# MealCam vs Shutterbite

MealCam and Shutterbite both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 97% of MealCam's written reviews are positive against 33% of Shutterbite's. MealCam also leads on ratings volume (234 vs 26). Shutterbite's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MealCam sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Shutterbite sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 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 — 4.7 for MealCam against 4.8 for Shutterbite. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MealCam has 234 ratings behind it against 26, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 97% of MealCam's written reviews are positive against 33% of Shutterbite's.

MealCam ships an update every 2 months, Shutterbite fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MealCam | Shutterbite |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (234 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mealcam/id901568971/reviews) | **[4.8 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shutterbite-food-journal/id1592843782/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **234** | 26 |
| Positive reviews | **97.0% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 28 MB | 107 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kevin Healy](https://appshunter.io/developer/720642818) | [Shutterbite](https://appshunter.io/developer/1592843784) |

## What reviewers say

### MealCam

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mealcam/id901568971)

Log your meals with photos to gain insights into your eating habits. This app focuses on visual logging rather than calorie counting, helping you understand patterns related to color, water content, and digestion timing. It's designed for improved accountability and a more holistic approach to health.

**Highlights:** Photo-based meal logging, Intermittent fasting support, Visual pattern analysis (color, water content), Digestion timing insights, Meal history recall, Shareable meal summaries, Private iCloud syncing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade to Paid | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 💡 Visual food tracking
- 🚀 Quick logging
- ✨ Fun and playful aesthetic
- ✅ No calorie counting pressure

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Moving photos can be disorienting
- 🐛 Camera zoom limitations
- 🤔 Unclear payment model (subscription vs. one-time)
- 🐛 Tiny preview of past days
- 🐛 Need to navigate to see order of photos

**Reported bugs**

- Widget not working on homepages
- Bubbles fly around and are hard to make sense of
- App tells users to buy paid version without clear pricing
- Camera does not zoom
- Pictures move and get out of order

**Requested features**

- Lock moving bubbles/photos
- Indicator for photos on calendar days
- Dark mode
- See text notes over photos on main page
- Option for static, non-moving photos (gallery view)


### Shutterbite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shutterbite-food-journal/id1592843782)

Easily track your meals and snacks with photos, no calorie counting needed. Customize your diary with over 40 options to understand your eating habits and achieve your goals.

**Highlights:** Track meals with photos, Customizable tracking options, No calorie counting required, View eating pattern insights, Set and track eating goals, Earn rewards for milestones

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shutterbite Premium Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Shutterbite Premium 6 Months | $28.99 | per 6 months |
| Shutterbite Premium Annual | $43.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MealCam free?

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

### Is Shutterbite free?

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

### Which has better reviews, MealCam or Shutterbite?

Shutterbite is rated higher. MealCam averages 4.7 out of 5 from 234 ratings, while Shutterbite averages 4.8 from 26 ratings.

### Do MealCam or Shutterbite have ads?

Neither MealCam nor Shutterbite shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MealCam or Shutterbite?

MealCam ships an update every 2 months, and Shutterbite fortnightly. Most recently, MealCam was updated on October 22, 2026 and Shutterbite on October 24, 2026.

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