Question 1

Is Free Calorie Track really free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All core features in the app are free to use. There is currently no premium tier, no upgrade wall, and no free-trial period that expires. Barcode scanning, macro tracking, trends, history editing, exercise logging — all of it is included. The app is funded by optional donations, not by gating features behind a paywall. While the core features will remain free, optional features may be introduced in the future.

Question 2

Do I need to create an account or sign up?

Accepted Answer

No. There is no account, no email, no password. You open the app and start tracking immediately. Your data is stored locally on your device, so there is nothing to sign into. If you use multiple devices, you can export and import your data as a backup file.

Question 3

How does barcode scanning work, and is it really free?

Accepted Answer

Yes, barcode scanning is completely free with no daily or monthly limit. Point your camera at any product barcode and the app looks it up instantly using the Open Food Facts database, which contains over 3 million products. If a product is not in the database, you can manually enter the nutrition info and save it as a custom food.

Question 4

Can I track macros (protein, carbs, and fat) for free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Macro tracking is fully included. The app shows real-time progress bars for protein, carbs, and fat alongside your calorie count. You can use the automatically calculated macro targets based on your fitness goal, or set your own custom macro goals in settings. No paywall, no premium required.

Question 5

What are Net calories, and why do they matter?

Accepted Answer

Net calories represent your true energy balance for the day: the calories you ate, minus the calories your body burned at rest (TDEE), minus the calories you burned exercising. A net of zero means maintenance. Negative net means a deficit and you will lose weight over time. Positive net means a surplus and you will gain weight. Most apps show gross calories eaten without factoring in what your body burns, which makes the number misleading. Free Calorie Track shows the real picture.

Question 6

What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?

Accepted Answer

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is how many calories your body burns doing absolutely nothing — just keeping you alive. TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is your total daily burn, which includes BMR plus the energy spent on daily movement, activity, and digestion. TDEE is the number that actually matters for tracking, because it is the baseline your food intake gets compared against. Free Calorie Track calculates both using the widely used Mifflin-St Jeor equation.

Question 7

How is Free Calorie Track different from other popular calorie trackers?

Accepted Answer

Most popular calorie tracking apps require account creation and limit essential features — like barcode scanning, macro tracking, and trend insights — behind premium subscriptions. They may also show ads to free-tier users. Free Calorie Track includes these features at no cost, requires no account, shows no ads, and stores your data locally on your device rather than requiring cloud storage.

Question 8

Why is this app free when others charge for the same features?

Accepted Answer

Free Calorie Track is a single-developer project with no investors, no ad network, and no company overhead to fund. It runs as a Progressive Web App, which means no app store fees. It is kept alive by optional donations from people who find it useful. The goal was never to build a business — it was to build the calorie tracker that the developer wished existed.

Question 9

Where is my data stored?

Accepted Answer

Your nutrition data and personal information are stored locally on your device using browser storage (localStorage). No cloud account is required. Your meal logs, exercise history, weight entries, and profile information never leave your device. Only anonymous usage statistics (page views, feature usage) are collected to improve the app.

Question 10

Does the app work without an internet connection?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Once installed, the app works fully offline. The thousands of common foods in the database, your saved favorites, recipes, and all logged data are available without internet. The only feature that requires a connection is searching the branded food database or scanning barcodes for products not already cached on your device.

Question 11

Will tracking calories actually help me lose weight?

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that calorie awareness is a useful tool for many people managing their weight. That said, tracking is a tool — it works best when it is sustainable. Free Calorie Track is designed to make tracking fast and low-friction so you will actually stick with it. No ads interrupting you, no paywalls forcing upgrades, and full history editing so one missed day does not derail your streak. Individual results vary.

⚠️ Medical Disclaimer

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