Pay for what you use. Nothing more.
Track4U is free. You only pay for AI usage, billed directly by your AI provider. No markup, no hidden fees, no subscription.
The BYOK Model
BYOK stands for "Bring Your Own Key." Instead of us charging you a monthly fee, you use your own AI API key and pay the AI provider directly.
Zero markup
Track4U doesn't touch your billing. What the AI provider charges is what you pay.
Full control
Set spending limits directly with the AI provider. Cancel or pause anytime.
Privacy by design
Your API key is encrypted. Track4U never sees your usage or billing data.
Use-based pricing
Only pay when you scan. Skip a week? Pay nothing that week.
Cost Calculator
Live PricingPay only for what you use. No subscriptions, no commitments.
Daily
$0.05
Monthly
$1.50
Yearly
$18.00
Average yearly savings
vs. 11 popular apps
$61
saved/year
Compare to subscription apps:
MyFitnessPal Premium
Traditional$19.99/mo · $79.99/yr
Manual logging, large food database
Save $62/yr
77% less
Cronometer Gold
Traditional$8.99/mo · $49.99/yr
Detailed micronutrients, scientific
Save $32/yr
64% less
Lose It! Premium
Traditional$19.99/mo · $39.99/yr
Basic photo scanning, meal plans
Save $22/yr
55% less
Lifesum Premium
Traditional$9.99/mo · $44.99/yr
Recipes, diet plans, fasting
Save $27/yr
60% less
Yazio Pro
Traditional$9.99/mo · $44.99/yr
Fasting tracker, recipes
Save $27/yr
60% less
FatSecret Premium
Traditional$6.99/mo · $38.99/yr
Budget option, community
Save $21/yr
54% less
SnapCalorie
AI-Powered$9.99/mo · $59.99/yr
AI photo recognition
Save $42/yr
70% less
Foodvisor
AI-Powered$14.99/mo · $69.99/yr
AI detection, dietitian chat
Save $52/yr
74% less
MacroFactor
AI-Powered$11.99/mo · $71.99/yr
Algorithm-based, adaptive TDEE
Save $54/yr
75% less
Noom
Coaching$70/mo · $209/yr
Psychology-based coaching
Save $191/yr
91% less
WeightWatchers
Coaching$23/mo · $155/yr
Points system, community
Save $137/yr
88% less
*Based on ~$0.01/scan (GPT-5.2). Competitor pricing verified Dec 2024.
Prices may vary by region and promotional offers.
The subscription trap
Apps like MyFitnessPal ($19.99/mo), Noom ($70/mo), and AI competitors ($10-15/mo) lock you into subscriptions.
Track4U flips the model — pay only when you scan.
| Feature | Traditional | AI Apps | Track4U |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $7-20/mo | $10-15/mo | $0-3/mo* |
| Yearly cost | $39-80/yr | $60-72/yr | $0-18/yr* |
| AI food scanning | Limited | ✓ | ✓ |
| GPT-5.2 Vision | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Goal setting | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Progress charts | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| No ads | Premium only | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Self-hostable | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pay when inactive | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Data privacy | Varies | Their servers | Your key |
Frequently asked questions
Why don't you charge a subscription?
Subscriptions create misaligned incentives. Apps like MyFitnessPal ($79.99/yr), Noom ($209/yr), and SnapCalorie ($59.99/yr) charge whether you use them or not. With BYOK, you only pay for what you use — and you pay the AI provider directly with no markup.
What's an API key and how do I get one?
An API key is like a password that lets you use AI services directly. You can get one from AI providers like OpenAI. Go to their platform, create an account, and generate a key. There's a step-by-step guide in the app.
How much does each scan actually cost?
Each food scan costs approximately $0.01 using GPT-5.2 ($1.75/M input tokens + $14/M output tokens). A typical user scanning 5 meals per day would spend around $1.50/month — that's just $18/year compared to $39-80/year for traditional apps or $60-72/year for AI competitors.
How does this compare to other AI food scanning apps?
AI-powered apps like SnapCalorie ($9.99/mo, $59.99/yr), Foodvisor ($14.99/mo, $69.99/yr), and MacroFactor ($11.99/mo, $71.99/yr) all use subscription models. Track4U uses GPT-5.2 Vision and lets you pay only for actual scans — typically 70-85% cheaper annually.
Is there a free tier?
Track4U itself is completely free. The only cost is AI usage, which you pay directly to the AI provider. OpenAI offers free credits when you sign up, so you can try it at no cost.
What if I don't want to use AI scanning?
You can use Track4U without an API key for manual logging. The AI scanning is optional — you can still log meals by typing in the nutritional info yourself.
Can I self-host Track4U?
Yes! Track4U is 100% open source under the MIT license. You can clone the repo, deploy to your own infrastructure, and run it completely independently — no dependency on this project whatsoever.
What's the difference between hosted and self-hosted?
With the hosted version, you create an account and I handle the database, authentication, and hosting for free — you just bring your API key. With self-hosted, you run everything yourself on your own infrastructure with complete independence.