Both My FitnessPal and Lose It! are popular calorie counting apps. You’ve probably heard of both. Maybe you’ve used one. Maybe you’re trying to decide which one to download. Let me save you some time: they’re both good. The question is which one fits how you actually use apps.
I used MyFitnessPal for two years, then switched to Lose It! for six months, then switched back. I’ve logged thousands of meals in both apps. Here’s what actually matters when choosing between them.
Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | MyFitnessPal | Lose It! |
|---|---|---|
| Food Database | 14 million+ items | 27 million+ items |
| Barcode Scanner | ✓ Free | ✓ Free |
| Recipe Importer | ✓ Free | ✓ Premium |
| Macro Tracking | ✓ Free | ✓ Free |
| Photo Food Logging | No | ✓ Snap It (Premium) |
| Free Version Rating | 4.6/5 | 4.7/5 |
| Premium Cost | $19.99/mo or $79.99/yr | $39.99/yr |
MyFitnessPal: What It Does Better
1. More Third-Party Integrations
MyFitnessPal syncs with nearly every fitness tracker and health app: Fitbit, Garmin, Apple Watch, Google Fit, Strava, MapMyRun, Withings scales, and dozens more. If you’re tracking steps, workouts, or weight with another device, MyFitnessPal probably connects to it.
Lose It! has integrations too, but the list is shorter. Missing some popular ones like Strava and Garmin.
2. Free Recipe Importer
Paste a recipe URL into MyFitnessPal and it automatically imports ingredients and calculates nutrition. This feature is free. On Lose It!, you need Premium. If you cook a lot from online recipes, that’s a big difference.
3. Larger Community
MyFitnessPal has been around longer (since 2005vs 2008) and has more users. Means more community forums, more shared recipes, more friends to connect with. If you want social features, MyFitnessPal has more activity.
Lose It!: What It Does Better
1. Cleaner, Modern Interface
This is the biggest difference. MyFitnessPal’s interface feels like it was designed in 2010 and never updated. Lose It! looks modern, clean, and intuitive. Navigation is easier. Charts are prettier. It’s just more pleasant to use daily.
If visual design matters to you, Lose It! wins easily.
2. Snap It Photo Logging
Take a photo of your meal, and Lose It! estimates calories using image recognition. It’s not perfect—underestimates restaurant portions—but it’s faster than searching. MyFitnessPal doesn’t have this feature at all.
(Note: Snap It requires Premium subscription.)
3. Better Goal Setting
Lose It! lets you set custom calorie zigzagging (eat more on workout days, less on rest days). MyFitnessPal can do this too, but requires manual adjustment. Lose It! automates it based on your exercise log.
4. Challenges and Gamification
Lose It! has built-in challenges—compete with friends to log meals consistently, hit step goals, etc. There’s a leaderboard, badges, rewards. If you’re motivated by competition, this helps. MyFitnessPal has challenges too, but they’re less integrated into the app’s core experience.
Food Database: Size vs. Accuracy
MyFitnessPal claims 14 million foods. Lose It! claims 27 million. Those numbers are misleading. A lot of MyFitnessPal’s database is user-entered and inaccurate. Lose It! has more verified entries from brands and restaurants.
In practice: Both apps will have any food you search for. The real question is whether the first result is accurate. Lose It! tends to show verified entries first. MyFitnessPal shows whatever has the most votes, which isn’t always correct.
For example, searching “grilled chicken breast” in MyFitnessPal gives 20+ user-entered options with wildly different calorie counts (165-250 calories for 6oz). Lose It! surfaces the USDA-verified entry first.
Premium Features: Is Either Worth Paying For?
MyFitnessPal Premium ($19.99/month or $79.99/year)
- Removes ads
- Meal plans and recipes
- Food insights (shows eating patterns)
- Guided programs for specific diets
- Priority customer support
Lose It! Premium ($39.99/year)
- Snap It photo food logging
- Meal planning
- Recipe importer
- Macros by meal
- Water tracking
- Export data
Verdict: Lose It! Premium is better value ($40/year vs $80/year). But for most people, neither Premium version is necessary. The free versions work fine for basic calorie tracking.
Real-World Usage Scenarios
Scenario 1: You Cook Most Meals from Recipes
Winner: MyFitnessPal
Free recipe importer saves tons of time.
Scenario 2: You Want the Prettiest App
Winner: Lose It!
Significantly better design and user experience.
Scenario 3: You Use Fitness Trackers
Winner: MyFitnessPal
More integrations with Fitbit, Garmin, etc.
Scenario 4: You Want Photo Logging
Winner: Lose It!
Snap It feature (Premium) lets you take quick photos instead of searching.
Scenario 5: You’re Motivated by Social Features
Winner: Lose It!
Challenges and leaderboards are more engaging.
Which App Should You Choose?
Choose MyFitnessPal if:
- You already use it and have months/years of data logged
- You want free recipe importing
- You use fitness trackers (Fitbit, Garmin, etc.) and want automatic syncing
- You don’t care about interface design
Choose Lose It! if:
- You’re starting fresh and want a modern, clean interface
- You want photo logging (and willing to pay for Premium)
- You like challenges and gamification
- You prefer verified food entries over massive user-generated databases
- If considering Premium, Lose It! is half the price
My Personal Recommendation
If I were starting fresh today, I’d choose Lose It! The interface is so much better that it makes daily logging less of a chore. Yes, MyFitnessPal has more features, but most people don’t use them.
But if you’re already using MyFitnessPal and have months of data logged, there’s no compelling reason to switch. The free version works fine. Keep using it.
The best calorie counter is the one you’ll log into every single day. Pick one, commit to it for 30 days, and see what happens. Both apps work—it’s consistency that matters, not which app you choose.
