Calorie Counter vs Primal Instinct
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Barcode scanner
- Meal Scan (photo logging)
- Macro and protein tracking
- 108 nutrient tracking
- Progress charts
- Professional Connect
- Meal planner
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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
Primal Instinct
Manage your membership, sign up for new classes, and track your progress. Earn rewards and stay updated with push notifications. This app simplifies your fitness journey.
- New member sign-up
- Account management
- Class scheduling
- Rewards program
- Push notifications
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Welcome to Primal Instinct the App! This app facilitates new member sign-up and account management for current members, offering a variety of features including the ability to sign up for a membership, schedule classes, earn rewards, manage account, receive push notifications, and more!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Primal Instinct at none against Calorie Counter's 16. Primal Instinct also leads on iOS requirement (11.0.0 vs 17.0). Calorie Counter's advantage is ratings volume (171K vs 2) and chart position (#18 vs unranked). On price and rating 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
Both are free to download. Calorie Counter sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Primal Instinct asks for nothing beyond the download.
Primal Instinct holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Calorie Counter has 171K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
| Parameter | Calorie Counter | Primal Instinct |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (171K ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 85.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 171K — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Weekly | — |
| Ads | No | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #18 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | — |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 11.0.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 304 MB | 30 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | MyNetDiary Inc. | Primal Instinct LLC |
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
Primal Instinct
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Calorie Counter
- MyNetDiary Premium3 variants$8.991 Month
- Premium Plus$14.991 Month
- MyNetDiary Premium$29.991 Year
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- 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
- 3-months Subscription$23.99
- 12-months Subscription$59.99
Primal Instinct
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Calorie Counter free?
Is Primal Instinct free?
Which has better reviews, Calorie Counter or Primal Instinct?
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