MyFitnessPal vs YAZIO (2026): Which Calorie Counter Fits You?
TL;DR: Pick MyFitnessPal for the biggest food database and the best US branded- and restaurant-food coverage — nothing here finds more foods. Pick YAZIO if you're in Europe, want stronger local food coverage, or do intermittent fasting — its built-in fasting timer is the best of any mainstream calorie app, and it's cheaper. Both have limited, ad-supported free tiers and paywall AI photo logging; YAZIO is the friendlier choice for most European users, MyFitnessPal the safer choice for anyone who eats a lot of American chain food.
MyFitnessPal is the household name; YAZIO is the European challenger with 50M+ downloads and one of the strongest reputations in the category. They overlap a lot, so the decision comes down to three things: where your food lives, whether you fast, and which free tier annoys you less. For the record, we build a third app — CalTracker — so this is bias declared, with competitor facts checked as of July 2026.
At a glance
| MyFitnessPal | YAZIO | |
|---|---|---|
| Food database | Largest in category; best US branded/restaurant coverage | Smaller but solid; strong European coverage |
| Intermittent fasting | None | Yes — best-in-class fasting timer |
| Price (as of July 2026) | Premium ~$19.99/mo · $79.99/yr; Premium+ ~$24.99/mo · $99.99/yr | PRO ~$6.99/mo · $47.90/yr (promos sometimes lower) |
| Free tier | Manual logging; barcode paywalled (2022) | Basic logging, water, weight, basic 16:8 timer; ads |
| AI photo logging | Premium+ only (Meal Scan) | PRO only |
| Recipes / meal plans | Premium | 2,900+ recipes on PRO |
| Reputation | Huge but polarizing (paywall backlash) | 4.7/5 Trustpilot from 5,000+ reviews |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, web | iOS, Android |
Prices are list prices checked July 2026 (MyFitnessPal in USD, YAZIO promos vary); free-tier boundaries shift between versions and regions, so confirm in-app. Spot an outdated number? Email caltracker.app@gmail.com.
Food database — findability
This is MyFitnessPal's moat and it's a wide one. With one of the largest databases in the category and hundreds of restaurant chains, it finds essentially anything, especially US branded and chain-restaurant food. The trade-off is quality: entries are crowd-sourced, so you'll see duplicates of the "same" food with different calorie counts and learn to pick the verified-looking one.
YAZIO's database is smaller but well-curated, and noticeably better for European brands and groceries. If you shop at European supermarkets, YAZIO often finds the exact product where MyFitnessPal returns a US near-match.
Winner: MyFitnessPal overall (size, US coverage); YAZIO for European groceries.
Intermittent fasting
Not close. MyFitnessPal has no fasting tools at all. YAZIO has a built-in intermittent-fasting tracker that reviewers rate as good enough to replace a standalone fasting app — and because it's integrated with calorie tracking, you're not juggling two apps. Reddit's fasting communities specifically recommend YAZIO for exactly this. A basic 16:8 timer is on the free tier; advanced protocols and custom windows are PRO.
Winner: YAZIO, decisively — the only one here with fasting.
Free tier & price
Both free tiers are limited and ad-supported, and both gate AI photo logging behind a subscription. MyFitnessPal's sore point is that it moved barcode scanning behind Premium in 2022 after years of it being free — a change that still generates backlash. YAZIO's free tier keeps basic logging, water and weight tracking, and a basic 16:8 fasting timer, though barcode and advanced features sit in PRO (and reports on exactly what's free vary by version, so check the app).
On price, YAZIO is clearly cheaper: PRO runs about $6.99/month or $47.90/year (promos sometimes drop the annual price further), versus MyFitnessPal Premium at ~$79.99/year — and MyFitnessPal's photo AI lives in the pricier Premium+ near $99.99/year.
Winner: YAZIO on price; a tie on free-tier generosity (both are thin, in different ways).
Reputation & polish
YAZIO carries a 4.7/5 Trustpilot rating across 5,000+ reviews — one of the strongest in the category — and a clean, friendly design. MyFitnessPal is far bigger but more polarizing: beloved for its database, criticized for the aggressive paywalling and a crowded interface. Neither is buggy; it's a question of whether database depth or a smoother, cheaper experience matters more to you.
Winner: YAZIO on satisfaction and value; MyFitnessPal on raw capability.
Who should pick which
- Pick MyFitnessPal if you eat a lot of US branded and chain-restaurant food, you want the deepest database and web access, and you don't need fasting tools.
- Pick YAZIO if you're in Europe, you do (or want to try) intermittent fasting, you'd like recipes, and you want to pay less for a friendlier app — as long as you can live with a smaller database outside Europe.
Where CalTracker fits
Since you're shopping, here's our honest third option: CalTracker is cheaper than both — Plus is €2.49/month or €19.99/year — and keeps a genuinely usable free tier (all core tracking free forever, plus a limited number of free AI scans), with AI photo logging that isn't fully paywalled. It also lets you choose the AI model and gives a daily AI score (0–100) for your whole day. As an EU developer, our European food coverage is a focus too.
Where it loses: no intermittent-fasting tools (YAZIO wins there), no recipes or meal plans, no micronutrients, and a smaller database than MyFitnessPal's. If fasting or recipes are your must-have, YAZIO is the better fit — we'd rather tell you that than pretend otherwise.
Before committing to any of the three, get a daily target with our free calorie & TDEE calculator (no sign-up), and if AI photo accuracy is on your mind, see how accurate AI calorie counters really are.
FAQ
Which has the bigger food database, MyFitnessPal or YAZIO?
MyFitnessPal, clearly — one of the largest databases in the category and the best US branded/restaurant coverage. YAZIO's is smaller but strong for European brands and groceries.
Does MyFitnessPal have an intermittent fasting tracker?
No. YAZIO does, and it's the app's standout feature — integrated with calorie tracking so you don't run two apps. A basic 16:8 timer is free; advanced protocols require PRO.
Is YAZIO better than MyFitnessPal for Europe?
Generally yes on food coverage — YAZIO is a German app with much stronger European brand and grocery coverage, plus localized recipes on PRO. MyFitnessPal still wins on database size and US chain food.
Which has a better free version?
Both are limited and ad-supported. YAZIO's free tier includes basic logging, water, weight, and a basic 16:8 fasting timer; MyFitnessPal does manual logging but paywalled barcode scanning in 2022. AI photo logging is paid on both — check the current app, since free boundaries shift.
This article is general information, not medical or nutrition advice. Calorie needs are individual — consult a doctor or registered dietitian before starting a diet, especially with any medical condition or history of disordered eating. We build CalTracker; MyFitnessPal and YAZIO prices and features were checked against official pages and independent reports in July 2026 and may have changed since. Free-tier feature boundaries in particular vary by app version and region.
Want a cheaper third option?
CalTracker: photo, barcode, and search from €2.49/month — or free with limited scans. Logs offline too.