Yuka vs Trash Panda: Which Food Scanner Should You Use? (2027)
November 2, 2026 · 4 min read
Yuka is the established, general-purpose scanner: a 0 to 100 score for food and personal care products, plus a healthier suggestion. Trash Panda is built around avoiding specific things, such as seed oils, food dyes, artificial sweeteners, allergens and preservatives, and was created by a certified nutritionist, according to its App Store listing. Both are free to download with a paid upgrade. Disclosure: we make HealthierCart, a third food scanner, covered at the end.
At a glance (checked November 2, 2026)
- Price: Yuka is free, with Premium at $15 a year (open pricing, per yuka.io). Trash Panda is free, with a premium subscription for unlimited scans, custom dietary preferences, advanced ingredient search and shopping lists; the price is shown in the app.
- Focus: Yuka gives an overall score. Trash Panda highlights the additives and ingredients you want to avoid, including ultra-processed foods.
- What it scans: Yuka covers food and personal care. Trash Panda's listing focuses on food.
- Popularity: Yuka has about 101,800 US App Store ratings (4.8). Trash Panda has about 4,000 (4.8).
- Independence: both say they are independent and not influenced by food brands.
Choose Yuka if…
- You want a single score and a suggested swap for each product
- You also scan cosmetics and personal care
- You want the largest database and community
Choose Trash Panda if…
- You avoid specific ingredients such as seed oils, dyes or artificial sweeteners
- You want allergen flags alongside additives
- You're happy to subscribe for unlimited scans
Where HealthierCart fits
HealthierCart also flags refined seed oils and artificial dyes on every scan, grades products A to F, and links the FDA, EFSA, EPA or study behind each flag. It scans personal care products too. Instead of a subscription, Premium is $9.99 once. It is newer and smaller than both apps here, so some products may not be in its database yet.
- Sources: Yuka Premium page, yuka.io/en/premium-member; Yuka and Trash Panda App Store listings (all checked 2026-11-02)
- Yuka and Trash Panda are trademarks of their owners. HealthierCart is not affiliated with either.