Carby vs FatSecret: free calorie log or budget dinners?
FatSecret’s core tracker is free, including barcode scan. Carby plans the week of dinners you have not cooked yet. If you only needed a free calorie counter, that is FatSecret. If you needed shopping, that is Carby.
Side by side
| Criterion | Carby | FatSecret |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Weekly dinners built around a named US grocery store and a budget you type first, with estimated ingredient costs and one aisle-grouped list. | A free calorie and macro tracker with barcode scan, weight logging and a community. Premium is an in-app upgrade for meal plans, advanced tracking, water tracker and a learning center. Price varies by region and is shown in the app. |
| Starter price | $39.99/year after a 3-day trial on web yearly checkout | Free core app. Premium is a paid in-app upgrade; fatsecret.com says pricing varies by region and is viewed in the app. |
| Cost if you stay a year | $39.99 if you stay on the web yearly plan after the 3-day trial | $0 if you stay on the free tracker. Premium yearly cost is the in-app price in your region. Grocery is extra. |
| Trial | 3-day trial on the web yearly offer visitors actually see. Monthly ($9.99) and weekly ($4.99) plans also exist. Read the checkout. | Free core needs no trial. Premium trial, if any, is shown in the store checkout. |
| Refunds | Web Stripe charges: email within 30 days of the charge for a refund. App Store charges go through Apple. Cancel during the trial and you are not charged. | App Store or Google Play purchases follow those stores. This page does not invent a web refund window, because the public FAQ does not state one. |
| Grocery list | One shopping list for the week, grouped by aisle. You shop it yourself. | Premium lists dietitian-designed meal plans. Not a US-store grocery-budget dinner planner. |
| Store cost estimates | Yes | No |
| Food diary / calorie log | No. Carby does not log calories, carbs or photos of food you already ate. | A free calorie and macro tracker with barcode scan, weight logging and a community. Premium is an in-app upgrade for meal plans, advanced tracking, water tracker and a learning center. Price varies by region and is shown in the app. |
| App Store rating | 4.0 from 29 ratings (small sample) | 4.7 from 15,369 ratings |
Cost if you actually stay
Carby: $39.99 if you stay on the web yearly plan after the 3-day trial
FatSecret: $0 if you stay on the free tracker. Premium yearly cost is the in-app price in your region. Grocery is extra.
FatSecret facts are from its public site and US iTunes Lookup, checked October 20, 2026. Missing dollar amounts were omitted, not guessed. Carby web yearly is $39.99 after a 3-day trial, with a 30-day web refund. Grocery purchases are extra on both sides. Carby does not replace a food diary.
Where they win
- Free calorie and macro tracking with barcode scan.
- A long-running food database and community.
- Premium meal plans exist if you upgrade in the app.
Where we win
- Dinners generated for a named US store under a cap.
- Estimated costs on the plan.
- A public yearly web price. FatSecret Premium’s dollar amount is only in the app.
Choose us if / pick them if
Choose Carby if: Choose Carby if the receipt is the problem, not the diary.
Pick FatSecret if: Pick FatSecret if you want a free food log and you will look up calories yourself.
FatSecret alternatives by jobFrequently asked questions
How much does FatSecret cost?
The core app is free. Premium is an in-app upgrade; fatsecret.com says the price varies by region and is shown in the app. This page does not invent that number.
Is FatSecret a meal planner?
Premium lists dietitian-designed meal plans. The core product is still a calorie diary, not a grocery-budget family planner.
Does Carby use FatSecret’s database?
No. Carby uses its own dinner catalog. It does not log FatSecret foods.
Sources checked October 20, 2026: App Store listing · iTunes Lookup id 6779585429 · Carby billing policy · Carby refund help · FatSecret homepage · App Store listing · iTunes Lookup id 347184248. Competitor facts come from those public pages and US iTunes Lookup. Missing cells were omitted, not guessed.