Yuka vs Fig: General Score vs Dietary Fit
Yuka rates a product for everyone; Fig checks it against your chosen diet. A fair, UK-focused look at two popular food apps with genuinely different jobs, plus where a personal-trigger approach fits in.
The core difference
Yuka and Fig get compared a lot, but they answer different questions, which is worth understanding before you pick one. Yuka gives a product a single general score out of 100, the same for everyone, based on its own assessment of nutrition and additives. Fig checks a product against your chosen dietary pattern or restriction, such as low-FODMAP, low-histamine, or particular allergens. One is a universal verdict; the other is tailored to a diet. Neither is wrong, they are simply built for different needs, and for sensitive skin there is a third angle worth knowing about too.
How each one works
Yuka reads a barcode and applies its own criteria to produce one traffic-light-style score across food and cosmetics, gently steering you towards better-rated products over time. Fig asks you to set up the diets or restrictions you follow, then scans a food product and tells you whether it fits, doing the filtering against your chosen pattern rather than issuing a general grade. The core difference is a universal score versus a dietary match. Both are more thoughtful than they first appear, and each is genuinely good at its own job.
A fair point-by-point comparison
Coverage. Yuka has a vast, mature database spanning food and cosmetics, so most products are recognised. Fig is focused on food and dietary matching; its strength is the depth of its diet filters rather than the breadth of categories.
How each judges a product. Yuka produces one score from its nutrition-and-additives criteria. Fig judges against the specific diet you selected, so the same product can pass for one person’s plan and fail for another’s. That makes Fig more personal than Yuka, but only along the axis of diet.
Personalisation. Neither is a personal trigger tool. Yuka is universal by design. Fig personalises to a recognised eating pattern, which is helpful, but it may not match your exact individual list, and it stays within food. If your issue is one specific ingredient rather than a whole diet, both can be broader than you need.
Cosmetic versus food. Yuka covers both food and cosmetics. Fig stays within food. For sensitive skin, where triggers often appear in cosmetics and medicines as well as food, that matters.
Cost. Both have free versions with optional paid tiers that change over time. Check the current terms in each app.
Where each falls short. A general Yuka score can rate a food well while it still contains your trigger, and it cannot flex to a single named ingredient. A Fig diet filter may not map onto your exact personal list, and neither app reaches into medicines or skincare where sensitive-skin triggers so often turn up.
Who each one suits
Yuka suits someone who wants a fast, broad “is this generally well-rated?” read across their shopping, food and cosmetics alike. Fig suits someone following a defined eating pattern, such as low-FODMAP or a low-histamine trial, who wants products filtered specifically for that. If your real problem is that one specific ingredient makes your skin react, and especially if that ingredient turns up in medicines and cosmetics too, a personal-trigger tool like ClearaScan is built for that gap: you save the exact things you react to once and scan any product, food or not, against only those. It adds a Reaction Journal for flare-ups, a shared Care Circle so family or carers can scan for you, and a Trusted Products list, and it is currently in early access.
An honest recommendation
Use Yuka for a fast general read, Fig if you are managing a recognised diet, and a personal-list approach when your skin reacts to specific ingredients that a universal score or diet filter would miss. The honest trade-offs are real: Yuka is broad but generic, Fig is diet-specific but food-only, and a personal-trigger tool like ClearaScan is tailored across categories but depends on you building the list and is still in early access with a smaller database. Many people end up using more than one, matching the tool to the moment. If you are not yet sure what sets off a reaction, none of these apps replaces advice from a GP, dietitian or dermatologist. (Disclosure: our editor co-founded ClearaScan, and we are not paid to mention the others.)
The Sensitive Skin Ingredient Decoder
A free one-page guide to reading a skincare label fast: the irritants to watch, the fragrance loopholes, and what "fragrance-free" and "hypoallergenic" really mean.
Common questions
What is the difference between Yuka and Fig?
Yuka gives a product a single general score out of 100, the same for everyone, based on its own view of nutrition and additives. Fig checks a product against your chosen dietary pattern or restriction, such as low-FODMAP, low-histamine or particular allergens. One is a universal verdict; the other is tailored to a diet.
Which is better for a specific diet like low-FODMAP?
Fig is generally the better fit for managing a defined eating pattern, because it filters specifically for that rather than giving a one-size verdict. Yuka can nudge you towards better-rated products overall, but it is not built around a particular diet the way Fig is.
Do either of them check my personal skin triggers?
Not directly. Yuka gives a general score and Fig filters by diet, so neither is built around your exact personal trigger list, especially once medicines and cosmetics are involved. A personal-trigger tool like ClearaScan is designed for that specific job.
Are Yuka and Fig free?
Both have free versions and have offered paid tiers for extra features. Pricing and features change over time, so it is worth checking each app's current terms before relying on it.
Can these apps replace advice from a professional?
No. These apps help you read and filter labels, but they cannot diagnose a food intolerance, allergy or skin reaction. Working out the true cause, and managing a restrictive diet safely, is a job for a GP, dietitian or dermatologist.