Noom vs. MyFitnessPal: Which App Is Better for Weight Loss?

It is always easy to start a weight loss journey. Finding motivation and getting into a lasting routine are the most difficult challenges. They can either help you reach your weight goal seamlessly or distance you away from it. 

A good weight loss app has to log exercises, count calories (including the ones you burned during workouts), and support you on your fitness journey. Finding the app that ticks all the boxes and makes you feel good about yourself is time-demanding.

To save you some precious time, we have narrowed down your research to the two most mentioned weight loss apps – Noom and MyFitnessPal. They both have received public attention as effective calorie-tracking apps, often proclaimed the new Weight Watchers.

In this article, we will compare the two apps, and discuss the pros and cons of each of them, so you can decide without trying them out.

Which App Is Better for Weight Loss: Noom or MyFitnessPal?

Noom and MyFitnessPal are excellent calorie-counting apps that can immensely facilitate your weight loss journey. Choose either app and head off to pleasant and effective weight loss.

MyFitnessPal is a perfect app for people who want to track their calories and log exercises effectively and quickly. The intuitive app interface allows finding the meal within seconds. Therefore, it is likely that you will log even the lightest snacks.   

Noom is a more feature-packed, healthy-weight-promoting app. Apart from workout and calorie tracking features, Noom also provides one-on-one coaching. If you are looking for complete support and education, the Noom app is the one you should consider.

Comparison table: Noom vs. MyFitnessPal

Noom Overview

Noom is one of the most widely praised calorie-counting apps to help you lose weight sustainably. The Noom app, self-proclaimed “Weight Watchers for Millennials,” combines diet with a psychology-based approach. 

Noom is an innovative calorie-counting app. It not only assists you in losing weight but also helps you build lasting eating habits and reach a healthy weight. That said, Noom is a perfectly suitable app for people who want to get into a new routine of an active and healthy lifestyle (instead of simply reaching an ideal weight).

Although Noom has a smaller food database (3 million foods), it accurately tracks the calories of the existing foods. You can log what you eat and drink and track workout hours. You will also receive daily bits of information on nutrition and fitness, so you can gain scientific-based knowledge, too.  

Noom can be considered a new Weight Watchers replacement because it will never encourage you to push your limits. Designed by a team of qualified behavioral psychologists, the app offers an alternative approach to losing weight – healthier for your body and incomparably more sustainable.

While the idea of not seeing instant results might discourage people from starting the diet, the Noom app proposes virtual one-on-one coaching to increase your motivation. Usually, you would pay hundreds of dollars for weekly consultations with dietitians. The app includes coaching services at monthly subscription prices.

You can access the coaching service directly in the app. The dietitian will answer your questions regarding your diet and meal plan and help you adopt a healthier lifestyle. Besides, people report that a personal coach highly boosts their motivation and encourages them to work toward their desired weight target.

When you start using Noom, it will ask you to answer various questions to know your current physical shape and expectations. The more questions you answer, the more individualized the eating plan will be.

Regardless of your current and expected weight, the Noom app will not recommend you consume less than 1,200 calories per day for women and 1,400 for men. Still, according to the US Food and Drug Administration, 1,200 and 1,400 calories are way too low for an adult (and should be consumed with caution, only if you feel well). 

Last, Noom presents an original approach differentiating it from other weight loss promoting apps. Noom does not limit you from eating certain foods. By promoting healthier eating habits, Noom informs you about calorie density in various foods but does not rule the bad ones out. The creators of this app also offer another product focused on mental health – Noom Mood.

Therefore, Noom is an excellent health app for people looking to develop new eating habits and lose weight (as a result of a changed lifestyle). The app is compatible with Android and iOS devices. You can smoothly use the app with your current fitness trackers like Fitbit, Garmin, Misfit, Omron, and others.

MyFitnessPal Overview

MyFitnessPal is an accurate calorie-tracking app widely downloaded and used by millions globally. In terms of popularity, MyFitnessPal is on the same level as well-known Weight Watchers. The app allows you to set the desired end goal, select a daily calorie intake target, and track foods, drinks, weight, and physical activity. 

MyFitnessPal offers an extensive food database of over 14 million foods. You can easily find such simple meals as pasta, Buddha bowls, and chicken or add restaurant-specific dishes. The app also allows you to enter recipes you cook at home and save them, so you can find them easily the next time you cook. 

Developed by certified professionals, this app not only breaks down your calorie intake but also provides vitamin, nutrient, and macronutrient levels. 

At first, it might take some time to add custom recipes. But once they are there, tracking what you eat becomes a matter of a few seconds. (Besides, you will always have recipe ideas for your favorite foods close at hand.) 

The MyFitnessPal app stands out from the crowd by offering a barcode scanning functionality. You can scan the barcode with your phone, and the app will identify many well-known food brands. The app automatically extracts nutritional information and adds it to your food log.

The main objective while using the app is to stay below a recommended daily calorie intake limit (that is, maintain a calorie deficit). After some time, you can start analyzing your eating patterns and identify weak areas where you need to improve.

While MyFitnessPal is not a diet program, it invites you to pay careful attention to your eating habits. At the end of each day, the app provides insightful feedback so you always know how you can change your diet to reach your weight goal faster.

The great thing about the MyFitnessPal app is that the feedback is especially helpful. For instance, if you consume up to the recommended amount of calories, the app congratulates you with the saying: “If every day were like today, you’d weigh 130 pounds by December 1st.” 

Besides, the app does not support large calorie deficits, which would be dangerous for the body. In this case, you would receive a warning message explaining that if you continued like this every day, it would be risky for your body, and weight loss would be unsustainable.

The app offers free access to their blog, which is jam-packed with health tips, recipes, and workout routines. There are more than 350 exercises for all body types and workout preferences. 

MyFitnessPal supports many devices, including Android and iOS, and many activity-tracking wearables like Fitbit, Garmin, Misfit, and others. The app syncs metrics from the wearables and displays more detailed and accurate fitness progress. 

Price Comparison

Noom and MyFitnessPal offer very different payment structures. 

Noom provides a free version that will be suitable for people who want to track their calorie intake and count steps. 

The premium version unlocks many other features that you have to pay for. There are many pricing packages that you can choose from: like $60 monthly or $199 annually. 

MyFitnessPal also offers a free version that provides basic food-logging features. To receive a full experience, you can choose from two pricing plans: $9.99 per month or $49.99 a year. 

Overall, the prices of the two apps are drastically different, making MyFitnessPal a more financially attractive option. Yet, considering that Noom includes a professional coach in the subscription, the value you get for it matches the cost.

Efficiency 

Noom and MyFitnessPal are excellent weight loss apps that will help people notice minor improvements soon after they start working toward their goals.  

Based on your current and desired physical shape, Noom suggests a daily calorie deficit you need to maintain. To assist you in your journey, the app gives you relevant insights, visually tracks your progress, and offers support if you feel like you need it.

MyFitnessPal allows you to select how aggressively you want to reach your weight goal. The most intensive diet plan encourages you to lose up to two pounds per week (which might be too much for some people). The app gives you daily feedback, so you know what to do differently (or keep the same pattern) tomorrow.

Overall, both apps do a great job crafting a diet plan based on your expectations and giving you relevant feedback. 

Beginner-Friendliness

Both calorie-tracking apps are perfect for people who are determined to lose weight for the first time. Regardless of how many pounds you seek to lose – 5 or 30 – the apps will guide you through the process. 

Therefore, if you want to track your progress and seek accountability and support, either Noom or MyFitnessPal will be the right choice for you.

Noom crafts you a calorie-consumption plan based on your goal. Besides, the app educates you about nutrition, so you always know what is healthy and suitable for your body. It groups all foods into three categories based on caloric density: red, yellow, and green. Therefore, you always know how nutritious, healthy, and caloric your food is.

MyFitnessPal works similarly – it tells you how many calories you should consume daily. At the end of the day, the app evaluates your effort and provides insightful feedback. That makes the app very straightforward to use and follow, even for people on their first body shape improvement journey.

Food Data Comparison

MyFitnessPal offers an extensive food database of over 14 million foods. The app makes it easy to find the meal and log it. For instance, the app even allows you to scan a barcode and find the specific food you are eating. 

If you cooked a meal at home, you can manually enter ingredients – the app will count calories for you. If you ate half of an apple, MyFitnessPal allows you to log this amount, so your logs precisely reflect what you ate. Besides, it lets you enter data in cups, grams, or ounces, so you can log food in seconds in the most intuitive units.

However, MyFitnessPal is regarded as less accurate in caloric measurements than Noom. Although Noom has a smaller food database (around 3 million), some reviews suggest that it assigns more correct calorie values to foods. 

Noom also provides more information next to each food you enter. It tells you its caloric density and nutritious value and provides suggestions for smart substitutions.

Customer Support

If you are the person who needs guidance and support on your weight loss journey, this aspect might be the most relevant for your decision-making between the two apps. Noom and MyFitnessPal are radically different in the way they offer support. 

MyFitnessPal offers a straightforward approach to support and provides a real-time community newsfeed. Here you can chat about relevant topics, solve diet-related questions, and find inspiration. 

Noom takes a few steps further and provides a one-on-one coaching service. It can be very beneficial to help you stay on track and work toward your goals more smoothly and confidently. If the sense of a close community drives you, then Noom is a better choice in this case.   

Brand Reputation: Noom vs. MyFitnessPal

Noom and MyFitnessPal are widely known brands with years of experience in the nutrition industry that you can trust for weight loss guidance and nutrition advice.

MyFitnessPal was the most popular fitness app worldwide in 2022, used by millions of users. The reasonable price, intuitiveness, and clear nutrition plans kept users motivated to pick this app instead of others.

Noom is an innovative fitness app titled the new Weight Watchers that has already built a massive user community. The app changed the perception of calorie-counting apps by providing private coaching, extensive educational resources, and customized diet plans.

That makes Noom and MyFitnessPal reputable apps that can be trusted in the fitness market. Choose either of the two apps and start working toward your desired physical shape.

Premium Version Features

You can use a free version of either of the apps to access basic food logging. Yet, if you want to seriously work toward your fitness goal, you should consider upgrading to the premium versions. 

MyFitnessPal Premium plan unlocks its nutrient dashboard and breaks down the nutrients and calories of each meal. It also provides an exercise tracker, recipes, workout suggestions, and other relevant features that you might greatly benefit from while losing weight.

Noom Premium includes an individual meal plan, daily calorie budget indication, and a custom workout plan. The educational content and community support (that you can only access in the Premium version) make Noom stand out from the market and promote a healthier relationship with food.

Noom vs. MyFitnessPal Alternatives

Finding a constructive alternative to the two globally leading fitness apps is challenging. Yet, there is one app that, we believe, promotes a more sustainable weight loss approach by encouraging an overall lifestyle change – Joggo.

Joggo is a running-training app that, differently from all the others, crafts an individualized training and meal plan. It does not pay too detailed attention to every calorie you consume. Instead, the Joggo app encourages you to build a sustainable and healthy lifestyle by minding what you eat and how you train. 

Joggo personalizes a meal plan based on age, gender, fitness level, or health issues. You can cross out foods that you do not like or are allergic to. Based on your physical condition and desired fitness goals, Joggo’s team of dietitians and coaches craft a meal and training plan for you. 

The Joggo app also has a strongly developed motivational pillar. It rewards you each day after following the plan and encourages you to feel proud of yourself. Similarly to Noom, Joggo also provides educational content and in-house consultants that can give you professional advice. 

Joggo is a more attractive alternative if you like to run occasionally or if you want to head for your first run ever. Running will not only help you lose a few pounds, but it will also burn belly fat. After all, permanent lifestyle change is the most sustainable strategy to get to the target weight and maintain it.

Final Verdict: Noom vs. MyFitnessPal

Although Noom and MyFitnessPal have some substantial differences in their features, we are sure about one thing. Both apps deserve to be among the best calorie-counting apps.

You can confidently choose either app to log your meals and workouts and see your weight loss progress. They track calories accurately and provide daily insights, so you always know how well you are doing.

Although Noom does not have an extensive food database, it does offer more comprehensive educational content. The psychology-based approach differentiates Noom from MyFitnessPal and other popular apps (like Weight Watchers).

And while Noom includes individual coaching services into their subscription price, MyFitnessPal is at least four times cheaper. Therefore, MyFitnessPal might be a more cost-effective selection if you are on a tight budget.

Eventually, it is more of a personal preference than a predetermined good-or-bad choice. We can assuredly recommend both apps to people on their weight loss journey. 

Evaluate what you expect from a fitness app – support, easy tracking, education, or a cost-effective solution. Then, select the most appealing app, and you will not regret it.