Comparison
Fat Track vs FatSecret
In short
FatSecret is one of the oldest calorie trackers, with a large community-built database and a generous free tier. Fat Track is a bot inside a messenger built around photo logging, with home workouts in the same subscription. FatSecret wins on free access and database breadth; Fat Track wins on how little effort an entry costs.
FatSecret has been around long enough to have a database most trackers envy, and a free tier that covers what many people need.
Fat Track does not compete on breadth of database. It competes on the moment right after the meal, when opening an app and searching feels like too much.
Published 16 August 2026 · Updated 16 August 2026 · Written by the Fat Track team
Table
Side by side, criterion by criterion
| Criterion | Fat TrackTelegram and MAX bot + web app | FatSecretiOS, Android, web |
|---|---|---|
| How you log a meal | Yes: Photo, text or voice; a database search is the fallback, not the main path. | Partly: Database search, barcodes and a community catalogue; image recognition depends on the plan. |
| Getting started | Yes: Works inside Telegram or MAX — nothing to install to start. | Partly: Install the app and create an account first. |
| Free tier | Partly: A full-access trial, then a single paid subscription with no ads. | Yes: A generous free tier covers the core diary. |
| Database breadth | Partly: In the app; for packaged food typing the name is often faster. | Yes: Years of community-submitted foods across many countries. |
| Workouts | Yes: 13 programmes and 67 exercises, with rep counting on the device. | Partly: Exercise logging rather than guided home programmes. |
| Ads inside the diary | Yes: One paid plan, no advertising and no upsells inside the diary. | Partly: The free tier is ad-supported. |
This comparison was put together by the Fat Track team. Information about other services comes from public sources as of 2026-08-16; features and prices change often, so check them on the official sites before you buy.
The real difference
Effort per entry, not features per screen
Both apps can record the same meal. The question is what it costs you: opening an app and searching a catalogue, or sending a photo to a chat you already have open.
- No installation and no separate account.
- A photo, a sentence or a voice note instead of a search.
- Corrections in plain words rather than numeric fields.
- Home workouts and the diary in one subscription.
Be fair
Where FatSecret is stronger
- A free tier that genuinely covers a basic diary — Fat Track has no permanent free plan.
- A very broad community database, useful for local and regional products.
- Years of accumulated barcode coverage.
Pros and cons
The strong and weak side of each
Fat Track
Photo logging in a messenger, workouts included.
Pros
- Lowest effort per entry
- Nothing to install
- No ads, workouts in the same plan
Cons
- No permanent free tier
- Thinner barcode coverage
- Needs a connection to recognise a photo
FatSecret
An old, broad database with a free tier.
Pros
- Generous free tier
- Very broad food database
- Long-standing barcode coverage
Cons
- Logging leans on search
- Ads on the free tier
- No guided home workout programmes
Verdict
Which one to pick
Pick FatSecret if a free tier is the deciding factor, or if you log a lot of regional packaged food.
Pick Fat Track if you have tried database trackers and stopped — not because they were wrong, but because logging was work.
FAQ
Questions
Does Fat Track have a free plan?
There is a full-access trial with no card, but no permanent free tier. After the trial it is one subscription with no ads and no feature paywalls.
Is the Fat Track database as big as FatSecret's?
No, and it does not try to be. Recognition works from the photo rather than from a catalogue, so database size matters less than it does for a search-first app.
Can I use both?
Nothing stops you, though in practice people keep the one that survives a busy week.