Meal Engine vs MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal is a food diary with a huge food database and a free tier. Meal Engine is an AI diet coach: you log by talking to it or snapping a photo, it can build your meals for the week, and it reviews your results every week and changes your targets. If you want a free logger, pick MyFitnessPal. If you want to be told what to eat and have it adapt, pick Meal Engine.

Build My Plan — Free

Checked September 23, 2026

A Meal Engine day of planned meals with macros for each food
A meal logged in Meal Engine from one typed sentence
A Meal Engine weekly check-in proposing next week’s targets

Feature by feature

FeatureMeal EngineAI diet coachMyFitnessPalFood diary
Logging food
Log by typing or talking
Included: Describe the meal in plain words, typed or spoken. Every item is logged.
Limited: Search and pick each food. Voice logging needs Premium.
Photo of your plate
Included: Included. Each food on the plate is logged separately.
Limited: Premium Meal Scan logs a photo of your meal.
Barcode scan
Included: Included. If a barcode isn’t found, scan the nutrition label instead.
Limited: Premium A very large barcode library.
Food database
Limited: Smaller. Core foods are checked against USDA data. Brands are looked up from the maker’s published values.
Included: Millions of foods, many added by members.
Micronutrients
Included: 30+ nutrients per food, shown as a % of your daily target.
Limited: A standard set. Detail depends on the entry.
Planning and coaching
Meal plan made for you
Included: PLAN A 7-day plan portioned to your macros, allergies and the meals you like.
Limited: Premium+ Meal Planner with recipes and grocery lists.
AI coach
Included: Answers questions and acts on them. With your OK it logs food, moves a day’s calories or changes your plan.
Limited: Premium Advice and suggestions from what you’ve logged. Launched June 2026.
Targets that follow your results
Included: A weekly check-in reviews your week and updates your macros.
Limited: Weekly insights on Premium. You change your own goals.
Apple Health and Health Connect
Included: Syncs nutrition, weight and steps.
Included: Yes, plus a long list of fitness apps and wearables.
Price (US)
Free version
Not available: No. Every plan starts with a 3-day free trial.
Included: Yes, with ads.
Tracking
TRACK: $9.95 a month or $69.99 a year
Premium: $19.99 a month or $79.99 a year
Tracking and meal plans
PLAN: $29.95 a month or $179.99 a year
Premium+: $24.99 a month or $99.99 a year
Included: IncludedLimited: LimitedNot available: Not availableTierNeeds that paid tier

US prices before tax. Both apps price differently in other countries, and both run promotions. MyFitnessPal facts checked September 23, 2026.

Which one is for you

Pick MyFitnessPal if

  • You want a free food diary.
  • You mostly eat packaged food and scan barcodes.
  • You already know what to eat and just want to count it.

Pick Meal Engine if

  • You’d rather say what you ate than search a database for it.
  • You want someone to tell you what to eat this week.
  • You want your targets to change when your results do.
Build My Plan — Free

Common questions

Is Meal Engine free?

No. There is no free version. Every plan starts with a 3-day free trial, and the questionnaire is free, so you see your plan before you pay.

Is the MyFitnessPal barcode scanner free?

No. Barcode scanning is part of MyFitnessPal Premium. In Meal Engine barcode and nutrition-label scanning are included in every plan.

Does MyFitnessPal have an AI coach?

Yes. Since June 2026, MyFitnessPal Premium has a Coach tab that gives advice and suggestions based on what you’ve logged. Meal Engine’s coach can also act for you: with your OK it logs food, adjusts a day’s calories or changes your meal plan.

Does Meal Engine work with Apple Health?

Yes. Meal Engine syncs nutrition, weight and steps with Apple Health on iPhone and Health Connect on Android.

What is the difference between TRACK and PLAN?

TRACK is for logging your own food, with the AI coach and weekly target updates. PLAN adds a done-for-you 7-day meal plan, one-tap meal swaps and structured weekly check-ins.

Sources

MyFitnessPal is a trademark of its owner. Meal Engine is not affiliated with it. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we’ll fix it.

START WITH A BETTER SYSTEM

Try it on your own food.

Answer the questionnaire and your plan is built before you pay.

Build My Plan — Free