Head-to-head
BitePal vs MyFitnessPal
BitePal
40
Winner
MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal
75
MyFitnessPal is the better choice for reliable and comprehensive calorie tracking, despite recent UI complaints, while BitePal struggles with accuracy and serious subscription issues.
Full reviews: BitePal · MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal offers a vast and generally accurate food database, making it a long-standing favorite for calorie and macro tracking, though recent updates have frustrated some users. BitePal, while attempting innovative AI scanning, is plagued by significant accuracy problems, a restrictive paywall, and numerous reports of unauthorized and difficult-to-cancel charges.
Head to head
BitePal BitePal offers AI photo scanning for food tracking, which some users find fun and quick, but many report it's highly inaccurate and often requires manual correction. Key features like changing calorie goals, setting independent macro goals, or tracking fiber are often paywalled or unavailable. Recent updates have also removed the ability to edit AI-scanned meals, further limiting its utility.
MyFitnessPal MyFitnessPal is praised for its extensive and accurate food database, with many users relying on it for years. It provides detailed macro tracking and allows for customized goals. However, recent updates have introduced issues like incorrect macro calculations, removed barcode scanning from the free tier, and made it harder to view daily food summaries or customize displayed nutrients.
BitePal BitePal is described as easy and fun to use by some, with a cute virtual pet and quick tracking. However, others find the interface restrictive, especially after updates that limit editing options and force users to reject payment offers repeatedly. The AI scan often errors out, and the app has been reported to crash frequently.
MyFitnessPal MyFitnessPal has historically been lauded for its ease of use and intuitive interface, with many long-term users. However, recent updates have significantly degraded the user experience, making it harder to navigate, slowing down logging with pop-ups and animations, and changing the layout to be less intuitive for viewing daily food and macros. Some users also report login issues and difficulty removing logged items.
BitePal BitePal has severe reliability issues, with numerous reports of unauthorized charges, difficulty canceling subscriptions, and accounts not being recognized after cancellation. Users describe a lack of customer support, with emails going unanswered. The app also experiences frequent crashes and glitches, making it unusable for periods.
MyFitnessPal MyFitnessPal has a long history of being a reliable app, with many users relying on it for over a decade. However, recent updates have introduced bugs such as macros not saving, syncing issues, and the app randomly wiping settings or signing users out. While not as severe as BitePal's issues, these problems have frustrated long-term premium users.
BitePal BitePal is a free app with in-app purchases, but users frequently complain about a restrictive paywall that locks essential features, making the free version very limited. Many users feel it's overpriced for its inaccuracies and lack of functionality. The most significant concern is a pattern of unauthorized charges, with users reporting being charged $9.99, $28, $30, $39.99, or even $70-72 without consent or after cancellation, often outside of Apple's subscription system.
MyFitnessPal MyFitnessPal is also a free app with in-app purchases, and many users appreciate its robust free tier, calling it 'top tier free.' However, some features, like barcode scanning, have moved behind a paywall, and users express frustration with constant pop-ups pushing premium features. While some find the premium price reasonable, others feel it's too expensive, especially given recent bugs and UI changes that have degraded the experience for paying users. There are isolated reports of fraudulent charges, but not as widespread or consistent as with BitePal.
Pick BitePal if
You are looking for a very simple, visually engaging app with a virtual pet and don't mind manually correcting AI inaccuracies, or you are willing to risk potential subscription issues for a novel tracking method R8.
Pick MyFitnessPal if
You need a comprehensive and generally accurate food database for calorie and macro tracking, are a long-term user comfortable with its core functionality, or are willing to tolerate recent UI changes and occasional bugs for its extensive features .
Evidence note: BitePal's reviews are heavily skewed by severe, recurring complaints about unauthorized charges and inability to cancel subscriptions, which significantly impacts its perceived reliability and value. MyFitnessPal's recent reviews show a negative trend due to UI changes, but its long-term positive reputation and larger user base suggest a more stable core product.
Frequently asked
Are there issues with canceling BitePal subscriptions?
Yes, many users report significant issues canceling BitePal subscriptions, with numerous instances of unauthorized charges ($9.99, $28, $30, $39.99, $70-72) continuing even after cancellation or account deletion, often outside of Apple's subscription system and with no response from support R1R4R13R16.
How accurate is BitePal's AI food scanning?
What are the main complaints about MyFitnessPal's recent updates?
Recent MyFitnessPal updates have led to complaints about a less intuitive user interface, making it harder to log meals and view daily summaries, increased pop-ups and animations that slow down the logging process, and bugs such as incorrect macro calculations, syncing issues, and customized goals not saving R61R63R64R66.
What reviewers actually said
Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.
- [R3] BitePal Not quite what I expected: Honestly, I would’ve been better off just staying with a free version. I’ve seen so many reviews and videos on this and thought it was the way to go. Thinking that this is an AI app I figured it would be over the top with help figuring all the nutrition for foods and boy was I wrong. Unless you’re actually scanning the label which is a nice option you’re not gonna get ac
- [R5] BitePal Title: The scanned is free and you can easily track your calories!
- [R6] BitePal Paywall for everything: Why did it say my max calories for a day was 2000 even though my nutritionist told me 1400? I couldn’t even change it without paying to change it.. now how am I, a 5’7 female who weighs 185, supposed to lose weight eating 2000 calories a day? Be for real
- [R9] BitePal Limited Options and AI Has Errors: This app is okay, and I’m going to give it a shot for four weeks. I’m on day 5. The frustration I have with it is the limited options for tracking nutrition outside of macros and total calories. There’s also no way for me to set independent macro goals, monitor fiber, etc. Also when you enter food- either with the photo or text option- it enters all food as ounce
- [R8] BitePal Just started, seems great: I’m on day 2. The raccoon does start harassing to leave a review the moment I downloaded the app. It’s gotten some of the food ai tracking stuff wrong, but it lets you go in and correct the information as needed. It’s better if I take a picture of the nutrition label. I think it’s been fun and I’m looking forward to using it more.
- [R14] BitePal Fast: Takes seconds to track
- [R17] BitePal So easy: I love this! It helped me stay committed. I wish I downloaded it sooner!
- [R20] BitePal Cool app: Just starting but I hope to see progress in a few months
- [R1] BitePal SCAM: This app is a scam. I signed up for a free trial, decided I did not like it and canceled the subscription, and it wouldn’t even recognize my email as having an account afterward. However, for two months I have still been getting two $9.99 charges to my card from Bitepal. I went through hoops trying to cancel it and they told me to cancel through Apple. I talked to Apple Support and we both c
- [R4] BitePal Scam subscription BEWARE!: Beware this app does nothing special but charge you lots of money(not through Apple) in hopes to get more money off you!
- [R13] BitePal Will continue charging: I deleted my entire account and they are still trying to charge me. I’ve blocked future payments from my bank but beware! There’s no response to try to rectify this
- [R16] BitePal Unauthorized charges: Unable tocancle beware!
- [R10] BitePal Try shortest trial first: I did a longer trial to get the best value for my money because i felt pretty confident i would like this app, but the ai scan and other tracking methods for meals isn’t accurate at all and doesn’t work most of the time. The first several times i tried to scan a meal it errored out, and it has no way to help clarify what it is looking at. For example, i could have two sli
- [R61] MyFitnessPal Update: You guys need to change back to the old version of goals an macros the new version is terrible setting your goals an macros an activity level changed way to much
- [R63] MyFitnessPal I like this app but: I like this app but I want to touch the screen as few times as possible and you keep sending me pops that make me press the button to clear it like “I’m committed” or “I’m on fire” which is very annoying and sucks
- [R64] MyFitnessPal New updated is terrible: Since the new update my macros isn’t being saved, can you please look into this and fix it.
- [R66] MyFitnessPal New annoying ads: Since the most recent update every time I go to click something at the bottom of my screen it clicks on an ad instead, which keep popping up and taking me to a different page. Honestly, this is really frustrating and hopefully something that can be fixed.
Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store