FatSecret alternative — AI scanning and a modern, ad-free app
FatSecret's free tier is generous — and ad-supported. Here's how Swoodie's AI-first, ad-free approach compares.
The bottom line
FatSecret keeps core logging free but funds it with ads on every screen, and puts Smart Food Scan and the meal planner behind Premium. Swoodie has no ads on any tier; its AI runs on a 10-use free trial, then Premium.
- No account
- No card
- No ads
FatSecret is the rare calorie counter where the core features stay free. The trade-off is in-app ads on every screen and a dated interface. Photo AI and the meal planner sit behind Premium.
Swoodie has no ads anywhere, on any tier. Its AI photo scan runs on a 10-use free trial (no card), then Premium — and it adds recipe generation and a couples mode FatSecret doesn't have.
Features evolve fast
Swoodie ships new features regularly, so this page may not reflect the very latest. The homepage is always up to date — check there for everything Swoodie does today.
See the latest on the homepage →Feature by feature
| Feature |  Swoodie | FatSecret |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent free plan (not a trial) | Free — $0 forever | Generous free tier |
| Annual price | $59.99 / year | ~$38.99–$59.99/yr Premium (by region) |
| App is ad-free | Free — no ads anywhere | Ads on every screen |
| AI features without paying | 10 free one-time uses, no card | Photo AI is Premium-only |
| AI photo calorie / meal scan | Trial — 10 free uses, then Premium | Smart Food Scan — Premium only |
| Barcode scanner | Trial — 10 free uses, then Premium | Free |
| Calorie estimate from a photo | Trial — scan output | Premium |
| Log a meal you ate ("ate it") | Free — basic calorie logging | Free |
| Meal journal / food diary | Free — full history | Free |
| Packaged-product quality score (0–100) | Free — scan, score & breakdown · Lite or Premium: better alternatives · Premium: Ask AI | |
| Blood-sugar impact read on a scanned meal | Blood Sugar Score — on scans (free AI tries; unlimited with Premium): steady / moderate / spiky, estimated from carbs & fibre | No glycemic index or load on food logs |
| Recipe discovery / browse | Free — thousands of recipes (Premium opens the full 8,000+) | Static recipe database |
| Swipe-to-choose recipe UX | Free | |
| Filter recipes by ingredients you have | Trial — 10 free uses, then Premium · Lite: without AI | |
| AI recipe generation (Chef AI) | Trial — 10 free uses, then Premium | |
| Import a recipe from a video / social post | Save videos: 5 free · unlimited with Lite or Premium · AI recipe extraction: 10 free uses, then Premium | |
| Hands-free voice cooking mode | Free | |
| Built-in kitchen tools (converters, scaler, cook times) | Kitchen Tools — Free: 6 offline tools (unit, oven & air-fryer converters, scaler, cook times, safe temperatures) | Cookbook serving scaling only |
| Multi-day meal planner (1/3/7-day) | Free — manual 1/3/7-day planner · AI-built plan: 10 free uses, then Premium | Premium |
| Shopping list merges duplicate ingredients | Free — from any plan, manual or AI | |
| Real-time couples meal matching (Swipe Together) | Host: Lite or Premium · Join: Free | |
| Shared meal plan | Host: Lite or Premium · Join: Free | |
| Separate macro targets per person | Free | |
| Multi-person session (family / friends) | Host: Lite or Premium · Join: Free | |
| Intermittent fasting tracker | Free: first 5 fasts · Lite or Premium: unlimited · Coach quips: Premium | |
| Paired wellness accountability (2-person daily score) | Host: Lite or Premium · Join: Free | |
| Shareable meal report card | Meal Report Card — on photo scans (free AI tries; unlimited with Premium) | Manual community photo posts only |
| Calorie & macro goal setting | Free | Free |
| BMR / TDEE auto-calculation | Free | |
| Body-stat & weight tracking | Free — on-device | |
| Diet-style macro targets (keto / low-carb / high-protein) | Free | Premium — 5 dietitian plans incl. Keto Style |
| Custom macro targets (set your own grams) | Lite or Premium | Free — grams or percentages |
| Daily insight drawn from what you logged | Coach Ollie — daily insight: Free · Pattern insights: Premium | Generic tips, not log-reactive coaching |
| iOS app | ||
| Android app |
Cost over time
Drag the slider to see what each app costs you across the years.
Over 2 years: Swoodie $119.98 vs FatSecret $99.98.
Prefer paying once? Swoodie Lite is a $9.99 one-time purchase that unlocks the whole app except the AI features. It also exports your log, weights and saves as CSV, so your data can leave with you.
Swoodie is $59.99/year — about $5.00/month billed yearly. FatSecret Premium ranges $38.99–$59.99/year by region; the calculator uses a mid-range figure.
FatSecret pricing verified May 2026 · source
Where FatSecret wins
FatSecret has the most generous free tier in the category — core calorie and barcode logging stay free, backed by a large food database and a long track record. The cost is ads on every screen.
Honest scorecard
Where Swoodie wins
- Swipe-to-choose recipe UX
- Real-time couples meal matching (Swipe Together)
- Multi-person session (family / friends)
- Paired wellness accountability (2-person daily score)
The verdict
Switch to Swoodie if…
you want AI photo scanning and recipe generation, a modern interface, and a couples mode — with no ads anywhere.
Stay with FatSecret if…
you've logged in FatSecret for years and don't mind the ads on the free tier.
Made up your mind? Start free.
Swoodie plans the week, tracks what you eat and lets two people pick dinner together. The recipe library and tracking are free, no account needed — every scan carries a Blood Sugar Score, six Kitchen Tools work offline, and Premium is free for 7 days on the yearly plan.
- No account
- No card
- No ads
Rather not subscribe? Swoodie Lite is $9.99 once — the whole app except the AI features.
We put these comparisons together from publicly available information and each app's own website. Prices and features change — if you spot anything inaccurate or out of date, email support@swoodie.app and we'll correct it. We want this comparison to stay fair.
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Try Swoodie free — thousands of recipes, no account needed
- No account
- No card
- No ads