Cal AI - Calorie Tracker

What it does

Cal AI is a calorie and macronutrient tracking app designed to simplify diet management. The app's core feature is its AI-powered food logging, which allows users to track meals by taking a picture, scanning a barcode, or searching a database. Based on a user's personal data and goals, the app creates a daily plan and helps them monitor their progress over time.

Where it shines

Cal AI's onboarding is exceptionally thorough, creating a strong sense of personalization before the user even reaches the main dashboard. A key moment is the goal validation screen at 01:14, which reassures the user their target is "realistic," boosting confidence early. The app's main value proposition, AI food scanning, is smooth and well-integrated. The process of scanning a salad (04:15), seeing it analyzed, and logged is the app's central magic moment. Finally, the analytics tab (10:01) provides a clear, visual summary of progress, including BMI and goal achievement, which keeps users informed and motivated.

UX highlights

Editable AI Recommendations: The app presents its generated plan at 02:38, but makes every metric editable. This gives users final control and builds trust by positioning the AI as an advisor, not a dictator.
Multi-Modal Logging: Users aren't locked into one method. They can scan food photos (04:25), scan barcodes (04:50), or search a database (05:24), providing flexibility for different situations.
Clear Dashboard Hierarchy: The main screen (04:07) prioritizes calories left, with macronutrients secondary. Recently logged items are clearly visible, making daily tracking straightforward.
Integrated Exercise Logging: The app allows users to quickly log workouts (05:01) and see the burned calories reflected in their daily totals, closing the loop between diet and exercise.
Motivational Framing: Throughout onboarding, screens like the progress graph (00:38) and testimonial screen (02:00) are used to build credibility and reinforce the value of sticking to the plan.

Monetization & growth

Monetization is handled through a hard paywall at the end of the onboarding flow (03:26). The user cannot access the app's core features without starting a trial. The paywall itself uses a clear timeline to explain the 3-day free trial, showing when the reminder will be sent and when billing starts. It presents two options, Monthly and Yearly, with the yearly plan highlighted and framed as a lower monthly cost to encourage longer-term commitment. A referral program is also accessible in the settings (10:52), offering a cash incentive for inviting friends, which is a solid growth loop.

Who it’s for

This app is for individuals looking for a structured yet flexible way to track their food intake and manage their weight. It's well-suited for tech-savvy users who are intrigued by AI and want to minimize the manual data entry common in other calorie counters. The focus on both weight loss and macronutrient goals makes it useful for people interested in general health, fitness, or specific diet plans.

Notes & opportunities

The onboarding is very long, which could be a point of friction for some users, despite its personalization benefits. While the dashboard is clean, the ability to see burned calories added back to the daily goal is hidden behind a swipe and a toggle (07:14), which could be more prominent. The food database search at 05:24 could also be improved; after typing a query, there is no immediate search button, requiring the user to tap the return key on the keyboard, which isn't an obvious interaction.