Comparing a thirteen-year-old behemoth to a one-year-old startup is, on paper, unfair. In practice it is the comparison most people are actually making — because the question is never “which app is bigger?”, it is “which app fits my life right now?” Below is the honest version.
Logging speed
MyFitnessPal’s search is fast and the database is enormous. Barcode scanning is mature. Manual logging is more or less the gold standard. Enerium leans heavily on photo logging — one shot, no typing — which for most users is meaningfully faster on a typical lunch plate. If your food is mostly packaged, MFP probably edges it. If your food is mostly real meals, Enerium does.
AI features
MyFitnessPal has AI elements layered on top of the existing flow. Enerium is built around them. Vision AI for instant logging, AI meal planning that reads your fridge, AI recipe generation from your inventory — these are first-class features rather than upgrades to the search bar.
Meal planning
MyFitnessPal’s plans are template-based. They suggest recipes; you shop. Enerium’s plans are pantry-aware: the seven-day output is built from the food you already own, with a shopping list for only what is missing. For people cooking at home most nights, the difference is dramatic.
Hydration
MyFitnessPal handles water as a counter. Enerium adapts the daily goal to your weight and activity, and reminders escalate only when you fall behind. Smaller feature, but the one most people actually leave on.
Fitness sync
Both apps sync with Apple Health and Google Fit. MFP has a longer history of integrating with third-party fitness platforms. Enerium covers the major ones and adds an in-app workout library with multi-week marathon programs.
Privacy
MyFitnessPal had a high-profile breach a few years ago and a long history of advertising-driven data practices, though both have improved. Enerium runs without third-party data sales, with full export and delete controls, and uses privacy-first analytics on the website (no cookies, no behavioural ads).
Pricing
MyFitnessPal Premium runs roughly twenty US dollars a month at the top tier. Enerium is free to install — the free tier covers activity, food and hydration diaries, goals, a calorie counter and progress analytics. Vision AI photo scan, the AI meal planner, the AI smart fridge, recipes and workouts sit in Premium at fifteen US dollars a month.
So which one
If your decision is driven by database size, brand familiarity, or years of historical data, MyFitnessPal is the safer pick. If you are starting fresh, want AI to do the boring parts, and cook at home enough that pantry-aware planning matters, Enerium is the better fit. There is no prize for picking the bigger logo. Pick the one you will still be opening in three months.