The best free macro tracking app for most people is Cronometer Basic, because its own pages list custom macro targets and unlimited barcode scanning in the free plan. If you want to log meals by photo or voice instead of searching a database, Calo AI does that free, and both apps are paid for by ads.
Disclosure: this page is written by the Calo AI Team, and Calo AI is our app. We have no link to any other app on this page. Every competitor fact comes from the company’s own website, help centre or US Google Play listing, checked on 30 October 2026. Prices are US prices in US dollars and change often, so treat them as a snapshot. Canadian and Australian prices are set in local currency, so check your own app store.
Which macro tracking apps are actually free?
“Free” means very different things across these apps. Some let you set your own macro goals in grams for free, some only allow percentages, and some keep goals behind a subscription. Here is what each app’s own pages say:
| App | Free plan? | Custom macro goals on free | Free barcode scanner | Ads on free (Google Play) | Paid plan (US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cronometer | Yes (Basic) | Yes, custom macro targets | Yes, unlimited | Yes | Gold $59.99/yr or $10.99/mo |
| MyFitnessPal | Yes | By percentage only, in 5% steps | No, Premium | Yes | Premium $79.99/yr or $19.99/mo |
| FatSecret | Yes | Macro goals listed in free features | Yes, listed in free features | No label | In-app purchases, see store |
| Carb Manager | Yes (Basic) | Per-meal and per-day goals are Premium | Yes | No label | Premium from $3.33/mo billed yearly |
| Lose It! | Yes (Basic) | No, custom nutrient goals are Premium | Moving to Premium | Yes | Premium $79.99/yr |
| MacroFactor | No, 7-day trial | Not applicable | Not applicable | No ads | $11.99/mo or $71.99/yr |
| Calo AI | Yes, every feature | Automatic targets, set for you | No scanner | Yes | Optional Premium removes ads |
If you already know your targets in grams and want to type them in, the first three rows are where to look. If you want an app to work out your targets for you and make logging quick, read on.
Why is Cronometer Basic the best free macro tracker?
Cronometer gives away more on its free plan than any other app we checked. Its free version page says you can “track all of your calories and up to 95 nutrients and compounds completely free of charge”, and that “unlimited use of our Barcode Scanner is included in a Basic account.” Its Gold page lists “Custom macro and micronutrient targets” under the basic features that both plans share.
The paid Gold plan ($59.99 a year or $10.99 a month in the US) removes ads and adds the Macro Scheduler, which Cronometer describes as a way to “set different macro targets for each day of the week”. That matters if you eat more carbs on training days. For a single daily target, Basic is enough.
The trade-offs: the free app shows ads (its Google Play listing has the “Contains ads” label), and logging is by search or barcode, which takes longer than a photo for home-cooked meals. Our Cronometer alternative page covers what Gold adds in more detail.
Can you track macros on MyFitnessPal for free?
Yes, but only by percentage. MyFitnessPal’s help centre says it “distributes fat, carb, and protein calories as percentages in 5% increments”, and that “Premium users can set a very precise goal in gram increments for protein, carbs, or fat.” Its Free, Premium and Premium+ comparison puts macros by gram, macros by meal, different goals by day and the barcode scanner in the paid column.
What MyFitnessPal does well is its database and its free logging habit. The free plan shows macros for every food and your whole day, and links to partner apps. If your target is, say, 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat, the free plan can hold it. If your coach gave you 150 g of protein, you would need to convert it to a percentage yourself, or pay for Premium ($79.99 a year or $19.99 a month in the US). Our Is MyFitnessPal free? page lists every free and paid feature.
Are FatSecret and Carb Manager good free macro apps?
Both are worth a look, for different people.
FatSecret says on its Google Play listing: “Best of all, fatsecret is free.” Its general feature list (not the Premium list) includes a barcode scanner and “detailed reporting and goals for all your calories and macros”. Premium adds dietitian meal plans, advanced meal planning, extra meal headings and water tracking. Its US Google Play listing shows in-app purchases but no “Contains ads” label. FatSecret does not say on that listing whether free macro goals can be set in grams, so check inside the app.
Carb Manager is built for keto and low-carb eating, and its Play listing promises “free net carb tracking”. Its help centre says “Scanning is free for all Carb Manager users.” Its premium page keeps per-meal goals, goals by day of the week and “Smart Macros: auto-adjust goals as you lose weight” in the Premium column, with Premium from $3.33 a month billed yearly in the US. If net carbs are your main number, it is a strong free start.
Which macro apps need you to pay?
Two popular apps keep macro goals behind a paywall:
- Lose It!: its help centre says “Tracking custom nutrient goals is a Premium feature,” and that it is “not currently possible to set a different goal for each day, or to cycle macronutrients.” It is also “in the process of moving the barcode scanner (Scan It) and nutrition label scanner to part of our Premium features.” Lose It! Basic is free and gives you a personalised calorie budget, and Premium is $79.99 a year in the US.
- MacroFactor: its website says plainly, “there isn’t (and will never be) a free version”. Its Google Play listing offers a 7-day trial, then $11.99 a month, $47.99 for six months or $71.99 a year in the US. It is ad-free, and its adaptive coach “compares your calorie and macro intake with your weight trend to calculate your true energy expenditure (TDEE)”. If you will pay for macro coaching, it is one of the most complete options. See our MacroFactor alternative page.
Where does Calo AI fit as a free macro tracker?
Calo AI is a free calorie and macro tracker on Android, with a web app at caloai.fit/app that works in the browser on iPhone, iPad, Mac and PC. Every feature is free: AI photo meal scanning, voice and text logging, weight and macro analytics, an AI nutrition coach, an intermittent fasting timer (12:12 to 20:4 plans), step tracking and personalised meal plans using dishes from your own country’s cuisine.
Calo AI sets your targets for you. Calories use the revised Harris-Benedict equation with an activity multiplier and a 250, 500 or 750 kcal deficit, and protein is set at 2.0 g per kg of body weight when losing or gaining, or 1.8 g per kg when maintaining. For a 180 lb (about 82 kg) person losing weight, that works out to about 163 g of protein a day.
Be clear about the trade-offs. The free version shows ads, including one before each meal scan, and there is a short timer between AI coach messages. Premium removes ads and waiting but adds no extra features. Calo AI has no barcode scanner and no native iPhone app. Photo results are estimates, and portion size is the hardest part, so describing the dish or correcting it by voice or text gets you closer. If you want to type in your own exact gram targets, or track 95 nutrients, Cronometer is the better fit.
How do you pick the right free macro app?
Match the app to how you eat and what you already know:
- You have gram targets from a coach and eat packaged food: Cronometer Basic.
- You follow keto or count net carbs: Carb Manager.
- You want the free plan most people already know, and percentages are fine: MyFitnessPal.
- You cook at home and find searching a database slow: Calo AI, for photo and voice logging.
- You are happy to pay for an adaptive, ad-free coach: MacroFactor, after the trial.
Not sure what your targets should be? Our macro calculator gives you grams of protein, carbs and fat to start from, and our guide to how much protein you need per day explains the protein number. Real results vary from person to person.
Can you try Calo AI before you decide?
Yes. You can try the web app free in any browser or get Calo AI on Google Play. If it is not right for you, Cronometer and the other free plans above are good places to start.
A note on safety: if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, under 18, or have diabetes, PCOS, kidney disease or a history of eating disorders, speak to a doctor or registered dietitian before following a calorie or macro target from any app.