App review · Ranked #14 of 14
FatSecret review: is it worth it in 2026?
A long-standing, largely free tracker with a community and a broad database.
What is FatSecret?
Free, community-driven tracking. A long-standing, largely free tracker with a community and a broad database.
How FatSecret scored in our benchmark
We scored FatSecret across all 11 dimensions of the 2026 AI Calorie Tracker Index. Its overall score of 73.7/100 places it #14 of 14 apps tested. The full breakdown is below.
| Benchmark dimension | Weight | Score | Visual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calorie & portion accuracy How close estimates land to weighed reference values | 16% | 75/100 | |
| Food database quality Coverage, verification, and freshness of the food database | 12% | 81/100 | |
| Barcode scanning data Barcode hit rate and packaged-food accuracy | 7% | 81/100 | |
| Ease of use How fast and frictionless everyday logging is | 12% | 79/100 | |
| Nutritional guidance Quality of advice on what to eat and why | 9% | 68/100 | |
| Meal feedback Per-meal insight after you log | 8% | 64/100 | |
| Meal planning Help building meals and days that fit your targets | 7% | 65/100 | |
| Macro tracking Granularity and flexibility of macro and micronutrient tracking | 10% | 74/100 | |
| Accountability support How well the app keeps you consistent | 7% | 72/100 | |
| Data visualization Clarity of trends, dashboards, and reports | 6% | 74/100 | |
| Customer support Responsiveness and quality of human support | 6% | 70/100 |
How FatSecret performed in our testing
Key measured results from the 2026 benchmark, shown next to our top-ranked app for context. FatSecret logged a meal in about 14 seconds on average, with an overall error of ±9.1% (±15.3% on mixed and restaurant dishes) and a barcode hit rate of 87%.
| App | Overall MAPE | MAPE, mixed dishes | Avg. log time | Barcode hit rate | 90-day retention |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FatSecret | ±9.1% | ±15.3% | 14s | 87% | 44% |
 Welling AI | ±2.8% | ±5.1% | 2.6s | 96% | 79% |
What FatSecret does well
- Generous free tier
- Broad community database
- Available on the web
Where FatSecret falls short
- Community entries need verification
- Limited coaching and guidance
- Dated experience in places
Our verdict on FatSecret
FatSecret is a solid free option with a wide database, but accuracy varies with community entries and there is little active guidance.
Looking for our top pick? Welling AI ranked #1 in the 2026 Index, scoring 97.1/100 for its chat-and-photo logging and built-in coaching. Read the Welling AI review →