Best Free Weight Loss Apps in 2026: 9 Apps Compared

MyFitnessPal is the best-known calorie counter in the US. Its App Store listing cites foods from a database of more than 20 million entries and lists an AI Coach, workout logging, a water tracker and GLP-1 medication logging.

The free version covers nutrition, weight and exercise tracking. Premium is $9.99 a month or $49.99 a year, with a 7-day trial for new users. Premium-only features include barcode and meal scanning, voice logging, custom macro goals, ad-free logging and intermittent fasting.

That barcode paywall is the main catch. If you eat mostly packaged food and want a free scanner, check the next few apps. If you mostly cook at home and search for foods by name, the free tier can be enough.

Lose It asks for your goal and builds a daily calorie budget and weight loss schedule. The App Store listing says the free basic version includes calorie tracking, a weight loss plan and community support.

Premium adds photo meal logging, AI voice logging, a barcode scanner and advanced tracking of macros and other nutrients, according to that same listing. The listing shows several Premium prices, from monthly to lifetime options, and promotions change them, so check the price shown in the app before you buy.

It is a good first app if you want something that tells you how many calories to eat and little else. Expect upgrade prompts if you want to scan labels.

Cronometer is built for people who want to know more than calories. Its pricing page lists a free Basic plan that logs foods, exercise and biometrics, tracks up to 95 nutrients and compounds, and includes custom macro and micronutrient targets, device sync and a barcode scanner.

Gold costs $10.99 a month, or $59.99 a year billed annually. The Gold column adds photo logging, voice logging, a recipe importer, a fasting timer, custom charts and an AI coach called Crono Coach. Free reports are limited to a 7-day window.

This is a strong fit for anyone watching protein, fiber, sodium or vitamins along with calories. If you only want a simple calorie number, it may feel like a lot.

MyNetDiary says its free tier includes a food diary, a staff-verified database of more than 2 million foods, a barcode scanner, macro tracking, water and exercise tracking, a shopping list and community access, with no ads and no account required. Those are the company's own claims, but the free scanner is a real difference from the two apps above.

Premium adds advanced reports, specialized diet plans, custom macro targets and Advanced Autopilot, which adjusts targets based on your estimated energy expenditure. Premium Plus adds meal photo scanning, AI voice logging, restaurant menu scanning and an AI coach, including GLP-1 advice.

The App Store lists Premium at several price points between $8.99 and $59.99 and Premium Plus at $14.99, though it does not show which period each belongs to. Check the app before you pay. It runs on iPhone, iPad and Android.

fatsecret describes its app as free, built around US foods and brands. The App Store listing includes a food diary, barcode scanner, image recognition of foods, an exercise diary, a weight tracker, reminders, a community and Health app integration.

The listing also shows in-app subscriptions from about $10 to $60 depending on billing period, so some features are paid. The listing does not say which, so open the app and look before you assume everything is free. We could not load the company website in our checks, so we relied on the App Store text for features.

It is a decent free choice if you want a social feel and a scanner without paying, and you do not mind testing what is locked.

Yazio combines a calorie counter with meal plans, recipes and an optional intermittent fasting tracker. The App Store listing says you can get instant access with no sign-up and lists a barcode scanner, a food database of more than 4 million items, step and activity tracking and a water tracker.

A Pro subscription exists, and the App Store shows several price points, so we cannot give a single figure. Yazio's website did not show prices in the text we could read, so check the app before upgrading.

It fits people who like structure, such as recipes and meal plans, and those trying time-restricted eating. If you want only a plain food log, a simpler app will do.

Fooducate looks at food quality as well as calories. The App Store listing says it gives scanned products a nutrition grade of A, B, C or D, flags things like added sugars, artificial sweeteners and trans fats, and suggests healthier alternatives.

You can log food and exercise, count macros and track sleep, mood and hunger. The listing notes that some personalization features need a premium account, and the site advertises a free PRO trial. In-app purchase prices vary, so we have not given one.

It is most useful in the grocery aisle, when you are choosing between two cereals. It is less polished as a daily calorie log than Lose It or Cronometer.

Carb Manager is a better match if you already follow keto or another low-carb plan. The App Store listing says it offers unlimited free barcode scans and always-free net carb tracking, plus recipes, challenges, an intermittent fasting tracker and meal plans.

It can also track blood sugar and ketones, and has a diabetic carb counter. If you manage diabetes, talk to your healthcare team before changing your eating, and do not treat an app as medical guidance.

Premium subscriptions appear in the App Store at many price points. If you do not eat low-carb, a general calorie counter will fit better.

Happy Scale is different from the rest. It does not track meals. It takes your daily weights and uses math to show the trend underneath, so a heavy day after a salty dinner does not feel like failure.

It predicts future weights, breaks big goals into milestones and shows a BMI calculator. It imports weights from apps that write to Apple Health and exports its own. The App Store lists only iPhone and iPad.

The app is free, with optional Deluxe subscriptions at $1.99 a month or $11.99 a year, plus lifetime options. Pair it with a food logger from this list.