MyFitnessPal is a calorie counter with a very large food database, a free tier with ads and a Premium plan that adds barcode scanning and macro goals. TDEECalc is a free iPhone app with no ads or account that calculates your TDEE and learns it from your weight trend, but has no food database. Choose by whether you need food logging.
Key takeaways
- MyFitnessPal's App Store listing cites more than 20.5 million foods; TDEECalc has no food database.
- MyFitnessPal Premium lists at $19.99 a month or $79.99 a year (US, October 2026); TDEECalc is free.
- TDEECalc has no ads, no account and keeps data on-device.
- If you want to log meals and scan barcodes, MyFitnessPal is the better fit.
Disclosure: TDEECalc is our app, so we are not neutral. MyFitnessPal facts come from its Premium page and App Store listing, checked in October 2026. We use the name only to describe the product and have no affiliation with the company.
MyFitnessPal vs TDEECalc at a glance
| Feature | MyFitnessPal | TDEECalc |
|---|---|---|
| Price (US, checked Oct 2026) | Free tier; Premium $19.99/month or $79.99/year | Free |
| Free trial | 7 days for eligible new Premium users | Not needed |
| Ads | Free tier includes ads; ad-free logging is a Premium feature | ✗ (none) |
| Food database | ✓ (20.5M+ foods, per App Store listing) | ✗ |
| Barcode scanner | ✓ (Premium) | ✗ |
| Macro tracking with custom goals | ✓ (Premium) | ✓ (macro targets in the app) |
| Calculates TDEE and calorie target | Not verified | ✓ |
| Adaptive TDEE from weight trend | Not verified | ✓ |
| Account required | Not verified | ✗ |
| Platforms | App Store and Google Play | iPhone and iPad |
“Not verified” means we could not confirm it from an official page.
What MyFitnessPal does better
MyFitnessPal is built around food logging. Its App Store listing cites a database of more than 20.5 million foods, including restaurant dishes, and its Premium page describes barcode and meal scanning, voice logging and custom macro goals. It connects to more than 35 apps and devices, according to its site. If you want to log every meal and scan packages, it is much more capable than TDEECalc.
What TDEECalc does better
- Free without ads. All current features are free, with no ads and no account.
- A target with an explanation. It shows the TDEE, BMR and macro math, using formulas such as Mifflin–St Jeor (Mifflin et al., 1990), with the methodology published on this site.
- Learns from your trend. A smoothed weight trend gives an observed TDEE, and suggested calorie changes apply only after you confirm them.
- Private by design. Data stays on your device, and Apple Health is optional and read-only for body mass and dietary energy.
What TDEECalc does not do
TDEECalc has no food database, barcode scanner or meal logging, and it runs on iPhone and iPad but not Android at the time of writing. If you rely on those, it will not replace MyFitnessPal. Some people use a logging app for intake and TDEECalc for the target and trend. Read more on the TDEECalc app page or the MacroFactor alternative comparison.
A worked example: setting a target without logging food
For a 35-year-old woman, 5′5″ (165 cm), 165 lb (74.8 kg), moderately active, the formula gives BMR 1,444 kcal and TDEE 2,239 kcal. A 15% deficit target is 1,903 kcal. Try your own numbers in the TDEE calculator, then sanity-check after a few weeks with your weight trend and the adaptive TDEE calculator. Set macros with the macro calculator.
Who should choose which?
- Choose MyFitnessPal if you want a huge food database, barcode scanning and are fine with ads or a Premium subscription.
- Choose TDEECalc if you want a free, ad-free, private calorie target and weekly trend check, and can estimate intake without a database.
- Use both if you want logging plus a second opinion on maintenance.
More options are on the best TDEE apps page. This is general information, not medical advice.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free alternative to MyFitnessPal?
It depends what you want from MyFitnessPal. For a free calorie target, macros and a weight-trend check with no ads or account, TDEECalc fits. For free food logging, MyFitnessPal's own free tier or another logging app is more suitable, since TDEECalc has no food database.
Does MyFitnessPal show ads?
MyFitnessPal's Premium page lists ad-free logging as a Premium feature, which means the free tier includes ads. TDEECalc shows no ads.
Can TDEECalc replace MyFitnessPal?
Only partly. It replaces the calorie-target and progress-tracking side: it estimates TDEE, sets a calorie and macro target and checks your weight trend. It does not replace food logging, barcode scanning or a nutrition database.
Which is better for losing weight?
Neither app loses weight for you; a sustained calorie deficit does. Food logging helps some people stay accurate, while others do better with a simple target and weekly check. Pick the one you will use consistently, and keep targets above about 1,200 kcal (women) or 1,500 kcal (men) unless supervised.
Is my data more private with TDEECalc?
TDEECalc keeps your profile, plan and progress on your device, uses no third-party analytics or advertising SDKs, and has no account. We cannot compare against MyFitnessPal's data practices here; read its privacy policy on its own site.
How does TDEECalc find my calories without logging?
It starts with a formula estimate (Mifflin–St Jeor), then you add weight entries and, optionally, average daily calories. It uses a smoothed weight trend to estimate your real TDEE. See the adaptive TDEE calculator to try the method on any log.
References
- Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, Hill LA, Scott BJ, Daugherty SA, Koh YO (1990). A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 51(2):241–247.