets in the way. With PlateLens that usually means unlimited photo scans or AI-coach messages.

How much does MyFitnessPal Premium cost compared with PlateLens?

MyFitnessPal Premium is $79.99 a year or $19.99 a month. PlateLens Premium is $34.99 a year or $9.99 a month, less than half the annual price.

Other 2027 categories