A MyFitnessPal alternative with no ads.
PlateStack is a free food and training log for iPhone and Android. Barcode scanning is free, there are no ads on any plan, and your workouts live in the same record as your meals. This page is our honest account of how it differs.
Free to start on iPhone and Android. Premium is $1.99 a month or $14.99 a year, and both plans begin with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers where available. No ads. No data sales.
Free barcode scanning.
Unlimited on Starter, with no ads between you and the log.
Why do people look for a MyFitnessPal alternative?
If you are here, the reason is probably not food logging itself. More often it is what a free version asks you to put up with while you do it.
At the time of writing (September 2026), MyFitnessPal’s free tier shows ads, and an ad-free experience is one of the things its Premium subscription adds. Its barcode scanner has been Premium only since October 1, 2022, according to MyFitnessPal’s own help center. Both are ordinary choices for a big free app. They were also the two things we most wanted to avoid when we built our own.
Is there a free MyFitnessPal alternative without ads?
PlateStack Starter is free forever, with no countdown and no ads. Having no ads is not a Premium perk, because there are none on any tier. We charge for Premium instead, and we do not sell your data.
The food logging core is all on Starter. You can scan a barcode, search, enter calories and macros by hand, or add a quick calorie number when that is all you know. Foods you repeat become saved foods, saved meals, or recipes, and those are unlimited too.
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Barcode scanning
Unlimited on Starter. Scanning a package is the first thing most people do, so it stays free.
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Macros for the day
Calories, protein, carbs, and fat on one dashboard, against targets you set in grams or percent.
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Saved foods and meals
Unlimited on Starter, so a normal breakfast is one tap instead of five searches.
What does PlateStack do differently?
Food is only one part of the record. PlateStack started because one day of our own training was spread across four apps: a food log, a lifting notebook, a habit checklist, and notes for bodyweight. Now it is one.
Strength sessions go in with sets, reps, weight, and RIR, with a rest timer and automatic PR detection. Cardio covers fourteen activity types with a live timer. Weight, body fat, measurements, and progress photos sit beside your meals, and Daily Wins fill in from what you have already logged. All of that is on Starter.
The scoring is different too. Your daily score rewards logging a meal or a session, not hitting a number. Reaching a calorie or protein target earns zero XP on purpose, because we would rather you log an honest bad day than skip it.
When is MyFitnessPal still the better fit?
We would rather you pick the right app than the one on this page. There are real reasons to stay.
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You log from a computer
MyFitnessPal has a website you can log from. PlateStack is a phone app for iPhone and Android, with no web or tablet version.
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Your diary goes back years
There is no MyFitnessPal importer in PlateStack. Your old food history would stay where it is.
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You only want food
If you never plan to log training, a dedicated food app may feel simpler. PlateStack is built around the whole day.
What does PlateStack cost?
Starter is $0 with no trial clock. Premium is $1.99 a month or $14.99 a year, which works out to about $1.25 a month. Both plans begin with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers where available.
Starter includes five AI credits a month, shared across photo, label, voice, and typed estimates, plus three PlateStack Coach messages. Premium includes Coach and AI logging (metered on our server, so included rather than unlimited), meal plan drafts, and your full history.
Swipe to see both tiers.
| Feature | Starter ($0) | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Food search, barcode scanning, and manual logging | Yes | Yes |
| Daily macro dashboard | Yes | Yes |
| AI photo meal scan | 5 monthly AI credits shared across photo, label, voice, and typed | Included |
| Workout logging (sets, reps, weight, RIR) | Yes | Yes |
| Progress history | 30 days | Full history |
| AI Coach chat | 3 messages/mo | Included |
The pricing page lists every feature on both tiers.
How do I switch from MyFitnessPal?
Set your calorie and macro targets first, then log normally for a week. Scan or search each food once, and save the meals you repeat as you go. Once your usual meals are saved, most days take a handful of taps.
If you also lift, import your workout history from Strong, Hevy, or a CSV file so your next session starts from your last one. Keep your old account until you are sure. If you pay for another app, cancel through the App Store or Google Play when you are ready.
Switching questions.
- Is PlateStack really free?
- Yes. Starter is free forever, not a trial. It includes unlimited food search, barcode scanning, and manual logging, strength and cardio logging, and 30 days of progress history.
- Does PlateStack show ads?
- No. There are no ads on Starter or Premium, and PlateStack does not sell your data.
- Is barcode scanning free in PlateStack?
- Yes. Barcode scanning is unlimited on Starter.
- Can I import my MyFitnessPal diary?
- Not today. PlateStack imports workout history from Strong, Hevy, or a CSV file, but it has no importer for MyFitnessPal food diaries. Scanning or searching each regular food once, then saving your usual meals, rebuilds the part you use every day.
- Does PlateStack work on Android?
- Yes. PlateStack runs on iPhone and Android phones. The Apple Watch app, widgets, and Live Activities are iPhone only, and there is no tablet or web version.
- Is PlateStack affiliated with MyFitnessPal?
- No. PlateStack is an independent app made by StackForge Studios. MyFitnessPal is a trademark of its owner.
Try the free record first.
Starter keeps working with no countdown. Upgrade only if Coach and planning are worth it to you.