Cal AI alternative: a calorie counter you text
Cal AI is built around a photo, and you can also describe a meal or scan a barcode. Fabee logs from one message or a photo, remembers you and coaches you from your log. Here's how they compare.
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Nico
Short answer: if you want a Cal AI alternative you can talk to, Fabee logs a meal from a photo or from one message, typed or dictated, and then talks with you about your day. Cal AI is built around a photo of your plate, and you can also describe a meal or scan a barcode.
If a quick photo estimate is all you want, Cal AI may be all you need.
We make Fabee. Everything about Cal AI below comes from its own website and App Store listing, checked 5 October 2026. Prices and plans change, so check before you pay.
At a glance
| Fabee | Cal AI | |
|---|---|---|
| How you log | One message, typed or dictated, a photo or a barcode | A photo, a barcode, describing the meal, or a search |
| Free version | No free version; a 3-day free trial in many countries | A free trial, then a subscription to scan food |
| Price | $12.99 a month or $129.99 a year | Several plans, listed on its App Store page |
| Platforms | iPhone (Android is planned) | iPhone, Apple Watch and Android |
| Apple Health | Yes: sleep, activity, weight, glucose and cycle | Yes |
| A coach you can talk to | Yes, it answers from your own log | Not on its pages |
What Fabee does differently
- Logging in one message. “A bowl of rice and chicken, and a coffee with oat milk.” Fabee splits the meal into its parts and logs the calories, protein, carbs and fat of each. A photo works too, and you can add what the photo can’t show: “the sauce was on the side”.
- Fixing in words. “Two eggs, not three” and the same card updates.
- It looks things up. A restaurant’s own numbers, found on the web for you.
- It remembers you. Your allergies, the milk in your coffee, what you find hard. Tell it once.
- It coaches you. Ask “how am I doing today?” or “why am I not losing?” and it answers from your real log, the day and the week.
- No ads. It’s paid for by its subscription.
Coming: vitamins and minerals next to the macros. Planned: Android.
Who might prefer Cal AI
If you want a photo-first tracker and nothing more, Cal AI does that well and keeps it simple. It’s also on Android and Apple Watch today, and it syncs with Apple Health. Since March 2026, Cal AI is part of MyFitnessPal (TechCrunch).
Questions
Can I log from a photo in Fabee too? Yes. Send a photo of your plate, and add anything it can’t see.
Is Fabee free? There’s no free version. A 3-day free trial runs in many countries, then it’s $12.99 a month or $129.99 a year.
Does Fabee work on Android? Not yet. Android is planned.
Is Fabee out yet? It’s on iPhone now. Download it on the App Store.
Sources
- Cal AI (official site)
- Cal AI FAQ
- Cal AI privacy policy
- Cal AI on the App Store (US), checked 5 October 2026
- MyFitnessPal has acquired Cal AI, the viral calorie app built by teens
