Source-backed analysis8
Review basis
Research-based review: the AppDuo Editorial Team compiled it from official pages, documentation, app stores, press and user feedback, without hands-on testing. Every claim links to a source with the date it was checked.
8 reference sourcesInformation updated Nov 13, 2026
How we review
Wao Review
Calorie counter built around Vietnamese food; free basics, AI logging is paid
By AppDuo Editorial Team · Updated · Fact-checked
- iOS
- Android
On this page
Decide at a glance
Our verdict
Wao suits people who mostly eat Vietnamese food and want quick photo or voice logging on a low-cost yearly plan. The trade-offs: AI logging is paid, the interface is Vietnamese and English only, and its Google Play rating trails the App Store.
Best for: People who eat Vietnamese home cooking and street food and want a local food database
Skip it if: People who need an interface language other than Vietnamese or English
Pros
- Over 2 million foods, mostly Vietnamese, per the developer, with nutrition data drawn from USDA and Vietnam's National Institute of Nutrition.
- The free tier already includes food logging, calorie, weight and water tracking, sample meal plans and basic reports.
- The yearly plan is $19.99 (about $1.67/month), well below paying monthly.
Cons
- AI photo and voice logging are Premium-only; the free tier allows 3 barcode scans per day.
- Interface in Vietnamese and English only.
All pros and cons · Who is it for?
More pros
- Syncs with Apple Health for calories burned, steps, activities and wearables.
- Rated 4.7/5 on the Vietnam App Store from about 1,480 ratings.
More cons
- Google Play rating is 4.1/5 (474 reviews), well below the App Store.
- The privacy policy allows sharing data with advertising and marketing partners.
Best for
- People who want to start free before deciding to pay
Skip it if
- People who don't want meal photos sent to Google or OpenAI for AI processing
Experience & key features
What Wao is
Wao is a calorie and nutrition tracker from Bewao Corporation in Ho Chi Minh City, released on the App Store in November 2024. Users log meals by voice, photo or typing and track calories, protein, carbs and fat. The developer says its database holds more than 2 million items, mostly Vietnamese dishes from home cooking to street food and milk tea.
Key features
The free tier offers food search, custom foods, nutritionist-designed sample meal plans, weight, water and step tracking and basic reports. The store description says nutrition data comes from USDA, Vietnam's National Institute of Nutrition and sources from Japan, Korea, Thailand and Taiwan. Premium unlocks unlimited AI photo and voice logging, recipe ideas from ingredients on hand, weekly reports and custom micronutrient targets. Per the privacy policy, meal photos are recognised by Google Gemini and recipe suggestions use OpenAI's GPT-4o.
Pricing
On the US App Store, Premium costs $0.99/week, $2.99/month or $19.99/year; the website lists the Vietnamese prices and a 14-day free trial. The yearly plan works out to about $1.67/month, well below paying monthly. All plans are for individuals; no business plan was found.
More analysis
Compared with alternatives
Wao targets people who eat Vietnamese food, while MyFitnessPal and YAZIO serve a broader market in more languages. Cal AI also logs calories from photos; Wao's stated edge is its Vietnamese food database. No public source independently compares food-recognition accuracy across these apps.
Screenshots
Plans & pricing
Prices last verified Nov 13, 2026
Free
PersonalFree
Food search, daily calorie logging, custom foods, sample meal plans, weight, water and step tracking, basic reports, Apple Health sync; barcode scans capped at 3 per day.
Premium
Personal$2.99/mo
$1.67/mo billed yearly
Unlimited AI photo logging, voice logging and barcode scans, AI meal and recipe suggestions, weekly reports, custom calorie and micronutrient targets. The US App Store lists $0.99/week, $2.99/month and $19.99/year; the website mentions a 14-day free trial.
- Free plan limits
- The free tier has no time limit and covers food logging and basic reports. AI logging and unlimited barcode scans require Premium.
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial · no credit card
Cancellation & refunds
No separate refund policy was found. Subscriptions are bought through the App Store or Google Play, so refunds follow store rules.
Privacy
The privacy policy (web version on bewao.vn) says BEWAO collects name, email, phone number, date of birth, gender, weight, height, device details and advertising identifiers. Meal photos and voice-log text go to Google Gemini; ingredient photos for recipe suggestions go to OpenAI (GPT-4o). The company says health profile data is not sent along and the AI providers do not train on it. The policy also allows sharing with advertising, marketing and analytics partners such as Google. Users can delete their account and data in the app. The App Store label lists health, contact, user content, usage and diagnostics data linked to the user, used for app functionality, analytics, personalisation and the developer's own marketing.
Wao alternatives
Controversies & incidents
Issues documented by the press, regulators, courts or the vendor itself. Every item is sourced; unproven claims are labelled as allegations. Last researched: Nov 13, 2026
No significant controversies or incidents found in the sources we checked.
Frequently asked questions
Is Wao free?
Yes. The website says the free tier is free forever. On the US App Store, Premium costs $0.99/week, $2.99/month or $19.99/year.
Which platforms does Wao run on?
iPhone (App Store) and Android (Google Play). No web version was found.
Does Wao support Vietnamese?
Yes. The App Store lists Vietnamese and English.
Where do meal photos taken in Wao go?
Per the privacy policy, meal photos and voice-log text go to Google Gemini and ingredient photos for recipe ideas go to OpenAI. The company says weight, height and health goals are not sent.
Can Wao replace medical advice?
No. The app's description says its nutrition information is for reference only; people with medical conditions should consult a doctor or nutritionist.
Review evidence & sources8
Scores
- Ease of use
- 7.5
- Features
- 7.0
- Value for money
- 7.5
- Performance
- 6.5
- Support
- 6.0
- Privacy & security
- 6.0
Why this score
Meals can be logged by photo, voice or typing, and the Vietnamese food database cuts manual entry. Interface in Vietnamese and English only. Vietnam App Store rating 4.7/5.
Why this score
Large Vietnamese food database, barcode scanning, sample meal plans, AI recipe suggestions, micronutrient targets and Apple Health sync. No web app or integrations beyond Apple Health were found.
Why this score
A lasting, fairly complete free tier. Premium is $2.99/month or $19.99/year (about $1.67/month), with a $0.99 weekly option on the US App Store. The yearly price is low, though free barcode scans are capped.
Why this score
Google Play rating of 4.1/5 (474 reviews) trails the App Store's 4.7/5. The 12 Nov 2026 update added a review process for food data. No independent measurement of recognition accuracy was found.
Why this score
Contact by email ([email protected], [email protected]), a company phone line and a Facebook community. No help centre or documentation was found.
Why this score
The policy names Google Gemini and OpenAI as recipients of meal photos (without health profile data) and offers in-app account deletion. But the app collects advertising identifiers, the policy permits sharing with advertising and marketing partners, and the App Store label lists health data linked to the user and used for marketing. No reported breach was found.
What users say
- App Store (Việt Nam)4.7/5 · 1,482
- App Store (US)4.7/5 · 26
- Google Play4.1/5 · 474
Sources
- Vendor-providedOfficial site and pricing (wao.vn)Nov 13, 2026
- Vendor-providedOfficial company site (bewao.vn): address, phone, emailNov 13, 2026
- storeApp Store listing (Vietnam)Nov 13, 2026
- storeiTunes lookup API (Vietnam)Nov 13, 2026
- storeGoogle Play listingNov 13, 2026
- storeiTunes lookup API (US)Nov 13, 2026
- Vendor-providedBEWAO privacy policy (web)Nov 13, 2026
- storeApp Store listing (US) with USD in-app pricesNov 13, 2026
Specs & compatibility
- Developer
- Bewao Corporation
- Headquarters
- Vietnam
- Launched
- 2024
- Category
- Health
Capabilities
- AI features
- Mobile app
- Integrations
Platforms
- iOS
- Android
Interface languages
- Vietnamese
- English
Integrations
- Apple Health
Support
- Phone
Change history
- Feature.Version 1.16.19 makes the Vietnamese wording consistent across the app and adds a review process for food data.
- Update.Per the website, Apple features Wao in an App Store Spotlight in Vietnam.
- Launch.Wao launches on the App Store.
About the author
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