The best replacement for load cell is strain gauge.

The best alternatives to load cell are rated as following:
★★★★★  strain gauge
★★★  potentiometer
★★★  pressure transducer
★  dynamometer

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Speaking about load cell, one probably shouldn't forget about strain gauge.

Other search terms related to load cell and their ratings are:
★★★★★ strain gauge
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load cell
strain gauge
potentiometer