Comparison

Calorie Counter vs Dining Note

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Calorie Counter

Track your food intake and nutrition with a comprehensive calorie counter. Log meals quickly using a barcode scanner, photo analysis, or search. Monitor macros, vitamins, minerals, and more with detailed insights and progress charts.

Highlights
  • Barcode scanner
  • Meal Scan (photo logging)
  • Macro and protein tracking
  • 108 nutrient tracking
  • Progress charts
  • Professional Connect
  • Meal planner
Features
Read full description

MyNetDiary is the calorie tracker you'll actually stick with: fast, accurate, and ad-free. Log meals in seconds with the free barcode scanner, Meal Scan (just photograph your plate), or quick search. Then get on with your day. Trusted by 32 million people. Named the top weight loss app by Forbes Health (2025). Scored highest of 30 apps for behavioral strategies in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The New York Times called it simpler, quicker, and better-looking than the competition. Featured in Today's Dietitian. WHY PEOPLE SWITCH Accuracy: MyNetDiary runs on a staff-verified food database of over 2 million foods with up to 108 nutrients per entry, built on USDA and NCC research-grade sources, the same databases used in clinical research. Most apps rely on crowdsourced data full of duplicates and errors. Our team reviews and updates 2,500-3,500 foods every day. An independent 2026 study in Nutrition and Health found MyNetDiary's calorie totals within 5 calories of the reference records and rated it highest of 17 apps for overall quality. Speed: In our January 2026 test, we logged the same 127 foods in every major app over a week. MyNetDiary took 31% fewer taps than the most popular calorie tracker. Results: In a peer-reviewed JMIR study of 5,132 MyNetDiary users (2026), those who tracked food 6-7 days a week lost 11.33% of body weight on average over 6 months. Value: The free version is generous, with barcode scanning, full macro tracking, 108 nutrients, and water tracking. No ads, no account required, no paywall tricks. WHAT YOU GET FOR FREE • Unlimited food diary with search, favorites, recent meals, and copy-from-day. • Free barcode scanner with accurate nutrition data from the verified food database. • Voice logging. • Macro tracking, planning, and protein tracking. • 108 nutrients - deep, accurate nutrition tracking (vitamins, minerals, omegas, amino acids). • Exercise tracking. • Water tracking. • Calorie calculator. • Customizable dashboard. • Weight loss progress charts and reports - no chart caps. • Custom foods and recipes. • Food sharing with friends and family. • Apple Watch app and widgets. • Apple Health sync: writes 51 data types, reads 14. • Coaching tips, meal reminders, shopping list. • Logging streaks to keep you going. • Professional Connect: share your diary with a dietitian, coach, or doctor. Used by dietitians and health professionals at no cost. • In-app Community. • Articles by Registered Dietitians. • Works offline. PREMIUM • Meal Scan: snap your plate and log it, matched against the staff-verified database. • GLP-1 Companion: nutrition-first support for Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound, and other semaglutide or tirzepatide medications, with protein targets and muscle protection while you lose weight. • Calorie and macro cycling. • Autologging: your regular meals logged automatically. • Intermittent fasting. • Advanced Autopilot, adaptive TDEE: estimates your actual energy expenditure from logged food, exercise, and Trending Weight and updates calories and macros weekly. • Health tracking: measurements, blood pressure, blood glucose, A1C, ketones, and more. • Medications and diabetes tracking. • Sync with Fitbit, Garmin, and Withings. • Trend Analysis to spot patterns and optimize. • Meal Planner. • Recipe import. • 600+ recipes and diet plans by Registered Dietitians: High-Protein, Low-Carb, Keto, and more. PREMIUM PLUS: AI COACH AI Coach is built on 20 years of nutrition expertise. • Daily guidance based on what you actually ate, not just what you planned. • AI voice logging: describe your meal out loud. • Meal suggestions matched to your calorie budget and preferences. • AI Restaurant Menu Scan: find the best options when eating out. Results may vary. MyNetDiary does not provide medical advice. All product names, logos, and brands are the property of their respective owners. Research: www.mynetdiary.com/research.html Terms of Use: www.mynetdiary.com/terms.html

About

Dining Note

Easily track your daily food and drink intake, including meals and snacks. Record exercise, add photos, and set a password for privacy. Improve your eating habits with simple monthly statistics.

Highlights
  • Record meals and beverages
  • Track exercise
  • Add photos to entries
  • Password protection
  • Customizable themes
  • Monthly statistics
Features
Read full description

Try it with the help of the simple diet diary app, 'Dining Note.' Managing your eating habits is the start to a healthy diet. Record your diet every day and improve your eating habits. You can keep track of who you ate with and where you ate, as well as write simple diary entries. Features 1. Record breakfast, lunch, and dinner details 2. Record snacks, coffee, water, and other beverage intake 3. Record exercise details 4. Add photo function 5. Password setting function 6. Theme color change function 7. Simple monthly stats screen

Screenshots

Calorie Counter4 screens
Dining Note4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Calorie Counter at none against Dining Note's shown. Calorie Counter also leads on ratings volume (166K vs 857) and update cadence (weekly vs every 5 weeks). Dining Note's advantage is review sentiment (94% vs 84%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Calorie Counter sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month and Dining Note sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Calorie Counter against 4.8 for Dining Note. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Calorie Counter has 166K ratings behind it against 857, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of Calorie Counter's written reviews are positive against 94% of Dining Note's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Calorie Counter ships an update weekly, Dining Note every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Calorie Counter versus Dining Note: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCalorie CounterDining Note
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (166K ratings)4.8 (857 ratings)
Positive reviews84.2% of reviews93.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings166K — better857
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#18 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size331 MB11 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperMyNetDiary Inc.4th May Games Inc.

Customer experience

Calorie Counter

All ratings166,458 ratings
Positive96.3%
Neutral2.1%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews4,097 reviews
Positive84.2%
Neutral4.8%
Negative11.0%

Dining Note

All ratings857 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral2.1%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews359 reviews
Positive93.6%
Neutral2.8%
Negative3.6%

User reviews

Calorie Counter

From 166K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Fast barcode scanning
  • 📊 Comprehensive data and analytics
  • 💪 Helped with weight loss and healthy habits
  • 🌟 Great app overall

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inconsistent steps tracking
  • 📉 Reduced free features over time
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns with data access
  • 💰 Expensive premium subscription

Dining Note

From 857 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and easy to use
  • 🚀 Straightforward interface
  • 💡 Flexible for recording food intake
  • 🚀 Minimal and non-intrusive
  • 👍 Doesn't focus on calories or weight loss

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or glitches
  • 💡 Limited customization options
  • 💡 Lack of syncing between devices
  • 💡 No notes or mood tracking section

Bugs and requests

Calorie Counter

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Issues with logging in and account management
  • Incorrect food data and nutrition information

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more exercise options
  • Improve recipe and meal planning features
  • Allow more customization of nutrient targets
  • Integrate with other health apps/devices

Dining Note

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Swipe up gesture to exit app sometimes doesn't work
  • Photo uploads can be unreliable or cause app to crash
  • Inconsistent behavior when trying to save entries

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to edit or delete entries
  • Implement time stamps for meals
  • Include option to export data
  • Add more drink categories beyond just water and coffee
  • Integrate with Apple Health or other fitness apps

In-app purchases

9 purchases

Calorie Counter

Subscriptions7
  • MyNetDiary Premium3 variants$8.991 Month
  • Premium Plus$14.991 Month
  • MyNetDiary Premium$29.991 Year
Show 4 more
  • MyNetDiary Premium2 variants$39.991 Year
  • MyNetDiary Premium$59.991 Year
  • MyNetDiary Premium7 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • MyNetDiary Premium1 Year trial2 variants$59.991 Year
One-time2
  • 3-months Subscription$23.99
  • 12-months Subscription$59.99
1 purchases

Dining Note

One-time1
  • Upgrade to Premium$2.99

Questions

Is Calorie Counter free?
Calorie Counter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Dining Note free?
Dining Note is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Calorie Counter or Dining Note?
Calorie Counter and Dining Note are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 166K and 857 ratings respectively.
Do Calorie Counter or Dining Note have ads?
Dining Note shows ads; Calorie Counter does not.
Which is updated more often, Calorie Counter or Dining Note?
Calorie Counter ships an update weekly, and Dining Note every 5 weeks. Most recently, Calorie Counter was updated on October 2, 2026 and Dining Note on September 30, 2026.

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