Calorie Tape vs fatsecret
fatsecret and Calorie Tape both scan barcodes for free. fatsecret is a weight-loss app with 2.3 million human-verified foods, weigh-ins, a community and Apple Health sync, tied to a free account; Premium adds photo logging, meal plans and one-tap recipe logging. Calorie Tape is private and offline: no account, and your log stays on your iPhone.
Where Calorie Tape leads
- No accountfatsecret needs one; Calorie Tape doesn’t.
- Stays on your iPhoneYour diary isn’t synced to anyone’s server.
- Every feature freefatsecret keeps photo logging and meal plans in Premium.
Which one fits you
Choose Calorie Tape if
- You don’t want an account, or your diary online.
- You log without signal. Search, scanning and label reading work offline.
- You want every nutrient a food reports, and which foods each one came from.
- You want every feature free.
Choose fatsecret if
- You want a weight goal, recommended targets and weigh-ins.
- You want a community to keep you on track.
- You want to share your diary with a health professional.
- You use Android, or want your diary online.
At a glance
| Calorie Tape | fatsecret | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Calorie TapeCalorie Tape leads: Free. Every feature. | fatsecretFree. Premium is monthly, quarterly or annual; prices vary by region. |
| Features that need a subscription | Calorie TapeCalorie Tape leads: None. Every feature is free. | fatsecretPremium: meal photo and voice logging, a meal planner, dietitian-designed meal plans, water tracking, custom meals, one-tap recipe logging and copying foods |
| Account | Calorie TapeCalorie Tape leads: None | fatsecretRequired (free) |
| Where your log is kept | Calorie TapeCalorie Tape leads: Only on your iPhone | fatsecretIn your account, synced online |
| Data used to track you | Calorie TapeNone. The app collects no data. | fatsecretNone listed on its App Privacy label |
| Barcode scanning | Calorie TapeFree, and works offline | fatsecretFree |
| Foods | Calorie TapeMore than a million, from USDA and Open Food Facts, stored on your iPhone | fatsecretfatsecret leads: More than 2.3 million human-verified foods |
| Nutrients | Calorie TapeEvery nutrient a food reports, and which foods each one came from | fatsecretReports and goals for calories and macros |
| Photos | Calorie TapeReads a Nutrition Facts label to add a food | fatsecretIdentifies foods in a photo of your meal, with Premium |
| Weight tracking | Calorie TapeNo | fatsecretfatsecret leads: Yes |
| Community | Calorie TapeNo | fatsecretfatsecret leads: Yes |
| Apple Health | Calorie TapeOptional: writes food, reads active energy | fatsecretYes |
| Devices | Calorie TapeiPhone, with iOS 27 or later | fatsecretfatsecret leads: iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Android |
fatsecret’s details are from its App Store listing (US) and website, checked September 29, 2026.
Two free barcode scanners
Barcode scanning is free in both apps. fatsecret checks barcodes against its database of more than 2.3 million human-verified foods. Calorie Tape checks them against more than a million USDA and Open Food Facts foods stored on the phone, so it works with no signal. When a product is missing, photograph its Nutrition Facts label and Calorie Tape fills in a new food for you to check.
Privacy
fatsecret needs a free account, and your diary syncs online so you can reach it anywhere. Its App Privacy label lists no data used to track you. The data it links to you, for the app to work, includes your health and fitness data, contact info, what you add, your search history and identifiers.
Calorie Tape has no account and no server, and it makes no network calls of its own. Your log stays on your iPhone.
Weight loss and community
fatsecret is built around losing weight: set a goal, get recommended daily targets, log weigh-ins and watch your progress. It has a community for support, streaks and achievements, and it can share your diary with a health professional through fatsecret Professional.
Calorie Tape has none of that. It’s a log of what you eat: your own targets, every nutrient a food reports, and food and day notes for things like allergens or symptoms.
Price
fatsecret is free. Its Premium plan, billed monthly, quarterly or annually, adds meal photo and voice logging, a meal planner, dietitian-designed meal plans, water tracking, custom meals and one-tap recipe logging. fatsecret says prices vary by region and shows them in the app.
Every Calorie Tape feature is free.
What fatsecret has that Calorie Tape doesn’t
- A weight goal with recommended targets, and weigh-ins.
- A community, streaks and achievements.
- Fitbit exercise tracking.
- Sharing with a health professional through fatsecret Professional.
- Meal photo and voice logging, with Premium.
- Apps for Android and Apple Watch.
Switching from fatsecret
Calorie Tape can’t import a fatsecret diary, so you’d start a fresh log. Set an energy target and, if you like, protein, carbs and fat. There are no weigh-ins, so keep those elsewhere if you track them.
Questions
Is fatsecret free?
Mostly. Food logging, macro tracking and the barcode scanner are free with a fatsecret account. Premium, sold monthly, quarterly or annually at prices that vary by region, adds meal photo and voice logging, meal planning, water tracking and recipe logging.
Which free calorie counter doesn’t need an account?
Calorie Tape needs no account and makes no network calls of its own. It searches more than a million foods from USDA and Open Food Facts on your iPhone and scans barcodes offline. It’s coming soon to the App Store in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
Does Calorie Tape track weight?
No. Calorie Tape tracks food and nutrients only. fatsecret, Lose It!, MyFitnessPal, Cronometer and MacroFactor all track weight.
Get Calorie Tape
For iPhone, in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
More comparisons
- fatsecret alternativesOffline, deeper nutrients or coaching
- Calorie Tape vs CronometerUp to 95 nutrients with an account, or a private log
- Calorie Tape vs MyFitnessPalA huge database and Premium tools, or a free scanner and no account
- Calorie Tape vs MacroFactorA paid coach that adjusts your macros, or a free log
- Calorie Tape vs Lose It!A weight-loss plan, or a nutrient log
- All comparisonsSix apps side by side
Sources
All checked September 29, 2026. Prices are US prices. Apps change; if something here is out of date, email hellochillcreatures@gmail.com and we’ll fix it.
- Calorie Counter by fatsecret, App Store (US): App Privacy label, features, Health app, fatsecret Professional, devices.
- fatsecret app: free features, free barcode scanner, food count, account.
- fatsecret Premium: Premium features and plans.
- fatsecret on Google Play: the Android app.
- Calorie Tape Privacy Policy and Food Data.
fatsecret is a trademark of its owner, used here only to name the app. Calorie Tape and Chill Creatures aren’t affiliated with or endorsed by fatsecret.