Comparison

Menu Calories vs LeanMenu

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

Head to head
About

Menu Calories

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Point your camera at the menu in front of you and get calorie and macro estimates for every dish โ€” no restaurant database, no made-up dishes. Works at any restaurant, in any country, in any language. Pick the meal that fits your goals, then log it to Apple Health in one tap. Try it free โ€” no account, price shown up front. Dishes stream in seconds after you scan, with honest estimates: realistic calorie ranges instead of false precision. Calories, protein, carbs, fat, fiber and sodium sync straight to Apple Health. SCAN ANY MENU IN SECONDS Open the Scan tab and you're already in the camera. Snap the menu, or upload a photo, screenshot or PDF. Dishes appear one by one as MenuCalories estimates calories, protein, carbs, and fat for each. SET YOUR DIET PROFILE Tell MenuCalories your goals โ€” high-protein, low-calorie โ€” and any restrictions like vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free or dairy-free. Every menu is filtered and highlighted so the dishes that fit you stand out instantly. COMPARE DISHES SIDE BY SIDE Not sure what to order? Compare options by calories, protein, or any macro. See which dish fits your goals before you order. WORKS WITH ANY RESTAURANT Unlike apps that only cover chain restaurants, MenuCalories handles any menu you give it โ€” local spots, international restaurants, cafes, bars, and delivery apps. TRACK YOUR DINING OUT Save your favorite dishes and revisit past menus. Build a personal collection of go-to healthy meals at the restaurants you love. WHAT YOU GET โ€ข Calorie and macro estimates (protein, carbs, fat) per dish โ€ข Diet profile filtering โ€” goals plus restrictions like vegetarian or gluten-free โ€ข Camera-first scanning with live, streaming results โ€ข Side-by-side dish comparison โ€ข Works with photos, screenshots and PDF menus โ€ข My Plate โ€” combine dishes and see the whole meal against your daily calorie and macro targets โ€ข Show to Waiter โ€” your order in large type, in the menu's original language โ€ข Menu thumbnails in history for quick recall โ€ข Log meals to Apple Health with full macros HOW IT WORKS 1. Set your diet profile (optional) 2. Open the Scan tab โ€” snap a menu or upload a screenshot 3. Watch dishes stream in and pick the one that fits your goals Perfect for calorie tracking, macro counting, weight management, or simply making healthier choices when eating out. Important: Nutrition values are estimates. Actual values vary by recipe, portion size, and preparation. MenuCalories is not medical advice. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms: https://menucalories.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://menucalories.app/privacy

About

LeanMenu

Features
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Calorie counters tell you what you already ate. LeanMenu tells you what to order. Point your camera at any restaurant menu. In 5 seconds, every dish is scored 0โ€“100, with calories, macros, and allergens called out โ€” before you order. Open the app, point your camera, and you'll know what to order before the server comes back. DECIDE WHAT TO ORDER, IN 5 SECONDS - Snap any menu โ€” printed, digital, or chalkboard. - AI scans every dish on the page. - Each one gets a 0โ€“100 health score, color-coded green/amber/red. - Tap any dish for full calories, macros, and ingredients. WHY LEANMENU IS DIFFERENT - Most apps log what you already ate. LeanMenu helps you decide before you order. - Works on any restaurant โ€” local cafes, fast food, fine dining, food trucks. No pre-loaded database needed. - Sees the whole menu at once, not one dish at a time. - A single number says "order this." No spreadsheets, no rabbit holes. EAT OUT WITHOUT THE GUESSWORK Scan the menu for all FDA Top 9 allergens โ€” milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, sesame โ€” flagged on every dish before you order. Barcode apps can't read a restaurant menu. LeanMenu can. Essential for eating out with food allergies. PERSONALIZED RANKINGS Set your diet (vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, keto, paleo, gluten-free) and your goal (eat healthier, build muscle, boost energy, manage a condition). LeanMenu reranks every menu around what's right for you. EVERY MACRO YOU CARE ABOUT Calories, protein, carbs, fat, sodium, sugar โ€” estimated for every dish. Calibrated for restaurant portions, not home cooking. The numbers reflect what actually shows up on your plate. HIGH-PROTEIN & GLP-1 FRIENDLY DINING On a high-protein push or eating GLP-1 friendly? Find the highest-protein, best-fit dish on any menu in 5 seconds โ€” no menu math. NO ACCOUNT REQUIRED Open the app and scan. No sign-up, no email, no friction. PREMIUM (OPTIONAL) Free for menu scans with ads. Premium ($4.99/mo or $49.99/yr, with 7-day free trial) adds: - Unlimited scan history of every menu you ever scanned - Ad-free experience - "Why this score" rationale on every dish - Detailed nutrition reports PERFECT FOR - Health-conscious diners who eat out 3-5x a week - People with food allergies who need fast allergen checks at restaurants - Anyone tracking macros (high protein, keto, low-carb) while dining out - GLP-1 users choosing higher-protein restaurant meals - Travelers exploring unfamiliar restaurant cuisines - Anyone tired of guessing what's healthy at a restaurant Stop guessing at the table. Scan your next menu free โ€” no account, no setup. LeanMenu won't log every bite; it just makes the next one a smarter choice. NOTES Nutrition values are AI estimates from a photo of the menu โ€” not lab measurements. Always confirm allergens with your server if you have a serious allergy. Not medical advice. Terms of Use: https://app-factory-shared.web.app/terms-of-service.html Privacy Policy: https://app-factory-shared.web.app/privacy-policy.html

Screenshots

Menu Calories4 screens
LeanMenu4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Menu Calories at none against LeanMenu's shown. LeanMenu's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.5 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Menu Calories sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and LeanMenu sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Menu Calories ships an update every 9 days, LeanMenu every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 3 level
Menu Calories versus LeanMenu: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMenu CaloriesLeanMenu
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 9 days โ€” betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNo โ€” betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” better
Requires iOS17.015.5 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size14 MB99 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDzmitry BukuyazauEdsDev INC.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Menu Calories

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Yearly3 Days trial$29.991 Year
2 purchases

LeanMenu

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly7 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Menu Calories free?
Menu Calories is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is LeanMenu free?
LeanMenu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Menu Calories or LeanMenu have ads?
LeanMenu shows ads; Menu Calories does not.
Which is updated more often, Menu Calories or LeanMenu?
Menu Calories ships an update every 9 days, and LeanMenu every 2 weeks. Most recently, Menu Calories was updated on October 25, 2026 and LeanMenu on October 10, 2026.

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