Dropping pounds is tough. Paying for an overpriced weight-loss app can make things even harder. Your path to better health shouldn’t be cluttered with companies asking you to hand over your card details.
To make things easier, we researched and picked the best free weight loss apps you can install without paying. Some entries are familiar names like MyFitnessPal, while others might surprise you as weight-loss tools.
Take a steady breath, summon your resolve. You bring the dedication, and we’ll provide the best no-cost apps to support your journey.
MyFitnessPal
- Record calories with an enormous food library
- Monitor workouts and fitness activity
- Connect with many trackers and services
MyFitnessPal is such a widely used app that it hardly needs an introduction, but here’s a quick recap of the app that tops our list.
Introduced in 2005, MyFitnessPal is an all-in-one solution for people aiming to shed weight, improve fitness, or simply track calories. The app combines a food diary with a database of 14 million items and fitness plans to help you burn more calories and hit your targets.
We appreciate MyFitnessPal because it delivers a complete package, has stood the test of time, and supports a vast ecosystem of compatible products.
You can link more than 50 apps and devices, including Garmin, Fitbit, Samsung Health, Apple Health and MapMyRun, so your fitness data stays consolidated.
MyFitnessPal offers a premium tier (about $80 annually or $20 monthly) for extra habit guides and tailored nutrition tracking.
Still, most users should get plenty from the free basic plan. There’s also a free month of premium if you want to try the paid features.
Lose It!
- Track your daily calorie intake
- Log activity and workouts
- Sync with selected fitness trackers and services
Lose It! hasn’t always received the widespread praise it merits, but it stands among the best weight loss apps available.
With a bright, user-friendly interface, logging meals is simple. Lose It! lets you record foods using an extensive database and translates your logged calories into clear labels and charts.
Beyond food, you can log other useful details like water consumption and exercise sessions.
Lose It! doesn’t support as many integrated services as some competitors, but it still connects with popular apps and devices such as Fitbit, Garmin, Strava and Apple Health.
The app also offers insights into your eating habits so you can see how certain foods influence your daily progress.
Lose It! is free to use. If you want premium features, subscriptions cost around $40 per year or a one-time $190 lifetime option, unlocking personalized weight-loss plans plus exercise and meal planning.
Fitbit
- Track daily calories consumed
- Monitor steps, workouts and calories burned
- Sync seamlessly with a Fitbit wearable
Surprisingly, the Fitbit app isn’t only for people who own a Fitbit device. Even without a dedicated tracker, you can use the Fitbit app to monitor your activity.
Using your phone’s sensors, Fitbit tracks daily steps, distance walked and calories burned — though it’s slightly less precise than an actual Fitbit device.
If you later buy a Fitbit wearable, you can transfer your existing data without starting over.
Like other solid weight-loss apps, Fitbit includes nutrition tracking. You can log meals and snacks to monitor calorie intake, but its food database isn’t as extensive as some rivals.
Another perk — if you opt for a Fitbit wearable — is sleep tracking, which can give better insight into your sleep habits and potentially improve rest, something research links to weight outcomes (study).
Entry-level Fitbit trackers start around $60 for the Fitbit Ace 3 (kids) and $70 for the Fitbit Inspire 2 (adults).
Lifesum
- Discover diets that suit your lifestyle
- Follow meal plans with up to four recipes per day
- Log food with search or barcode scanner
The Lifesum health app is another strong choice for people wanting to manage their weight. Lifesum helps you choose a diet that aligns with your preferences — options include clean eating and high-protein plans.
After selecting a suitable diet, you can follow a simple meal plan offering up to four curated recipes daily. There are diet tracks for keto followers and options for those who prefer meat-free plans.
Lifesum also allows food logging via search or a barcode scanner. If you’ve struggled to find the right dietary direction, Lifesum might help steer you toward a better routine.
MyNetDiary
- Set weight-loss goals and monitor progress
- Count calories on the move
- Access hundreds of healthy recipes
MyNetDiary might look like another calorie counter, but it delivers a full weight-loss system for those looking for structure. MyNetDiary can match you with a suitable diet and support adherence through logging and tips.
In addition to calories, you can examine a detailed macronutrient breakdown — carbs, protein and fats. Log foods manually or use the app’s barcode scanner for convenience.
Options include low-carb, keto, high-protein, low-fat and vegetarian diets. If inspiration is lacking, MyNetDiary supplies recipe ideas. You can also pair a smartwatch or fitness device to track steps and workouts.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Not every weight-loss app measures the same things and users’ aims differ, so it’s hard to name a single most-effective app.
Our top recommendation for the best free weight loss app isMyFitnessPal, which enables calorie and exercise logging. MyFitnessPal also includes recipes and motivational nudges to help you reach your health objectives.
MyFitnessPal and Lose It! are both outstanding weight-loss apps. Most readers should find success and satisfaction with either. We gave the top spot to MyFitnessPal because it supports more third-party services and apps.
We suggest trying both — they’re free — and then choosing the one you prefer.
Noom emphasizes the psychology behind weight loss. While it’s a solid app, Noom is not primarily a free service.
MyFitnessPal, by contrast, can be used at no cost and includes many similar food-logging features. If uncertain, sample Noom’s free trial to determine which suits you best.
Jordan Miller is a senior writer at Savinly focusing on technology.
