Yuka vs Olive: Food Scanner Features & Prices Compared

The short answer

Yuka is the better pick if you want free, unlimited barcode scanning with a scoring formula you can actually read and verify. Olive: Food & Cosmetic Scanner by Giga Studios, Inc (US App Store id 6739765789, Android package com.gigastudios.oliveapp) is the broader wellness toolkit: ingredient analysis, allergens, seed oils, bottled-water data, recall and lab-test information, an AI health companion and symptom tracking, but its advertised scanner features sit behind Olive Premium after a 7-day free trial.

Developer matters here. Several unrelated apps in the App Store and on Google Play are called "Olive," so confirm the Giga Studios listing before you subscribe. This comparison reflects listings and pricing observed on September 13, 2026.

Yuka vs Olive at a glance

Official pages: Yuka, Yuka Premium features, Olive on the App Store, Olive on Google Play.

Scoring: transparent formula vs undisclosed method

Yuka's food rating is a documented 0-100 score built from three parts: 60% nutritional quality (based on the Nutri-Score model), 30% additives and 10% organic certification. You can reverse-engineer why a Trader Joe's granola scored 42 instead of 78, which makes the number teachable rather than mysterious.

Olive's public store listing does not publish comparable fixed weights, so there is no way to state its formula from outside the app. That is not automatically a flaw, but it does mean you cannot audit a rating the way you can with Yuka. If a scanner flags a specific product, open the ingredient detail and read the cited source yourself before you put the box back on the shelf.

For the Nutri-Score foundation behind Yuka's nutrition component, the published algorithm is documented in peer-reviewed literature, and the FDA maintains its own food ingredient and packaging guidance, which is worth checking when an additive claim surprises you.

Ingredients and additives: where the two apps aim

Yuka focuses tightly on the label: nutrients plus a per-additive assessment with a risk level and short explanation. Scan a pack of sandwich bread at Target and you will typically see sugar, sodium, fiber and any preservatives such as calcium propionate broken out one by one. If your main worry is ultra-processing, it helps to know what Yuka does and does not detect about processing.

Olive advertises a wider net: ingredient analysis, allergens, seed oils, synthetic additives, healthier alternatives, plus recall and lab-test information. Some of Olive's marketing language references toxins, PFAS, microplastics or heavy metals in categories like bottled water. Treat those as Olive's claims, not settled independent findings, and inspect the evidence the app cites for any specific product flag. The FDA's overview of PFAS in food and WHO guidance on microplastics in drinking water are useful reality checks. Neither app can guarantee a product is safe for you.

Seed oils are a good example of where expectations diverge. Olive's positioning leans into them, including a seed-oil-free restaurant finder. Yuka's published formula does not include a separate seed-oil avoidance rule; its nutrition component evaluates the broader nutritional profile rather than treating every oil as its own scoring category. If seed-oil avoidance is your organizing principle, Olive matches your filter better; if you want a balanced nutrition-plus-additives verdict, Yuka does.

Cosmetics and bottled water

Both apps scan cosmetics on iOS, so you can check a Sephora moisturizer or a Costco body wash alongside your groceries. The difference is platform parity: Olive's Google Play listing currently says cosmetics scanning is coming soon on Android, while Yuka's cosmetics scanning is available on both. Android households should factor that in.

Bottled water is Olive's clearest differentiator. Its listing advertises water-specific data and lab-test information, which is content Yuka does not attempt. Again, open the underlying test reference before you change brands.

Personalization and extras

Olive advertises an AI health companion plus symptom and health tracking, which turns the app into a light wellness journal rather than a pure label scanner. That is appealing if you want one place for scans and notes, and irrelevant if you just want a verdict in the aisle. Nothing in either app is a substitute for talking with a clinician about symptoms.

Yuka's personalization is narrower and grocery-specific. Premium adds product search (useful for pre-shop planning before a Costco run), offline mode for warehouse dead zones, dietary-preference alerts such as gluten or lactose, and unlimited or full-year scan history. The free tier still scans without ads, which is why many shoppers never upgrade. The tradeoffs are broken down in Yuka free vs Premium.

Price and free trial

Yuka keeps core scanning free with no ads. US Premium starts at $10 per year. Yuka currently offers $10, $15 and $20 annual support tiers that unlock the same features.

Olive's US App Store page currently lists multiple in-app purchase prices rather than one universal price: monthly at $7.99 or $14.99, and annual offers ranging from $18.99 to $69.99, following a 7-day free trial. Offers vary by user and cohort, so check the paywall you are actually shown and read the terms before the trial converts. Also review each developer's privacy disclosures before enabling health or symptom-tracking features, and choose only the permissions you are comfortable granting.

Who should choose which

Choose Yuka if you want free core scanning, a published formula you can explain to a skeptical partner, cosmetics on Android, and a low-cost upgrade path. For a wider market view, see our comparison of Yuka alternatives.

Choose Olive if seed oils, bottled-water information, recalls and an AI companion are central to how you shop, and you are comfortable choosing a subscription after the trial. Android users should confirm which features are currently available on their version.

A third option: Osana is an iOS food scanner built around barcode and ingredient scanning, additive detail and ultra-processed food warnings for US grocery aisles.

How to test both in one grocery trip

Scan the same 10 items with each app: a breakfast cereal, a flavored yogurt, sandwich bread, a protein bar, deli turkey, tortilla chips, a frozen entree, a salad dressing, a soda and one bottled water. Then ask three questions. Did the app recognize the barcode at Walmart and Trader Joe's, where private labels are often missing from databases? Does the explanation cite something you can verify? Are the suggested alternatives actually stocked in that store?

Verdict

Yuka wins on transparency, price and free access. Olive offers broader wellness features if its specific concerns match yours, but most advertised scanning features require Premium and product-level claims still deserve verification. Either way, the habit beats the app: if you want a fast US-focused scanner for additives and ultra-processed foods, give Osana a try on your next grocery run.

FAQ

Is Olive free?

You can install it free and start a 7-day trial, but the advertised scanner features require Olive Premium afterward.

Why does Olive show different prices?

The US App Store lists several in-app purchase options and offers vary, so confirm the exact price on the paywall you see.

Which Olive app is the right one?

The one published by Giga Studios, Inc, App Store id 6739765789 or Android package com.gigastudios.oliveapp. Other apps share the name.

Does either app work fully on Android?

Yuka scans food and cosmetics on both platforms. Olive runs on Android, but its Google Play listing says cosmetics scanning is coming soon there.

Can a scanner tell me a food is safe?

No. Both apps summarize labels and cited sources; neither guarantees safety or replaces professional advice.