# Calorie Counter vs MacrosFirst

The clearest difference is ads: Calorie Counter at none against MacrosFirst's shown. Calorie Counter also leads on ratings volume (166K vs 22K) and review sentiment (84% vs 75%). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Calorie Counter sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month and MacrosFirst sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Calorie Counter against 4.9 for MacrosFirst. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Calorie Counter has 166K ratings behind it against 22K, 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 75% of MacrosFirst's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Calorie Counter | MacrosFirst |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (166K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calorie-counter-mynetdiary/id287529757/reviews) | **[4.9 (22K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/macrosfirst-macro-tracker/id1253012487/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **166K** | 22K |
| Positive reviews | **84.1% of reviews** | 74.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#22** | #83 |
| Size | 331 MB | 209 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [MyNetDiary Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/287529760) | [MacrosFirst, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1275597328) |

## What reviewers say

### Calorie Counter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calorie-counter-mynetdiary/id287529757)

**Currently charting:** #22 Top Grossing · Health & Fitness, #48 Top Free · Health & Fitness (US App Store)

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:** Family Sharing, Siri integration, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MyNetDiary Premium | $8.99 | per month |
| Premium Plus | $14.99 | per month |
| MyNetDiary Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| MyNetDiary Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| MyNetDiary Premium | $59.99 | per year |
| MyNetDiary Premium | $59.99 | per year |
| MyNetDiary Premium | $59.99 | per year |
| 3-months Subscription | $23.99 | one-time |
| 12-months Subscription | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Issues with logging in and account management
- Incorrect food data and nutrition information

**Requested features**

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


### MacrosFirst

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/macrosfirst-macro-tracker/id1253012487)

**Currently charting:** #83 Top Grossing · Health & Fitness, #189 Top Free · Health & Fitness (US App Store)

This app helps users track their food intake, calories, and macronutrients to achieve health and fitness goals. It offers features like custom goal setting, automatic serving size calculation, and quick food logging via barcode scanning or label analysis. Users can also monitor progress, share meals, and even convert alcohol calories into macro equivalents.

**Highlights:** Custom macro goal setting, Automatic serving size calculation, Barcode and label scanning for food logging, Detailed macro and nutrient tracking, Progress analysis and trend reporting, Meal sharing and social support, Alcohol calorie conversion

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MacrosFirst Premium | $11.99 | per month |
| MacrosFirst Premium | $11.99 | per month |
| MacrosFirst Premium | $41.99 | per year |
| MacrosFirst Premium | $71.99 | per year |
| MacrosFirst Premium | $71.99 | per year |
| MacrosFirst Premium | $79.99 | per year |
| MacrosFirst Premium | $79.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Intuitive interface
- 💯 Accurate macro tracking
- 🔍 Extensive food database
- 🔓 Free features without paywall

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 📚 Limited food database for some users
- 🔢 Difficulty adjusting serving sizes
- 🔍 Inaccurate nutrition info for some items
- 🔧 Lacking certain customization options

**Reported bugs**

- Search function not working properly
- Time zone issues causing date discrepancies
- Scanning feature recording incorrect nutrition info

**Requested features**

- Integration with Apple Health
- Ability to share meals/recipes with friends
- Customizable macro goals (e.g., carb cycling)
- Improved reporting and progress tracking
- Option to submit food data corrections


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Calorie Counter free?

Calorie Counter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is MacrosFirst free?

MacrosFirst is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Calorie Counter or MacrosFirst?

MacrosFirst is rated higher. Calorie Counter averages 4.8 out of 5 from 166K ratings, while MacrosFirst averages 4.9 from 22K ratings.

### Do Calorie Counter or MacrosFirst have ads?

MacrosFirst shows ads; Calorie Counter does not.

### Which is updated more often, Calorie Counter or MacrosFirst?

Calorie Counter ships an update weekly, and MacrosFirst weekly. Most recently, Calorie Counter was updated on September 25, 2026 and MacrosFirst on September 25, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Calorie Counter or MacrosFirst?

Calorie Counter currently peaks at #22 in the App Store charts, and MacrosFirst at #83. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*