Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Stack Overflow VS fatsecret

Compare Stack Overflow VS fatsecret and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Stack Overflow logo Stack Overflow

Community-based Q&A part of the Stack Exchange platform.

fatsecret logo fatsecret

Individualized and sustainable weight loss.
  • Stack Overflow Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-26
  • fatsecret fatsecret home
    fatsecret home //
    2025-09-10

At fatsecret we empower anyone to reach their desired weight through individualized and sustainable weight loss, because we envision a world where everyone can achieve their weight loss goals, leading to better health and happiness.

We support a community of more than 100 million enthusiastic members with the highest quality food and nutrition tracking tools that reduce effort and create lasting healthy habits for sustainable weight loss.

Our free iOS and Android mobile apps and websites let you track your food, exercise and weight as well as engage with a supportive community. The fatsecret community enjoys access to the largest verified database of food and nutrition information globally covering all generic foods, branded products and restaurant items.

fatsecret also operates the fatsecret Platform which includes the fatsecret Platform API and fatsecret Brand Tools. With more than 50,000 developers utilizing the service, the fatsecret Platform API is the largest provider of verified accurate food and nutrition data to health related mobile apps/web services and integrated fitness devices, available in 26 languages for more than 50 markets.

fatsecret

$ Details
freemium $9.99 / Monthly
Platforms
Web iOS Android REST API
Release Date
2006 September
Startup details
Country
Australia

Stack Overflow features and specs

  • Vast Knowledge Base
    Stack Overflow has an extensive repository of questions and answers, covering a wide range of programming topics and technologies. Users can find solutions to common and uncommon problems alike.
  • Community Support
    The platform has a large, active community of developers who are willing to help by answering questions, providing solutions, and sharing their expertise.
  • Reputation System
    Stack Overflow's reputation system encourages quality contributions. Users earn points and badges for their participation, which incentivizes high-quality answers and well-formulated questions.
  • Search Optimization
    The site is well-indexed by search engines, making it easy for users to find relevant answers through a simple web search, even without directly visiting Stack Overflow.
  • Diverse Topics
    Stack Overflow covers a multitude of programming languages, frameworks, and tools, making it a valuable resource for developers working on diverse projects.

Possible disadvantages of Stack Overflow

  • Strict Guidelines
    The platform enforces strict guidelines and quality standards, which can be intimidating for new users. Questions and answers can be downvoted or closed if they do not meet the criteria.
  • Information Overload
    Given the vast amount of content, it can sometimes be challenging to find the most relevant or up-to-date answer amidst a plethora of responses.
  • Tendency Toward Elitism
    There is a perception among some users that the community can be elitist or dismissive, particularly towards beginners or those asking basic questions.
  • Duplicate Content
    Despite efforts to manage duplicates, users can still encounter multiple versions of the same question, which can dilute the quality of information.
  • Limited for Non-Programming Questions
    Although primarily designed for programming questions, Stack Overflow is less effective for queries related to broader topics in computer science or software engineering practices.

fatsecret features and specs

  • Weight Loss
  • Calorie Counter
  • Diet Tracker
  • Community

Analysis of Stack Overflow

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Stack Overflow is generally considered a valuable resource.

Why this product is good

  • Stack Overflow has an extensive community of developers who contribute by answering millions of programming-related questions, offering solutions, and sharing knowledge. It covers a wide range of programming languages and technologies, making it a comprehensive source of information for programmers of all skill levels.

Recommended for

  • Developers looking for quick answers to specific coding problems.
  • Beginners seeking guidance and learning resources.
  • Experienced programmers wanting to engage with the community or contribute their knowledge.
  • Anyone interested in troubleshooting and debugging code issues.

Analysis of fatsecret

Overall verdict

  • FatSecret is generally considered a good resource for those seeking a free and user-friendly way to monitor their diet and fitness journey. Its extensive food database and additional features like community support make it a valuable tool for many users.

Why this product is good

  • FatSecret is a popular nutrition and diet tracking tool that provides users with a comprehensive database of foods, including nutritional information and calorie counts. It allows users to track their meals, exercise, and weight loss progress. The app also features a community forum and provides access to healthy recipes and diet tips, which can be helpful for individuals looking to maintain or lose weight.

Recommended for

    FatSecret is recommended for individuals who want a simple yet effective app to track their calorie intake, monitor their weight loss or maintenance goals, and engage with a community of like-minded individuals. It is particularly useful for those on a budget, as the app's basic version is free.

Stack Overflow videos

Episode 002 - Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2019 Review

fatsecret videos

No fatsecret videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Stack Overflow and fatsecret)
Developers
100 100%
0% 0
Health And Fitness
0 0%
100% 100
Forums
100 100%
0% 0
Nutrition
0 0%
100% 100

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing Stack Overflow and fatsecret.

What makes your product unique?

fatsecret's answer:

fatsecret is defined by its global scale and data integrity. Unlike many platforms that rely solely on unverified user-generated content, fatsecret provides a highly curated, verified global food and nutrition database covering 56 countries and 24 languages. Our consumer app empowers millions of users to lose weight, while our professional-grade Platform API serves as the nutritional backbone for global tech giants. This ensures that whether a user is tracking a meal in Melbourne or a developer is building a health app in San Francisco, they are accessing the most accurate, localized and comprehensive data available.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

fatsecret's answer:

Users and businesses choose fatsecret for its uncompromising transparency and accessibility.

For Consumers: We offer a completely free, high-quality core weight loss experience including a barcode scanner, comprehensive macro tracking and an engaged community - without the aggressive paywalls common in the industry.

For Developers: We provide a "no lock-in" contract and a white-label API that is arguably the most flexible and easy to integrate in the market. Choosing fatsecret means choosing a partner that prioritizes data accuracy and user success over short-term monetization.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

fatsecret's answer:

fatsecret serves a diverse, global audience:

Health-Conscious Individuals: People seeking a personalized, easy-to-use tool for sustainable weight loss and nutrition management.

The Developer Ecosystem: Over 35,000 developers and startups who require high-quality, localized nutrition data to power their own innovative health, fitness and medical applications.

Enterprise Leaders: Global corporations in the technology, insurance, and healthcare sectors (such as Google/fitbit, Samsung and Abbott) that integrate our data into their wearable devices and wellness platforms.

What's the story behind your product?

fatsecret's answer:

Founded in 2006 in Melbourne, Australia, fatsecret began with a simple mission: to empower people to achieve their ideal weight through individualized and sustainable nutrition. Over the last ~20 years, we have evolved from a social network for dieting into the worldโ€™s leading provider of verified food and nutrition data to the leading consumer weight loss solution, now even expanding into medically supported weight loss through the fatsecret Clinic.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

fatsecret's answer:

The fatsecret platform is an API-first ecosystem designed for high-concurrency and global reliability. Our core infrastructure handles millions of API calls per month, utilizing:

  • Scalable REST APIs: Delivering JSON-formatted data with localized support.
  • Enterprise-Grade Security: Implementing robust OAuth protocols and role-based authentication to ensure data integrity for our global brand partners.
  • Advanced Image Recognition: Proprietary AI/ML models for automated food detection and portion estimation.

Who are some of the biggest customers of your product?

fatsecret's answer:

Our Platform API is trusted by some of the most influential companies in the world to power their health and wellness offerings. Customers include:

  • Technology Giants: Samsung and Google (Fitbit).
  • Healthcare & Med-Tech: Lingo, LifeScan, Welldoc and Hims & Hers.
  • Global Brands: Nestlรฉ and Betty Bossi.
  • Innovative Apps: Bending Spoons, Health2Sync and CalAI.

User comments

Share your experience with using Stack Overflow and fatsecret. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Stack Overflow and fatsecret

Stack Overflow Reviews

Best Forums for Developers to Join in 2025
Simply put, Stack Overflow and the other forums in this suite are the best ways to reach out to fellow coders for help. They are powerful resources for any new or old coder to learn more about coding and connect with fellow developers on various topics.
Source: www.notchup.com
Top 5 Best Alternatives to Quora
A notable mention within the StackExchange network, Stack Overflow specifically targets programming and development professionals. Itโ€™s widely regarded as the go-to resource for coding and software-related queries. Users vote on answers, with the best responses rising to the top based on community feedback. The platform is heavily used by developers to solve coding problems...
Source: 51links.com
Top 10 Developer Communities You Should Explore
The gamified reputation system on Stack Overflow encourages users to provide high-quality answers, making it a reliable source for troubleshooting and learning. Beyond asking and answering questions, developers can explore topics, participate in community-driven initiatives, and stay informed about the latest industry trends.
Source: www.qodo.ai
Great Products for Finding Startupย Jobs
Stack Overflow โ€” Engineering-heavy job board with job listings from around the world that integrates nicely with Stack Overflowโ€™s broader ecosystem.
Source: medium.com

fatsecret Reviews

Top Alternatives to MyFitnessPal
FatSecret provides basic calorie counting and community support in a simple, easy-to-use app. It is free and offers basic tracking capabilities including a food diary, exercise log, and weight chart. While it is user-friendly and offers community support, it lacks advanced features and has a less detailed food database compared to other apps, which may limit its usefulness...
Source: calsnaps.com
10 Best MyFitnessPal Alternatives
As we speak, there are multiple options that bear a striking resemblance to MyFitnessPal as tools for tracking our diet, workouts, and general health. The selection process is pretty specific too; it could be an all-inclusive weight loss application such as Noom or simply calorie counting tools like FatSecret. Thus, everyone can have a solution at hand when they need one.
The 8 Best Calorie Counter Apps
FatSecret also offers a monthly summary view, which displays total calories consumed each day and averages for each month. This feature may be convenient for tracking your overall progress.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Stack Overflow seems to be a lot more popular than fatsecret. While we know about 895 links to Stack Overflow, we've tracked only 6 mentions of fatsecret. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Stack Overflow mentions (895)

  • Total monthly number of StackOverflow questions over time
    So, I reviewed the questions list again but this time, since the time I did view it about 9 hours ago [1]. 10 were negative scored, 5 positive scored, 15 0 scored, 4 has received answers. This is better than normal for those ~30. Usually it's 80% without votes, without answers, without comments. So, this is a significan improvement... Which I suspect is due the time of the day, as the US and most of Europe were... - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • Total monthly number of StackOverflow questions over time
    It's surely both. Look at the newest questions: https://stackoverflow.com/questions?tab=Newest Most questions have negative karma. Even if somehow that is "deserved", that's not a healthy ecosystem. All that is left of SI are clueless questioners and bitter, jaded responders. SO worked when "everyone" was new to it, and they felt energized to ask questions ( even "basic" questions, because they hadn't been asked... - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • The key to picking your first language (without the stress)
    A wide community: Beginners benefit most when answers are easily accessible. A language with strong Stack Overflow activity, official docs, and tutorials will keep you moving. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • Best Hobbies for Developers to Avoid Burnout
    Another study from Stack Overflow revealed that developers spend an average of 6โ€“8 hours daily in front of screens, which further increases digital fatigue. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • 10 Game-Changing Platforms & Assistants Every Engineering Team Needs in 2025
    10. Stack Overflow for Teams โ€“ Knowledge Sharing Platform. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
View more

fatsecret mentions (6)

  • 100g of rice contains 27.9g of carbs, 2.66g of protein, 0.28 g of fat, and about 400 mg of everything else in terms of nutrition, where is the other 68.78g? Is it the amount of excretion we will produce?
    Data from fatsecret.com Source : https://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/generic/rice-white-cooked-regular?portionid=53181&portionamount=100.000. Source: about 3 years ago
  • How to lose 10 pounds?
    I'm using fatsecret.com to track my calorie intake and used another site to figure out the macro ratios I should be eating. I eat healthy food anyways but after tracking it for a few weeks my macros were WAY off eating too many carbs and not enough protein. Just had to adjust the ratios of ingredients in what I was already making to even things out and to also bring the calorie count down. Made a pact with myself... Source: about 3 years ago
  • CMV: Eggs served in a restaurant should come properly salted unless otherwise requested by a customer.
    Should fatsecret.com be the one to determine standards for the amount of salt on eggs? I would think this ought to be up to the chef. Source: over 3 years ago
  • How do you plan your keto meals?
    I use fatsecret.com to plan my meals and track my carbs and calories. The rest of my household eat as far from keto as I can imagine, so I cook for myself. Using tips from the internet, I make up a menu and prepare everything the day before (I love to be organized!). I rarely use others' s recipes - I experiment with food combos that I think will work. I have a bent for math, so planning my meals became a... Source: over 3 years ago
  • Now that itโ€™s exam season, time to spend money for the next week on food to avoid cooking and maximize time to study. What are the best deals around campus with the best quality and quantity tradeoff?
    One large pizza has enough calories for an average males daily intake and the actually calorie count of the walk in special is most likely higher due to the additional toppings even if the pizza with just cheese were to be less calories than what fatsecret.com listed it as. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Stack Overflow and fatsecret, you can also consider the following products

GitHub - Originally founded as a project to simplify sharing code, GitHub has grown into an application used by over a million people to store over two million code repositories, making GitHub the largest code host in the world.

MyFitnessPal - Track the number of calories that you consume each day with MyFitnessPal. The app also lets you create a diet and track the exercise that you complete each day whether it's walking, running or some other type of program.

DEV.to - Where software engineers connect, build their resumes, and grow.

Cronometer - A big trend in todayโ€™s world is health and fitness, particularly in recording nutritional information. There are several options available to achieve this result.

Stack Exchange - Stack Exchange is a fast-growing network of 84 [and counting] question and answer sites on diverse...

Lose it! - Snap a photo of your food to get nutritional facts