MyFitnessPal Bought Cal AI: What Changed and the Best Alternatives

Yes, MyFitnessPal owns Cal AI. The deal was announced on March 2, 2026, after closing in December, and terms were not disclosed. Cal AI still runs as a standalone app, and the one confirmed change is that it now uses MyFitnessPal's nutrition database. If you want an alternative, we make Nouri; every other fact below is sourced and dated.

What happened

On March 2, 2026, MyFitnessPal announced that it had acquired Cal AI, the photo-first calorie app started by two high school students. TechCrunch reported that the deal closed in December and that terms were not disclosed, other than MyFitnessPal CEO Mike Fisher saying the Cal AI team "didn't have to sell" and was happy with the offer.

The numbers in the coverage come from the companies themselves. TechCrunch reported over 15 million downloads and over $30 million in annual revenue in under two years. In MyFitnessPal's own release, Cal AI co-founder and CEO Zach Yadegari put the figure at over $40 million in sales in the last 12 months. The two numbers measure different things, so we quote both as stated.

According to TechCrunch, the whole seven-person Cal AI team, including co-founders Zach Yadegari and Henry Langmack, was retained by MyFitnessPal. Fisher declined to say for how long. The release also places the deal in a pattern: MyFitnessPal bought the meal planning app Intent the year before and added a ChatGPT Health integration in January 2026.

What it means if you use Cal AI

Less than the headline suggests, based on everything we could verify.

Cal AI is still its own app. MyFitnessPal's release says Cal AI "will continue to operate as a standalone product." TechCrunch reported that MyFitnessPal had no plans at the moment to fold Cal AI into its main product, or to move Cal AI users over to MyFitnessPal.

The food data underneath changed. TechCrunch reported one upgrade already made since the deal closed: Cal AI "has now been integrated with MFP's huge nutrition database," which it described as 20 million foods, 68,500 brands, and meals from 380-plus restaurant chains. MyFitnessPal's release does not describe the integration itself, so TechCrunch is the source for this point.

Price, trial, and listing look the same. When we checked on October 6, 2026, Cal AI's App Store listing still showed a free download with Unlimited in-app purchases from $2.99 to $29.99, the same range we recorded in August, and the seller was still listed as Viral Development LLC. Its website still describes a 3-day free trial, photo logging with the depth sensor, barcode scanning, and describing a meal in words.

Beyond the database, we found no sourced change to how Cal AI works for users. If something changes later, we will update this post.

Who might want an alternative, and why

Most Cal AI users have no reason to leave because of the deal alone. The app is the same app. But a few situations are worth naming honestly.

You picked Cal AI to get away from MyFitnessPal. Plenty of people chose a photo-first app because database searching did not stick for them. The apps still work very differently, but the two are now one company. If an independent choice mattered to you, that has changed.

You care where your food log lives. Neither the release nor the TechCrunch report says anything about data sharing between the two apps. We are not claiming any. If it matters to you, read each app's privacy policy and the App Store privacy label (Cal AI's label listed Identifiers and Usage Data as linked to you when we checked) and decide for yourself.

The logging style was the problem, not the owner. If photos kept missing the oil, the sauce, or the meal you forgot to photograph, that has nothing to do with the acquisition. A different input fixes it, which we cover in Text vs Voice vs Photo Calorie Tracking. The camera can't see the butter. You can type it, which is the whole idea behind Nouri.

The best Cal AI alternatives

App	How you log	Standout	Price	Platforms
Nouri	Type, voice, photo, or Siri, all equal	Visible per-item reasoning, weekly Nouri Reports	$9.99/month or $39.99/year, 3-day free trial	iPhone (iOS only)
Cronometer	Search, barcode; photo and voice on Gold	Stated 1M+ verified foods, up to 84 nutrients free	Free; Gold $10.99/mo or $59.99/yr	iOS, Android
MacroFactor	Search, barcode, AI photo, label scan, voice	Adaptive expenditure with weekly target updates	$11.99/mo, $47.99/6 mo, $71.99/yr; 7-day trial	iOS, Android
YAZIO	AI photo, barcode, manual	Fasting timers, 3,000+ recipes	Free download; PRO via in-app purchases	iOS, Android

Competitor facts from each app's own site and App Store listing, checked October 6, 2026.

1. Nouri: four ways to log, including the camera

Nouri has no connection to MyFitnessPal or Cal AI. I built it, and it is the closest match to what people like about Cal AI: AI does the calorie math, and there is no database to scroll. The difference is that the camera is one of four equal ways in. Type what you ate like a note, say it, snap a photo, or ask Siri.

• Calories and macros arrive instantly, item by item, with the reasoning shown. Add "large portion" or "cooked in butter" and recalculate
• A photo is turned into a sentence first, so you can read and fix what Nouri saw before anything counts. Photo is very accurate when the food is clearly laid out, and typing or voice carry what a camera cannot see
• The best Siri logging of any calorie tracking app: from the lock screen, say "Hey Siri, track food in Nouri," answer in one sentence, and a calories and macros card appears right away with what you have left for the day
• Apple Health both ways: nutrition totals go in, and calories burned, workouts, and steps come back next to what you ate
• Tracks fiber, sugar, and sodium with daily goals, plus a per-meal vitamin scorecard and Health Score
• A Nouri Report every Sunday evening for weeks with 4 or more logged days: Health Score with "Why this score?", days on target for your goal, wins, slips, and one clear focus. Most calorie apps give you numbers. Nouri gives you answers.

Weaknesses: iPhone only, no barcode scanner, and no free tier beyond the 3-day free trial.

Pricing: $9.99/month or $39.99/year, with a 3-day free trial on the yearly plan (get Nouri on the App Store). The full head-to-head is Nouri vs Cal AI.

2. Cronometer: for data depth

Cronometer's Gold page states a database of over one million lab-analyzed or verified foods, and the free tier tracks up to 84 nutrients and other compounds. Photo Log and Voice Log are Gold features. Gold is $10.99 a month or $59.99 a year. Pick it if micronutrients matter more to you than speed. Our comparison: Nouri vs Cronometer.

3. MacroFactor: for adaptive targets

MacroFactor estimates your energy expenditure from what you log and how your weight moves, then adjusts your calorie and macro targets each week. It lists AI photo logging, barcode and label scanning, verified food search, and voice input. Pricing is $11.99 a month, $47.99 for six months, or $71.99 a year, with a 7-day free trial. Our comparison: Nouri vs MacroFactor.

4. YAZIO: for fasting and recipes

YAZIO's site lists AI photo tracking, barcode scanning, built-in fasting timers for plans like 16:8 and 5:2, and 3,000-plus recipes. The App Store lists it as a free download with PRO in-app purchases. Our comparison: Nouri vs YAZIO.

For more options and older context, see Best Cal AI Alternatives, and for the full three-way picture, Cal AI vs MyFitnessPal vs Nouri.

Why I care about how an app logs, not who owns it

I have been on both sides of this deal. I used MyFitnessPal first, and the numbers were never the problem. Logging a normal dinner took several minutes, and after a long day I just would not do it. By week three I had stopped opening it.

Then I moved to AI photo trackers. They were fast, but I was not losing weight. When I checked the photo estimates against what the ingredients actually added up to, they came in low: a plate the camera called around 400 calories worked out closer to 700, because no lens sees the oil in the pan.

So an acquisition does not change my advice. The question is whether you will log every meal, including the messy and forgotten ones, and whether you can see why a number is what it is. That is why Nouri turns a photo into a sentence first, and why typing, voice, and Siri sit right next to the camera.

FAQ

Is Cal AI owned by MyFitnessPal?

Yes. MyFitnessPal announced it had acquired Cal AI on March 2, 2026, and TechCrunch reported that the deal closed in December. Cal AI still runs as a separate app.

When did MyFitnessPal acquire Cal AI?

The acquisition was announced on March 2, 2026. According to TechCrunch, the deal itself closed in December, a few months before the announcement.

How much did MyFitnessPal pay for Cal AI?

The price was not disclosed. TechCrunch reported only that the founders did not have to sell and were happy with the offer.

Is Cal AI shutting down or merging into MyFitnessPal?

Not according to the sources. MyFitnessPal's release says Cal AI will continue as a standalone product, and TechCrunch reported no plans at the moment to merge it into MyFitnessPal or move its users over.

Did Cal AI change after the acquisition?

The one sourced change is that Cal AI now uses MyFitnessPal's nutrition database, which TechCrunch described as 20 million foods, 68,500 brands, and 380-plus restaurant chains. Its App Store price range and 3-day trial looked the same when we checked on October 6, 2026.

Does Cal AI share my data with MyFitnessPal?

Neither the announcement nor the TechCrunch report addresses data sharing, so we cannot say either way. Check each app's privacy policy and App Store privacy label if this matters to you.

Who founded Cal AI?

Zach Yadegari and Henry Langmack, who started it as high school students. TechCrunch reported both are 19 and were retained by MyFitnessPal along with the rest of the seven-person team.

What is the best Cal AI alternative?

For iPhone users who want to keep photo logging but add typing, voice, and Siri, Nouri, with reasoning shown for every estimate and a weekly report. Cronometer suits data depth, MacroFactor suits adaptive targets, and YAZIO suits fasting and recipes.

Is there a Cal AI alternative not owned by MyFitnessPal?

Yes. Nouri has no connection to MyFitnessPal, and on the App Store MacroFactor is sold by Stronger By Science Technologies and YAZIO by YAZIO GmbH. All three list photo logging, and Cronometer offers it on its paid Gold tier.

Which Cal AI alternatives work on Android?

Cronometer, MacroFactor, and YAZIO all run on Android. Nouri is iPhone (iOS only).

What is the easiest way to track calories without depending on a camera?

Use an app where a sentence is a complete log. In Nouri, you type or say "chicken burrito bowl, extra rice, no cheese," or ask Siri from the lock screen, and the calories and macros come back with the reasoning shown, so meals you forgot to photograph still get logged.

Ownership news is a good moment to check whether your tracker still fits how you eat. If logging is where you slip, try four ways in with Nouri, see how the inputs compare in Text vs Voice vs Photo Calorie Tracking, and read Why Calorie Tracking Apps Are Inaccurate before trusting any number blindly.

Sources

• TechCrunch, "MyFitnessPal has acquired Cal AI, the viral calorie app built by teens," March 2, 2026: techcrunch.com (checked October 6, 2026)
• MyFitnessPal press release on the Cal AI acquisition: news.myfitnesspal.com (checked October 6, 2026)
• Cal AI website: calai.app (checked October 6, 2026)
• Cal AI App Store listing: apps.apple.com (checked October 6, 2026)
• Cronometer Gold: cronometer.com/gold (checked October 6, 2026)
• MacroFactor: macrofactor.com/macrofactor and its App Store listing (checked October 6, 2026)
• YAZIO: yazio.com and its App Store listing (checked October 6, 2026)
• Nouri: nouriapp.co