Free Weight Loss Apps With No Subscription: What You Get for $0

Short answer: You don't have to pay to track your eating. As of October 31, 2026, Lose It! Basic, Cronometer Basic, MyNetDiary's free version and fatsecret's free version all let you log food at no cost, with no time limit. [S01] [S02] [S05] [S07] Noom's free account adds a few lessons and meal logging, but coaching needs a paid plan. [S08] The catch is that each app keeps some features behind an upgrade that usually renews automatically, so know what's free before you tap "start trial." [S01] Research suggests sticking with logging matters more than which features you have. [S11] [S12]

What "free" and "no subscription" mean

App stores use "free" loosely, so it helps to separate three things:

• A free tier: a version you can use at $0 for as long as you like. That's what this guide covers.
• A free trial: a paid plan that's free for a set time and then bills you unless you cancel. Lose It! Premium, for example, renews every year unless you turn off auto-renew at least 24 hours before the renewal date. [S01]
• A one-time purchase: some apps sell a lifetime upgrade, so you pay once and never subscribe. Lose It! and MyNetDiary both offer one. [S01] [S04]

Free weight loss apps compared (prices as of October 31, 2026)

Prices below were checked on each company's own page on October 31, 2026. They can change, and app-store prices may differ by country.

Lose It! Basic

Lose It! Basic costs $0 and includes a personalized daily calorie budget and a food database of more than 50 million items. [S01] Premium costs $79.99 a year and adds custom goals for water, sleep and nutrients, syncing with watches and fitness trackers, barcode scanning, and photo and voice logging. [S01] So in the free version you'll type or search for foods instead of scanning them.

If you'd rather never subscribe, Lose It! Lifetime is a one-time $299.99, or $229.99 if you're already an active Premium member. Lifetime purchases can't be refunded, and buying Lifetime doesn't cancel an existing App Store or Google Play subscription. You have to turn that off yourself. [S01] Our Noom vs Lose It! comparison covers how the paid versions differ.

Cronometer Basic

Cronometer says you can keep a Basic account "for as long as you need, we'll never force you to upgrade." [S02] The free version tracks calories and up to 95 nutrients, gives you its full database of more than 1 million food entries, and includes unlimited barcode scanning. Reports are limited to a 7-day view, with two basic charts for weight and energy. [S02]

Cronometer Gold costs $10.99 billed monthly or $59.99 billed yearly. Gold is ad-free, which means the free version shows ads, and it adds photo and voice logging, a fasting timer and longer history. [S03]

MyNetDiary free version

MyNetDiary's free version on iPhone and Android needs no subscription. It tracks calories, macros and up to 108 nutrients, plus weight, water, steps and exercise, and lets you save your own recipes. [S05] The company says the free version has no ads or sponsored stories, and creating an account is optional. [S06]

Premium costs $8.99 a month or $59.99 a year, Premium Plus costs $99.99 a year, and Lifetime Premium is a one-time $179.99. Lifetime covers regular Premium features only. [S04]

fatsecret free version

fatsecret's free app tracks food, exercise and weight. [S07] It also sells Premium on monthly, quarterly or yearly plans, but it doesn't post a price on its website. It says pricing varies by region and currency and shows it on the Premium page inside the app. [S07]

Noom's free features

Noom is mostly a paid program, but a free account includes select lessons, movement tracking and meal logging, depending on your location and app version. Coaching needs a paid plan. [S08] Our guide to apps like Noom covers other structured programs.

A free tool that isn't an app: NIH Body Weight Planner

The National Institutes of Health's Body Weight Planner runs in your web browser. You enter your details, goal weight and planned activity changes, and it estimates the calories to reach your goal and then maintain it. [S09] It's built for adults 18 and older and isn't meant for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding. [S09] We didn't see a sign-up or payment step on the page on October 31, 2026.

Do free weight loss apps actually help?

They can, if you use them. A 2022 review of 34 randomized trials found that people using weight-loss apps lost about 2 kg (4.4 pounds) more at 3 months and 2.8 kg (6.2 pounds) more at 6 months than people in control groups. Neither the type nor the number of app features was linked to more weight loss. [S11] That's good news if you're using a free tier.

What seems to matter is consistency. A review of 39 studies found that more digital self-monitoring was linked to more weight loss in 74% of the cases measured, but few programs got people to log on at least three of every four days. [S12] The CDC suggests writing down or using an app to track what you eat and drink, and notes that people who lose about 1 to 2 pounds a week are more likely to keep it off. [S10]

If logging alone hasn't been enough, the missing piece may be support rather than features. Olive is a health companion that checks in with you every day, looks at what you eat, and helps you build small habits that actually hold. It isn't a free app: you can try it free, and after the trial it's a subscription you can cancel from your phone's settings. It doesn't diagnose or treat anything. [S13] For people support, see our guide to what a health coach does.

How to pick a free app

• You just want a calorie number: Lose It! Basic gives you a daily budget and a big database. [S01]
• You care about nutrients, not just calories: Cronometer Basic or MyNetDiary's free version track far more nutrients. [S02] [S05]
• You want to scan barcodes for free: Cronometer Basic includes it; Lose It! puts it in Premium. [S02] [S01]
• You don't want ads: MyNetDiary says its free version has none. [S06]
• You want some lessons: Noom's free account includes select lessons. [S08]
• You'd rather pay once: look at MyNetDiary Lifetime Premium or Lose It! Lifetime, and check the refund rules first. [S04] [S01]

If an app you tried before stopped working for you, our guide on why Noom isn't working covers common reasons people stall, and most apply to any tracker.

How to avoid surprise charges

• Read the screen before you tap. "Start free trial" usually means a paid plan that renews.
• Put the trial's end date in your calendar.
• Turn off renewal in your phone's App Store or Google Play settings, since app-store subscriptions are managed there. [S01] [S07]
• If you buy a lifetime upgrade, cancel any existing subscription separately. Lose It! says Lifetime doesn't do it for you. [S01]

This comparison is general information, not medical advice. Talk with your doctor before starting a weight-loss plan, especially if you have a health condition or take medicine.

Keep the habits steady

A free app gives you a place to log. The harder part is showing up every day. Olive checks in with you every day and helps you build small habits that actually hold, whichever app you use.

See how Olive works →