MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal is a nutrition tracking and calorie counting app that helps users monitor their diet and exercise. It's designed for individuals looking to manage their weight, track macronutrients, and maintain healthy eating habits through a comprehensive food database and logging system.
Score generated by AI agents based on publicly cited evidence and reviewed by the project maintainer. Not independently validated. Last assessed 2026-09-26. Score revised 2026-09-26: 60 → 50.
Score History
Timeline events are AI-curated from public reporting. Score trajectory is derived from documented events.
Mike Lee launches MyFitnessPal as a free, bootstrapped calorie-tracking website supported by simple ads. There are no investors and no subscription tier, and the food database grows from user contributions. The product's incentives are aligned with its users'.
The iPhone app turns MyFitnessPal into a mainstream mobile tool that grows by word of mouth, and the free barcode scanner becomes a signature feature. It stays free and ad-supported, and an $18 million Series A in 2013 is its first outside funding. Users begin building years of diary history and custom foods inside the app.
Under Armour buys MyFitnessPal for $475 million as part of a Connected Fitness push. In May 2015 a first Premium tier ($9.99/month or $49.99/year) adds macro customization and ad-free use, and the free core stays intact. The Connected Fitness unit struggles: a small layoff in 2017, a $29 million goodwill impairment, and the founders' December 2017 announcement that they will leave.
The founders' exit removes product stewardship. In 2018 a breach exposes 150 million accounts, and the resulting class action is pushed into individual arbitration. In November 2019 free diaries become limited to two years of history, and by December 2019 Premium costs about $20 a month, roughly double its launch price. Under Armour then sells the business at a loss.
Francisco Partners closes its $345 million purchase, and Tricia Han becomes CEO in March 2021, inheriting an app with years of under-investment. Premium already holds data export and gram-level macros. Revenue reaches an estimated $171 million in 2021 as the new owner prepares a heavier push to convert free users.
MyFitnessPal announces that the barcode scanner will go Premium-only in October 2022, as free users complain of full-screen interstitial ads, some with auto-playing sound. Revenue climbs to an estimated $247 million in 2022 and $329 million in 2024. NOYB files a GDPR complaint with the CNIL in September 2023, a March 2024 data-corruption incident alters users' logs, and the CEO seat changes hands twice before Mike Fisher takes over in January 2024.
The acquisition of Intent starts a phase of buying rivals and adding tiers. An advertising revenue chief arrives from Uber in March 2025, and Premium+ launches at $99.99/year in April. The Shah tracking-cookie class action is filed in May 2025. The deal for Cal AI, the fastest-growing AI rival, closes in December 2025, and the cookie suit's privacy claims survive dismissal in January 2026. Estimated revenue slips 5.7% in 2025.
MyFitnessPal launches MyFitnessPal Ads, selling brands interstitials, home-screen takeovers and branded content targeted with members' logged food and goals. This comes two weeks after it announced the Cal AI deal, and within days of the alleged breach of 3 million Cal AI accounts. In April a forced redesign replacing the Diary draws user backlash, Apple briefly pulls Cal AI for deceptive billing, and Reuters reports the owner is exploring a sale at over $1 billion. The period is defined by preparing the business for an exit while making health data an advertising asset.
Alternatives
Calorie and nutrition tracking app with more granular micronutrient data than MyFitnessPal and food entries drawn from lab-analyzed databases such as the NCCDB and USDA or verified by staff. Less gamified, more clinically focused. Switching takes some effort: MyFitnessPal's CSV export requires Premium, so free users must re-enter key foods.
Calorie tracking app with a free basic tier that includes a personalized calorie budget and a 50M+ food database. Easy switch — no data migration needed, just set up a new profile. Premium is $79.99/year, the same as MyFitnessPal's annual Premium, and also includes barcode scanning; a $299.99 one-time Lifetime option avoids recurring fees.
Dimensional Breakdown
Summaries below were written by AI agents based on the cited evidence. They are editorial interpretations, not independent research findings.
Dimension History
Timeline (48 events)
MyFitnessPal Launches as Web-Based Calorie Tracker
Mike Lee launches MyFitnessPal as a web-based calorie tracking tool after building it as a side project to track his diet before his wedding. The service is entirely free and bootstrapped with no external funding. Brother Albert Lee later joins as co-founder.
MyFitnessPal Launches iOS App, User Growth Explodes
MyFitnessPal releases its iPhone app, marking a turning point for the company. Mobile food logging accelerates user growth to millions of new users a month through word-of-mouth adoption.
MyFitnessPal Raises $18M Series A from Kleiner Perkins and Accel
After eight years of bootstrapped profitability, MyFitnessPal raises its first external funding: an $18 million Series A led by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers with participation from Accel Partners. John Doerr and Andrew Braccia join the board. The company plans to hire and expand globally.
Under Armour Acquires MyFitnessPal for $475 Million
Under Armour acquires MyFitnessPal for $475 million as part of a $710 million Connected Fitness spending spree that also included Endomondo ($85M) and built on its earlier MapMyFitness acquisition ($150M). MyFitnessPal had 80 million registered users at the time. The acquisition shifts the company from bootstrapped independence to corporate subsidiary.
MyFitnessPal Launches First Premium Subscription Tier
Three months after the Under Armour acquisition, MyFitnessPal introduces its first premium subscription tier at $9.99/month or $49.99/year. Premium adds macro goal customization, food analysis, and an ad-free experience. The core features — barcode scanning, food logging, database access — remain free.
Under Armour Lays Off Connected Fitness Employees
Under Armour cuts about two dozen employees from its Connected Fitness unit, which includes MyFitnessPal, MapMyFitness, and Endomondo. Most affected employees are affiliated with the Endomondo app in Copenhagen. Under Armour calls the cuts part of an 'ongoing strategic alignment' program.
Under Armour Takes $29M Goodwill Impairment on Connected Fitness
Under Armour absorbs $29 million in goodwill impairment charges for its Connected Fitness segment in Q3 2017 as part of its restructuring plan. For full-year 2017 the segment's operating loss widens to $55.3 million from $36.8 million the prior year, driven by $47.8 million in restructuring and impairment charges.
MyFitnessPal Co-Founders Mike and Albert Lee Depart
Under Armour announces that MyFitnessPal co-founders Mike Lee, then Under Armour's chief digital officer, and his brother Albert Lee, who worked on product development, will leave the company in January 2018 to pursue their next entrepreneurial ventures, nearly three years after the $475 million acquisition. Their departure removes the founders' influence over product direction.
Data Breach Exposes 150 Million MyFitnessPal Accounts
Under Armour discloses that an unauthorized party acquired data from approximately 150 million MyFitnessPal user accounts in February 2018. Exposed data includes usernames, email addresses, and hashed passwords; payment data, collected separately, was not affected. Under Armour's stock drops as much as 3.8% on the news.
Class Action Filed Over MyFitnessPal Data Breach
MyFitnessPal user Rebecca Elizabeth Murray files a class action against Under Armour in California alleging breach of contract, negligence, invasion of privacy, and violations of California consumer protection laws following the 150 million account breach. Under Armour moves to compel individual arbitration based on the app's terms of use.
User Questions GDPR Compliance of US Processing of EU Health Data
As GDPR takes effect in May 2018, a UK user argues on the MyFitnessPal forum that EEA users' sensitive health data is processed in the US without Privacy Shield coverage and that the app is therefore not GDPR compliant. Another user reports emailing the company with the same concern and being ignored.
Stolen MyFitnessPal Data Appears for Sale on Dark Web
One year after the breach, stolen MyFitnessPal credentials appear for sale on the dark web alongside data from 15 other hacked websites, with an asking price under $20,000 in Bitcoin. MyFitnessPal says the credentials are no longer valid on the site because users were required to change passwords, but reused passwords remain exposed to credential-stuffing attacks.
Data Breach Class Action Sent to Individual Arbitration
U.S. District Judge Fernando M. Olguin grants Under Armour's motion to compel individual arbitration in the MyFitnessPal data breach class action, ruling that the plaintiff had 'clearly and unmistakably delegated the arbitrability issue to the arbitrator' under the app's terms of use.
Under Armour Launches MyFitnessPal Plans Feature
Under Armour launches MyFitnessPal Plans, structured nutrition and fitness programs developed in consultation with its Human Performance and Nutrition experts. Select plans are available for free, while most require Premium.
Free Diary Data Limited to Two-Year Retention
MyFitnessPal announces that beginning November 1, 2019, free accounts will only retain diary data from the last two years. Food, exercise, and water entries older than two years become inaccessible unless users upgrade to Premium. Weight and measurement data is not affected. Users who had logged for years face losing their historical food diary data.
Premium Monthly Price Roughly Doubles to About $20
By December 2019, still under Under Armour ownership, users notice Premium priced at about $20 a month in the app, roughly double the original $9.99 (a same-day thread reports $19.99/month and $99.99/year in iOS versus $9.99/$49.99 on the website). In April 2021 users describe the new subscription as almost twice the old price, and by 2022 Premium is $19.99/month or $79.99/year.
Francisco Partners Acquires MyFitnessPal for $345 Million
Under Armour announces the sale of MyFitnessPal to private equity firm Francisco Partners for $345 million — $130 million less than the $475 million Under Armour paid in 2015. The sale closes December 18, 2020. Under Armour simultaneously shuts down Endomondo but retains MapMyFitness. MyFitnessPal had over 200 million registered users at the time of sale.
Francisco Partners Installs Tricia Han as CEO
MyFitnessPal appoints Tricia Han as CEO, the first chief executive under Francisco Partners ownership. Han later describes inheriting an app with years of under-investment, many outages and bugs, while managing a pandemic and a restructuring.
Free Tier Saturated with Full-Screen Interstitial Ads
As features move behind the paywall, the free tier becomes increasingly ad-heavy. Users report full-page ads appearing while tracking food, including a video ad that auto-played with full audio. Community posts describe the advertising as making food tracking a 'hassle' and 'unbearable', with several long-time users saying they will switch apps.
Users Report Auto-Playing Audio Ads During Food Logging
Community forum complaints escalate as users report advertisements with auto-playing sound during food logging sessions. The intrusive ads interrupt the core workflow of recording meals, with users describing the experience as startling and annoying. Some users report ads playing at full volume unexpectedly.
Barcode Scanner Paywalled Behind $20/Month Premium
MyFitnessPal announces that its barcode scanner — free for years and widely considered one of its most useful features — will require a Premium subscription ($19.99/month or $79.99/year) starting October 1, 2022, with new free accounts losing it from September 1. The backlash is immediate, with The Verge calling it an 'egregious disservice' and users noting the database was largely built through their own crowdsourced contributions.
Intermittent Fasting Tracker Launched as Premium Feature
MyFitnessPal launches an Intermittent Fasting Tracker as a Premium feature, letting subscribers track fasting windows alongside meals, adding another feature to the growing list of Premium-only capabilities.
Revenue Reaches $247M as Extraction Strategy Takes Hold
MyFitnessPal's revenue grows approximately 45% year-over-year from $171 million in 2021 to $247 million in 2022, according to Business of Apps estimates, as the company paywalls features and pushes subscriptions.
User Reports Premium Renewal Jumping to $114.95 a Year
A long-time subscriber reports their annual Premium renewal jumping from $55.00 to $114.95, calling it a massive cash grab. Another user replies that MyFitnessPal charges it because enough people still pay.
Data Export Revealed as Limited 90-Day Summary Only
A long-time user reports that MyFitnessPal's data export requires a roughly $20/month Premium subscription and seems limited to 90 days of data, with no easy way to retrieve custom recipes or meals; he resorts to scraping the diary report a month at a time.
NOYB Files GDPR Complaint with CNIL Over Illegal Data Sharing
Privacy advocacy organization NOYB files a complaint with France's CNIL alleging MyFitnessPal illegally shares user data with third parties as soon as the app is opened, without consent. The app transmits Google Advertising IDs, device information, and IP addresses to third parties for profiling and targeted advertising, which noyb says violates the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive. noyb lists the case as pending.
Mike Fisher Named CEO, Succeeding Dinesh Lathi
MyFitnessPal appoints former Etsy CTO Mike Fisher as chief executive, succeeding Dinesh Lathi, who stays on the board. It is the company's third leader since Francisco Partners bought it, after Tricia Han's 2021 appointment. A Francisco Partners partner frames the hire around growth in health and wellness tech.
Data Corruption Incident Alters User Food Logs
MyFitnessPal experiences a data corruption incident affecting food entries logged between March 19-21, 2024. Users find incorrect food items in their logs that they did not enter. The company acknowledges the issue but states impacted entries must be fixed manually, leaving users unable to reconstruct meals logged days earlier. The company's transparency about the incident is questioned.
Newsfeed Social Feature Permanently Retired
MyFitnessPal retires its Newsfeed feature between late May and the end of June 2024, calling it rarely used. Members are pointed to the Blog and to the Community tab, where they can use groups and an individual activity feed.
Voice Logging Launched as Premium-Only Feature
MyFitnessPal launches Voice Log, an AI-powered feature allowing users to describe meals verbally instead of manually searching for each food item. The feature is restricted to Premium subscribers at $79.99/year, continuing the pattern of making the most user-friendly logging methods available only to paying users.
MyFitnessPal Acquires Meal Planning App Intent
MyFitnessPal announces the acquisition of Intent, a personalized meal planning app. Intent's technology is to power a Meal Planner in the Premium+ tier at $99.99/year, with ingredient ordering through add-to-cart technology at major e-retailers. Intent co-founders Will Sun and Peter Zhang join MyFitnessPal.
Former Uber Ads Executive Hired as Chief Revenue Officer, Advertising
MyFitnessPal appoints Amit Patel, previously at Uber's advertising division and builder of the Drizly Ads retail media network, as Chief Revenue Officer, Advertising. CEO Mike Fisher says he will help identify new channels for revenue growth. The hire lays the groundwork for the ad network launched a year later.
Premium+ Tier Launched at $99.99/Year
MyFitnessPal introduces a Premium+ tier at $99.99/year ($24.99/month), adding Meal Planner and grocery delivery in certain countries. The three-tier structure (Free, Premium at $79.99/year, Premium+ at $99.99/year) creates an additional paywall layer, further stratifying access to features.
BBB Rates MyFitnessPal C- for Unanswered Billing and Cancellation Complaints
Better Business Bureau records show 18 complaints against MyFitnessPal over three years and a C- rating citing failure to respond to 15 of them (as of September 2026). Complaints describe renewal charges after attempted cancellations, no way to cancel on the website, AI-only support and non-responsive help lines.
Tracking Cookies Class Action Filed in Northern District of California
Plaintiffs Vishal Shah and Christine Wiley file a class action in the Northern District of California alleging MyFitnessPal installs tracking cookies from Meta, Google, ByteDance, Amazon, and The Trade Desk even after users explicitly opt out via the cookie banner. The lawsuit alleges invasion of privacy, intrusion upon seclusion, and unjust enrichment.
MyFitnessPal Acquires Rising Competitor Cal AI
MyFitnessPal acquires Cal AI, a viral AI-powered calorie tracking app built by teenagers Zach Yadegari and Henry Langmack that had amassed over 15 million downloads and $30+ million in annual revenue in under two years. The deal closes in December 2025. Cal AI represented a direct competitive threat, and the acquisition consolidates MyFitnessPal's market position in nutrition tracking.
MyFitnessPal Integrates with OpenAI ChatGPT Health
MyFitnessPal becomes one of the first nutrition apps integrated into OpenAI's new ChatGPT Health platform, allowing users to ask @myfitnesspal nutrition questions within ChatGPT. The integration leverages MFP's 20 million food database and 2,000 recipes to provide personalized recommendations.
Tracking Cookies Class Action Survives Dismissal
California federal Judge P. Casey Pitts allows key claims in the Shah v. MyFitnessPal tracking cookies class action to proceed, ruling that a 'reasonable visitor' who opted out of tracking cookies would 'reasonably expect' the company not to install them. Claims for invasion of privacy, intrusion upon seclusion, and unjust enrichment survive, though wiretapping claims are dismissed without prejudice.
Today Screen Announced; Daily Macro Breakdowns Made Free
MyFitnessPal previews a redesigned home 'Today' screen that combines the diary, daily calories and macros, and habit tracking, plus a new Progress tab. As part of the change, daily macro breakdowns on the Today screen become available to free users, a rare feature moving down from Premium.
2026 Winter Release Adds AI Photo Logging and Instacart Commerce Ties
MyFitnessPal's 2026 Winter Release introduces Photo Upload, letting iOS users photograph meals for AI-assisted logging, alongside a Blue Check Collection of dietitian-reviewed recipes reserved for Premium+ subscribers and an Instacart ingredient-ordering partnership offering Premium+ members $10 off their first three grocery orders. The release deepens the tier stratification and commerce integrations that feed the company's monetization stack.
Amended Complaint Filed in Tracking-Cookies Class Action
Plaintiffs in Shah v. MyFitnessPal file a First Amended Complaint in the Northern District of California after Judge P. Casey Pitts allowed invasion of privacy, intrusion upon seclusion, and unjust enrichment claims to proceed. The amended complaint presses California privacy claims over tracking cookies from Meta, Google, ByteDance, Amazon, and The Trade Desk allegedly installed after users opted out via the site's consent banner.
Alleged Cal AI Data Breach Exposes Over 3 Million Users' Records
A hacker using the alias 'vibecodelegend' leaks data from more than 3 million Cal AI users, allegedly obtained from a misconfigured Google Firebase instance. The 14.59 GB trove reportedly includes full names, dates of birth, gender, height and weight records, goals and macronutrient targets, subscription details, and transaction IDs. Cal AI had not confirmed the incident, though researchers said the data appeared legitimate.
Estimated Revenue Falls 5.7% to $310 Million in 2025
Business of Apps estimates MyFitnessPal's 2025 revenue at $310 million, down 5.7% from $329 million in 2024. It is the first decline in its series after years of growth driven by paywalls. Downloads rose to 20.5 million in 2025.
MyFitnessPal Launches Dedicated Advertising Media Network
MyFitnessPal launches MyFitnessPal Ads, a media network selling brands access to 5.7 million U.S. free monthly active users who open the app an average of five times daily and log roughly 16 foods per day, with targeting built on first-party data including stated nutrition goals and dietary preferences. Launch formats include display, video, interstitial, sponsored content, email, and social integrations, with shoppable experiences and advanced targeting planned for later in 2026. Former Uber Advertising general manager Amit Patel leads the unit as Chief Revenue Officer, Ads.
Francisco Partners Explores Sale at Over $1 Billion
Reuters reports, citing four sources, that Francisco Partners is working with JPMorgan to explore a sale of MyFitnessPal that could value it at over $1 billion, roughly three times the $345 million it paid in 2020. Three sources say the app generates close to $150 million in annual EBITDA. Francisco Partners and JPMorgan declined to comment.
Apple Briefly Pulls MyFitnessPal-Owned Cal AI Over Deceptive Billing
Apple tells TechCrunch it briefly removed Cal AI, which MyFitnessPal owns, from the App Store the previous week. Apple cited bypassing in-app purchase via an embedded Stripe checkout, a paywall that showed weekly pricing more prominently than the amount billed, a free-trial toggle that obscured auto-renewal, and a second subscription offer shown to users who declined the first. The app returned after the issues were fixed. MyFitnessPal and Cal AI did not respond to requests for comment.
Forced 'Today' Redesign Replaces Diary, Sparking User Backlash
A major app update replaces the long-standing Diary tab with the new Today screen. Users on Reddit complain that basic logging takes more taps, the diary is buried behind a 'View All' button and per-meal macros are harder to find. Some cancel subscriptions or switch to Cronometer. MyFitnessPal's help center calls the Today tab 'the path forward' with no option to revert, and it sets up a feedback form.
AI Coach Launches as Premium-Only Feature
MyFitnessPal introduces AI Coach, a personalized nutrition assistant that analyzes users' logged meals, macro trends, and habits to answer open-ended nutrition questions. The feature is restricted to Premium and Premium+ subscribers in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, continuing the pattern of reserving the most capable logging and guidance tools for paying users while the free tier remains ad-saturated.
Evidence (54 citations)
D1: User Value Erosion
D2: Business Customer Exploitation
D3: Shareholder Extraction
D4: Lock-in & Switching Costs
D5: Twiddling & Algorithmic Opacity
D6: Dark Patterns
D7: Advertising & Monetization Pressure
D8: Competitive Conduct
D9: Labor & Governance
D10: Regulatory & Legal Posture
Scoring Log (8 entries)
Checked 10 removed/trimmed claims: 1 restored, 1 partly restored, 8 confirmed removed, 0 already present. RESTORED (evidence add): 2019 dark-web sale of MFP data on Dream Market as part of ~617M accounts from 16 sites for under $20,000 in Bitcoin (The Register, 2019-02-11); the timeline item keeps its Fortune source, which does not carry these details. PARTLY RESTORED: Mike Lee's title (chief digital officer) and Albert Lee's product-development role (Technical.ly, 2017-12-05); 'SVP Digital Product' not found. CONFIRMED REMOVED: Oct 2022 macro/net-carbs paywall event (contradicted; gram goals and Net Carbs were already Premium features, no 2022 change found); '$710M investment not delivering' framing (not in SGB); Murray suit 'state court' filing (only a litigation-funding blog says so; Law360, Top Class Actions and Bank Info Security place it in federal court); Plans as 'final significant product investment' (unsupported framing); revenue growth attributed to forced conversions/ad revenue (Business of Apps gives no causes); Newsfeed user frustration/switching (only forum posts); Trustpilot 1.5 stars (no source for 1.5; fact audit found 4.3-4.4); ZoomInfo 188-197 employees (unconfirmable; other headcount listings differ).
Checked 98 items (42 timeline, 48 evidence, 6 milestones, 2 alternatives) + prose. 30 verified, 58 corrected (23 date-only), 4 re-sourced, 6 removed. Invented: Oct 2022 macro-goal/net-carb paywall event; Trustpilot 1.5 stars / 5% recommend; GDPR forced-consent/account-disabling claims attributed to a forum thread. Major fixes: premium price doubling predates FP; ads existed pre-2015; NOYB date 2023; lawsuit filed 2025, ruling Jan 2026; Premium+ 2025; Cal AI breach alleged 3M+; BBB figures; Lose It pricing.
60→50. Since Jul 2025: Cal AI deal (closed Dec 2025, announced Mar 2026) and alleged 3M-user Cal AI breach; MyFitnessPal Ads network launched Mar 2026; forced Today redesign backlash Apr 2026; Apple briefly pulled Cal AI for deceptive billing Apr 2026; Reuters: owner exploring $1B+ sale, ~$150M EBITDA; 2025 revenue est. down 5.7%; Shah cookie suit's renewed MTD under submission since Jun 2026; daily macros made free Feb 2026. D1 8→7 (correction: fact audit removed invented Oct 2022 macro paywall and Trustpilot 1.5-star claims), D2 5→3 (recalibration: no fee hikes or pay-to-play on partners/advertisers; closed API alone fits 2-3), D3 8→6 (recalibration + correction: price doubling predates FP; product investment not starved, but ~50% EBITDA margin and exit prep fit 6), D4 7→5 (recalibration: weak network effects, export exists though paywalled/incomplete, strong competitors), D6 7→5 (recalibration: documented upsell nags, renewal surprises, alleged cookie opt-out bypass; no roach-motel evidence), D7 9→8 (recalibration: layered ads+tiers+data-targeted network, but no evidence of ~1:1 ad ratio; paid users ad-free), D9 3→4 (event: Blind/Glassdoor reports of repeated layoffs at a ~$150M-EBITDA business), D10 5→4 (recalibration: pending complaints and suits, no adverse findings or lobbying). Rejected as unreliable: a 'May 2026 paywall expansion' and 'Roberts v. MyFitnessPal' suit reported only by PlateLens-promoting sites and contradicted by MFP help pages (Meal Scan always Premium). Eras: kept Bootstrap Web App, Mobile Breakout, Breach & Neglect; re-dated Under Armour Era 2015-02-01→2015-02-04, PE Takeover Begins 2021-01-01→2020-12-18, Paywall Extraction 2022-10-01→2022-08-24; 'Regulatory Pressure' re-dated 2026-02-11→2025-02-12 (Intent acquisition) and relabeled 'Consolidation & Upsell Tiers'; Media Network Pivot re-dated 2026-07-02→2026-03-17 (ad network launch).
Periodic rescore: MyFitnessPal Ads media network launch monetizing logged health data (D7 8→9), Cal AI + Intent acquisition pattern (D8 3→4), Cal AI breach and advancing privacy litigation (D10 4→5)
Added 2 missing dimension narratives