FAQ

Why use Downward instead of another calorie counter?

It's optimized for speed and it runs locally without an internet connection or online account. There are no ads, upsells, or paywalls.

Can I use it to maintain or gain weight?

Absolutely. I called it "Downward" because, let's be honest, most of us are trying to lose weight, but you can set whatever goals you want.

Why is it free?

I don't need the money. This was part passion project, and part learning project. I formed an LLC for it because I don't want to get personally sued by somebody who decided not to eat a healthy diet as a result of flawed data or flawed settings or bugs in the app. I do my best to make the app great (I use it myself, after all), but I'm not a doctor and no app is perfect — I'm sure there's a hidden bug or flawed food data, especially in the Open Food Facts DB since that is an open source project.

Are you going to maintain it?

Yes, and please email me via the support link if you have any bugs or requests. But I won't be adding a ton of new features. If the app really takes off, I'd consider adding new features behind a subscription paywall because app development takes time. So if you email me with a feature request, let me know how much you'd be willing to pay for a subscription service ;).