Diet App Scorecard July 2026: Best Rated Calorie Counting Apps

Sergey Oreshko - Co-founder and CEO of MyNetDiary

A look at what users actually wrote about 11 calorie tracking apps in July 2026, drawn from 2,388 filtered US App Store reviews. The scorecard got its third leader in three months: MyNetDiary returned to the top at 4.46, June's leader MacroFactor dropped 0.86 stars, and BitePal's rating surged nearly a full star while its billing complaints continued.

If you're comparing the best rated calorie counting apps right now, July is a lesson in why one month's crown means less than the pattern behind it. Last month I said I'd be watching three things. Whether MacroFactor and Calo's surge would hold at higher volumes: half an answer. Calo roughly held, easing from 4.45 to 4.41 as its review volume grew; MacroFactor fell 0.86 stars as its volume shrank from 66 reviews to 41 and detailed database-accuracy disputes took a bigger share of them. Whether BitePal's third-party billing complaints would draw a response from the developer or the platform: no sign of one; instead, its rating surged again. And whether MyFitnessPal's June uptick was the start of a recovery or a pause in the slide: a pause. It gave back ground and had its worst operational week since the redesign.

That leaves the finding I have the biggest conflict about reporting: MyNetDiary is back on top at 4.46. As the CEO of MyNetDiary, I review user feedback across all major calorie tracking apps monthly to understand what users value and where the category falls short, and this month, the methodology's authenticity checks caught something in my own app's data. On July 22, the day after a version release, 37 MyNetDiary reviews arrived in a single day, nearly all five-star. That's the same same-day-volume check that has flagged competitors, and it's consistent with an in-app review prompt reaching engaged users. The individual reviews are specific and varied: customer-service stories, multi-year accounts, one user of nearly 20 years. The remainder of the month shows no unusual pattern. But if I'd found this cluster in a competitor's data, I would have written it up. So it's written up.

Since it's our data, I can also explain the mechanism. MyNetDiary asks for ratings the way Apple's Human Interface Guidelines recommend: a rating prompt shown after a positive moment in the app rather than during onboarding. The app's iOS 26 "Liquid Glass" redesign, more than seven months of work, rolled out across a series of updates, and we suspended the prompt for those few weeks until the issues the new builds surfaced were fixed. Re-enabling it with the 10.27 release meant that several weeks of users who hadn't been asked were all prompted within days of each other. Knowing the mechanism doesn't change the math. Reviews requested at a happy moment still sample satisfied users, which is why the asterisk stays in the table. August, with the backlog cleared, will show the number on its own.

In total, the Diet App Scorecard analyzed 2,388 filtered reviews across the eleven calorie tracking apps that ranked in the US App Store's top 100 Health & Fitness category on July 31, up from 1,379 across ten apps in June, driven largely by Simple's return to the top 100.

July 2026 Ratings at a Glance

As the CEO of MyNetDiary, I publish this scorecard with an obvious conflict: my company is part of the category being measured. In May, that conflict meant reporting a competitor's win at the top of the page. This month it means the opposite, and a month where my own app leads the table is exactly the month to be loudest about the limits of the data. This is not an all-time ranking of calorie tracking apps. It's a monthly snapshot of what users wrote in July, and the authenticity notes below apply to MyNetDiary the same way they apply to everyone else.

Apps are selected from the US App Store top 100 Health & Fitness category as of July 31, 2026, and listed in download ranking order. Ratings are calculated from that month's written reviews only, after filtering duplicates and unrelated reviews. The App Store's all-time star rating, auto-generated Review Summary, and "Most Helpful" sorting can obscure what's happening right now. Two apps this month are flagged Bimodal (Municorn and BitePal), and two carry monitoring notes (Calo and MyNetDiary), see the per-app sections for what triggered each. (To run the five-minute version of this check yourself, see How to Find the Best Calorie Tracker App.)

July 2026 ranking, highest to lowest: MyNetDiary 4.46, Calo 4.41, Simple 4.29, BitePal 4.14, Cronometer 3.92, Lose It! 3.87, MacroFactor 3.61, Municorn 2.69, Cal AI 2.63, MyFitnessPal 2.18, FoodPilot 2.09. These are monthly review ratings recalculated after filtering, not the all-time star ratings the App Store displays.

# = download ranking in the top 100 Health & Fitness category, US App Store, July 31, 2026. Source: US App Store reviews. Bimodal: review patterns warrant caution, see the per-app notes for what triggered each; a flag does not prove manipulation. *MyNetDiary: 37-review single-day spike on July 22 from the app's rating prompt, re-enabled with the 10.27 release, disclosed and explained in the introduction. *Calo: elevated share of brief, generic five-star reviews; monitoring continues. Methodology: /diet-app-scorecard-methodology.html.

Scorecard Trends to Watch

Six months in, the top of the table has become the story. Here's what stood out in July.

Three leaders in three months, and what leadership churn actually measures. Calo led May at 4.66. MacroFactor led June at 4.47. MyNetDiary leads July at 4.46, with Calo at 4.41 right behind. Three different names in three months mostly reflects how crowded the top is: the four apps above 4.0 sit within a third of a star of each other, on monthly volumes ranging from 41 to 770 reviews. MacroFactor is the cautionary tale: its June crown rested on 66 reviews, and in July, with volume down to 41, a handful of detailed database complaints (wrong values on branded items, missing basics, gaps for international foods) pulled it down 0.86 stars to 3.61. Nothing about the product changed that much in thirty days; the sample did. The same caution applies upward: of the four apps above 4.0, two carry monitoring notes and one is flagged outright; the table has the specifics. With the top this tightly packed, how a number was earned matters more than the number.

BitePal did it again. In May I wrote that BitePal's one-month jump from 2.07 to 3.44 looked prompted rather than earned, and June proved the point when it corrected to 3.17. July is the sequel: 4.14, a 0.97-star jump, the biggest move in the table, and the mechanics are identical. A heavy share of July's five-star reviews were posted on a user's first day; multiple reviewers explicitly describe being asked to rate before meaningful use, one titling their review "Asks for Rating Before Use"; and the billing complaints that define BitePal's one-star column kept coming, roughly two dozen July reviews describing charges after cancellation, subscriptions billed outside Apple's system that users can't find to cancel, and refused refunds. Last time, the correction took one month. I'll say now what the pattern predicts: watch August.

Accuracy problems hit both models: the AI guess and the crowdsourced database. Accuracy complaints again concentrated in apps that use AI photo estimation as the primary logging method: BitePal reviewers logged two strips of bacon at 1,159 calories and one meal at over 11,000; Simple users reported the AI miscounting even when they photographed the nutrition label itself; FoodPilot reviewers described estimates that ignored visible oil and portions. But July also stress-tested the other model. On July 19, MyFitnessPal's food search broke for much of a day, leaving users able to log only foods from their own history, and one reviewer documented a 12-calorie sparkling water listed at 355 calories under the app's own green "verified" badge. The month's cleanest accuracy story belonged to Cronometer: reviewers repeatedly described entries that seldom need manual correction, and several switchers said the data quality alone justified the move.

MyFitnessPal: the pause is over. June's uptick to 2.23 looked like it might be a floor. July answered with 2.18 on 360 reviews. The redesign remains the dominant complaint months on, more taps to log, no whole-day view, per-meal macros gone or percentage-only, streak pop-ups that can't be disabled, and July added two fresh grievances: the July 19 search outage, which produced the month's angriest single-day cluster, and full-screen ads that several long-time users called the final straw. The reviews do hand MyFitnessPal two credits. Even furious reviewers still concede the database's breadth is unmatched, and a handful documented support interactions that actually resolved their problems, including recovered accounts. Whatever MyFitnessPal ships next, it will be shipping it to a review section that has been waiting since March to say something nice.

The genuine bright spots. Lose It! posted the month's largest un-flagged gain, up 0.40 to 3.87, and the reviews behind it are the kind you can't prompt: decade-plus users, several documenting losses of 50 to more than 100 pounds, praise for easy logging, recipe imports, and a support team that shows up in the reviews by name. The barcode paywall and medication ads still dominate its one-star reviews, but the loyal core is real and it is large. And Simple's return deserves a fair read alongside its caveats: 770 reviews from a #98-ranked app points to aggressive prompting, but the content of those reviews, older users, chair and tai chi workouts, an AI coach that checks in daily, dozens of specific multi-month success stories, describes an accountability model that clearly works for an audience most of this category ignores.

If you want to see how these trends developed, the May 2026 scorecard and June 2026 scorecard cover the earlier months.

What Users Said About Cal AI in July 2026

Average rating: 2.63 / 5 | Reviews analyzed: 138 | Filtered: 2 random/unrelated | Chart position: #6

July reviews skew sharply negative, with forced-subscription complaints the most common theme: users report being unable to use the app at all without paying. Billing problems follow closely, including charges after cancellation, trials converting early, and a late-July cluster of paying subscribers whose active subscriptions stopped being recognized. Accuracy criticism targets both photo analysis and barcode scanning, alongside freezing, bugs, unresponsive support, and paid streak restoration. Positive reviews, about a third of the body, credit the app with real weight loss of up to 55 pounds, fast photo logging, clean design, and Apple Health connectivity. Patterns appear largely organic, though the share of brief generic five-star reviews is elevated, several posted before meaningful use.

What Users Said About MyFitnessPal in July 2026

Average rating: 2.18 / 5 | Reviews analyzed: 360 | Filtered: 1 random/unrelated | Chart position: #10

Half of July's reviews are one star, and the redesign is the dominant grievance: logging now takes more taps, the whole-day diary view is gone, per-meal macros are hidden or percentage-only, meal copying broke, and streak and confetti pop-ups cannot be disabled. Users also cite paywalled barcode scanning and macro customization, new full-screen ads in the free tier, random logouts that erased years of history, goals resetting daily, slow load times, and a July 19 outage when food search returned only past items. Several report continued charges after cancellation. The minority of positive reviews praise the database's unmatched breadth, long-term results, and new GLP-1 tracking. Patterns appear organic; the July 19 review spike tracks the outage.

What Users Said About Cronometer in July 2026

Average rating: 3.92 / 5 | Reviews analyzed: 129 | Filtered: 0 random/unrelated | Chart position: #13

July sentiment remains strongly positive: reviewers praise database accuracy that seldom needs manual correction, deep vitamin and micronutrient tracking, and a generous free tier that keeps barcode scanning free. Weekly reports, custom recipes, responsive support, and weight-loss results up to 80 pounds recur, and several switchers from MyFitnessPal cite easier logging and cleaner data. The main negative theme this month is advertising in the free version: reviewers describe frequent, intrusive ads, including one that froze and blocked the app entirely. Others dislike the new muted color palette and its dark-mode legibility, and report bugs in Apple Health glucose syncing, meal copying, and occasional crashes, plus confusion for users wanting only simple calorie counts. Review patterns appear organic.

What Users Said About MyNetDiary in July 2026

Average rating: 4.46 / 5 | Reviews analyzed: 203 | Filtered: 1 random/unrelated | Chart position: #34

July reviews are 76 percent five-star. Users repeatedly credit easy logging, the free barcode scanner, a deep food database, detailed macro and micronutrient tracking, and food grades; loyalty stories span up to 20 years, reported losses reach 100 pounds, and two reviewers describe fast support fixes. Negatives, about one review in six, include glitches with deleted entries and water logging, interface-change complaints covering search-bar placement, iPad landscape, and muted colors, step-sync shortfalls, photo-estimate accuracy, lengthy onboarding, upgrade prompts, and four pricing or billing complaints spanning a higher-than-listed charge, trial-to-price surprises, and refund policy. A 37-review, nearly all five-star spike on July 22 coincides with the 10.27 release, consistent with an in-app review prompt; patterns otherwise appear organic.

What Users Said About Municorn in July 2026

Average rating: 2.69 / 5 | Reviews analyzed: 64 | Filtered: 0 random/unrelated | Chart position: #35

July reviews are strongly negative. The leading complaint is a paywall revealed only after a long onboarding questionnaire; reviewers report 10 to 30 minutes of questions before learning the app requires a subscription. Billing grievances follow: double charges, subscriptions not recognized after payment, and refused refunds. Others describe frozen onboarding screens, glitches when saving recipes, limited serving units, macros locked behind an added AI fee, repetitive AI-only support, and two reports of questionable calorie targets. Positive reviews cite a clean, simple interface, easy logging, decent photo scanning, the recipe feature, and exercise calories. The distribution remains polarized, and several five-star ratings were posted on first use or before use; one reviewer reports being asked to review before reaching the app.

What Users Said About MacroFactor in July 2026

Average rating: 3.61 / 5 | Reviews analyzed: 41 | Filtered: 0 random/unrelated | Chart position: #44

July reviews lean positive. Fans praise the adaptive algorithm that tracks expenditure and weight trends, logging by scale weight instead of serving math, capable AI photo logging, a fully functional standalone Apple Watch app, and an ad-free paid model several consider worth the fee; reported results reach 40 pounds. Negatives center on the subscription itself, with no free tier and logged data inaccessible once a trial or subscription lapses, plus food-database gaps, especially outside the United States, and some plainly wrong entries. Individual reviews cite an AI photo-loading bug, iPad input problems, unresponsive support, and subscription-recognition failures after paying. At 41 reviews the body is small but detailed, and patterns appear organic.

What Users Said About Lose It! in July 2026

Average rating: 3.87 / 5 | Reviews analyzed: 180 | Filtered: 0 random/unrelated | Chart position: #46

Nearly three-quarters of July reviews are positive, anchored by long-term loyalty: users of five, ten, and fifteen years describe easy logging, a food database covering restaurants and recipe imports, reliable device syncing, responsive support, and results including several losses above 50 and even 100 pounds. The dominant complaint is the barcode scanner moving behind the paywall, which drives most one-star reviews from former free users. Advertising is the second theme, with heavier ads including GLP-1 medication promotions that several premium and lifetime subscribers say they still see. Others cite upsell pop-ups, the annual price doubling to $79.99, slowness and freezing when logging, and trial-cancellation difficulties. Review patterns appear organic.

What Users Said About Calo in July 2026

Average rating: 4.41 / 5 | Reviews analyzed: 138 | Filtered: 2 random/unrelated | Chart position: #50

July reviews are 85 percent four- and five-star. Users highlight photo logging that takes seconds, ease of use, accuracy most consider close enough and simple to correct, affordability relative to alternatives, and steady results, with reported losses up to 30 pounds; the reviewer base skews older. Negatives include billing and renewal complaints, such as a trial charged within 24 hours, an unwanted annual charge, and a promotional rate promised as permanent but not honored at renewal, plus label scans computing whole packages, limited unit conversions, thin food search results, and occasional crashes. The elevated share of brief five-star reviews and recurring rapid-weight-loss phrasing noted in prior months persists, though critical reviews are specific and patterns otherwise appear organic.

What Users Said About BitePal in July 2026

Average rating: 4.14 / 5 | Reviews analyzed: 343 | Filtered: 0 random/unrelated | Chart position: #78

BitePal's raccoon mascot continues to earn affection: most reviewers call the gamified tracking fun and motivating, praise quick photo and label logging, and several report losses of 10 to 32 pounds. Billing is the most serious negative cluster, with two dozen reviewers describing repeated charges after cancellation, subscriptions billed outside Apple's system that are hard to locate and cancel, and refused refunds. Product complaints target AI calorie estimates that can be wildly wrong, a July update that removed manual calorie entry and ingredient editing, shallow nutrient tracking, uneditable fasting times, and crashes. A heavy share of brief, first-day five-star reviews, with multiple reviewers reporting rating prompts before meaningful use, keeps the distribution polarized.

What Users Said About FoodPilot in July 2026

Average rating: 2.09 / 5 | Reviews analyzed: 22 | Filtered: 0 random/unrelated | Chart position: #88

FoodPilot's small July body of 22 reviews is dominated by one-star billing complaints: charges after cancellation, a lifetime purchase followed by new monthly charges, an advertised $3.99 plan billed at $39.99, and refund requests that went unanswered. Accuracy is the second theme, with reviewers reporting wildly wrong barcode results, AI that misses oils and portions, and units limited to vague servings. Others describe the scanner or entire app failing after payment, login lockouts, and additional paywalls beyond the subscription, including a further charge for meal plans. The five positive reviews praise easy photo logging, included recipes, and one detailed long-term success story of a 16-pound loss maintained. At this volume no suspicious clustering appears; patterns look organic.

What Users Said About Simple in July 2026

Average rating: 4.29 / 5 | Reviews analyzed: 770 | Filtered: 2 random/unrelated | Chart position: #98

Simple generated an unusually large July review body that skews heavily positive and older. Reviewers credit the accountability structure: the Blinky mascot, AI coach check-in calls, fasting and hydration tracking, gentle chair and tai chi workouts, and a supportive community; dozens report losses from 10 to 80 pounds. The leading product complaint is food-logging accuracy, since the AI miscalculates even from labels, entries often cannot be edited, and there is no barcode scanner, followed by step-sync gaps and tai chi walking ads that several say led to a different program than advertised. A distinct one-star cluster describes charges after cancellation and difficult cancellations. The volume suggests heavy in-app review prompting, but writing is varied and specific; patterns otherwise appear organic.

Summary

Six installments in, the top of this table is the story: three different leaders in three months, separated by fractions of a star, is the strongest argument this series has made for reading trends instead of crowns.

In July 2026, the highest-rated app in the Diet App Scorecard was MyNetDiary at 4.46, followed closely by Calo at 4.41 and Simple at 4.29; the lowest was FoodPilot at 2.09, with MyFitnessPal at 2.18 resuming its slide after June's brief uptick. Next month's scorecard will cover August 2026, and I'll be watching three things: whether BitePal's second prompted-looking surge corrects the way its first one did, whether MyNetDiary's 4.46 holds in August, a test I have every incentive not to mention, which is why I'm committing to it in print, and whether MacroFactor's drop was small-sample noise or the start of something. The complete methodology is published at /diet-app-scorecard-methodology.html.

Track your meals and macros with MyNetDiary, try it free.

Start with free,
accurate tracking today

Also available as www.plateai.com