Does calorie counting work ?

Yes..... Tracking (accurately) is going to get you the best results imo, you're taking out the guess work.

The most accurate logging is using a food scale to weigh everything possible, measuring the few things you can't weigh, and using accurate database entries

Absolutely yes, if you are honest. I find myself writing it down, adding it up, and then any time I add something else to it, I even re-ad the whole thing. It's simple math, but it makes me feel better. I also project my whole day, while I drink my coffee, and write it down. I don't have to eat exactly that, I can add or subtract or swap things out, but starting with a general idea each morning is very helpful and helps me stick to healthy choices. I will say that I have used measuring spoons and cups, but have NOT used a food scale, not once, and I have lost 46 pounds in 44 weeks with diet and exercise and simple math. My biggest suggestion is to round up on things that are not labeled/ things that you have to guess if you don't have a measuring tool. I understand that a lot of folks on here will say, for example, if a yogurt says 100 calories for X ounces and you weigh it and it's over X ounces, then the 100 calories is obviously too little and not accurate, therefore you can't trust packaging. For me, I trust packaging and then round up for things that are harder to track or that I can't measure. This happens daily. I think my coffee is 65-70 calories with cream and a touch of sugar, but I always call it 100 calories because I don't use a measuring spoon to make it. I think that my peanut butter sandwich is 150-190 calories of PB but I always call it 200, because I don't use a tablespoon to measure it. Things like that if I don't have access to measuring tools at work, etc. If you can't find nutrition facts, have a small portion and guess high. If I had a small piece of birthday cake for someone's bday at work, I call it like 400 calories, even though it may only be 250-300, and then eat lighter, leaner choices the rest of the day. It works, it's a balancing act with prepackaged or restaurant foods sometimes, but it works to just count calories. 100% yes.

All the big diet plans count calories, they just try and hide that from you to make the plan easier to stick to.

Different things work for different people. Creating a calorie deficit works all the time, but calorie counting is not the successful dieting technique for everyone.