Should I Build It Should I Build It
11 Apr 2025
Artificial Intelligence Health & Fitness

tracking food calories so you can see what you ate a day and lose ...

...weight

Confidence
Engagement
Net use signal
Net buy signal

Idea type: Freemium

People love using similar products but resist paying. You’ll need to either find who will pay or create additional value that’s worth paying for.

Should You Build It?

Build but think about differentiation and monetization.

Your are here

You're entering a crowded market of calorie tracking apps, with at least 30 similar products already out there. This means there's a proven demand, but also significant competition. The good news is that people generally like using these kinds of tools, so the idea has merit. However, the 'Freemium' category suggests users often resist paying, so you'll need to find a way to either identify the users who will pay, or create enough additional value that it's worth the cost for them. Engagement is moderate, so it's not like people are going crazy for these apps, but they're not being ignored either. Differentiation and monetization are key for you here, especially given the crowded marketplace.

Recommendations

  1. Start by identifying which users derive the most value from free versions of calorie tracking apps. Analyze user behavior within existing free apps to understand their needs and pain points. Look for patterns that indicate a higher willingness to pay for enhanced features or personalized support.
  2. Develop premium features that cater specifically to the needs of your high-value users. This could include personalized diet plans, advanced macronutrient tracking, integration with wearable devices, or access to a community of nutrition experts. Make these features noticeably superior to the free offerings to justify the upgrade.
  3. Explore the possibility of charging teams or groups rather than individuals. Many companies now offer wellness programs to their employees, which could include a subscription to your calorie tracking app. This approach can provide a more stable and predictable revenue stream.
  4. Consider offering personalized help or consulting services as a premium add-on. This could involve one-on-one coaching sessions with nutritionists, customized meal plans, or ongoing support and accountability. This can make your app more useful and sticky.
  5. Experiment with different pricing models and approaches with small groups of users. A/B test various price points, feature bundles, and promotional offers to identify what resonates best with your target audience. Also, test different ways to present value proposition to users.
  6. Based on criticisms of similar products, prioritize accuracy in calorie estimations and provide detailed macronutrient breakdowns. Ensure your food database is comprehensive and reliable. Implement user feedback mechanisms to continuously improve the accuracy of your data.
  7. Address privacy concerns by offering text input options alongside voice input and ensuring data security. Transparency about how user data is used can build trust and encourage adoption. Clearly communicate your privacy policy to users.
  8. Consider the accessibility of your app across different platforms, particularly Android, given the demand expressed by users of similar apps. Developing an Android version can significantly expand your user base and market reach. Use cross-platform development tools to speed up time to market on Android and iOS simultaneously.
  9. Focus on ease of use and simplify the tracking process as much as possible. Implement innovative features like text-based tracking or AI-powered meal recognition to reduce friction and improve user engagement. Conduct user testing to identify and address any usability issues.

Questions

  1. Given the existing competition, what unique value proposition will your calorie tracking app offer to differentiate itself and attract users who are already using other similar apps?
  2. Considering that users often resist paying for calorie tracking apps, how will you incentivize them to upgrade to a premium version or subscribe to additional services, and what specific features or benefits will justify the cost?
  3. How will you ensure the accuracy of calorie estimations and macronutrient breakdowns in your app, and what measures will you take to address user feedback and continuously improve the reliability of your data?

Your are here

You're entering a crowded market of calorie tracking apps, with at least 30 similar products already out there. This means there's a proven demand, but also significant competition. The good news is that people generally like using these kinds of tools, so the idea has merit. However, the 'Freemium' category suggests users often resist paying, so you'll need to find a way to either identify the users who will pay, or create enough additional value that it's worth the cost for them. Engagement is moderate, so it's not like people are going crazy for these apps, but they're not being ignored either. Differentiation and monetization are key for you here, especially given the crowded marketplace.

Recommendations

  1. Start by identifying which users derive the most value from free versions of calorie tracking apps. Analyze user behavior within existing free apps to understand their needs and pain points. Look for patterns that indicate a higher willingness to pay for enhanced features or personalized support.
  2. Develop premium features that cater specifically to the needs of your high-value users. This could include personalized diet plans, advanced macronutrient tracking, integration with wearable devices, or access to a community of nutrition experts. Make these features noticeably superior to the free offerings to justify the upgrade.
  3. Explore the possibility of charging teams or groups rather than individuals. Many companies now offer wellness programs to their employees, which could include a subscription to your calorie tracking app. This approach can provide a more stable and predictable revenue stream.
  4. Consider offering personalized help or consulting services as a premium add-on. This could involve one-on-one coaching sessions with nutritionists, customized meal plans, or ongoing support and accountability. This can make your app more useful and sticky.
  5. Experiment with different pricing models and approaches with small groups of users. A/B test various price points, feature bundles, and promotional offers to identify what resonates best with your target audience. Also, test different ways to present value proposition to users.
  6. Based on criticisms of similar products, prioritize accuracy in calorie estimations and provide detailed macronutrient breakdowns. Ensure your food database is comprehensive and reliable. Implement user feedback mechanisms to continuously improve the accuracy of your data.
  7. Address privacy concerns by offering text input options alongside voice input and ensuring data security. Transparency about how user data is used can build trust and encourage adoption. Clearly communicate your privacy policy to users.
  8. Consider the accessibility of your app across different platforms, particularly Android, given the demand expressed by users of similar apps. Developing an Android version can significantly expand your user base and market reach. Use cross-platform development tools to speed up time to market on Android and iOS simultaneously.
  9. Focus on ease of use and simplify the tracking process as much as possible. Implement innovative features like text-based tracking or AI-powered meal recognition to reduce friction and improve user engagement. Conduct user testing to identify and address any usability issues.

Questions

  1. Given the existing competition, what unique value proposition will your calorie tracking app offer to differentiate itself and attract users who are already using other similar apps?
  2. Considering that users often resist paying for calorie tracking apps, how will you incentivize them to upgrade to a premium version or subscribe to additional services, and what specific features or benefits will justify the cost?
  3. How will you ensure the accuracy of calorie estimations and macronutrient breakdowns in your app, and what measures will you take to address user feedback and continuously improve the reliability of your data?

  • Confidence: High
    • Number of similar products: 30
  • Engagement: Medium
    • Average number of comments: 4
  • Net use signal: 26.0%
    • Positive use signal: 28.4%
    • Negative use signal: 2.3%
  • Net buy signal: -0.8%
    • Positive buy signal: 0.7%
    • Negative buy signal: 1.5%

This chart summarizes all the similar products we found for your idea in a single plot.

The x-axis represents the overall feedback each product received. This is calculated from the net use and buy signals that were expressed in the comments. The maximum is +1, which means all comments (across all similar products) were positive, expressed a willingness to use & buy said product. The minimum is -1 and it means the exact opposite.

The y-axis captures the strength of the signal, i.e. how many people commented and how does this rank against other products in this category. The maximum is +1, which means these products were the most liked, upvoted and talked about launches recently. The minimum is 0, meaning zero engagement or feedback was received.

The sizes of the product dots are determined by the relevance to your idea, where 10 is the maximum.

Your idea is the big blueish dot, which should lie somewhere in the polygon defined by these products. It can be off-center because we use custom weighting to summarize these metrics.

Similar products

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19 Mar 2024 Food & Drink Health & Fitness

Hi guys,I created this app to solve one of my own problems: I found calorie tracking to be a real pain.Now, instead of scanning barcodes, scrolling through lists, or taking photos of food, I just speak into my phone (or computer), tell Calorio what I’ve eaten, and it handles the rest. It uses OpenAI’s APIs to process audio and map foods to calories.It’s free to use without an account, but if you want it to tally daily calories and remember everything you’ve eaten, you’ll need to sign up with your Google account and subscribe (you get 7 days for free).I would really appreciate any feedback; please let me know if you have any questions, issues or suggestions.Thank you! Paul.

Users find calorie tracking challenging and express a preference for text input due to privacy and accuracy concerns. There's specific feedback on inaccurate calorie estimations, notably with chicken breast counts being off. While some users commend the app and appreciate the macros feature, there's a suggestion to look at MacroFactor for voice to text and AI enhancements.

Users criticized the product for privacy issues related to voice input, lack of text input options, unreliable nutritional labels, and inaccurate calorie estimations. The calorie estimation issue was highlighted multiple times, with suggestions for improvement through learning from previous logs. Additionally, users noted the absence of a macros tracking feature, pointing out that a similar feature is available in MacroFactor.

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Speech to Calories (just speak to log your calories automatically)

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I started this as a fasting tracker app, but then I realized I was using ChatGPT a lot for tracking my meals. It was a bit inconvenient as I couldn't make edits easily, no dedicated UI etc.There were a lot of apps that have photo to calories functionality (this app has it too) but I find it much less useful than speaking, as I already weigh my stuff and actually read the nutritional info. So I've made this app, and I'd appreciate any sort of feedback.

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Track your calories more easily by simply taking a picture of your meal. We'll do the rest :)

The launch received positive feedback, with users congratulating Zach and praising the app's ability to save time on food lookups and calorie tracking. The app is described as amazing with great UX/UI, and solid overall. One user inquired about the accuracy of the data presented.

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track-calories.com - AI-powered calorie tracking from photos of your food.

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📷 Track your calories ✅ Focus on simplicity: Upload photos of your meals and receive detailed calorie and nutrient information. ✅ Personalized tracking: Adjust your nutritional goals based on your individual profile.

Users praise the simplicity and ease of use of the Track-Calories.com tool, highlighting its accuracy. A suggestion was made to convert pricing to the user's location.

The primary criticism from the Product Hunt launch feedback is the need for improvement in pricing, specifically the conversion of prices to the user's location for better clarity and user experience.

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FoodTrack - Calorie Tracker - AI Nutrition Scanner & Diary

31 Dec 2024 Artificial Intelligence Nutrition Health & Fitness

Track your calories more easily by simply taking a picture of your meal. Snap a photo of your meal to instantly get a full nutritional breakdown. • Instant Food Scanning • Calorie and Nutrient Tracking • Custom Meal Plans • Virtual Pet Companion

Users appreciate the app's features, particularly the instant food scanning and the engaging experience of calorie tracking with a virtual pet. One user reported weight loss using the app. A user inquired about the app's ability to scan home-cooked meals with mixed ingredients. There is also a request for more detailed calorie breakdowns, specifically including macronutrient information.

The primary criticism is that calorie breakdowns lack macronutrient information. Users expect a more detailed nutritional analysis beyond just calorie counts.

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CalorieAI - Track your calorie intake with photos

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With just a photo or a brief description of your meal, track your calorie intake effortlessly and embark on a journey toward your desired weight goal.

The product launch has been received positively, with users appreciating the core idea of automatic meal calculation via photo analysis. The product is considered easy to use, and users have expressed gratitude for its functionality.

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Nutrition Buddy - Stop counting calories, start enjoying life

11 Aug 2023 Artificial Intelligence Nutrition Health & Fitness

Have you ever tried tracking calories and ended up hating it? With NutritionBuddy you can continue getting insights on your habits without the normal hassle of tracking. Use the power of AI to generate estimates of your meals based on simple descriptions!

Nutrition Buddy's Product Hunt launch garnered positive feedback, with users praising its simplicity, user-friendliness, and ability to simplify nutrition tracking. The speech-to-text feature was specifically highlighted. Many users congratulated the creator, Alejandro, on the launch. A key concern was the app's exclusive availability on Apple devices, with numerous users expressing strong interest in an Android version and some suggesting a web/browser extension. Integration with Strava and focus on calorie deficit were also mentioned as potential improvements. Some users highlighted the benefit of tracking without scales or calculators.

Users criticize the app for not being available on Android, a major drawback for Android users. Additionally, users find existing calorie counting apps, presumably including this one, require too much effort. The lack of Android availability is a recurring concern.

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MealByMeal is a subscription-based meal tracker that helps you count calories and macros over text messages. There's no app – just text what you eat and everything is logged for you. MealByMeal is the easiest way to track your food intake! Try it today!

MealByMeal's Product Hunt launch received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with users praising its easy meal tracking, simplicity, and innovative text-based approach. Many see it as a game-changer and appreciate its potential for sustainable, hassle-free food tracking, especially compared to traditional apps like MyFitnessPal. Several users highlighted the ease of use and how it solves the friction problem in meal tracking. Suggestions included features like meal planning, image recognition, manual adjustments, and expanded country options. Some users expressed concern about calorie counting triggering eating disorders and the daily energy needed.

Several users expressed concerns about the app's availability outside the US, particularly in the EU and the Philippines due to phone number registration issues. Many requested more customization options, including manual input/output adjustments, meal planning, and support for custom foods and diverse measurements. Accuracy compared to alternatives like MyFitnessPal and ChatGPT was questioned. Concerns were raised about the initial energy/complexity being too high and the potential for reinforcing dangerous eating disorder behaviors associated with calorie counting. Differentiation from existing QR code tracking apps was also requested, with users needing more time to assess long-term performance.

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We’ve developed an innovative AI-powered recipe app that helps you achieve your weight goals by calculating your daily calorie needs. Simply input the foods you have or want to eat, and our app will recommend recipes that fit your calorie targets.

FitMeal: AI recipe app for personalized weight goals and nutrition.

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Caloree - Count calories, lose weight

28 Mar 2023 iOS Health & Fitness

Caloree is a calorie counter and food diary for your iPhone. Lose, gain or maintain weight in a snap. Scan barcodes or search among 2 million foods. Monitor your weight on a regular basis. No expensive subscription, no tracking/selling of your data.

Users find the app awesome and are willing to give it a try. The Caloree app is recommended for tracking diet, food intake, and weight. Calorie counting is considered the easiest method for weight loss, and the app is believed to improve accuracy in this process. Users are congratulating the developers.

Users criticize the app's accuracy and difficulty in adding food items that lack barcodes. Improvements are needed in these areas to enhance user experience.

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Calorie Crafter - Meal Tracking Made Easy

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Calorie Crafter simplifies tracking: snap your meal, we calculate macros & calories. Set goals, track progress, and reach targets effortlessly.

Users find the app easy to use and informative, a welcome change from tedious alternatives. A suggestion was made to list calories separately, as the app currently calculates total calories from a photo.

Users find similar apps tedious and quickly lose interest. A key criticism is the lack of detailed calorie information; users want to see a breakdown of calories instead of just a total number.

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Hi all,over the last 2 years I've been on and off building my app for iPhone.Caloree is basically a freemium calorie tracker/food diary with the ability to only track calories. This sets it apart from the competition which usually allows logging a gazillion macros. This (hopefully) makes it easier for users to log their food. Feedback so far has been great.The app launched today, which I am quite proud of. It's been 2 years next to raising 2 small kids which meant to often sacrifice the project when it was moving along nicely and spending way less time on it than I would have wanted to. It was a real test on my patience which is usually not that great :)Let me know if you have any questions or feedback is also greatly appreciated!- Rudy

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Users criticized the product for having a low calorie limit and calculation. They also mentioned that using BMR is less appropriate than TDEE for accurate measurements. Additionally, there were concerns about the source of the food database.

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1500cals is a calorie and excercise tracking tool that I built after losing 50kg myself in 2022 through simply watching what I ate and starting to exercise.The main "trick" I uncovered is simply to plan meals ahead. It sounds boring, it sounds annoying, but really its such a tiny effort for such outsized and life changing rewards that it should be a no-brainer.The existing tools I found were more focused on tracking after eating which is great in terms of capturing data and measuring over time, but I found really didn’t help me with locking in a routine. I wanted to fix this and bring some of this planning side along with tracking into an easy to use app. This is 1500cals!

Users praised the achievement and liked the idea. They suggested making it easier to find ingredients and requested an Android app.

Users find it difficult to locate specific ingredients and are disappointed by the lack of an Android app.

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CalorieCost - Track calories, save money

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CalorieCost helps you track your food expenses and nutrition in one place. Easily monitor meals, analyze nutrition, and optimize your budget. Perfect for anyone looking to maintain a healthy diet while keeping their spending under control.

App tracks expenses and nutrition, simplifies calorie and nutrient calculation.

Food database needs expansion; meal suggestions would improve the app.

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