Lose It vs MyFitnessPal: Which Is Better?
Lose It vs MyFitnessPal compared: free features, Premium prices, food databases, barcode scanning and macro tracking – and which app suits your goal.
Lose It! and MyFitnessPal are two of the oldest and most popular calorie counters. They do the same core job – count calories to help you lose weight – but they differ in price, database and how much they lock behind a subscription.
The short answer: choose Lose It if your goal is weight loss and you want a simple, motivating app. Choose MyFitnessPal if you want the biggest food database, more control over macros and exercise, and the most connected apps and devices.
Prices and features checked in October 2026 on each company’s website. Both apps change their plans from time to time.
Lose It vs MyFitnessPal at a glance
| Lose It! | MyFitnessPal | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Weight-loss plan, food and exercise logging, health app sync | Calorie, nutrition, weight and exercise tracking |
| Barcode scanner | Premium (“Smart Camera”) | Premium |
| Photo logging | Premium (“Smart Camera”) | Meal scan in Premium |
| Macro tracking | Premium (“Advanced Tracking”) | Basic macros free, custom macro goals in Premium |
| Food database | Over 32 million foods and exercises | Very large, mostly user-submitted |
| Paid plan (US) | Premium: $79.99/year, after a 7-day free trial | Premium: $79.99/year, after a 7-day free trial |
| Best for | Simple, affordable weight loss | Large database, macros, connected apps |
Sources: Lose It! – How it works, MyFitnessPal Premium.
What you get for free
Lose It Basic gives you a personalized weight-loss plan with a daily calorie budget, food and exercise logging from its database, syncing with health apps and the community. It’s built around one number – your calorie budget – which keeps things simple.
MyFitnessPal Free covers calorie, nutrition, weight and exercise tracking and shows your basic macro split. The features that make logging faster – barcode scan, meal scan and voice log – plus custom macro goals and ad-free logging require Premium.
Both free versions are enough to count calories by searching for foods. Neither includes barcode scanning any more.
Winner: tie – both cover the basics; MyFitnessPal gives you a bit more nutrition detail, Lose It a clearer weight-loss plan.
Premium: price and features
| Lose It! Premium | MyFitnessPal Premium | |
|---|---|---|
| Yearly (US) | $79.99, after a 7-day free trial | $79.99, after a 7-day free trial |
| Main extras | Barcode and photo scanning, macros, water, blood pressure and measurements, meal and exercise planning, device sync, patterns | Barcode and meal scan, voice log, custom macro goals, ad-free, intermittent fasting, food insights |
Both regularly discount their yearly plans, and prices differ by country.
Winner: tie – the same yearly price, so choose on features rather than cost.
Food database
MyFitnessPal has one of the largest food databases of any app, which is its biggest strength: almost every branded product and chain-restaurant dish is there. The downside is that most entries are added by users. So you’ll often find several versions of the same food with different numbers – choose the verified ones.
Lose It reports a database of over 32 million foods and exercises, with search results ranked by what you log most. For everyday foods and common brands, most people won’t notice a difference.
Winner: MyFitnessPal by a small margin, mainly for restaurant food.
Tracking macros and exercise
MyFitnessPal is the better choice if you care about macros: you can see your protein, carbs and fat on the free plan and set custom goals by gram or by day with Premium. It also connects to a long list of fitness apps and wearables.
Lose It puts macro tracking in Premium and keeps the free app focused on calories. Its Premium plan adds water, blood pressure and body measurements, plus meal and exercise planning.
Winner: MyFitnessPal.
Ease of use
Lose It is often described as the friendlier app: a clean design, a single calorie budget, streaks and badges that reward consistency. MyFitnessPal shows more information and more options on each screen, which suits people who want detail but can feel busy at first.
Winner: Lose It for beginners.
Which one should you choose?
Choose Lose It if you:
- mainly want to lose weight with a clear daily calorie budget
- like a simple, motivating app
Choose MyFitnessPal if you:
- want to track macros closely (for strength training or a specific diet)
- eat out often and need the largest database
- use many fitness apps and devices
If you want free barcode scanning and accurate data on vitamins and minerals, also look at Cronometer – we compare it in MyFitnessPal vs Cronometer. For more options, see the best MyFitnessPal alternatives.
An alternative: NutriSmart
Lose It and MyFitnessPal count how much you eat. If you also care about what’s in your food, NutriSmart also looks at what neither of them focuses on:
- Count calories from a photo of your plate, or scan a barcode
- Check ingredients: photograph a label and see harmful additives and ultra-processed ingredients explained, with a health score out of 100
- Plan your week: a 7-day meal plan with AI recipes and a ready shopping list
- Water, steps and weight tracking in the same app
No features behind a paywall. Every feature in NutriSmart – including barcode scanning, photo logging and the ingredient checker – works on the free plan. Scans use scan points: you get one for each short video ad you choose to watch, you can buy a pack, and each friend you invite gives you 7 days of Premium. Premium simply removes the limit.
Want to see your numbers first? Our free calorie calculator uses the same method the app uses to set your daily targets.
MyFitnessPal, Cronometer and Lose It! are trademarks of their respective owners. NutriSmart is not affiliated with them.
FAQ
Is Lose It better than MyFitnessPal?
For simple weight loss on a budget, many people prefer Lose It: the app is focused on a calorie budget and steady habits. MyFitnessPal is better if you want the largest food database, more connected apps and more control over macros and exercise.
Is Lose It free?
Yes. Lose It's free Basic plan includes a personalized weight-loss plan, food and exercise logging from a database of over 32 million items and syncing with health apps. On Lose It's own comparison, barcode and photo scanning (Smart Camera) and macro tracking (Advanced Tracking) are listed as Premium features.
How much does Lose It Premium cost compared with MyFitnessPal Premium?
They cost the same: both Lose It Premium and MyFitnessPal Premium are $79.99 a year in the US after a 7-day free trial (checked October 2026). Both apps often discount their annual plans.
Which app has the better barcode scanner?
Both scanners work well, but neither is free any more: MyFitnessPal includes barcode and meal scanning in Premium, and Lose It lists its Smart Camera (barcode and photo scanning) as a Premium feature. Cronometer is the best-known calorie counter that still scans barcodes for free.
Can I move my data from MyFitnessPal to Lose It?
There is no one-click transfer between the two apps. Most people start fresh: set up a new goal, log the foods they eat most often once, and save them as favorites.
