PlateLens: 2027 report card

Why it earns its grades

Logging speed: A. A calorie counter is only useful if you keep using it, and people keep using the one that makes every meal quick. PlateLens is fast in every situation the report tests: a packaged snack is a barcode scan, a plate of food is a photo you confirm, a coffee is a spoken sentence, a regular breakfast is a saved meal, and anything else is a typed search. When the photo estimate is unsure, for example whether rice is white or cauliflower rice, the app asks rather than guesses, and every ingredient and portion can be edited before you save.

Food data: A. The difference between a counter you trust and one you second-guess is the data behind it. PlateLens’s database is verified rather than crowd-sourced, with more than 1.2 million foods, 820,000+ branded products with barcode data and 45,000+ restaurant menu items. A search returns a clear entry instead of a list of near-duplicates with different numbers.

Free plan: A. The free plan never expires and needs no card. It includes unlimited typed and barcode logging, 3 AI photo scans a day, 5 AI-coach messages a day, the web app, the intermittent-fasting timer and blood glucose logging. For many people, that is the whole app.

Nutrient detail: A. Every entry carries 82+ nutrients, from macros, fiber and sugar to vitamins and minerals such as iron, potassium, sodium and magnesium. Net carbs are calculated automatically (total carbs minus fiber and sugar alcohols), which makes the app a natural fit for low-carb eaters as well as calorie counters.

Value: A. Premium costs $34.99 a year or $9.99 a month, less than Lose It! ($39.99), Cronometer Gold ($59.99) and MyFitnessPal Premium ($79.99). It removes the daily limits on photo scans and coach messages; everything else is already in the free plan.

Beyond the count

PlateLens has grown into the centre of a health routine rather than a single-purpose counter:

• an adaptive TDEE that learns your real energy expenditure from your logged intake and weight trend and adjusts your calorie target;
• a free intermittent-fasting timer with 16:8 and 14:10 presets, custom windows, reminders and a home-screen widget;
• free blood glucose logging, typed in or synced from your meter or sensor app, shown beside your meals and exercise as context;
• alcohol tracking, a recipe and meal planner with grocery lists, and a 3D Body Scan that turns phone photos into body measurements;
• two-way sync with Apple Health and Health Connect, full JSON export from Settings, and a read-only MCP server so an AI assistant you choose can read your diary.

The app runs on iPhone, Android, Apple Watch and a full web app, and it is available in English and Spanish.

Who it suits

Almost everyone counting calories in 2027: first-timers, people who eat out and cook in the same week, low-carb eaters who want net carbs done for them, people who log glucose readings next to their meals, and anyone leaving an older counter for verified data and a lower price.

How it compares

See the full 2027 report for the field, and the other report cards for MyFitnessPal, Lose It!, Cronometer and FatSecret.

Other report cards