If you’re searching for a Lifesum alternative for meal planning, you probably log your food well already. Lifesum makes that pleasant. What you may not have is an answer, at 5:40 on a weeknight, to “so what am I actually cooking?”
That’s a different job from tracking, and it’s the one a planning-first app is built for. This post compares the two honestly, including the cases where you should stay with Lifesum.
The short answer
Lifesum is a food tracker that sells meal plans as part of Premium. MyNutriPlanner is a meal planner that includes tracking. If the hard part of your day is recording what you ate, Lifesum is a strong choice. If the hard part is deciding what to eat, start with the MyNutriPlanner.
Tracking records the day. Planning decides it.
A food log is a record of a day that’s over. It’s useful, but it works backwards: you eat, you log, you see the numbers afterwards.
A plan works forwards. You set targets once, build the week against them, and the decisions are made before you open the fridge. Logging then confirms the plan instead of explaining what went wrong. (We wrote more about this in our MyFitnessPal alternative comparison.)
What Lifesum offers
Here is what Lifesum says about itself, as of October 12, 2026:
• Logging is the headline. The App Store listing describes logging meals by photo, voice, text or barcode, plus a macro tracker and a water tracker [1].
• Meal plans sit in Premium. Lifesum’s help center lists plans and programs built by nutritionists, with examples such as a three-week weight loss plan, intermittent fasting, sugar detox and a vegan week [2]. The App Store listing says plans come with grocery lists [1].
• Recipes are Premium too. The listing mentions “thousands of recipes” [1], and the help center says Premium includes full recipe access [2].
• Macro goals are adjustable. You can set your own targets for carbs, protein and fat [1][2].
• The app is free to download with limited features, with Premium auto-renewing unless cancelled [1].
• Pricing varies. The US App Store listing shows several Premium options, from $7.49 for one month to $119.99 for a year, depending on the offer [1]. Check the price you’re shown before you subscribe.
That’s a capable package, especially if you want a structured program and strong logging in one app.
How MyNutriPlanner handles it
MyNutriPlanner starts from the plan and works outward. Here is how it plans meals around your macros:
• Targets first. Your macros are calculated with science-backed formulas, and micronutrient goals follow national recommendation guidelines [3]. You can adjust them.
• Auto-Generate Week. Set your filters (diet type, cuisine, cook time and more) and it builds a seven-day plan to fit your targets. Swap or regenerate any meal.
• 50,000+ recipes to draw on.
• One grocery list, grouped by aisle, built from the week’s plan.
• Tracking is included. Log as you go if you like. It just isn’t the point.
Set your filters once; Auto-Generate Week builds the seven days.
Pricing is one plan: $9.99 a month or $69.99 a year, after a free 7-day trial.
Side by side
| Feature | Lifesum | MyNutriPlanner |
|---|---|---|
| Built around | Logging meals (photo, voice, text, barcode) | Planning what you'll eat |
| Meal plans | Premium: plans and programs, some built around named diets | Core of the app: a week built from your targets |
| Recipes | "Thousands" (Premium) | 50,000+ |
| Grocery list from the plan | Yes, with meal plans | Yes, grouped by aisle |
| Macro goals | Adjustable carbs, protein, fat | Calculated from your profile; adjustable |
| Food logging | Strong, with several shortcuts | Included |
| Price (US App Store, Oct 12, 2026) | Premium from $7.49 a month to $119.99 a year, depending on the offer | $9.99/mo or $69.99/yr |
| Free option | Free to download, limited features | 7-day free trial |
Prices and features checked October 12, 2026. Both apps change; check the current listings before you subscribe.
Want the week built for you? Start your free 7-day trial.
When Lifesum is the better choice
A comparison that only goes one way isn’t much use, so here’s the other side.
Stay with Lifesum if:
• Logging is your main need. Photo, voice and barcode logging, and a water tracker, are things Lifesum puts front and centre [1].
• You like following a named program or diet plan from a nutritionist-built list [2].
• Price matters most. Some of Lifesum’s annual offers cost less than $69.99 a year, so compare the exact price you’re offered [1].
• You’re already happy with it. Switching has a cost, and a plan only helps if you’ll use it.
Switch to a planning-first app if:
• You know your numbers but can’t turn them into a week of meals.
• You log faithfully and still end the day wondering what to cook.
• You want the week built from your own targets rather than from a preset program.
• You want the grocery list to come out of the plan, not be a separate job.
Plenty of people do both for a while: plan the week in one app and keep a logging streak alive in the other. Nothing wrong with that.
How to switch without starting from zero
You don’t need to export anything. MyNutriPlanner quickly calculates your nutrient goals based on your activity level and goals. Check out MyNutriPlanner’s macro calculator here. You can also create custom recipes so you keep your favorites, while also generating new plans and exploring recipes. Judge it on a real week, not a first impression. That’s why the trial is seven days.
Pick the recipes once; the grocery list comes out of the plan.
If it works, you’ll notice by Wednesday, which is usually when a week without a plan starts to wobble. Explore our features to see all the ways you can easily create your week’s plan.
Frequently asked questions
Does Lifesum have meal plans? Yes. Meal plans and programs are part of Lifesum Premium, according to Lifesum’s help center and App Store listing as of October 12, 2026.
How much does Lifesum Premium cost? The US App Store listing shows several Premium options, from $7.49 for one month to $119.99 for a year, depending on the offer. Check the price shown to you before subscribing.
Is there a Lifesum alternative that builds the week for you? MyNutriPlanner’s Auto-Generate Week builds a seven-day plan from your targets and filters, then turns it into one grocery list. It costs $9.99 a month or $69.99 a year after a free 7-day trial.
Can I still track calories and macros in MyNutriPlanner? Yes. Tracking is built in. The app is designed around planning first, so logging mostly confirms what you planned.
Is MyNutriPlanner a medical or diet programme? No. It’s a planning and tracking tool. It doesn’t diagnose, treat or give medical advice.
Plan what to eat next. Start your free 7-day trial of MyNutriPlanner and build your first week in minutes.
Sources
1. Lifesum AB. “Lifesum: AI Calorie Counter.” Apple App Store listing (US), accessed October 12, 2026. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lifesum-diet-macro-tracker/id286906691
2. Lifesum Help Center. “What do I get when I buy Premium?” Updated May 28, 2026. https://help.lifesum.com/en/article/what-do-i-get-when-i-buy-premium-1vzq8pz/
3. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov
Prices and features were checked on October 12, 2026.
