Disclosure: FreshScan is our app. Everything we say about other apps comes from their own App Store listings as of September 2026; we haven't tested them, and we don't cite ratings.
Expiration trackers get the date in four ways: reading the printed date with the camera (FreshScan, RiScan, Useby), scanning the barcode and then typing or estimating the date (BEEP, Pantry Check, NoWaste, KitchenPal), importing purchases from receipts or store loyalty cards (Cooklist, Fridgely), or typing it yourself (Fridge Hero). Pick the method you'll actually keep doing after the first week.
Four ways the date gets in
| Method | What you do | Where the date comes from | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camera reads the printed date | Point the phone at the date on each package | The package itself | One scan per item; works on any package with a printed date, but not on loose produce |
| Barcode lookup | Scan the barcode, then add or confirm a date | You, or an estimate by food type | Fills in the product name and photo; the barcode doesn't contain the date |
| Receipt or loyalty-card import | Photograph a receipt or link a store account | Varies; listings rarely say whether it's printed or estimated | Least effort per item; check how the app sets each date |
| Manual entry | Type the item and its date | You | Full control; the most typing |
The barcode point surprises people. The UPC on a grocery package identifies the product, not the individual package, so it can't say when that carton of milk expires. GS1, the barcode standards body, does define an expiration-date field for some barcode types, and its Sunrise 2027 program is moving retailers toward 2D barcodes that can carry production or expiration dates. Until those are common on groceries, the printed date is the only place the real date lives.
Apps that read the printed date
FreshScan (ours)
FreshScan reads the date on the package on-device with the iPhone camera, then shows a confirmation card with the full date, the kind of date (best by, use by, sell by or EXP) and a suggested name. It scores down packed-on dates and lot numbers, asks which date to track when a label shows two, and shows both readings of an ambiguous numeric date like 03/04/27. Items are grouped into Use today, Next 3 days and Later, with reminders at 9:00 AM two days before and on the day. You can mark items Used it or Threw it away.
What it doesn't do: no barcode scanning, no shelf-life estimates, no recipes or shopping lists, no sharing between phones, and it's iPhone only (iOS 18 or later). It's free for up to 10 active items; FreshScan Pro ($3.99 a month or $29.99 a year in the US; prices vary by country and are shown in the App Store) adds unlimited items, reminder timing and the Impact screen. There's no account and no server; your list stays on your phone.
Want to try the camera-first approach? FreshScan is free for your first 10 items at a time, with no account to create.
Free on theApp StoreRiScan
According to its App Store listing (September 2026), RiScan (“Expiry date scanner: RiScan”) reads the expiry date with the camera, then has you take a photo of the product. The listing says it supports over 70 date formats, including ambiguous ones like “28.3.27,” sends a notification as the date approaches, and allows manual input. It's aimed at food, medicine and emergency supplies. Data is stored on the device, with iCloud backup and sync.
Useby
According to its App Store listing (September 2026), Useby (“Useby: Food Expiry Scanner”) reads packaging photos to detect product names and expiry dates, and you confirm or edit every result before saving. It sorts items by what expires soonest, organizes them by category and adds reminders. The listing describes it as local-first, with no accounts, no backend and no cloud database.
Barcode apps
These are closer to household inventory apps. Scanning a barcode fills in the product; the date still has to come from somewhere.
BEEP
According to its App Store listing (September 2026), BEEP (“BEEP - Expiry Date Tracking”) fills in a product's name and image from its barcode, “so you only need to enter the expiration date.” You create an account, can invite others to a shared team, set reminder timing and alerts by category, and your data is backed up and synced. The listing mentions homes, restaurants and retail inventory.
Pantry Check
According to its App Store listing (September 2026), Pantry Check (“Pantry Check - Grocery List”) combines a barcode scanner backed by a crowd-sourced product database with automatic expiration reminders, shopping lists based on usage, and real-time syncing and family sharing. The listing says you can track up to 200 items free, with paid storage subscriptions.
NoWaste
According to its App Store listing (September 2026), NoWaste (“NoWaste: Food Inventory List”) keeps inventory lists for the freezer, fridge and pantry, and adds food by scanning barcodes, receipts or photos. You can sort by expiration date and sync lists across devices, and it has an AI assistant you can speak or type to. The listing describes a free version with 6 lists and 500 items and a Pro subscription at $6.99 a year.
KitchenPal
According to its App Store listing (September 2026), KitchenPal (“KitchenPal Shared Grocery List”) is a grocery list, pantry tracker and recipe app. You set quantities and expiry dates, and the listing says it detects expiry automatically for items like fridge food and produce, which suggests estimated dates for those items. It adds products with a barcode scanner, sends alerts before the expiry date, and shares lists and the pantry with family.
Scanoid
According to its App Store listing (September 2026), Scanoid (“Expiration Date - Scanoid”) is built for convenience stores and shops as well as homes: barcode-based expiration tracking, stock by location, a team mode, a calendar view, and Excel import and export. The listing mentions home use too, but the multi-location and spreadsheet features lean toward shops.
Apps that import what you bought
Cooklist
According to its App Store listing (September 2026), Cooklist (“Cooklist: Pantry Meals Recipes”) connects to grocery store loyalty cards (it names Walmart, Kroger, Safeway, Wegmans and 75 more stores) and downloads your purchases into a digital pantry. It also has a barcode scanner, keeps track of how old each item is, sends expiration notifications and suggests recipes from what you have. The household shares the pantry, list and recipes.
Fridgely
According to its App Store listing (September 2026), Fridgely (“Fridgely: Smart Kitchen + Home”) lets you point the camera at your fridge or pantry to log what you have, or scan a grocery receipt, and then plans meals and a shopping list. It shows a “Fridge Health Score” and sends expiry alerts; the listing doesn't say whether those dates are read from packages or estimated. It describes itself as free with no subscription. (A different app, “Fridgely: AI Recipe Maker,” uses the same name.)
Type-it-yourself apps
Fridge Hero
According to its App Store listing (September 2026), Fridge Hero (“Fridge Hero: Track Food Expiry”) has you enter items in Fridge, Freezer and Pantry tabs with whatever details you want, such as best-before dates, quantity and notes. You swipe to record what was eaten, frozen or trashed, review your history, and get reminders you customize. The listing mentions a shopping list and Dropbox sync for the household.
For storage times, not tracking: USDA FoodKeeper
The USDA FoodKeeper app, published by USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, is a reference for how long foods keep, which is what you need for leftovers and loose produce that have no printed date. Its listing calls the storage times “useful guidelines,” not hard-and-fast rules. The same data powers our shelf life chart and food expiration calculator, which work in any browser.
Which kind of app fits you
- You mostly buy packaged food and want the real printed dates: a camera app (FreshScan, RiScan, Useby). One scan per item, and the date is the one on your package, not an estimate.
- You want a full inventory and shopping list: a barcode app (Pantry Check, NoWaste, KitchenPal, BEEP). Expect to add or check the date yourself.
- You want the least effort possible: an import app (Cooklist with a supported store, or Fridgely's receipt scan). Check how each one sets dates before you rely on the reminders.
- Several people share one fridge: pick an app whose listing mentions sharing or sync; see the FAQ below.
- You run a small shop: Scanoid or BEEP, whose listings describe team and retail use.
- You rarely buy packaged food: an app may be overkill. The shelf life chart and a “use first” shelf (see reducing food waste at home) may be all you need.
How we checked
On September 26, 2026 we pulled each app's current US App Store listing through Apple's public search and lookup service and read the full description. Every feature above is attributed to that listing. We didn't install or test the other apps, we left out ratings and review counts, and we didn't repeat statistics that listings quote. Listings change; if you spot something out of date, tell us.
Questions people ask
Is there an app that scans expiration dates?
Yes. A few iPhone apps read the printed date with the camera using text recognition, including FreshScan (which we make), RiScan and Useby, according to their App Store listings. Most other food tracker apps scan the barcode, which identifies the product but not its date.
Why can't a barcode app just read the expiration date from the barcode?
The UPC or EAN barcode on grocery packaging identifies the product, not the individual package, so it doesn't contain a date. GS1, the barcode standards body, does define a way to put an expiration date in some barcodes, and newer 2D codes on packaging can carry one, but most groceries don't use that for consumers yet.
Are food expiration apps free?
All of the apps in this comparison are listed as free to download. Several describe paid upgrades in their listings, such as more items, more lists or extra features. FreshScan is free for up to 10 active items at a time, with an optional Pro subscription.
Which app is best for a family sharing one fridge?
Look for an app whose listing mentions sharing or sync: BEEP, Pantry Check, KitchenPal and Cooklist all describe household or team sharing, and Fridge Hero describes Dropbox sync. FreshScan doesn't sync between people; it keeps everything on one iPhone.
Sources
- iTunes Search API (App Store listing data for each app, retrieved September 26, 2026) — Apple
- GS1 Application Identifier (17): Expiration date — GS1
- What is GS1 Sunrise 2027? — GS1 US
- FSIS FoodKeeper Data — USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, via Data.gov