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Despite some foul language I have used in the pastI don't believe weight loss apps are inherently evil. At the same time, you place a lot of trust in these kinds of applications, and it can go wrong. You depend on it to know how many calories you need, tell you exactly how many calories you eat and burn, calculate how many calories you need in the first place, and effectively motivate you to achieve healthy goals so you can see healthy results. You trust the app to be your calculator, coach, and confidant. So how do you decide which weight loss app is right for you?
Both Noom and MyFitnessPal are heavyweights in the fitness tracking arena. I have used both methods over the years to achieve varying results and can confidently report first-hand the pros and cons of each. Here's what you need to know to decide which app deserves a spot on your home screen, depending on how exactly you want to achieve your goals.
Different weight loss philosophies
MyFitnessPal is a household name for calorie counting apps, and it's certainly designed for mass appeal. It's essentially a sophisticated food diary that helps you stay within your calorie budget through fairly simple tracking. There's no hand-holding or deep psychological dives here—just data, goals, and accountability in numbers.
Noom, on the other hand, bills itself as a psychology-based weight loss program that aims to change your relationship with food through behavioral science, daily lessons, and cognitive strategies. The idea here is to restrict yourself less and be more aware of why you eat what you eat. If you're someone who's always struggled with the overly simplistic “calories in, calories out” approach to weight loss, then Numa's philosophy is a blessing. Then again, how “anti-diet” can a diet app be? Let's keep digging.
Prices
If it's not your philosophy but your wallet that's the deciding factor, here's what you need to know.
MyFitnessPal offers truly functional free version this includes basic food tracking, workout logging, and access to a huge food database. If you're ready to live life without the bloat, you can use MyFitnessPal indefinitely without paying a penny. Premium version costs $79.99 per year or $19.99 per month, which gives you features like barcode scanning, food scanning, custom macros, intermittent fasting tracking, and no ads. Eat another Premium+ tier for $99.99 per year or $24.99 per month, where you get all the features of the Premium tier plus a meal planner.
Num takes subscription-only approach no free version after 14 day trial. Prices vary depending on the length of the commitment, typically starting at $42–$70 per month for shorter subscriptions, with the 12-month plan dropping the monthly cost to around $17.42 per month. The most common entry point is a four-month subscription priced at $169 (about $42.25 per month).
Winner: MyFitnessPal for budget users; Noom's lowest monthly rate requires a long-term commitment.
User Interface
MyFitnessPal has a clear, user-friendly interface that is data entry oriented. The main screen shows your calorie budget, macronutrients, and a simple diary for logging your meals and exercise. It's effective and no-nonsense – perfect if you want to log your lunch and get on with your day. However, I can see why some users find it clinical and boring to say the least.
Noom offers a more colorful and attractive interface with several sections including meal logging, lessons, group chat, and progress tracking. The app uses its proprietary color-coding system (green, yellow, red) to classify foods based on calorie density. While this makes the app more interactive and perhaps even gamified, it also means more screen time. Noom recognizes that you'll spend about 15 minutes a day in the app, and there are plenty of animations to keep you at your fingertips. Some users may find this interesting; I find this insidious. Remember that Noom doesn't really go beyond the classic “calories = bad” formula. It's just color coding.
Here's a screenshot of MyFitnessPal on the left and Noom on the right; you can see pretty quickly which one is easier on calorie tracking and which one is more dedicated to “psychology”
Credit: Meredith Dietz
Winner: MyFitnessPal for fast loggers; Noom is for those who want fun daily experiences.
Food Database and Registration Accuracy
MyFitnessPal has an extensive food database, but with one caveat. This database is largely user-generated, which is both a blessing and a curse: almost anything can be found, but accuracy can vary greatly. Premium users get barcode and food scanning features for faster check-in.
Noom claims to have a database of over 3.7 million food items, although users often report accuracy problems. The app focuses more on a color-coding system rather than a precise nutrient breakdown. While you can scan barcodes and log food, according to user reports, the database is not as robust or reliable as MyFitnessPal.
Winner: MyFitnessPal.
Recording recipes and meal planning.
MyFitnessPal allows you to create your own recipes and save your favorite meals for quick logging. You can enter all the ingredients, enter the servings, and the app will calculate the nutritional information for each serving. This is a favorite feature of home cooks. The premium version offers carefully selected meal plans.
Noom allows you to create recipes, but the feature is not as advanced or convenient as MyFitnessPal. Again, Noom focuses less on the specifics of meal planning and more on teaching you to instinctively make better choices through educational content.
Winner: MyFitnessPal.
Change in education and behavior
MyFitnessPal is the world's standard calorie tracker. It provides basic nutrition information and tracks your progress over time, but does not offer structured training or behavioral coaching. You are expected to know what to do with the data you collect.
What are your thoughts so far?
This is where Noom sets itself apart by claiming to be more than just a diet app. It is based on daily psychology lessons that will teach you about nutrition, habit formation, emotional eating, and cognitive behavioral techniques. You'll first take a 10-minute test to personalize your program, then receive daily articles and interactive content. It may not be for me, but I personally know that many users find this educational approach more sustainable than simply counting calories. Depending on your subscription, you may also have access to a personal trainer and group support.
Winner: Num.
Workout tracking and integration
MyFitnessPal easily syncs with fitness apps and wearables (Fitbit, Apple Health, Garmin, Strava, etc.) and adjusts your calorie budget based on activity. You can manually log workouts or let your devices do all the work.
Noom includes basic workout tracking and syncing with some popular apps and devices, but that's not the app's main focus. Num encourages physical activity, but emphasizes that weight loss primarily depends on your food choices.
Winner: MyFitnessPal.
Community and support
MyFitnessPal offers community forums where users can connect, share tips, and support each other. It's a useful resource, but it's somewhat disconnected from the main application.
Noom integrates community support directly into the app through group chats where you can chat with other people on the same time frame. Higher-tier subscriptions include personalized training that can provide personalized guidance and accountability.
Winner: Noom for comprehensive support; MyFitnessPal for self-directed community seekers.
Bottom line
There's no one-size-fits-all winner here—it depends entirely on your needs, budget, and learning style.
Choose MyFitnessPal if you want a free or low-cost option, already understand the basics of nutrition, and prefer simple calorie tracking. It's ideal for self-motivated people who enjoy analyzing data and want freedom without forced education.
Choose Noom if you want more than just a food journal, if you want to understand the psychology behind your eating habits and make lasting behavior changes. Yes, it's significantly more expensive, but if you haven't had success with traditional calorie counting, you're paying for structured training, coaching opportunities, and a comprehensive program, not just a tracking tool.
For many, the decision comes down to this: do you need someone to teach you how to fish, or do you already know how and just need a good fishing rod? MyFitnessPal is the backbone. Num is a fishing instructor who will teach you fishing techniques and monitor your progress.
