Yuka vs Fig App: Which Food Scanner Is Better?

Yuka vs Fig app: which one should you use?

Yuka and Fig are two of the most-searched food scanner apps among health-conscious US shoppers, but they work in meaningfully different ways. Yuka scores products based on nutrition and additives using a 100-point system, while Fig filters products against your personal dietary preferences and certifications. Neither is universally better. The right choice depends on what you actually want to know at the shelf.

This comparison covers official features, pricing, platform availability, scoring logic, and real limitations, so you can decide which app fits your grocery routine.

---

How each app works

Yuka

Yuka, developed by a French company, assigns every scanned product a score from 0 to 100 based on three weighted factors: nutritional quality (60%), additive presence and risk level (30%), and organic certification (10%). The nutritional side uses the Nutri-Score framework, which was developed in France and is widely used across Europe.

When you scan a barcode, Yuka pulls from the Open Food Facts database, a crowdsourced, community-maintained repository. Products are labeled Excellent, Good, Poor, or Bad, and any flagged additives are explained in plain language. The app is available on iOS and Android.

Yuka is free with limitations. The premium tier, around $14.99 per year, unlocks offline mode, a history of scanned products, and the ability to filter by specific dietary preferences.

Fig

Fig takes a different approach. Instead of assigning a universal health score, Fig lets you build a personal filter profile based on your specific needs, such as gluten-free, vegan, kosher, low-FODMAP, avoiding seed oils, or flagging specific allergens. When you scan a product, Fig tells you whether it matches your filters, not whether it is objectively healthy.

Fig relies on a combination of its own database and product label data. It is available on iOS and Android. Pricing is around $4.99 per month or $29.99 per year, with a free tier that allows limited scans.

Fig is particularly useful for people managing diagnosed dietary conditions, food allergies, or specific elimination diets, because the output is personalized rather than scored on a fixed rubric.

---

Key differences at a glance

| Feature | Yuka | Fig | |---|---|---|| | Scoring system | Universal 0-100 score | Personalized filter match | | Additive flagging | Yes, with risk levels | Only if you add it as a filter | | Nutrition grading | Yes, Nutri-Score based | No universal grade | | Dietary filters | Limited in free tier | Core feature | | Database | Open Food Facts (crowdsourced) | Proprietary and label-based | | Platform | iOS and Android | iOS and Android | | Free tier | Yes, with limits | Yes, with scan limits | | Paid plan | ~$14.99/year | ~$29.99/year |

---

Where Yuka is stronger

For shoppers who want a fast, at-a-glance verdict on any product, Yuka's scoring system is more immediately actionable. You scan a box of cereal at Target, see a red badge, and know something is flagged without having to configure anything first.

Yuka's additive breakdown is one of its most valued features. It will flag ingredients like carrageenan, sodium benzoate, or artificial dyes and explain what the concern is. This matters for shoppers following the wave of consumer interest around ingredients that are restricted in the EU but still permitted in the US, a concern the FDA has addressed in various guidance documents.

If you are scanning a wide variety of products across categories, including snacks, frozen meals, condiments, and cereals, and want a consistent benchmark, Yuka's fixed scoring method gives you that consistency.

The limitation is that Yuka's database depends on Open Food Facts, which is crowdsourced. Coverage of US-specific products, especially store-brand items at Walmart, Costco, or regional chains, can be incomplete or outdated. Some products return no result at all.

---

Where Fig is stronger

Fig is built for personalization. If you are managing a gluten intolerance, avoiding seed oils, eating kosher, or following a low-FODMAP protocol for gut health, Fig will tell you immediately whether a product fits your life, not a generic European nutrition framework.

For families with multiple dietary needs, this is genuinely useful. A parent scanning the snack aisle at Whole Foods who needs to avoid both peanuts and high-fructose corn syrup can set both filters and get a clear yes or no.

Fig also tends to have better coverage of specialty and natural food products, which aligns well with shoppers at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.

The trade-off is that Fig does not teach you much about a product you have not already told it to flag. If you are not already aware that a specific additive is a concern, Fig will not surface it unprompted. It is a filter, not an educator.

---

Limitations both apps share

Both Yuka and Fig have real gaps worth knowing before you rely on either one:

• Database gaps: Neither app has 100% coverage of US grocery products. Store-brand and regional products are frequently missing.
• No ingredient photo scanning: Both apps require a barcode. If a product has no barcode or the barcode does not return a result, you are stuck.
• Scoring is not medical advice: A green score in Yuka does not mean a product is right for your health situation. A Fig match does not mean the product is nutritious.
• Crowdsourced data risk: Yuka's reliance on Open Food Facts means ingredient data can lag behind reformulations. A brand may have quietly changed its formula without the database reflecting it.

For shoppers trying to build a cleaner pantry, these gaps matter. Understanding how to read food ingredient labels yourself remains an important skill alongside any scanner app.

---

Which app fits which shopper

Choose Yuka if you want a universal score, care about additive flagging across all product categories, and want to be educated about what is in your food rather than just filtered.

Choose Fig if you have specific dietary restrictions, food allergies, or a defined elimination protocol, and you want fast personalized matching rather than a health grade.

Many shoppers interested in the broader landscape of ultra-processed ingredients and food quality may also want to explore what ultra-processed food actually means, since neither app fully addresses the NOVA classification framework that researchers and public health bodies increasingly use.

Research on ultra-processed food consumption and health outcomes continues to grow, with studies published in journals like The BMJ and The Lancet linking high UPF intake to a range of health concerns. The NIH also maintains ongoing research on dietary patterns and chronic disease.

---

Conclusion

The Yuka vs Fig comparison is not a clear winner-takes-all decision. Yuka gives you a consistent, additive-aware score across any product. Fig gives you a personalized filter built around your specific dietary needs. Both have database limitations, and neither replaces reading the label yourself.

If you want an app built specifically around additives, ultra-processed food warnings, and EU-restricted ingredient flags for US grocery shopping, Osana is worth scanning your pantry with.

---

Frequently asked questions

Is Fig or Yuka more accurate for US grocery products?

Both apps have coverage gaps for US store-brand and regional products. Yuka uses the crowdsourced Open Food Facts database, which can lag on reformulations. Fig uses a proprietary database with a focus on dietary filter matching. Neither is fully comprehensive, so checking the actual label remains important.

Does Fig flag food additives like Yuka does?

Not automatically. Fig flags additives only if you have added them as a personal filter. Yuka proactively flags additives with risk levels without any setup required, which makes it more useful for additive discovery.

Is Yuka free to use in the US?

Yuka has a free tier that covers basic scanning and scoring. The premium plan, around $14.99 per year, adds offline mode, scan history, and expanded dietary filters.

Can I use both Yuka and Fig at the same time?

Yes. Some shoppers use Yuka for general additive and nutrition scoring and Fig for specific dietary restriction matching. The apps serve different purposes and are not redundant.

Do Yuka and Fig work on iPhone and Android?

Both apps are available on iOS and Android in the United States.

Why does Yuka sometimes show no result for a product?

Yuka pulls from Open Food Facts, a community-maintained database. If a product has not been added by a contributor, it will return no result. This is more common with store-brand items and newer products.