MyFitnessPal Alternative for Asian Food: Bao, Compared on Price, Ads and Chinese UI
Bao is a calorie tracker for iPhone that covers Western and Asian food in one app (its listing names burgers and pasta as well as ramen and pho): it names dishes from a photo and has no ads on any plan. Here is how it compares with MyFitnessPal on price, ads, photo AI and Chinese interface, from both apps' App Store pages read on October 31, 2026.
We are Bao, so we are not neutral, and we are not affiliated with MyFitnessPal. That is why every competitor cell below is something its store page says, with the date. We do not claim Bao is more accurate, because we have not scanned the same plates in both apps.
The chart
Two rows from the chart we use on every comparison page. Scroll sideways on a phone.
| App | Price shown (store page) | Free tier | Photo AI | Chinese UI listed | Names Asian dishes in its listing | Rating US (count) | Rating TW (count) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bao | Pro: $4.99 weekly, $9.99 monthly, $59.99 annual | Free download; “Try Pro free for 7 days” | Yes: “logs both from one photo” | English and Traditional Chinese (2 languages) | Yes. US listing: dim sum, ramen, bento, boba, pho, curry, “Taiwanese street food,” “beef noodle soup.” Taiwan listing (Chinese names, given here in English): braised pork rice, Taiwanese fried chicken, bubble tea, lunchbox, street snacks, self-serve buffet | 5.0 (4) | 4.8 (10) |
| MyFitnessPal | $9.99 to $79.99 across 10 Premium entries shown | Free download; “start your free Premium trial”; Premium lists barcode scan, meal scan, voice logging, ad-free logging | “Meal scan” listed under Premium; the description does not use the word “photo” | Simplified and Traditional Chinese (20 languages) | None found | 4.71 (2,386,714) | 4.72 (23,871) |
Facts read from each app's App Store page and Apple's public listing data on October 31, 2026. Prices and ratings change; check the store before you decide. Bao's own rating is from 4 ratings in the US and 10 in Taiwan. Prices are the range of entries the store page shows, which does not say which entry is current.
Sources, read October 31, 2026: Bao and MyFitnessPal (US storefront), ratings from https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=<app id>&country=us and country=tw. All eight apps are in the full chart.
Where MyFitnessPal is stronger
MyFitnessPal has 2,386,714 US ratings (read October 31, 2026) against Bao's 4. Its US listing also says you can log from “20.5M+ foods, including restaurant dishes,” a database claim Bao's listing does not make. Its listing lists 20 languages, including both Simplified and Traditional Chinese, where Bao lists two.
Where Bao is different
Bao scans a whole menu before you order. It reads the menu in the language it is printed in and gives an AI estimate for each dish, which is separate from scanning one plate after it is served.
Bao shows dish names in three languages, and its listing names Taiwanese dishes. Bao shows no ads on any plan. MyFitnessPal's listing, by comparison, lists ad-free logging under Premium. Bao is free to download with a 7-day free trial of Pro, then $4.99 weekly, $9.99 monthly or $59.99 annual. Every Bao figure is an AI estimate, not a lab measurement.
What we did not test
We did not run the same plates through both apps, so we make no accuracy claim either way. We did not install MyFitnessPal or test its food database, search or Meal Scan. We read public store pages on one day.
Common questions
Is there a free MyFitnessPal alternative? Bao is free to download and starts with a 7-day free trial of Pro; Pro then costs $4.99 weekly, $9.99 monthly or $59.99 annual, as its US listing prints. MyFitnessPal's US listing also says free download and a free Premium trial. We did not test what either free tier allows.
MyFitnessPal vs Cronometer: which is better for Asian food? We compared listings, not accuracy, so we cannot say which is better. On October 31, 2026, MyFitnessPal's US listing lists Simplified and Traditional Chinese and Premium meal scan. Cronometer's US listing lists English only and photo and voice logging under Gold. Neither listing names a Taiwanese dish.
Does MyFitnessPal have a Chinese interface? According to its App Store listing, yes. On October 31, 2026, the Languages field of MyFitnessPal's US listing showed Simplified and Traditional Chinese among 20 languages. We did not open the app to check how complete the translation is.
Is Bao a MyFitnessPal alternative for Asian food, including Taiwanese dishes? Bao is a different calorie tracker: one app for Western and Asian food. Its US listing names burgers, pasta and steak as well as dim sum, ramen, bento, boba, pho and curry; its Taiwan listing also names braised pork rice, Taiwanese fried chicken, bubble tea, lunchbox, street snacks and a self-serve buffet (Chinese names, given here in English), and MyFitnessPal's listing names none of those dishes. We make Bao and did not test accuracy for either app.
Does Bao have ads? No. Bao shows no ads on any plan, free trial included.
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