Skip to content
AppDuo
ReviewsComparisonsBest ofCollectionsVibe Hub

MyFitnessPal vs the Meal: a huge food database or a Vietnamese-food specialist?

By Official AppDuo editorial team · Updated

MyFitnessPal logoMyFitnessPal6.8/10Freemium · $19.99/mothe Meal: Calo & Dinh Dưỡng logothe Meal: Calo & Dinh Dưỡng6.6/10Freemium · ≈ $3.08/mo (₫79,000/mo)

Quick verdict

the Meal targets Vietnamese dishes, with photo logging and cheaper tiers. MyFitnessPal has a huge database and many integrations, but fast logging is paid.

MyFitnessPal has been around since 2005. The company cites over 20.5 million foods and connections to 40+ trackers and health apps. The free version logs nutrition, weight and exercise; barcode scanning, meal scanning and voice logging are Premium, at $19.99/month on the US App Store. There is no Vietnamese interface, and about 150 million accounts were exposed in a 2018 breach.

the Meal comes from a Hanoi company and was released in late 2025. The developer says its AI recognises 5,000+ Vietnamese and international dishes, with nutrition data from USDA and Vietnam's National Institute of Nutrition. The Vietnam App Store lists a Plus tier from 79,000 VND/month (≈ $3.08/month), but nothing says what it unlocks. Public ratings are few, and accuracy claims come mainly from the developer.

Head-to-head

MyFitnessPal leads on 4, the Meal: Calo & Dinh Dưỡng on 4, 2 even

FeatureMyFitnessPalthe Meal: Calo & Dinh Dưỡng
Vietnamese dishes in the database[1],[7],[10],[11],[13]The company cites 20.5M+ foods, but the sources AppDuo read do not say how many are Vietnamese dishes.The developer says it recognises 5,000+ Vietnamese and international dishes (pages disagree: 1,000+, 5,000+, 10,000+), using USDA and National Institute of Nutrition data.
→ If you mostly eat Vietnamese food, the Meal is built around it, though its figures and accuracy are the developer's own claims.
How you log meals for free[1],[11],[13],[15]The free version logs nutrition, weight and exercise, with ads. Barcode scan, meal scan and voice logging are Premium-only.Photograph a dish and the AI estimates calories, protein, carbs and fat. Basic features are free, but nothing states which features are locked.
→ With MyFitnessPal you know the quick-logging tools cost money; with the Meal the free limits are unclear.
Personal plan prices[1],[3],[11]Premium (US App Store): $19.99/month or $79.99/year (about $6.67/month).Vietnam App Store: Plus at 79,000 VND/month (≈ $3.08/month) or 399,000 VND/year (≈ $15.53/year) (about 33,250 VND/month (≈ $1.29/month)); Pro at 149,000 VND/month (≈ $5.80/month) or 799,000 VND/year (≈ $31.10/year).
→ On Vietnamese pricing, MyFitnessPal's own page shows 219,000 VND/month (≈ $8.52/month) for Premium, well above the Meal's 79,000 VND (≈ $3.08) Plus, though what Plus buys is undisclosed.
Knowing what the paid tier includes[1],[3],[11],[15]Premium is itemised: barcode and meal scan, voice logging, custom macros, Net Carbs Mode, intermittent fasting, no ads. Premium+ pricing could not be verified.The App Store prices Plus and Pro, but nothing describes either; the vendor's pricing policy page does not mention them.
→ With MyFitnessPal you know what you get before paying; with the Meal, no public source says.
Trial and refunds[1],[11],[14]7-day Premium trial for users who never upgraded, billed afterwards unless cancelled. No refund terms found; App Store purchases are handled by Apple.No trial period published; the download needs no card. Policies cover 7-day device returns for wrong, defective or damaged items only, not refunds for Plus or Pro.
→ MyFitnessPal lets you try the full paid tier first; cancel before the 7 days end if you do not want to be charged.
Interface languages[3],[11],[13]10 interface languages, including Indonesian, Korean, Japanese and Chinese, but not Vietnamese.Store descriptions are in Vietnamese, but the App Store language field lists only English, so the full set of interface languages is unclear.
→ If English is a hurdle, the Meal, aimed at Vietnamese users, is easier to approach; MyFitnessPal has no Vietnamese menu.
Device connections[3],[7],[15]Apple HealthKit, Google Health Connect, Samsung Health, plus Apple Watch and Wear OS apps; the company cites 40+ trackers and health apps.The sources AppDuo read list only the vendor's own mealFit devices, sold separately: Meal Ring from 1,590,000 to 2,990,000 VND (≈ $116) and the Meal Fit Insight scale at 1,890,000 VND (≈ $73.57).
→ If you already own a watch or use a health app, MyFitnessPal plugs in more easily; the Meal points you to its own hardware.
Privacy[2],[6],[8],[11],[13]About 150 million accounts exposed in 2018. The current policy includes targeted ads, but HealthKit, Health Connect and Samsung Health data are not used for advertising.Promises not to share health data commercially without consent, but other data may be shared widely; the policy shows no update date.
→ MyFitnessPal has a breach on record and the Meal has inconsistent disclosures; read both before entering health data.
Track record and public ratings[3],[4],[5],[11],[12],[13]Launched in 2005. 4.7/5 from over 2.3 million ratings on the US App Store, 4.8/5 from 6,599 in Vietnam.First App Store release on 24 Sep 2025. 4.6/5 on the Vietnam App Store (172 ratings), 4.5/5 on Google Play (77).
→ The Meal's scores rest on too few ratings to say much; even on the Vietnam App Store, MyFitnessPal has 6,599 ratings to its 172.
Support channels[2],[7],[11],[13]The help centre could not be accessed during AppDuo's research; the policy lists a Privacy Request Center for data requests.Email, a hotline and Zalo chat; the developer replies to reviews on both the App Store and Google Play.
→ With a billing or app problem, you can phone the Meal or message it on Zalo.

Prices marked ≈ are converted to USD at the reference rate of Nov 13, 2026 (ExchangeRate-API) so they can be compared. What you pay follows the vendor's price and exchange rate.

Choose MyFitnessPal if…

  • You eat a lot of packaged food and will pay for barcode scanning
  • You wear an Apple Watch or Wear OS watch, or use Samsung Health
  • You want an itemised paid tier and a 7-day trial before paying

Choose the Meal: Calo & Dinh Dưỡng if…

  • You mostly eat Vietnamese food and want to log it by photo
  • You want an app aimed at Vietnamese users, with Zalo or hotline support
  • You accept a new, lightly reviewed app in exchange for lower prices

Accuracy on Vietnamese food: only the vendor's word so far

The Meal's main differentiator is its focus on Vietnamese food, but the figures behind it are self-reported: about 3-second recognition and 90%+ accuracy. Even the number of recognised dishes varies by page, from 1,000+ to 5,000+ to 10,000+. MyFitnessPal's 20.5 million foods is a far larger catalogue, yet the sources AppDuo read do not say how well it covers Vietnamese dishes. According to Wikipedia, MyFitnessPal acquired Cal AI in March 2026, including its food-recognition technology and nutrition database. None of the sources AppDuo read independently checks either app's accuracy, so treat the calorie numbers in both as estimates.

What a year costs

On both apps, paying yearly is far cheaper than paying monthly. MyFitnessPal Premium is $79.99 a year versus $19.99 billed monthly on the US App Store; its Premium page shows 1,119,000 VND (≈ $43.56) a year versus 219,000 VND (≈ $8.52) a month for Vietnam. The Meal's Plus is 399,000 VND (≈ $15.53) a year and Pro 799,000 VND (≈ $31.10) a year on the Vietnam App Store. The difference is that Premium is itemised, while nobody has described Plus or Pro. Each has costs outside the subscription: MyFitnessPal's Premium+ adds meal planning and 1,500+ recipes at an unverified price, and the Meal sells three nutrition courses from 399,000 to 799,000 VND (≈ $31.10). MyFitnessPal's US in-app list also shows $9.99 monthly and $49.99 yearly items without saying when they apply, so check the price your own store account displays before buying.

Health data: an old breach and inconsistent disclosures

In March 2018 Under Armour, MyFitnessPal's owner at the time, disclosed that about 150 million accounts were exposed with usernames, emails and hashed passwords; payment card numbers and government IDs were not affected. The app passed to Francisco Partners in 2020. The current policy (effective 18 March 2025) includes targeted advertising and cross-device tracking, and acknowledges some cookie uses may count as "sales" under certain laws. The sources AppDuo read record no controversies about the Meal, but its privacy policy carries no update date. That policy lets non-health data go to delivery, finance, insurance and marketing partners and to government agencies, at odds with the "no sharing" declaration on Google Play, while the App Store entry says usage data may be used to track you across other companies' apps.

The cost of choosing a new app

MyFitnessPal updates steadily, with version 26.44.0 released on 3 Nov 2026. The Meal is still fixing core features: version 1.0.33 on 2 Nov 2026 added dark mode, fixed step counting and stabilised device connections. On the App Store one user reported being unable to log in, which the developer put down to the open beta; on Google Play a reviewer reported lag after adding a dish. The website still labels the Miu AI assistant as coming soon. In exchange, the Meal offers several direct contact channels and replies to store reviews, whereas MyFitnessPal's help centre could not be opened during AppDuo's research.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Meal's free version limit photo scans?

The sources AppDuo read do not say. The pricing policy only states that basic features are free and that paid plans will be announced clearly.

Can I use MyFitnessPal's GLP-1 tools in Vietnam?

GLP-1 dose logging and reminders are currently US-only. If that is your main reason to choose MyFitnessPal, check in the app before paying.

Can the Meal replace medical advice?

No. The Google Play listing says the app is not a medical device and does not diagnose or treat; even the blood-test analysis is for reference only.

Who is behind each app?

Francisco Partners bought MyFitnessPal from Under Armour in 2020 for $345 million. The Meal belongs to The Meal VN Joint Stock Company in Hoang Mai, Hanoi; on Google Play the developer appears as "the Meal Corporation".

How do I delete my data?

For MyFitnessPal, submit a request through the Privacy Request Center, subject to legal exceptions. For the Meal, ask by email, via the hotline or through in-app support.

Sources

Numbers in the table refer to these sources, read on the dates shown.

  1. 1.MyFitnessPal Premium page · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  2. 2.MyFitnessPal privacy policy (effective 2025-03-18) · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  3. 3.App Store listing (US) · store · Nov 10, 2026
  4. 4.App Store listing (Vietnam, via iTunes lookup) · store · Nov 10, 2026
  5. 5.Wikipedia: MyFitnessPal · Community-reported · Nov 10, 2026
  6. 6.Under Armour Form 8-K (2018-03-29) · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  7. 7.Official website (themeal.vn) · Vendor-provided · Nov 13, 2026
  8. 8.Official privacy policy · Vendor-provided · Nov 13, 2026
  9. 9.Official terms of service · Vendor-provided · Nov 13, 2026
  10. 10.Official about page · Vendor-provided · Nov 13, 2026
  11. 11.App Store listing (Vietnam) · store · Nov 13, 2026
  12. 12.iTunes lookup API (Vietnam) · store · Nov 13, 2026
  13. 13.Google Play listing · store · Nov 13, 2026
  14. 14.Official returns policy · Vendor-provided · Nov 13, 2026
  15. 15.Official pricing policy · Vendor-provided · Nov 13, 2026

Prepared by the AppDuo Editorial Team from the sources cited in this article. AI assists with organising and cross-checking data; editorial responsibility remains with AppDuo.

Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to share your experience.

Comments are readers’ opinions, not content from the AppDuo Editorial Team.