TabetAI › TabetAI vs Cal AI
A Cal AI alternative you can use free, every day
Both apps turn a photo of your meal into calories, protein, carbs and fat. The difference is what you get before you pay, and what the app does with the number once you have it.
Side by side
| TabetAI | Cal AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Free photo scans | 5 AI scans every day, no card, no trial countdown | 3-day free trial, then a subscription |
| Barcode and label scan | Yes, free | Yes |
| Type or say a meal | Yes, free | Yes, by text description |
| Languages | English, 日本語, 简体中文, 繁體中文, including the AI results | 15 languages including Japanese and Simplified Chinese; no Traditional Chinese |
| Platforms | Android and iPhone | Android, iPhone and Apple Watch |
| Paid plans | EX from US$4.99/month launch price, MAX US$14.99/month (local prices in the store) | Subscription; see its store listing |
Cal AI details read from Cal AI's App Store listing and calai.app on 15 October 2026. Apps change, so check the current listing before you decide. Cal AI is a well-reviewed app (4.8 stars from about 371,000 App Store ratings on that date). If a photo-to-number scanner is all you want and you are happy to subscribe, it does that job.
What TabetAI adds after the number
- A daily score that never rewards starving. One grade across calories, protein, fiber, sugar, salt, plants and movement. Eat too little and it caps low. Whole fruit never counts against you; only added sugar does.
- Targets that follow your trend. Your weight is noisy, so TabetAI adapts your budget from the weekly trend plus the steps and workouts your phone already counts.
- Local food, read from the plate. Chicken rice, cai fan, rendang, 定食, コンビニ弁当, 滷肉飯. Photograph from up to four angles, or snap and go while the AI finishes in the background.
- Eat together. Add friends or family, see each other's meals and copy a dish into your own log at the right portion. The weekly leaderboard ranks effort, never weight.
- A companion who notices you showed up. Six characters with their own voices react to what you ate and warm up the longer you stay. The tracker stands on its own: the companion never gates a feature or a stat.
- Training plans, free. Guided sessions and personal bests, with your workouts feeding your calorie budget.
- Your data stays yours. Optional cycle tracking never leaves your phone, health app data never goes into an AI prompt, and one tap exports everything.
TabetAI is a dietary tool, not medical advice. Cal AI is a trademark of its owner; TabetAI is not affiliated with it.
Try it on tonight's dinner
Five AI scans a day, free. No card, no trial clock.