Is Cal AI Free? Price, Free Trial & Free Alternatives
Is Cal AI free? What you get without paying, how the free trial works, how to cancel it, how accurate its photo calorie counts are – and free alternatives.
Cal AI is one of the most downloaded calorie counters of the last two years: you take a photo of your meal and the app estimates its calories, protein, carbs and fat. Many people download it expecting a free app – and then hit a paywall.
The short answer: no, Cal AI isn’t free. You can download it for free, but scanning food and seeing the results requires a subscription, as its App Store listing states. New users get a 3-day free trial, which turns into a paid subscription unless you cancel it. If you want photo calorie counting without a subscription, NutriSmart does it for free.
Checked in October 2026 on the App Store and on Cal AI’s website. Cal AI’s prices depend on your country and plan; you’ll see the exact price in the app before the trial starts, and in the “In-App Purchases” section of its App Store page.
What is Cal AI?
Cal AI was launched in April 2024 by a group of young founders, including Zach Yadegari. It quickly became one of the most popular AI calorie apps, with a 4.8-star rating from over 370,000 reviews in the US App Store.
In March 2026, MyFitnessPal announced it had acquired Cal AI. The app continues as a separate app and has been connected to MyFitnessPal’s food database (Athletech News).
The idea is simple:
- Answer a few questions about your body and goals to get a daily plan
- Take a photo of your meal
- Get an estimate of calories, protein, carbs and fat
What’s free and what isn’t
| Without paying | With a subscription | |
|---|---|---|
| Download the app and set up your plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scan food from a photo and see the results | – | ✓ |
| Free trial | 3 days, then it renews automatically | – |
The App Store listing says it plainly: “Food scanning analysis results require a subscription.” In practice, you can’t use the app’s main feature without paying or starting the trial.
How the free trial works
- You answer the setup questions, then see an offer for a 3-day free trial.
- To start it, you choose a plan and confirm with Apple or Google, so your payment method is on file.
- When the 3 days end, the subscription renews automatically and you’re charged for the plan you chose.
How to cancel the Cal AI free trial
Cancel at least 24 hours before the trial ends – deleting the app does not cancel the subscription.
- iPhone: Settings → tap your name → Subscriptions → Cal AI → Cancel Subscription
- Android: Google Play Store → your profile → Payments & subscriptions → Subscriptions → Cal AI → Cancel
How accurate is Cal AI?
Counting calories from a photo is fast, but a camera can’t see oil in the pan, sauce under the rice or exactly how much is on the plate.
In a 2026 study, researchers at the US National Institutes of Health tested four photo apps: Appediet, Cal AI, Lose It! and MyFitnessPal. They used 102 meals with known nutrients. All four apps counted about a third too few calories. Cal AI missed about 345 calories per meal on average, the most of the four. All the apps missed about 30 g of fat per meal (Healio, 2026). The results were presented at a conference and are still preliminary.
That doesn’t make photo logging useless – it’s much better than not tracking at all. But it’s best used as a rough estimate, especially for mixed dishes. You’ll get more accurate numbers if you:
- scan the barcode of packaged foods instead of photographing them
- check the portion size and correct it if it looks wrong
- add oils, butter, dressings and sauces separately – they’re the calories photos miss most
- weigh foods you eat often, at least for a week or two
Free alternatives to Cal AI
| App | Free version | Photo logging | Barcode scanner |
|---|---|---|---|
| NutriSmart | ✓ All features | ✓ Free | ✓ Free |
| Cronometer | ✓ | Paid | ✓ Free |
| FatSecret | ✓ | Paid | ✓ Free |
| MyFitnessPal | ✓ | Paid | Paid |
NutriSmart
NutriSmart does what Cal AI does – and adds what it doesn’t:
- Count calories from a photo of your plate, or scan a barcode
- Check ingredients: photograph a label and see harmful additives and ultra-processed ingredients explained, with a health score out of 100
- Plan your week: a 7-day meal plan with AI recipes and a shopping list
- Track macros, water, steps and weight in the same app
Every feature works on the free plan. Scans use scan points: you get one for each short video ad you choose to watch, you can buy a pack, and each friend you invite gives you 7 days of Premium. Premium simply removes the limit.
Cronometer and FatSecret
If you don’t need photo logging, Cronometer and FatSecret are solid free calorie counters with a free barcode scanner. Cronometer is the most accurate; FatSecret is the simplest. We compare them, and others, in our guide to the best MyFitnessPal alternatives.
Whatever app you choose, start by finding your target: our free calorie calculator works it out in a minute.
The bottom line
Cal AI isn’t free. You can download it, but scanning food requires a subscription after a 3-day trial. The trial renews automatically unless you cancel it. Photo calorie counting is handy but tends to count too few calories, so treat the numbers as a guide. If you want photo logging without a subscription, NutriSmart does it for free – and also tells you what’s in your food.
Cal AI, MyFitnessPal, Cronometer, FatSecret, Lose It! and Appediet are trademarks of their respective owners. NutriSmart is not affiliated with them.
FAQ
Is Cal AI free?
No. Cal AI is free to download, but scanning food and seeing the nutrition results requires a subscription. New users can start a short free trial, which turns into a paid subscription unless you cancel it in time.
How long is the Cal AI free trial?
Cal AI offers a 3-day free trial. After it ends, the subscription renews automatically and you're charged, so cancel at least 24 hours before the trial ends if you don't want to continue.
How do I cancel the Cal AI free trial?
On iPhone, go to Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions, choose Cal AI and tap Cancel. On Android, open the Google Play Store, tap your profile, then Payments & subscriptions, Subscriptions, choose Cal AI and cancel. Deleting the app does not cancel the subscription.
Is Cal AI accurate?
Photo-based calorie counting is fast but not very precise. In a 2026 NIH study of four photo-based apps, Cal AI underestimated meals by an average of about 345 calories, and all four apps underestimated calories by about a third. It works best as a rough estimate, especially for mixed dishes.
Who owns Cal AI?
Cal AI was launched in 2024 by young founders including Zach Yadegari. In March 2026, MyFitnessPal announced it had acquired Cal AI; the app continues as a separate app and is connected to MyFitnessPal's food database.
Is there a free app like Cal AI?
Yes. NutriSmart lets you count calories from a photo of what you eat or by scanning a barcode, and every feature works on the free plan. Scans use scan points, which you get by watching a short ad. Each friend you invite gives you 7 days of Premium. Cronometer and FatSecret are free calorie counters with a barcode scanner, but their photo logging is paid.
