MyFitnessPal Review UK (2026)
The world's most popular calorie counter - but is the free version still worth using, and should you pay for Premium?
What is MyFitnessPal?
MyFitnessPal (MFP) is the world's most popular calorie counting app, with over 200 million users worldwide. It launched in 2005 and has been the go-to choice for anyone tracking calories ever since. The app was acquired by Under Armour in 2015 and later sold to private equity firm Francisco Partners in 2020.
Its main selling point is the enormous food database - over 20 million foods - built largely through user submissions. This is both its greatest strength and biggest weakness.
Key Features
- Massive Food Database: 20+ million foods, the largest of any calorie app
- Barcode Scanner: Premium only (removed from free in 2022)
- Calorie & Macro Tracking: Protein, carbs, fat, plus micronutrients
- Exercise Logging: Cardio and strength training
- Device Integration: Syncs with Fitbit, Garmin, Apple Health, Strava, and 50+ apps
- Recipe Import: Paste a URL to import recipes
- Community: Forums, friends list, diary sharing
- Meal Plans: Premium+ only
The Database Problem
MFP's database is crowdsourced - anyone can add foods. This means you'll often find multiple entries for the same product with wildly different calorie counts. Some are outdated (from before a product was reformulated), some are just wrong.
For UK users, this is particularly frustrating. Search for a Tesco sandwich and you might find five entries: one from 2019, one with American portions, one clearly incorrect, and maybe one that's actually right. You have to verify everything yourself.
Free vs Premium: What Do You Actually Get?
MyFitnessPal has progressively moved features behind the paywall. Here's what's changed:
MyFitnessPal Pricing UK (January 2026)
| Plan | Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | £0 | Basic logging, limited database access, ads |
| Premium | ~£64.99/year | Barcode scanner, no ads, macro goals, food insights |
| Premium+ | ~£79.99/year | Everything above + AI meal plans, weekly reports |
Is Premium Worth It?
The barcode scanner alone makes Premium tempting - manually searching for every food is tedious. But at £65/year, it's one of the more expensive calorie tracking subscriptions on the market. Whether it's worth it depends on how much you value the device integrations and database size.
Premium+ adds AI-generated meal plans, but these are generic and rarely account for UK foods or preferences. Most users won't need it.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Largest food database (20M+ foods)
- Excellent device integration
- Recipe import from URLs
- Active community and forums
- Free version available
- Easy to set custom macro goals
- Well-designed, intuitive interface
Cons
- Barcode scanner paywalled
- Aggressive ads on free version
- Database accuracy issues
- US-focused, weak for UK foods
- Expensive Premium (£65/year)
- User-submitted data often wrong
- Recent updates removed features
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What Real Users Say
MyFitnessPal has 4.4/5 on Trustpilot from nearly 10,000 reviews. The feedback is mixed:
"Been using MFP for 10+ years. The food database is unmatched, but they keep removing features and pushing Premium harder every update." - Trustpilot review, 2025
"The constant ads to upgrade are ridiculous. I just want to log my food without being nagged every 30 seconds." - Google Play review
Common praise: Database size, device integrations, easy macro customization
Common complaints: Premium pricing, aggressive ads, database accuracy, removed features
Who MyFitnessPal Is Best For
International Eaters
If you eat foods from many countries, MFP's global database has the best coverage.
Fitness Device Users
Integrates with more devices and apps than any competitor.
Custom Macro Setters
Easy to set precise protein/carb/fat targets - easier than most alternatives.
Recipe Importers
The URL recipe import feature is genuinely useful and works well.
Who Should Look Elsewhere
- UK-focused eaters: If you primarily buy from British supermarkets and eat at UK chains, look for apps with curated UK databases
- Budget-conscious users: The free version is increasingly limited, and Premium is expensive - explore alternatives
- Accuracy-focused: The crowdsourced database requires constant verification
The Bottom Line
MyFitnessPal is still the biggest name in calorie tracking, and that massive database is genuinely useful if you eat internationally or need obscure foods. The device integrations are unmatched.
But for UK users, the database quality can be frustrating. You'll spend time verifying entries that might be wrong. And Premium at £65/year is expensive when other options exist.
Our verdict: The free version works for casual tracking if you don't mind ads. For serious UK-based trackers, it's worth exploring alternatives with curated British food databases.
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