ParrotPalLooking for a MyFitnessPal alternative? Here's how ParrotPal is different
MyFitnessPal suits people who like detailed food logging. ParrotPal is built for people who find logging a chore and want protein and muscle protection front and centre.
Which suits you?
4 questions1Which phone do you use?
2How do you feel about logging food?
3Is protein or muscle your main focus?
4Are you taking a GLP-1 medicine?
Answer the four questions for a plain suggestion. It may well be MyFitnessPal.
MyFitnessPal and ParrotPal side by side
Only facts each company states on its own website. We haven't compared prices or ratings, because they change and depend on the plan you pick.
| What | MyFitnessPal | ParrotPal |
|---|---|---|
| Phones | iPhone and Android, plus a website | iPhone only |
| Ways to log food | Search, barcode scan (a Premium tool), Meal Scan photo logging and Voice Log | Talk to it, snap a photo, type a message or scan a barcode |
| Food database | Its site says 20.5 million foods | No database size published |
| What it tracks | Calories, macros, vitamins and other micronutrients, plus water, weight, exercise and steps | Food and training, with protein front and centre |
| Built around | Detailed nutrition tracking | LeanShield, a muscle protection score from 1 to 100 that rates protein, strength work and eating enough |
| Workouts | You can track your exercise | Suggests workouts for you, to lift your LeanShield score |
| For people on a GLP-1 | Log doses and side effects alongside your nutrition | Puts protein and muscle protection first |
| Cost to start | Free account; Premium is paid, with a 7-day free trial for first-time Premium users | 7-day free trial, then a subscription |
Sources: myfitnesspal.com; cronometer.com; the ParrotPal App Store page. All checked on 1 October 2026. Features and prices change, so check each app before you sign up.
A MyFitnessPal alternative for people who find logging tedious
ParrotPal is an iPhone app for logging food and training. You tell it what you ate, by voice, photo or a quick typed message, much like texting a friend, and it handles the maths and the targets.
- Protein comes first. ParrotPal is built around eating enough protein, rather than a long list of nutrients.
- A muscle protection score. LeanShield gives you a score from 1 to 100. It rates three habits linked to protecting muscle while you lose weight: eating enough protein, doing strength work and eating enough overall. It doesn't measure muscle.
- Workouts chosen for you. ParrotPal suggests workouts to lift your score, so you know the next thing to do.
- iPhone only. There's no Android app.
4.7★ on the App Store · 700,000+ people · iPhone
When MyFitnessPal may suit you better
MyFitnessPal is a good fit if you enjoy logging every food in detail, want a very large food database to search, or use an Android phone. Its website says it has 20.5 million foods, and that it tracks calories, macros, vitamins and other micronutrients, plus water, weight, exercise and steps. If that's what you want, there's no need to switch.
Cronometer vs MyFitnessPal
If your interest is vitamins and minerals, Cronometer is another app people often compare with MyFitnessPal. Cronometer says it tracks up to 95 nutrients and compounds, has a database of over 1 million verified foods and a free barcode scanner, and runs on the web, iPhone and Android. MyFitnessPal is also on all three. ParrotPal is different again: it is about protein and muscle protection rather than a full nutrient breakdown.
Is there a free macro tracking app?
Yes. MyFitnessPal and Cronometer both offer free versions, with paid upgrades. MyFitnessPal's website lists Barcode Scan and Custom Macro Goals among its Premium tools. ParrotPal isn't free: it has a 7-day free trial with all features, then a subscription.
If you're on a GLP-1 medicine
With a small appetite, eating enough protein can be the hardest part of the day. It matters because weight lost isn't all fat. In the big GLP-1 trial, about 4 in every 10 kilos people lost weren't fat (STEP 1 body scans: 5.3 kg of 13.6 kg lost was lean mass; Wilding et al., 2021). That's lean mass, muscle included.
A review of 49 trials found that, with strength training, extra muscle from more protein levelled off at around 1.6 g per kg of body weight a day (Morton et al., 2018, British Journal of Sports Medicine). That's an average: some people do better on more, up to about 2.2 g per kg, so treat it as a target to reach rather than a ceiling. ParrotPal's targets use that figure, counted up to a healthy weight for your height. A practical habit is 25 to 30 g of protein a meal, or four smaller sittings if full meals are hard. Your prescriber or a dietitian can set a target that fits you.
Try ParrotPal, or start with your numbers
ParrotPal has a 7-day free trial on iPhone. Or work out your protein target first, or get a free LeanShield score from a few answers.
Try ParrotPal free Work out my protein Get your free LeanShield scoreQuestions people ask
Is ParrotPal free?
ParrotPal has a 7-day free trial with access to all features, then it is a paid subscription. MyFitnessPal and Cronometer both offer free versions, with paid upgrades, according to their own websites.
Is ParrotPal on Android?
No. ParrotPal is only available on iPhone. If you use Android, MyFitnessPal and Cronometer both have Android apps.
How do I log food in ParrotPal?
Tell it what you ate, by voice, photo or a quick typed message, much like texting a friend. It handles the maths and the targets.
What is the difference between Cronometer and MyFitnessPal?
Both are food trackers available on the web, iPhone and Android, and both have free versions. Cronometer says it tracks up to 95 nutrients and compounds and has over 1 million verified foods. MyFitnessPal says its database has 20.5 million foods. Facts checked on each company's website on 1 October 2026.
Does the LeanShield score measure my muscle?
No. LeanShield rates the habits linked to protecting muscle while you lose weight: eating enough protein, doing strength work and eating enough overall. It is not a medical device and does not measure muscle.
Also from ParrotPal
Please read. This page is general information, not medical advice. Facts about other apps come from their own websites on 1 October 2026 and may have changed since. If you're on a GLP-1 medicine or have a medical condition, follow the advice of your prescriber, GP or dietitian.
MyFitnessPal and Cronometer are trademarks of their respective owners. ParrotPal isn't affiliated with or endorsed by either company. LeanShield™ is ParrotPal's muscle protection score: it rates the habits linked to protecting muscle, is not a medical device and doesn't measure muscle.