The 8 Best Keto Apps of 2021

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The keto diet (or ketogenic diet) has become one of the most popular diets in recent years. Ketogenic eating encourages the body to burn fat, as opposed to glucose, by avoiding carbs and focusing on a high-fat diet.

While high fat may seem intimidating and even counter-productive, it’s important to remember that some fats are better for your body than others. Fatty fish, avocadoes, nuts, and olive oil are all sources of healthy fats that are ideal for the keto diet. Dieters may want to steer clear of oils high in polyunsaturated omega-6 fats, such as soy, corn, cottonseed, and safflower, which are less healthy than the fat sources listed above.

As always, it’s best to consult your doctor and/or a nutritionist before starting any new diet. The ketogenic diet may not be appropriate for patients with certain medical conditions, such as pancreatitis, liver failure, disorders of fat metabolism, among others, according to medical professionals. The diet also may not be safe during pregnancy.

Typically, those following a keto diet consume 70% to 75% of their calories from fat, 5% to 10% of calories from carbohydrates, and the rest from protein. The math can be hard to figure out, but there are a lot of apps out there to help you track your macronutrients (often called macros), or your percentage of fats, carbs, and proteins, to give you awesome meal ideas, to find community encouragement when things get tough and more. We’ve listed the best apps to help maintain an effective keto diet.

The Rundown

Best Overall: Carb Manager
Best for Tracking Nutrients: MyMacros+
Best for Beginners: Senza
Best for Finding Recipes: Total Keto Diet
Best for Community: KetoDiet
Best for Integrating Fitness: 8fit
Best for Goal Setting: FatSecret
Best for Meal Planning: PlateJoy

Our Top Picks

Best Overall: Carb Manager

Key Specs

Pricing: Premium version is about $40 per year
Supported Devices: Fitbit, Apple Watch

Why We Chose It: Carb Manager goes beyond tracking your macros and focuses on the minute details of a ketogenic diet so that you can track exactly how your body is doing on the diet.

Pros

Enables tracking of several useful keto metrics (macronutrients, blood sugar levels, ketones, etc.)
Easy to log food through voice command, photo, or barcode scanning
Can be synced with smartphone apps or fitness trackers
Lets you track other lifestyle habits, like water intake and exercise

Cons

The food database is not as extensive as other keto apps
Premium version gets pricey (about $40/year)
Nutrient data isn't always accurate because it's entered by other users
Barcode scanner can be too quick to correctly scan the food item

Carb manager takes “Best Overall” for best keto diet apps because it’s one of the most comprehensive on the market. You can track all of the basic metrics that are critical to the keto diet—like total carbs, net carbs, and fats—but you can also track ketones, blood glucose, insulin, glycemic load, and more.

On top of all that, you can track metrics that aren’t necessarily related to your diet but help you to maintain an overall healthy lifestyle, including water intake, exercise, and body weight.

Carb Manager has a food database that’s more than one million foods strong and offers barcode scanning, photo logging, and voice command logging. You can sync Carb Manager to your Fitbit, Apple Watch, or other supported device, as well as connect it to several other health and fitness apps. This app also offers a wealth of recipes, educational content, grocery list building, and a community platform.

Best for Tracking Nutrients: MyMacros+

Key Specs

Pricing: Free, with in-app purchases
Supported Devices: iPhone, iPad, Android

Why We Chose It: With a huge food database, this app allows for precise tracking, which is key when using a ketogenic diet.

Pros

Internet isn't required for food logging
Large database of over 5 million foods
My Circle feature lets you connect with friends on the app in real time
A body fat estimation calculator is now available
Macro Coach guides you on which food choices to make

Cons

It costs money to download the app, and you have to pay an additional fee to unlock the full features
Some functionality is better on the iPhone versus Android phones
It's not always easy to find the foods you're searching for

MyMacros+ has held a steady reign in the nutrient-tracking world, due largely in part to its massive food database (more than 5 million foods!) and simple app interface. With MyMacros+, tracking your meals is no longer frustrating and time-consuming. Rather, it’s easy, quick, and honestly quite fun when you see all of your great progress.

MyMacros+ isn’t strictly a keto diet app, but it does support everything a keto dieter would need. For instance, you can log all of your macronutrients, including carbohydrates and net carbs, protein, and fats. The app supports the logging of other nutrients that are important to the keto diet, too, such as sugar and fiber.

With this app, you can log unlimited meals throughout the day and see how your dietary choices affect your set goals (which you can modify at any time in your settings). MyMacros+ shows you the nutritional breakdown of every ingredient, meal, and day. Perhaps the best part? The logging feature is usable without the internet, so if you find yourself eating somewhere without service, you can still accurately log your meal.

Best for Beginners: Senza

Key Specs

Pricing: Free, with in-app purchases
Supported Devices: iPhone, iPad, Android

Why We Chose It: Transitioning to a keto diet is a big change, and Senza helps walk you through the first couple of days with ease. It’s also great for traveling, with its keto-friendly restaurant suggestions.

Pros

Simple to use for beginners
Helps you make gradual changes
Other lifestyle factors can be tracked (like sleep) and synced with fitness trackers
Suggests keto-friendly restaurants while traveling

Cons

Nutrient data is entered by users so it's not always accurate
No option for other users to edit inaccurate nutrient data

Senza values simplicity, making it an ideal keto diet platform for beginners. With the introductory “5 Days to Keto” program, Senza guides you through the transition from your current diet—which may be carb-heavy if you’re used to eating a typical western diet—to the keto diet without making you feel miserable.

In your Senza Food Journal, you’ll track carbs and net carbs, as well as other keto nutrition metrics such as glucose and ketones. You can scan barcodes, search restaurant menus, or select from more than one million keto items in the food database. On top of those great features, you can track mood and sleep, and connect Senza to your Fitbit or Apple Watch to integrate other metrics.

Oh, and if you’re traveling? The app’s Keto Radar feature maps out keto-friendly restaurants near you—no more sifting through hundreds of Google search results to find a compliant restaurant.

Best for Finding Recipes: Total Keto Diet

Key Specs

Pricing: Free, with in-app purchases
Supported Devices: iPhone, iPad, Android

Why We Chose It: This app’s features make meal planning easy and fun. You can even customize your meal plan to your needs.

Pros

Recipe library with thousands of recipes
Customized keto meal plans tailored to your preferences
Educates users about the ins and outs of a keto diet
Weekly grocery list creator

Cons

Some users complain about poor app functionality after installing updates
Food database is not as large as other apps (less than a million foods)
Barcode tracker sometimes makes the wrong selection

Total Keto Diet by Tasteaholics is fantastic for beginners and keto experts alike. Tasteaholics is a free low-carb educational resource with thousands of recipes, keto news, blog articles, and more. The Total Keto Diet app encompasses the educational aspect of Tasteaholics while also providing a keto calculator, macro tracker, food database, and beginner’s keto guide.

On the app, you’ll also find an expansive recipe library and a shopping list feature where you can add ingredients from Total Keto Diet recipes or your own recipes. Total Keto Diet shares recipes that adhere to three main goals: They’ll keep your net carb count to under 25 grams daily, help you increase your protein intake to at least 60 grams daily, and satisfy both your taste buds and your belly.

Best for Community: KetoDiet

Key Specs

Pricing: Free, with in-app purchases
Supported Devices: iPhone, iPad, Android

Why We Chose It: Maintaining a keto diet definitely takes some motivation, and the KetoDiet app provides just that, offering challenges and creating an online community atmosphere. We also love the accuracy of its food database for proper diet tracking.

Pros

Nutrient data is verfied for accuracy
Competitive challenges and Facebook support group for accountability
Recipes are tasty
Intuitive user interface, easy to use

Cons

Customer service is lacking if you have issues with your account
Not possible to customize meal plans using different macros

Do you thrive in group settings and with a little bit of competition? If so, KetoDiet is the perfect keto app for you. Of course, the app offers all of the critical components of a keto diet app: carb and net carb tracking, macro tracking, body weight, and body fat tracking, recipes, etc. But it also offers KetoDiet Challenges and a Facebook support group, both of which can keep you motivated to stick to your low-carb diet.

Another great thing about KetoDiet is the accuracy of its food database. The app centers around the idea that accuracy is crucial for success on keto, so it doesn’t crowdsource nutrition data, unlike many other diet apps. That means KetoDiet gets all of its nutrition information from trustworthy, verified sources (such as the USDA) rather than allowing app users to upload nutritional information into a common database.

Best for Integrating Fitness: 8fit

Key Specs

Pricing: Free; Pro version is about $30 for 3 months or roughly $60 for 1 year
Supported Devices: iPhone, iPad, Android

Why We Chose It: Exercise is an important part of any weight loss plan, and 8Fit combines meal planning, macro tracking, and exercise for whole-body wellness.

Pros

Efficient workouts that don't require equipment
Shopping list and meals plans provided
Customized meal plans tailored to your preferences
Workout assessment determines your starting level
Step counter syncs with Google Fit

Cons

Not all recipes are geared towards a keto meal plan
Expensive to access Pro version: $30 for 3 months or $60 for 1 year
Auto renew can lead to unexpected charges

8fit brings the best of both worlds—fitness and nutrition—together. The fact of the matter is that you can’t out-exercise an unhealthy diet, and nutrition alone won’t get you to all of your goals, especially if “toning” or building muscle is in the mix. With 8fit, you can keep track of your fitness goals and your nutrition goals in one organized place.

While not necessarily built just for keto dieters, 8fit allows you to track macronutrients, including carbohydrates and net carbs. With nearly a thousand nutritionist-approved recipes, you can use the diet filter to build out a healthy keto meal plan on 8fit and then use the shopping list feature to plan your trip to the grocery store.

On 8fit, you’ll find educational content (such as guides and tip sheets) on nutrition and fitness, research-backed workout plans, meal plan templates, instructional videos, and much more.

Best for Goal Setting: FatSecret

Key Specs

Pricing: Free; Pro version is about $30 for 3 months or roughly $60 for 1 year
Supported Devices: iPhone, iPad, Android

Why We Chose It: FatSecret focuses on your own personal goals, from overall weight loss to smaller goals like weekly macro intake with journaling, push notifications, and community support.

Pros

Community platform provides support and accountability
Image recognition for faster logging
Lots of free features offered
Doesn't "fat shame" or judge your choices
Easy to use

Cons

Nutritional info for database foods cannot be edited on the app (only on the website)
Some app functions work better with Apple than Android
Paid upgrade required to access recipes

FatSecret has all of the features you need to cultivate a perfectly healthy keto lifestyle. You can set overarching goals, such as body weight, as well as smaller goals for each individual macronutrient. For example, you can set a daily goal and a weekly goal for carbohydrate intake to make sure you remain in ketosis.

Just a few of FatSecret’s great features include: A comprehensive food diary to keep track of your food intake; an exercise diary to record your exercise sessions, calories burned, and fitness goals; a robust collection of healthy recipes; a weight chart to view your progress over time; and image recognition of foods to make food logging even easier.

Reminders and push notifications for meals, weigh-ins, and journal entries help you stay on track; a community platform helps you remain motivated to crush your diet goals; and a detailed overview of your daily, weekly, and monthly macronutrient breakdown helps you stay on top of your nutrition.

Best for Meal Planning: PlateJoy

Key Specs

Pricing: Starts at roughly $8 per month
Supported Devices: iPhone, iPad, Android

Why We Chose It: Figuring out what to eat on a keto diet can get exhausting. This app helps to take all the frustration out of it, and you’ll be able to customize it to your needs.

Pros

Customized plan based on your lifestyle and preferences
Can accomodate different dietary restrictions
Meal planning helps you to buy only what you need and reduce food waste
Helpful video content
Menu can be synced with your Google calendar

Cons

Vegetarian meals are lacking

PlateJoy isn’t designed only for people on a keto diet, but it certainly supports them. If you’re at a loss for keto meal ideas, get bored with your current recipes, or otherwise just can’t seem to stick to your keto meal plan, PlateJoy can solve all of that. Starting at just $8 per month, you can get nutritionist-developed keto meal plans, recipes, and grocery lists that can save you so much time and frustration.

When you download PlateJoy, you’ll start by taking a lifestyle quiz that asks about your taste preferences, health and fitness goals, dietary restrictions, allergies, and schedule. For keto, you’d want to make sure to highlight carbohydrate intake when the app asks about dietary restrictions. After you take the quiz, PlateJoy uses a smart algorithm to create a customized meal plan based on the information you provided. In the case of a keto meal plan, you’ll get hundreds of low-carb or zero-carb recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Final Verdict

Whether you’re new to a ketogenic diet or have been maintaining a keto lifestyle for some time, an app can greatly assist you in tracking your macros and keeping you on the path to reaching your health goals. Our favorite apps on this list are Carb Manager and MyMacros+. We think the most important thing to pay attention to when starting a keto diet is your macros by keeping a detailed food diary. Carb Manager’s comprehensive approach allows you to track detailed fitness information, keeping you informed of your progress. We also love MyMacros+ because of its food database, which keeps you accurate in your meal logging.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Keto Diet?

A ketogenic diet, also known as a keto diet, is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet that’s designed to force your body to become more efficient at burning fat for energy. Proponents of the diet as well as some research have shown that this type of diet can help you lose weight and improve some health conditions. But some experts worry that a keto diet is too strict and difficult to maintain for many people.

Can a Keto Diet Help Me Lose Weight?

While the ketogenic diet may be effective for significant and rapid weight loss, it’s unclear if the eating plan is sustainable for ongoing weight loss maintenance. If you do try a keto diet to jump-start your weight loss efforts, try to stick to healthier sources of fat and protein, such as olive oil, avocados, and nuts such as almonds and walnuts.

How Much Do Keto Diet Apps Cost?

Some keto diet apps are free or charge a very small fee to download, but you’ll have to make in-app purchases to get access to premium features. Most offer a monthly or yearly subscription fee, which can range from approximately $2 to $10 per month. The more expensive keto diet apps usually offer more advanced features, including customized food plans, recipes, and access to a community of other members.

Is a Keto Diet Healthy?

Following a keto diet may help you lose weight, which can lead to improved overall health. Research shows that keto diets may help improve cholesterol, blood pressure, and fasting blood sugar levels and can lessen the symptoms of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and polycystic ovarian syndrome. This diet also may help with some seizure and neurological disorders.

However, a keto diet severely limits your consumption of carbohydrates, so it can be hard to reach your recommended daily intake of nutrients such as fiber, and other vitamins and minerals that you’d get from eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. When looking at weight loss plans, there are other options, even among low-carb diets, that are more effective at helping you meet nutritional goals.

Before starting a keto diet, you should carefully consider the pros and cons and check with your health care providers, especially if you have an underlying health condition. Together you can determine if the keto diet is right for you.

Methodology

The best keto apps were chosen for their nutrient tracking capabilities, pricing, meal planning capabilities, and educational resources. We also looked at how these keto apps synced with other devices and if workouts were available. Most importantly, though it was important to choose apps that helped users with their current lifestyles.

Additional reporting by Nicole Bonaccorso.