MyFitnessPal vs WeightWatchers

Updated November 2026 · AppBreakup editorial

MyFitnessPal

Calorie and macro tracking app with a very large food database, barcode scanning and device sync.

Free plan + paid

Visit MyFitnessPal MyFitnessPal profile

WeightWatchers

Weight-loss program built around its Points system, with coaching, community and GLP-1 medical care.

Paid

Visit WeightWatchers WeightWatchers profile

The short answer

MyFitnessPal is a calorie and macro tracker with a 20.5M-food database and a free tier, suited to people who want raw numbers. WeightWatchers is a paid weight-loss program built on its Points system, with coaching, community and, on Med+, GLP-1 medical care. Choose MyFitnessPal for self-directed tracking; choose WeightWatchers for structure, accountability and support.

MyFitnessPal or WeightWatchers: our take

The core approach differs. MyFitnessPal logs what you eat into a food diary and totals calories, macros and many micronutrients against your goals; the job of deciding what those numbers mean is yours. WeightWatchers turns nutrition data into a single Points number per food, so you can eat what you like within a daily budget, and the budget can be adjusted for situations like diabetes or breastfeeding. It is a program rather than just a log.

Pricing follows from that. MyFitnessPal has a free tier for basic food and weight tracking, with ads; Premium adds Barcode Scan, Meal Scan, Voice Log, custom macro goals by day and intermittent fasting tools, with a 7-day free trial for first-time subscribers. Barcode scanning, once free, now needs Premium. WeightWatchers has no free tier: plans run from app-only Core to Core+ with extra coaching and workshops to Med+, where eligible members can get GLP-1 prescriptions through an affiliated medical group. Frequent promotions make its real monthly price hard to compare, and the medical tier is US-focused.

MyFitnessPal's strengths are its database and integrations: over 20 million foods including restaurant dishes, and sync with 40+ apps and devices such as Apple Watch, Fitbit and Garmin. Its weakness is that user-added entries can be duplicated or inaccurate. WeightWatchers brings 60+ years of running weight-loss programs, a large member community and in-person workshops in some areas.

If you are comfortable counting calories and want a free or low-cost tracker that talks to your devices, MyFitnessPal fits. If you have struggled with tracking alone, want coaching and community accountability, or are interested in medically supported weight loss, WeightWatchers is built for that.

Choose MyFitnessPal if…

People who want the biggest food database and wide device sync for everyday calorie counting
You want a free option (WeightWatchers is paid only)
Food database of over 20 million items, incl. restaurant dishes
Syncs with 40+ apps and devices

Choose WeightWatchers if…

People who want a flexible points-based plan with coaching, community or medical support
Points system allows any food within a budget
Tiers from app-only to clinical GLP-1 care

What is MyFitnessPal?

MyFitnessPal is the best-known calorie counter. You log meals into a food diary drawn from a database of more than 20 million foods, including restaurant menu items and user-added entries, and the app totals calories, macros and many micronutrients against your goals. Exercise, weight and steps can be logged too, and it syncs with dozens of apps and devices such as Apple Watch, Fitbit and Garmin. The free version covers basic food and weight tracking. Premium adds barcode scanning, photo-based Meal Scan, Voice Log, custom macro goals by day, a net-carbs mode, intermittent fasting tools and an ad-free experience, with a free trial for first-time subscribers. It runs on iPhone, Android and the web. The trade-off: barcode scanning, once free, is now a paid feature, the free tier shows ads, and because many foods are added by users, entries can be duplicated or inaccurate. People who care about micronutrient accuracy often prefer Cronometer.

What is WeightWatchers?

WeightWatchers (also styled WW) has run weight-loss programs for more than 60 years and now delivers them mainly through its app. The core idea is the Points system, which turns nutrition data into a single number per food so you can eat what you like within a daily budget; it can be adjusted for situations like diabetes or breastfeeding. Plans range from app-only Core, to Core+ with extra coaching and workshops, to Med+, a clinical tier where eligible members get prescriptions for GLP-1 medications through an affiliated medical group alongside behavioural support. It suits people who want a structured, flexible program and like community accountability. Everything is subscription based with no free tier, and frequent introductory offers make the true monthly price hard to compare. The app runs on iPhone and Android with a web account, and in-person workshops are available in some areas.

Side by side

Attribute	MyFitnessPal	WeightWatchers
Pricing	Free plan + paid	Paid
Open source	No	No
Self-hostable	No	No
Platforms	iOS, Android, Web	iOS, Android, Web
Best for	People who want the biggest food database and wide device sync for everyday calorie counting	People who want a flexible points-based plan with coaching, community or medical support
Status	Active	Active