7 Apps Like Noom But Cheaper (+ Free Noom Alternatives)

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One of the biggest complaints our team at FeastGood.com hears about Noom is that you can’t get a free trial – sure, you can get 14 days for $1, but then they have your payment information and $1 is NOT free.  Then, after 14 days, a hefty subscription fee kicks in.

Many other nutrition apps have free trials or tiers that can be used indefinitely and provide most of the same benefits as Noom. 

Below, I’ll share seven options with you that our team of nutrition coaches, dieticians, and trainers (myself included) have personally tested.  Our testing periods range from 1 month to 1 year or more.

Key Takeaways

• Several free or low-cost nutrition apps that are similar to Noom are available.  Like Noom, they also focus on weight loss, and several apps offer similar food grading systems and behavioral change modules to increase the likelihood of success.

• If you’re looking for a calorie and macronutrient tracker that will adjust your intake automatically based on your results, I recommend MacroFactor.  If you want a food rating system like Noom, check out Lifesum or MyNetDiary.

• All three apps have a free trial and/or free tier; even the paid versions are dramatically cheaper than Noom.

7 Cheap Noom App Alternatives

App	Price	Free Trial?	Free Version?
Noom	$70 US/month$179 US/6 months$209 US/12 months	No	No
MacroFactor	$11.99 US/month $47.99 US/6 months $71.99 US/12 months	14-day free trial *Only With The Code FEASTGOOD	No
Lifesum	$12.00 CA/month $29.99 CA/3 months $66.99 CA/12 months	7-day free trial	Yes
MyNetDiary	$6.50 US/month $43.66 US/12 months	No	Yes
Lose It	$39.99 US/12 months $189.99 US/lifetime	7-day free trial	Yes
My Diet Coach	$4.75 US/week	7-day	No
Fooducate	$12.99 US/month $64.99 US/year	3-day free trial	Yes
BetterMe	$38.50 US/3 months	7-day free trial	No

1. MacroFactor

Overall rating: 4.8/5

MacroFactor describes itself as “offering an empowering, sustainable approach to nutrition tracking without stress, shaming, or rigidity.”  

This nutrition app offers functionality akin to a nutrition coach by providing updated calorie and macronutrient targets based on goals and results.

While MacroFactor doesn’t have educational modules on behavioral psychology like Noom does, in my mind, it more than makes up for this by automatically suggesting new macronutrient targets based on your rate of progress (or lack thereof).

It takes an in-depth understanding of human metabolism to suggest smart, sustainable macronutrient targets – usually, you’d need to work with a nutrition coach for this – making this feature highly valuable.

Personally, I didn’t like that Noom didn’t clearly show calorie and macronutrient information for foods logged. 

The normal free trial is 7 days; however, if you use the code FEASTGOOD, you get an extended free trial of 14 days.   

Highlights

• Calorie targets adapt based on your results
• Large verified food database
• Focus on consistency over perfection

Drawbacks

• No free version, but has a free trial

Key Features

• The app provides updated custom calorie & macro targets based on your rate of progress compared to your intake instead of just using basic formulas that fail to consider whether you are making the progress you want – this creates a more realistic target for you so you can achieve your goals more quickly and more sustainably.

• The food database contains only verified entries, so you can be sure that your intake is accurate; inaccurate intake is one of the top culprits when users fail to achieve their goals.

• The app has four different options for logging food, making this part of the process as quick and easy as possible.  You can do a manual entry, use a barcode scanner, create recipes, or use the “AI describe” to use voice dictation.  The more quickly you can log your food, the more likely you are to do it, and the more you log your food, the easier it will be to achieve your goals.

2. Lifesum

Overall rating: 4.0/5

Lifesum is a calorie and macro-tracking app with an extensive food database, a fantastic database of delicious recipes, and the ability to select a custom meal plan.  It is specifically designed for people with the goal of weight loss.

My colleague Amanda Parker (a certified naturopath, nutrition coach, and certified strength & conditioning specialist) personally tested both Noom and Lifesum and compared the two head-to-head, and she raved about Lifesum’s extensive recipe database as being even better than Noom’s and liked that it had meal plans for different dietary preferences.

Lifesum also makes macronutrient information more visible (like MacroFactor), and users can set their own targets to pursue whatever goal they want, such as muscle gain and not just weight loss.

Highlights

• Food rating system provides education about different foods
• Calorie and macronutrient intake can be customized
• Recipes and meal plans take the guesswork out of what to eat

Drawbacks

• Inaccurate recommendations for calories/macronutrients for active and/or muscular individuals (estimates are too low)
• Using BMI as a measure of health (outdated)

Key Features

• The recipe database is a great way to help people new to healthy eating learn healthy meal ideas, and the variety and inspiration are great for long-term users, too.  This avoids feelings of boredom and restriction that can cause people to fall off other diet plans.

• The app allows users to set their own custom calorie and macronutrient targets, which is great for experienced users and/or people working with a coach who just needs an app to track their intake against the coach’s recommendations.

• The food rating system goes beyond simply providing a stop-light color code (e.g. green = good), and explains why certain foods are good to include more often, while others should be included less often.  This empowers users with knowledge to help them make good food choices independently without relying on an app in the long term.

3. MyNetDiary

Overall rating: 4.0/5

MyNetDiary is a very user-friendly calorie-tracking app.  The app provides meal plans and macronutrient recommendations for various approaches (e.g. keto, paleo, etc.), and the premium version includes personalized nutrition advice from a virtual coach.

Instead of a color-coding system for food like Noom, MyNetDiary gives a food grade based on ratings from nutrition experts.  This helps users focus on nutrient-dense choices to optimize their health, not just low calories for weight loss.

Our in-house reviewer, Colby Roy, liked how easy it was to log her foods in MyNetDiary.  Plus, she thought it was a fun feature to have the apple-shaped logo turn green at the end of the day if she stayed within her calorie budget, making it like a game to hit her targets.

Highlights

• Over one million verified foods in its database
• Ability to log water intake, exercise and steps in addition to food, along with circumference measurements, progress photos and weight
• Food letter grades assigned

Drawbacks

• Macronutrient totals are only available in a total daily report and not by meal
• Many features only available in the premium paid version

Key Features

• The “meal reminders” feature allows users to get notifications to eat their meals/snacks, which can be helpful for people who need to get into a consistent routine of eating to avoid getting too hungry and overeating or failing to eat often enough to achieve a calorie surplus if their goal is weight gain.

• The food grading system in MyNetDiary is similar to Noom’s color-coding system. Still, it goes a step above because the grade is based on food ratings from nutrition experts (which considers micronutrients as well) and not just calorie density, which is a key factor in Noom’s system.  This is a great way to get users to focus on including higher quality foods to optimize their health and not just focusing on calories.

• The recipes in the database have the macros already calculated and can be input directly into the diary, saving time logging AND giving users delicious, healthy recipes to follow with common ingredients.  Not needing to figure out what and how much to eat to hit macro targets reduces the stress and work for a new user.

4. Lose It

Overall rating: 4.0/5

Lose It is a calorie-counting app focused on helping its users lose weight.  The app’s premium version allows for macronutrient tracking, tracking selected nutrients (like cholesterol or sodium), and the ability to log daily exercise. 

For users who want or need to track their cholesterol and/or sodium intake, it’s well worth paying for the premium version to keep an eye on these micronutrients. 

Noom doesn’t track micronutrients, so there is no way to know if you’re over or under your targets for vitamins and minerals.

Amanda recommends getting the premium version, and she was impressed with the extensive and thought-provoking intake questionnaire on the app to get you focused on your goals and your reasons for those goals (your “why”), which is very similar to one of the first coaching modules I experienced in Noom.

Highlights

• User-friendly interface
• Large food database
• Calorie and macro targets can be customized (in the premium version)

Drawbacks

• The free version of the app does not track macronutrient intake, only calories, which isn’t optimal for body composition and performance.

• Macro targets don’t necessarily add up to calorie targets, meaning you could hit your macro target and still be over or under your calorie target, and therefore not losing/maintaining/gaining weight according to your goals.

Key Features

• The extensive intake form goes beyond just standard questions about height, weight, and activity. It gets users to reflect on their goals and what they’ve learned from past successes and obstacles, setting them up for a higher chance of success with their current goals. 

• The app can export daily and weekly nutrition summaries and food logs, which users can then analyze and/or send to a nutrition coach, dietician, doctor or other health professional to maximize their wellness. 

• The social network directly in the app allows users to communicate with each other for support, advice, and encouragement.  Being part of a like-minded community is pivotal for achieving goals.

5. My Diet Coach

Overall rating: 3.7/5

My Diet Coach is a calorie and macro tracking app with no extra bells and whistles (no extra features). 

It is best-suited for individuals who already know what an appropriate calorie and macronutrient intake should be for their goals, and what combinations of foods they will need to eat to hit those targets healthily.

MyNetDiary is an excellent short-term option for users who want a quick “reset” to track their macros for a week or two.  Beyond a few weeks, the rate of $4.75 US/week (after a one-week free trial) would cost more than Noom’s annual membership if used for a year.

As Colby put it, “I prefer my calorie and macro tracking apps to be simple, to the point, with no unnecessary excess features,” so if you feel the same way that she does, this is the right app for you.

Highlights

• Customizable calorie and macronutrient targets
• Clear visual display of macro and calorie targets, making it easy to see grams & calories consumed and grams & calories remaining
• Ability to add additional meals

Drawbacks

• No workouts, no recipes, no meal plans, and no additional content
• Calculated calorie recommendations are too aggressive for sustainable weight loss, and “updates” to calorie targets seem too frequent and nonsensical
• No option to log measurements or photos (only body weight)

Key Features

• Like MyNetDiary, My Diet Coach also has an option for notifications for meal reminders.  This can help users get in the groove of eating healthful meals and snacks on a consistent basis, making it easier to adhere to their targets and achieve their goals..

• The food logging and food database are easy to use, and common food items are easy to find (specialty items or brands might not be in the general database but these can be added as custom food items).

6. Fooducate

Overall rating: 3.7/5

Foodcuate is a calorie tracker with a food database to record the calories you’ve eaten and hit your targets to achieve your goals (weight loss, weight maintenance, or weight gain).

This app is very basic and straightforward, making it a good choice for users who would be overwhelmed with too many features and data or who just want basic info to count calories and nothing more.  

I have a few clients who are annoyed and put off by the lessons and food color system in Noom, so Fooducate is a better choice.  Plus, they can easily export their food diary to me or another health care professional.

As a coach herself, Amanda Parker liked the food export feature in Fooducate.  Plus, she found the calorie calculations in Fooducate to be more accurate than in Lifesum, so for a pure calorie counting app, Fooducate is one of the better choices.

Highlights

• Straightforward calorie-tracking app
• Provides a food grade and a breakdown of calories from solids vs. liquids
• Food diary can be exported

Drawbacks

• Minimal emphasis/information on macronutrients (only available in the premium version)
• Very poor macronutrient ratios
• Calorie targets are not automatically adjusted over time
• No recipe database

Key Features

• The daily food grade helps educate users about higher-quality foods (similar to MyNetDiary), so that they are not sacrificing their health by focusing only on calories and potentially eating only small amounts of poor-quality foods (which can lead to micronutrient deficiencies).

• The food diary can be exported (1-day or 7-day logs) to a nutrition coach, dietician, doctor or other health care professional.  This is an excellent option for users who need oversight on their diet from these professionals, especially to help manage health conditions like high blood pressure or cholesterol. 

7. BetterMe

Overall rating: 3.5/5

BetterMe is a mobile app for nutrition and health coaching and personal training all in one.  It strives to help you develop a healthy and positive relationship with food and fitness.

The app provides workouts, meal plans, and daily learning modules to improve your mindset and relationship with food and dieting. 

The exercise videos and demonstrations put this app a notch above Noom if you want a “one-stop shop” for nutrition and fitness.  

Colby was a big fan of the specialty workout programs in the app – she was pregnant when she reviewed the app, and she appreciated the prenatal program, with easy-to-follow exercise videos. 

There are also other specialty workout programs in the app, which is a feature that Noom does not have.

Highlights

• Learning modules to improve your relationship with food are included
• Workouts with tutorial videos are included
• Meal plans can be specified to your dietary preferences

Drawbacks

• Calorie- and macro-tracking capability is inaccurate and not user-friendly
• Workout videos and chat functions often crash

Key Features

• The daily chapters with lessons on positive self-talk and mindset are very valuable for making positive changes with fitness and nutrition, improving the likelihood of achieving your goals.

• The workouts cater to various needs and include easy-to-follow videos, making it easier to stick to completing them than doing them on your own, which leads to better results.

• The additional “health challenges” in the app allow you to personalize your experience to work on areas that are most important for you, such as sleep or meditation, giving you custom support and helping you where you need it most.

Our Testing Methodology Explained

Our team at FeastGood does real, live user testing of all the products we review and recommend, including nutrition apps like the ones above.  

Team members will use the apps themselves for at least one month (and, in many cases, longer), plus we also get feedback from our various clients about apps they are using, including their likes and dislikes and their experience.

My husband and I have both personally used Noom, and I have a long history of using MyFitnessPal and Cronometer for my own fitness & nutrition goals.  

I’m also lucky to work with a team of Nutrition Coaches, Registered Dieticians, and athletes who have used ALL of the apps above, and I can get their honest feedback, both from their viewpoint and based on their experiences with clients using these apps.

What Makes Noom Unique?

Noom is the most expensive nutrition/diet app on the market today.  Despite this, our team has reviewed Noom and believes it is well worth the price for those who can afford it.  

“I can honestly say that it’s the best nutrition app on the market right now (if your goal is weight loss).”

– Amanda Parker, Certified Naturopath, CSCS, Pn1

You can watch our full video review here, but the points below summarize why we think Noom is so valuable and successful (most users lose 1-5+ lbs in their first month using Noom).

Food Grading System

Noom color-codes its foods so users learn more about food quality.  

The three food categories are: 

• Green: low calorie-density and lots of micronutrients.  This category includes lots of leafy vegetables and fruits with a high water content.

• Yellow: slightly higher calorie density, such as lean protein.

• Orange (previously red, but that sent a message that was too negative, so orange is for “proceed with caution”): includes the highest-calorie density, and lowest nutrient foods such as fats, oils, and processed foods.

By learning what foods to eat more of, more often, and what foods should be eaten more sparingly (but not feeling the need to cut them out completely), users get a better sense of how to create balanced meals that still include special indulgences they enjoy.  

This provides a nutritional approach that is healthy and sustainable in the long term compared to diets that cut out certain foods or even entire food groups.

Behavioral 

Noom puts a focus on habits and behaviors, including daily lessons with topics such as motivation and mindset, so that your nutrition changes feel sustainable to maintain weight loss for the long term, rather than just a short-term focus on slashing calories to temporarily lose weight.

Weight Loss Focus

Noom achieves excellent weight loss results because, unlike other diet apps that accommodate several types of goals, its primary focus is weight loss.  

Other apps have the option to focus on weight maintenance or weight gain, but trying to serve all types of goals/users reduces the focus that these apps can put on just one target.

Flexible Calorie Range

Noom doesn’t give you a fixed calorie target to hit, but rather a “calorie range”.  

Noom’s calorie range helps its users avoid an “all or nothing” approach to nutrition that can keep them on track even on days when they eat a bit more than usual. 

Rather than just giving up on their diet because they feel they “blew it,” users learn to see that they can make progress based on consistency (being “good enough” each day) rather than perfection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Are These Apps Considered Cheaper Alternatives to Noom?

These apps offer similar features and benefits as Noom but at a reduced cost. Many of them have free trials or tiers that can be used indefinitely, providing most of the same benefits as Noom without the hefty subscription fee after the trial period.

How Do These Apps Compare to Noom in Terms of Nutrition and Weight Loss Focus?

Like Noom, these apps focus on weight loss and provide features such as food grading systems and behavioral change modules. However, some apps, like MacroFactor, emphasize macronutrient tracking, while others, like Lifesum, have extensive recipe databases.

Do Any of These Apps Offer Features That Noom Doesn’t?

Yes, for instance, MacroFactor suggests new macronutrient targets based on your progress, and BetterMe offers workouts with tutorial videos. Each app has its unique features that differentiate it from Noom.

Are There Any Apps That Focus on Both Nutrition and Fitness?

Yes, BetterMe is a comprehensive app that offers both nutrition and health coaching along with personal training. It provides workouts, meal plans, and daily learning modules to help users develop a holistic approach to health.