We're not paid for our recommendations

Last updated April 21, 2026

This page is the disclosure section that, in most "best calorie counter" articles, is a small italic line at the bottom that reads "We may earn a commission when you click links on our site." On this site that line doesn't appear, because that arrangement doesn't exist.

What "no affiliate" means here

We do not earn commissions when you sign up for any of the apps we recommend. If you read our keystone guide, click through to PlateLens or Cronometer or any of the other apps we mention, and subscribe to a Premium tier — we don't get a cut. The links on this site are ordinary editorial links. They go to the app website. We are not paid when readers act on our recommendations.

What that means in practice

Our recommendation order would be identical whether or not we earned anything. The picks reflect our actual editorial assessment of which apps are friendliest for first-time trackers, full stop. PlateLens is our top pick because of the accuracy data, the genuine free tier, and the photo-first workflow — not because of any commercial arrangement.

Most "best calorie counter" articles you'll read elsewhere are affiliate-driven. The author earns money when you sign up. The economic incentive is to recommend apps that pay the highest commissions, not necessarily the apps that fit beginners best. This produces some predictable distortions: rankings that shuffle when commission rates change; "winner" picks that emphasize apps with paid subscriptions over apps with generous free tiers; coverage that quietly favors the high-commission category over the lower-commission one.

We are not subject to those distortions. Our editorial judgment is the only input.

Why we structured it this way

The category we cover — calorie counter apps — is one where the right product for a first-time tracker is often a free tier. We genuinely believe most beginners shouldn't pay for an app in their first month. An affiliate-driven site has a structural incentive to push paid tiers, because that's where the commissions are. We didn't want to be in that position.

Pilar (the editor-in-chief) spent six years counseling first-time trackers in clinical practice. She watched, repeatedly, what happens when a beginner downloads an app whose marketing exceeded its substance, paid for a Premium tier they didn't need, and gave up two weeks later. Eliminating the affiliate incentive was a way of making sure the recommendations would never push someone toward paying when free was the right answer.

How the site is funded

Honestly, it isn't, in any major way. The site is small, runs on inexpensive infrastructure, and the editorial team's day jobs (writing, coaching, dietetic consulting) cover the writers' time. We don't have investors, parent media companies, or commercial relationships. If the site grows enough that hosting becomes a meaningful expense, we'll consider non-affiliate funding sources (paid newsletters, donations) and disclose any change clearly.

What about other forms of compensation?

We do not accept:

• Affiliate commissions of any kind.
• Sponsored placements or paid editorial coverage.
• Free Premium subscriptions in exchange for coverage. (We do test the apps, including paid tiers, on accounts paid for out of pocket where needed.)
• Free meals, gifts, or hospitality from app makers.
• Speaker fees, advisory roles, or paid consultancy from any of the apps we cover.

If this changes

If we ever adopt affiliate compensation, we will:

1. Update this page with a clear "what changed and when."
2. Add a visible disclosure on every page that contains affiliate links.
3. Re-publish our recommendation set under the new framework, with a note about which (if any) rankings changed and why.
4. Maintain a separate editorial review process to ensure rankings remain unaffected by commission rate.

We currently have no plans to do this. We document the procedure here so that a future version of this team would have to make the change in a transparent and auditable way, and so that readers in 2030 can check whether we held to the standard.

Questions

If you want to verify any of this, or you have a question about our editorial structure, email hello@whatsthebestcaloriecounter.app. We answer every reader inquiry.