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Weight loss apps can help people reach their health and fitness goals. These apps offer food and fitness tracking and may offer additional support from other users.

Medical News Today includes reputable, well-received apps, and with a range of price points and features.

Additionally, MNT looks at some of the following:

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Best for community support: Lose It!

  • Platforms: iOS, Android, and desktop
  • App Store rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
  • Google Play rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
  • Price: free, with an optional subscription of $39.99 per year to access premium features

Lose It! is available on Android and iPhone devices. Users can set weight loss goals, track food intake and exercise, and engage with other users for support and inspiration.

Additionally, people can take part in head-to-head, team, and group-based challenges, earning badges for weight loss along the way.

People can track their meals by taking a picture with the app’s “Snap It” feature.

Lose It! is free to download. However, a person can choose to pay $39.99 a year to access premium features. These include personalized goals, water tracking, meal planning, and more.

Best for fitness tracking: MyFitnessPal

  • Platforms: iOS, Android, and desktop
  • App Store rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
  • Google Play rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars
  • Price: free, with an optional subscription of $9.99 per month to access premium features

MyFitnessPal is available to download for free on Android and iPhone devices. This app works by tracking what a person eats to support weight loss and maintenance.

With MyFitnessPal, users have access to a database of more than five million foods. Furthermore, people can also add entire meals en masse.

Additional features of this app include a fitness tracker and access to a user community.

A person can purchase a premium subscription for $9.99 a month. Premium features include:

  • no advertisements
  • customized goals
  • priority customer support
  • meal plans
  • workout routines
  • food analysis
  • barcode feature to automatically input nutritional information

Best for food tracking: MyFoodDiary

  • Platforms: desktop
  • App Store rating: not available on this platform
  • Google Play rating: not available on this platform
  • Price: 7-day free trial, then $0.29 cents per day

MyFoodDiary is a website with a database of more than 200,000 foods, including supermarket and restaurant brands.

Unlike many other food tracking apps, MyFoodDiary tracks 21 nutritional categories on food labels, including carbohydrates, saturated fat, cholesterol, calories, and sugar.

The website provides daily summary and nutrition reports, which allow users to quickly spot areas that may need improvement.

People can sign up for a free one-week trial, then pay $0.29 cents per day. Features include:

  • no ads
  • nutrition calculation
  • members-only discussion forum
  • Fitbit integration

Best free app: FatSecret

  • Platforms: iOS, Android, and desktop
  • App Store rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
  • Google Play rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars
  • Price: free, with an optional subscription starting from $6.49 to access premium features

FatSecret meets all the needs of a weight loss app. Users can track their food intake and physical activity, monitor their weight loss progress, and connect with other users for guidance and support.

Additionally, people can share their data with healthcare professionals through FatSecret Professional, enabling users to get personalized advice and support from physicians.

The FatSecret app is completely free to download and use. People can opt to pay for a premium subscription starting at $6.49 per month, which gives them access to meal plans for specific dietary requirements, advanced meal planning to count calories, and a daily water intake goal.

Best app that uses CBT: Noom

  • Platforms: iOS, Android, and desktop
  • App Store rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
  • Google Play rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars
  • Price: free to download, with in-app purchases from $9.99

Noom works by educating people about the foods they eat rather than stating what a person can and cannot eat.

Learn more about Noom.

The app offers mini-courses that use cognitive behavioral therapy to help a person lose weight. People can track their weight, food and water intake, and step count.

Noom is free to download. There are two paid Noom programs: Healthy Weight and Noom Mood. These programs offer more in-depth advice and support.

People can purchase these programs and pay to unlock extra features, starting from $9.99.

Best affordable subscription: WW

  • Platforms: iOS, Android, and desktop
  • App Store rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
  • Google Play rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Price: 30-day free trial, then from $19.99 per month

WW, previously Weight Watchers, allows people to track their food using the WW point system. Additionally, people can keep track of their water intake, activity, and sleep.

The company also offers recipes that use the ingredients in a person’s home. Additional features include:

  • meal planning
  • weekly check-ins
  • barcode scanners
  • 5-minute coaching sessions
  • 24/7 live coachings
  • a members-only social network

People can download the app for free. WW offers a 30-day free trial. After this period, people can choose from two different programs, each with differing levels of support. Prices for WW start at $19.99 per month.

Learn more about WW here.

Best for grocery shopping: PlateJoy

  • Platforms: iOS, Android, and desktop
  • App Store rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
  • Google Play rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
  • Price: free to download then $69.99 for a six month subscription and $99.99 for an annual subscription

Platejoy creates custom meal plans, personalized recipes, and grocery lists to help users save time and eat better. Users also have the option to have groceries delivered to them through the app, with deliveries coming from Instacart and Amazon Fresh.

PlateJoy caters to specific dietary requirements, such as:

People can also choose their portion sizes and amend recipes to exclude ingredients they dislike or are allergic to.

PlateJoy can be downloaded for free. People can then opt for a six month or yearly subscription. A six month subscription is $69.99 and a yearly subscription is $99.99. This cost does not include food delivery fees.

Best for food and fitness logging: MyNetDiary

  • Platforms: iOS, Android, and desktop
  • App Store rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
  • Google Play rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
  • Price: free, with an optional subscription from $8.99 per month to access premium features

MyNetDiary helps people find a diet to suit their lifestyles and requirements, set weight loss targets, count calories, and monitor daily and weekly meal and exercise goals.

This app is compatible with Google Fit, Fitbit, Apple Watch, and Samsung Health. People can also access blogs and recipes from the company’s website.

MyNetDiary is free to download and use. It offers an optional premium subscription starting from $8.99 per month. This option provides access to more recipes, macros planning and cycling, planning and tracking up to 51 nutrients, and more.

Best for personalized nutrition grades: Fooducate

  • Platforms: iOS, Android, and desktop
  • App Store rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
  • Google Play rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars
  • Price: free, with optional in-app purchases starting from $1.99

Fooducate is a food database and community where people can log food and trade recipes alongside weight and healthy living tips.

This app contains a tracker so people can track their calorie and macro intake. The company offers personalized nutrition grades on a scale of A—D when a person inputs their dietary requirements and goals to help keep them on track for their health goals.

Fooducate is free to download and use. People can choose optional in-app purchases to unlock extra features, such as diets that cater to chronic health conditions and options to track the nutritional content in pet food. These purchases start from $1.99.

Best for intermittent fasting: Zero (iOS)

  • Platforms: iOS, Android, and desktop
  • App Store rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars
  • Google Play rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Price: free, with options to upgrade to Zero Plus premium version for $9.99 per month or $69.99 per year

This app is suitable for anyone who wishes to fast, either intermittently or not. Zero is an easy and effective way to keep track of everything. It offers people times for the end of a fast, feedback, tips, and customization options.

According to Zero, it is one of the world’s most popular fasting apps, with the brand claiming that it not only helps people lose weight and keep it off but also helps people create healthy long lasting habits.

Zero offers subscribers three different fasting options:

  • 13-hour fast, also known as the “circadian rhythm fast,” which aligns the person’s eating window with their body’s clock
  • 16-hour fast, also known as the 16:8 intermittent fast, which may help people manage their weight and improve their metabolism
  • 18-hour fast, or 18:6, which is suitable for the more advanced person who practices fasting

Zero also offers the one meal a day (OMAD) fast and prolonged fast which lasts for up to 7 days.

Zero’s free version offers members the core tools of the app, such as basic statistics and basic content. However, the premium features offer people more advanced content, such as correlated graphs, personal fasting zones, and metabolic tracking.

Best for habit tracking: Strides

  • Platforms: iOS, iPad, and Apple Watch
  • App Store rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
  • Google Play rating: not available
  • Price: free to download with options to upgrade to Strides Plus for $4.99 per month, $29.99 per year, or $79.99 for a lifetime subscription

Unlike other apps, Strides does not focus on weight loss, food, calorie counting, or exercise logging. It helps people keep track of their recurring good and bad habits.

People can customize habits such as how much water they drink or the time they go to sleep, helping them move toward their goals. People can check the progress they are making through weekly, monthly, and yearly reports, and goals are broken down into easily achievable milestones to help keep users motivated.

People can download Strides for free. Alternatively, they can upgrade to Strides Plus, which offers features such as unlimited trackers, backup, tags and filters, export data, and synchronization.

Best for nutrient tracking: Cronometer

  • Platforms: iOS, Android, and desktop
  • App Store rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
  • Google Play rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
  • Price: free to download with options to purchase the Gold subscription from $8.99 per month

Cronometer is a weight loss app that helps people keep track of their nutrient intake as well as their calories. It can track up to 82 micronutrients to help ensure people meet their daily vitamin and mineral needs. Additionally, the app can also track cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

Features of this app include a food database and a barcode scanner so people can log their meals easily. People can also share data with dietitians and other health professionals.

People have access to the basic features of the app with the free downloadable version. Alternatively, they can upgrade to Gold membership, which is available from $8.99 per month to access features such as progress charts, data trends, and a recipe importer.

Best for motivation: Happy Scale

  • Platforms: iOS and desktop
  • App Store rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars
  • Google Play rating: not available
  • Price: free 1-week trial, with options to purchase a premium membership from $1.99 per month

The Happy Scale weight loss app has a moving average progress tracking option so people can see their steady weight loss progress daily, which may help them remain motivated.

Users can break down large goals into smaller incremental milestones, which can help them focus on short-term, more achievable goals. The app uses the person’s progress data to predict their future weight if they continue their current trend. This enables the user to envisage their weight loss for a specific date.

People can sync their weight loss results between devices, such as an iPhone and iPad. Additionally, they can import their current weight to a wireless scale or weight-tracking app from Apple Health. Users can also protect their entries from others by using a passcode.

People also have the option to share some subscriptions with their family group if they enable Family Sharing.

Users can download the Happy Scale app for free and can continue to enjoy the app for a week-long free trial. After this time frame, users can upgrade to Happy Scale premium, which can be purchased for $1.99 per month or $11.99 a year. Alternatively, they can purchase a lifetime subscription for $39.99.

Best for people who are breastfeeding: EasyFit (iOS)

  • Platforms: iOS, Android, desktop
  • App Store rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Google Play rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Price: free to download and use

EasyFit tracks users’ food, exercise, weight loss progress, and macros. This app takes into account the dietary needs of people who are breastfeeding to ensure that they can safely and effectively lose weight whilst at the same time providing optimal nutrition for their infants.

Users can make their own food and add it to the app where it will estimate the total calories. Alternatively, they can choose from over 1500 default foods pre-integrated on the app.

This app offers users a variety of features including:

  • breastfeeding-specific meal plan
  • breastfeeding-safe exercises
  • daily breastfeeding tracking
  • weight loss progress

Additionally, the app provides personalized coaching and support to keep users motivated and stay on track with their weight loss goals.

EasyFit is free to download and use.

The following table compares the diet and weight loss apps in this article.

PlatformsApp Store ratingGoogle Play ratingPriceFree trial
Lose It!iOS
Android
desktop
4.8 out of 5 stars4.4 out of 5 starsfree
optional subscription, $39.99 per year
no
MyFitnessPaliOS
Android
desktop
4.7 out of 5 stars4.3 out of 5 starsfree
optional subscription, $9.99 per month
no
MyFoodDiarydesktopnot availablenot available7-day free trial then
$0.29 per day
yes, 7 days
FatSecretiOS
Android
desktop
4.7 out of 5 stars4.6 out of 5 starsfree
optional subscription, $6.49 per month
no
NoomiOS
Android
Desktop
4.7 out of 5 stars4.2 out of 5 starsfree to download
in-app purchases from $9.99
no
WWiOS
Android
desktop
4.8 out of 5 stars4.5 out of 5 stars30-day free trial then
from $19.99 per month
yes, 30 days
PlateJoyiOS
Android
desktop
4.7 out of 5 stars4.7 out of 5 starsfree
optional subscription of $69.99 for six months or $99.99 per year
no
MyNetDiaryiOS
Android
desktop
4.8 out of 5 stars4.7 out of 5 starsfree
optional subscription, $8.99 per month
no
FooducateiOS
Android
desktop
4.7 out of 5 stars4.2 out of 5 starsfree
optional in-app purchases from $1.99
no
ZeroiOS
Android
desktop
4.9 out of 5 stars4.5 out of 5 starsfree
optional subscription, $9.99 per month or $69.99 per year
no
StridesiOS
iPad
Apple Watch
4.8 out of 5 starsnot availablefree
optional subscription, $4.00 per month, $29.99 per year or $79.99 for a lifetime
no
CronometeriOS
Android
desktop
4.7 out of 5 stars4.7 out of 5 starsfree
optional Gold subscription, $8.99 per month
no
Happy ScaleiOS
desktop
4.9 out of 5 starsnot available7-day free trial then
from $1.99 per month
yes, 7 days
EasyFitiOS
Android
desktop
4.5 out of 5 stars4.5 out of 5 starsfreeno

Overweight and obesity affect around 2 in 3 adults in the United States. People with these conditions are at an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other health conditions.

Adopting a healthy diet and engaging in regular physical activity can help people reach their health and fitness goals.

Learn more about the benefits of exercise here.

One study found that adults who used a smartphone app alongside a weight loss program lost more weight than those who took on the weight loss program alone.

A 2020 systematic review of the effectiveness of weight management apps states that people perceive their eating habits and weight loss to be better while using the apps.

Additionally, the researchers suggest that these apps have several benefits as a low-intensity form of weight management, such as:

However, the review also notes that people may find it difficult to stay motivated when using weight loss apps. Some potential reasons for loss of motivation include a lack of time or energy and seeing slow results. People may also stop using an app to avoid negative attention for not sticking to a meal plan.

Here we answer some common questions about these apps.

Do weight loss apps really work?

According to recent research, weight loss apps may be beneficial as a low intensity weight loss approach or alongside other weight loss therapy.

However, the researchers note that there is insufficient evidence to support the use of weight loss apps as a stand-alone therapy for weight management.

How much water should I drink per day to lose weight?

According to research, 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

The Institute of Medicine recommends adult males consume 3.3 liters of water per day, and adult women drink 2.3 liters. This consumption can partially come from a person’s daily food intake.

How do I know if I need to lose weight?

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, over 30% of Americans have overweight, over 42% have obesity, and over 9% have severe obesity.

A fast way to check whether a person may need to lose weight is by using a BMI calculator. Adults with a BMI of 25 and over may need to take steps to manage their weight.

Use our BMI calculator here.

Are there any free weight loss apps?

Most weight loss apps are free to download and use. However, some will require users to upgrade to a premium membership to unlock extra features.

Can I share my weight loss app data with a friend?

Some weight loss apps such as MyFitness Pal, WW, and Happy Scale enable users to share their weight loss data with friends and family. This can be a great way to help people keep on track and stay motivated.

Weight loss apps can be a convenient way to track and reach fitness and health goals.

Several apps are available to download or use on Android or iPhone devices and desktop computers. Some apps require subscriptions, whereas others offer optional in-app purchases.