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Best carb counter app, six apps by how they count carbs

By Eric Parker, founder of TrueCal. Updated October 15, 2026.

Carb Manager's getting started article says net carbs are the default, and its macro tracking page, App Store listing and Google Play listing call net carb tracking always free. MyFitnessPal's net carb help article and tier table reserve net carbs for Premium and Premium+. Cronometer's web carbohydrate article and mobile carbohydrate article offer net or total carbs, but the plan needed for that setting is Not stated. Lose It's net carb help article describes tracking net carbs through a custom goal, and its nutrient goal article puts custom nutrient goals on Premium. MyNetDiary's FAQ says it lets free users see net carbs on food labels, while full tracking and daily net carb targets need a subscription. Net carbs inside TrueCal are Not stated on its pages, including TrueCal's FAQ.

For a free daily carb goal in grams, Cronometer's Fixed Targets article and Gold page say yes. MyFitnessPal's nutritional goals article says free accounts use percentages for free goals and that grams are reserved for Premium. Lose It's nutrient goal article makes custom nutrient goals Premium. MyNetDiary's free plan page, free tracking blog, home page and carb tracking article disagree about free gram goals. Carb Manager's Macros Calculator article describes gram entry without stating outright that it is free. TrueCal's free carb goal is Not stated in its FAQ.

Carb Manager's pricing page lists its starting paid plan, Premium, at $3.33 a month billed annually. MyFitnessPal's Premium page lists Premium at $19.99 a month or $79.99 a year. Cronometer's Gold page lists Gold at $10.99 a month or $59.99 billed annually. Lose It's membership pricing article lists Lose It! Premium at $79.99 a year, with a monthly price Not stated. MyNetDiary's free plan page lists Premium at $8.99 a month or $59.99 a year, and TrueCal's pricing page lists Pro at $9.99 a month or $29.99 a year.

The comparison below puts these published facts together without ranking the apps or choosing one.

How the six apps handle carbs, side by side

Facts from each company's own pages, checked October 15, 2026
FeatureCarb ManagerMyFitnessPalCronometerLose ItMyNetDiaryTrueCal
Total carbs shown Google Play lists total carbs. The My Week chart can show daily total carbs. checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026 Food details show grams on any account. The free Today macro card shows percentages only. checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026 The App Store lists carbs. The carb target can count total carbs, including fiber. checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026 The help center lists carbohydrates among daily and core nutrients. Google Play puts advanced macro tracking on Premium. Which plan sees carb grams is Not stated plainly. checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026 Free food labels show total carbs. Total carbs can also be the primary nutrient for foods, meals and daily totals. checked October 15, 2026 Carbs are shown with Pro and locked on Free. checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026
Net carbs shown, and what is subtracted Net carbs are the default and tracking is free. The calculation subtracts fiber, sugar alcohols and allulose. checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026 Premium and Premium+ in mobile apps, in the US and Canada. Fiber and sugar alcohols are subtracted. Not on the website. checked October 15, 2026 A net carb setting exists. It subtracts fiber and sugar alcohols by default, with fiber, sugar alcohols, allulose and fructose selectable. Plan needed is Not stated. checked October 15, 2026 A custom goal tracks net carbs. Custom nutrient goals are Premium. What the app subtracts is Not stated. checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026 Free on food labels. Full tracking and daily targets need a subscription. Subtracts fiber, sugar alcohols and allulose when its amount is known. checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026 Not stated. checked October 15, 2026
Daily carb goal in grams, free version Not stated. Gram entry has no Premium label in the help article, while day-of-week goals and Smart Macros do. checked October 15, 2026 No. Free goals use percentages in 5% steps. Gram goals are Premium. checked October 15, 2026 Yes. Fixed Targets use grams, and custom macro targets are included in Basic. checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026 No. Custom nutrient goals, including carb goals in grams, are Premium. checked October 15, 2026 Pages disagree. The free plan page and October 13, 2026 blog say free. The home page and May 7, 2025 blog place custom targets on paid plans. checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026 Not stated. Custom goals require Pro. checked October 15, 2026
Carb goals by meal Premium. Custom meal shares are set as percentages of daily calories. checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026 Premium has calorie goals by meal. Macros by Meal displays each meal's carbs and does not set a goal. checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026 Not stated. Diary groups show meal nutrition totals. checked October 15, 2026 Meal targets are Premium, and Google Play lists carbs among their suggested nutrients. checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026 Not stated. The macro article describes a by-meal view. checked October 15, 2026 Not stated. checked October 15, 2026
Barcode scanning, free version The scanning help article and App Store say free. The pricing page lists the scanner among Premium features. The pages conflict. checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026 No. Scanning requires Premium, and the tier table includes it on Premium and Premium+. checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026 Yes. Basic includes unlimited barcode scanning. checked October 15, 2026 The About page says free. The pricing help article and the Google Play description say Premium. Another help article says scanning is moving to Premium, with some free members retaining access during the change. These statements conflict. checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026 Yes. Free and unlimited. checked October 15, 2026 No. Barcode logging is Pro. checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026
Paid plan names Premium. checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026 Premium and Premium+. checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026 Gold. checked October 15, 2026 checked October 15, 2026 Lose It! Premium and Lose It! Lifetime. checked October 15, 2026 Premium, Premium Plus and Lifetime Premium. checked October 15, 2026 Pro. checked October 15, 2026
Paid prices as listed Premium is $3.33 a month billed annually or $5.50 a month billed quarterly. checked October 15, 2026 The App Store lists ten Premium entries. One year is $39.99, one month $8.49, three months $16.49, another one year $29.99, and another one year $39.99. A Premium entry with no period is $49.99, Annual Special is $24.99, Monthly is $19.99, Annual is $49.99, and another one year is $59.99. checked October 15, 2026 Google Play lists $4.99 to $49.99 per item. checked October 15, 2026 Premium is $19.99 a month or $79.99 a year. checked October 15, 2026 A 2025 company blog post lists Premium+ at $24.99 a month or $99.99 a year, priced as of that post. checked October 15, 2026 Gold is $10.99 a month, or $4.99 a month billed annually at $59.99. checked October 15, 2026 Lose It! Premium is $79.99 a year. Monthly price is Not stated. Lose It! Lifetime is $299.99 one-time for free accounts or $229.99 for active Premium members. checked October 15, 2026 Premium is $8.99 a month or $59.99 a year. Premium Plus is $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year. Lifetime Premium is $179.99 one-time. checked October 15, 2026 Pro is $9.99 a month or $29.99 a year. checked October 15, 2026

What gets subtracted to reach net carbs

TrueCal's FAQ defines net carbs as total carbs minus fiber. The companies below describe their own calculations.

Carb Manager's allulose article says its calculation changed in 2022 to subtract allulose as well as fiber and sugar alcohols. An allulose value appears only when a brand has supplied it. Its sugar alcohol article says some data sources leave sugar alcohols out of branded food information, which affects the net carb calculation.

MyFitnessPal's net carb help article gives total carbs minus fiber and sugar alcohols for the US and Canada, and its Premium page also names those two subtractions. The net carb help article describes a separate iOS adjustment outside those countries. Where local labels exclude fiber, iOS removes recorded fiber from the carbohydrate value and hides total carbs. It says the website and Android still include fiber in carbohydrates.

Cronometer's default is total carbs minus fiber and sugar alcohols. Its carbohydrate settings article says the carb settings allow any combination of fiber, sugar alcohols, allulose and fructose to be subtracted. Its label guide says US label carbohydrate values include fiber. Our nutrition label guide covers finding fiber and sugar alcohols on a label.

MyNetDiary's May 7, 2025 article says it subtracts fiber, sugar alcohols and allulose when the allulose amount is available. Its FAQ says missing sugar alcohol information can leave a higher net carb value. A January 15, 2024 carbohydrate article says unlisted sugar alcohols and allulose count as zero in its calculation.

What Lose It subtracts inside the app is Not stated in its net carb help article. Its April 10, 2025 net carb blog post gives a hand calculation that subtracts fiber, plus another that subtracts fiber and half the sugar alcohols. The post does not identify either calculation as the app's formula.

Switching the log between net and total carbs

Carb Manager's getting started page names the setting Carbs to Track and says net carbs are the default. The plan required for the switch is Not stated.

MyFitnessPal's net carb help article calls its mobile toggle Track Net Carbs in Diary Settings. Net Carbs Mode replaces carbohydrate references and changes the carb goal to a net carb goal. It requires an active Premium subscription, and the help page also includes Premium+ members. The mode is unavailable on the website and to international users. Its Wear OS article says net carbs are unavailable there too.

Cronometer's web carbohydrate article and mobile carbohydrate article put the net or total choice under Advanced Settings in Targets and Profile on the web, and under Carbohydrate Settings after Show Advanced Settings on mobile. Reset back to defaults on the web and Restore Defaults on mobile restore its default carb settings. The setting's plan requirement is Not stated. A chart of net carbs over time is listed separately under Gold Charts in its mobile charts article.

MyNetDiary's FAQ says the primary nutrient appears across foods, meals, charts and daily totals. It can be changed from calories to total or net carbs in the mobile apps, but not on the website. Choosing net carbs in place of calories requires a subscription, as do full net carb tracking, daily targets and Dashboard display. The August 14, 2026 net carb article calls primary net carb tracking a Premium feature. The FAQ lists Low-Carb as a Premium diet plan, and that Low-Carb plan page says it displays net carbs instead of calories on every screen.

Lose It's net carb help article describes creating a custom goal. That goal then appears on Log, Dashboard and Goals.

Carb goals on a free account

MyFitnessPal's nutritional goals article says free macro goals move in 5% steps and total 100%. Gram increments and separate day-of-week goals require Premium. Its carbohydrate article gives 50% of calories as the default carb goal.

Cronometer's Fixed Targets article says the targets accept a fixed gram amount for carbs, protein and fat. Grams are the default unit, with calories available as an option. Its macro ratio help article directs fixed gram targets to Fixed Targets. The Gold comparison page includes custom macro targets on free Basic, while the Macro Scheduler for different daily targets is Gold only.

Lose It's nutrient goal article marks custom goals as Premium. Carb goals can use percentages or a fixed daily number of grams.

MyNetDiary's free plan page puts gram-based macro planning and custom targets in its free list and marks gram planning free in its plan table. Its October 13, 2026 free tracking blog also lists custom gram targets in the free tier. The October 5, 2026 macro comparison says custom gram targets are free and macro cycling is Premium.

Other MyNetDiary pages say something different. Its home page lists customizable macro targets as a paid addition. The April 15, 2026 macro article requires Premium for custom targets, the carb tracking article updated May 7, 2025 requires Premium for a carb gram goal, and the January 15, 2024 carbohydrate article calls custom carb targets Premium. These company pages disagree about free access.

Carb Manager's Macros Calculator article describes entering custom carb grams without a Premium label on that step. It explicitly labels day-of-week goals and Smart Macros Premium. Its detailed goal article allows total and net carb values with an above or below choice, and labels only the day-of-week option Premium. Whether a free account can enter a daily carb gram goal is Not stated outright.

TrueCal's pricing comparison lists calorie and macro goals for Pro. A carb goal in grams is Not stated. Its FAQ says custom goals require Pro.

Our guide to counting macros explains how carbs fit alongside protein and fat. The protein tracker comparison covers gram goals for that nutrient across calorie apps.

Carb goals split by meal

Carb Manager's meal goals article says it divides daily macro goals equally between meals and assigns a smaller part to one snack. Premium allows customized meal shares, set as percentages of daily calories or kilojoules. With meal goals and daily reminders enabled, the reminders include the meal's carb goal. Its pricing table puts both per-meal goals and per-meal macro views on Premium.

MyFitnessPal's Macros by Meal article says Macros by Meal is a display of carbs, protein and fat for each meal, on by default for Premium members. It shows grams or percentages and leaves daily goals unchanged. Its calorie goals by meal article says the separate Premium feature works on iOS, Android and the website. The tier table places both features on paid plans.

Lose It's meal settings article labels meal targets Premium and describes suggested calories set as a fixed amount or percentage. Targets are edited in the app. The iOS instructions offer percentages or calories and grams, while Android offers calories or percentages. Its Log Header article calls Meal Targets iOS only and describes suggested calories and nutrients under each meal. Its Google Play listing includes meal targets including carbs among Premium features.

Cronometer's diary groups article says the groups organize foods by meal and can show a nutrition summary for each group. A carb target for each meal is Not stated in that article.

MyNetDiary's macro tracker article describes a breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack macro breakdown. A carb goal for each meal is Not stated. Its macro cycling sets targets by day, and its free plan table places cycling on paid plans.

Scanning packaged food without a subscription

Carb Manager's scanning article, dated July 10, 2026, says Basic and Premium users can scan barcodes free in the mobile app. Its App Store description calls scanning free and unlimited. The pricing page, whose last publication date is November 24, 2021 in its source, lists Barcode Scanner among Premium features. These statements conflict.

MyFitnessPal's scanner help article says Premium has been required since October 1, 2022, along with a device that has a rear camera. Its tier table puts the scanner on Premium and Premium+, and its home page contrasts free food search with paid scanning.

Cronometer's free plan page lists unlimited barcode scanning on Basic. Its home page also says the scanner is free.

Lose It's About article, edited October 12, 2026, puts barcode scanning in the free version. The membership pricing article edited September 9, 2026 and the Google Play description list it on Premium. A barcode access help article edited April 1, 2026 says the scanner is moving to Premium, with some free members retaining it during the change until it is locked. The scanning instructions edited May 13, 2026 name no plan and say the device language must be English. The pages do not give one consistent free access rule.

MyNetDiary lists free unlimited barcode scanning on its free plan page. TrueCal's AI information page and published product summary put barcode logging on Pro, with manual calorie logging free.

Paid plans priced over twelve months

The following arithmetic assumes the listed monthly price stays the same for twelve charges. Annual and quarterly billing figures are shown as listed, with calculated totals identified separately.

  • The annual toggle on Carb Manager's Premium page shows $3.33 a month billed annually. The page does not state a yearly total. Calculated from that figure, 12 x $3.33 = $39.96. Its quarterly toggle shows $5.50 a month billed quarterly, without a quarterly total. Across twelve months, 12 x $5.50 = $66.00.
  • Carb Manager's App Store listing has a one month entry at $8.49. Twelve monthly purchases at that price give 12 x $8.49 = $101.88. Entries named one year list $29.99, $39.99 and $59.99, with a separate One Year entry at $39.99. These are already yearly prices.
  • MyFitnessPal's Premium page lists Premium at $79.99 a year or $19.99 a month. Twelve monthly charges give 12 x $19.99 = $239.88. The 2025 company pricing blog lists Premium+ at $99.99 a year or $24.99 a month, priced as of that post. At that monthly figure, 12 x $24.99 = $299.88. Our MyFitnessPal Premium cost page covers its paid prices.
  • Cronometer's Gold page shows $4.99 a month billed annually at $59.99, so $59.99 is the stated yearly charge. Monthly billing is $10.99. Twelve monthly charges give 12 x $10.99 = $131.88. The Cronometer price comparison covers Gold billing.
  • Lose It's membership pricing article says Lose It! Premium is $79.99 a year and renews annually. Monthly price is Not stated. Lose It! Lifetime is a one-time $299.99 for free accounts or $229.99 for active Premium members, so no yearly arithmetic applies. Our Lose It Premium cost page covers these memberships.
  • MyNetDiary's free plan page says Premium is $8.99 a month or $59.99 a year. Twelve monthly charges give 12 x $8.99 = $107.88. Premium Plus is $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year, giving 12 x $14.99 = $179.88 at the monthly price. Its FAQ lists Lifetime Premium at $179.99 one-time, with no yearly arithmetic. Our MyNetDiary comparison covers its plans and features.
  • TrueCal Pro is $29.99 a year or $9.99 a month. Twelve monthly charges give 12 x $9.99 = $119.88. TrueCal's pricing page also states that yearly total for monthly payments.

Lose It's Premium help article says prices vary with seasonal promotions and how often a person uses the app. MyFitnessPal's tier comparison article says pricing varies by country and plan length. MyNetDiary's FAQ rounds website Premium prices to $9 monthly and $60 for twelve months.

MyFitnessPal's Premium page lists a 7-day trial. Lose It's Premium help article says its 7-day trial is for new users who have not tried Premium. MyNetDiary's FAQ lists a 7-day Premium trial on iOS. A Carb Manager trial length is Not stated on its Premium page or in its subscription help article, and a Cronometer Gold trial length is Not stated in its Google Play listing or terms.

Carbs in TrueCal

TrueCal's product information page says manual calorie logging is free. Macros, including carbs, and logging from a typed description, voice, photo or barcode require Pro. Its listed nutrition sources include USDA FoodData Central, FatSecret, Open Food Facts and published restaurant and brand information. Its FAQ defines net carbs as total carbs minus fiber and puts custom goals on Pro. Net carbs inside the app and a TrueCal carb goal are Not stated on its pages. Its pricing page lists Pro at $9.99 a month or $29.99 a year. Our other app comparisons cover more published features and prices.

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Carb counting questions

Which apps show net carbs without a paid plan?

Carb Manager says net carb tracking is always free. MyNetDiary shows net carbs on free food labels, but full tracking and daily targets require a subscription. Cronometer offers a net carb setting with its required plan Not stated. MyFitnessPal requires Premium or Premium+, and Lose It uses a custom goal with custom nutrient goals on Premium. Net carbs inside TrueCal are Not stated.

Does MyFitnessPal subtract sugar alcohols from net carbs?

Yes. MyFitnessPal's net carb help article subtracts fiber and sugar alcohols in the US and Canada. Net Carbs Mode is for paid mobile accounts and is unavailable on the website.

Can free Cronometer accounts set a carb goal in grams?

Yes. Cronometer's Fixed Targets allow gram amounts for carbs. Its plan comparison includes custom macro targets on free Basic.

What do twelve monthly payments for MyNetDiary Premium total?

At the listed $8.99 monthly price, 12 x $8.99 = $107.88. That calculation assumes the price stays the same for all twelve charges. The listed annual plan is $59.99.

Where each fact came from