How to choose a paid nutrition app
A food diary, a meal planner, and an app that adjusts your targets solve different problems. Before you pay, decide which part of your routine you want help with.
You might want to log lunch faster. You might want protein targets in grams, meals planned for the week, or calorie targets that change with your logged progress. Pick the job first. Then check the exact plan that includes it.
This guide compares documented features of selected iPhone nutrition plans. FitCommit publishes it. It is based on source research, not hands-on testing or a final ranking of apps. Prices and plan details come from public sources checked in October 2026.
Start with the job you need
| Your main need | What to check before paying |
|---|---|
| Log meals faster | Barcode, photo, or voice entry, plus a simple way to review each entry |
| Set precise macro targets | Targets in grams, rather than percentages alone |
| Decide what to cook | A meal planner, not just a recipe library or a diary for future meals |
| Understand more nutrients | The nutrients shown in the free plan and what the paid plan adds |
| Adjust targets over time | Whether the app changes targets from your logs, suggests changes, or leaves you to edit them |
Macros are protein, carbs, and fat. A target in grams tells you how much of each to aim for. A percentage target sets their share of your calories.
Check what you already get free
MyFitnessPal's free plan includes a food diary, custom recipes, and macro goals set by percentage. Paying is not required just to set a percentage-based macro goal. MyFitnessPal free features
Cronometer's free Basic plan includes barcode scanning, custom recipes and CSV export of your diary. Gold adds photo and voice food logging, the Recipe Importer, charts and Crono Coach. Check which of those you would use before paying. Cronometer plans
Yazio lists Apple Health among its free connections. Its Fitbit, Garmin, and Polar connections require Pro. You can connect only 1 of those listed tracking providers at a time. Apple Health access alone is not a reason to buy Pro. Yazio connections
Compare the exact paid plan
| Plan | Documented paid tools relevant to this choice | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| MyFitnessPal Premium | Barcode, voice and meal-photo logging; macro goals in grams and by day or meal; AI Coach where available | Meal Planner belongs to Premium+, not Premium |
| MyFitnessPal Premium+ | Includes Meal Planner | Check the extra cost if planning meals is your main reason to pay |
| Cronometer Gold | Photo and voice food logging, Recipe Importer, charts and Crono Coach | Coach offers guidance; you make any changes to your diary or targets |
| MacroFactor Nutrition | Food logging by barcode, label or photo, weight trends, and weekly calorie and macro target updates | MacroFactor Nutrition and MacroFactor Workouts are separate apps |
| Lose It! Premium | Barcode, photo and voice logging, future-meal logging, recipes, and macro, nutrient and meal targets | Logging a future meal is not the same as generating a meal plan |
| Yazio Pro | Photo-based food logging, recipes, grocery lists, meals logged for future days, and calorie goals that vary by day | The current Pro price is unconfirmed |
| FitCommit Nutrition | Food logging by search, photo, barcode or label, and daily calorie, protein, carb and fat targets that update as you rescan | FitCommit has one plan. Its sources do not establish a meal planner |
MyFitnessPal limits Meal Scan to English on mobile. Its paid recipe discovery feature has US and English limits. Those details matter if you are paying for a specific shortcut. MyFitnessPal paid features
MyFitnessPal also includes AI Coach with Premium and Premium+. It answers questions using your diary and goals, but does not change those goals. It is rolling out on English-language iPhones in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. MyFitnessPal Coach
Crono Coach gives guidance from a focus you choose. Cronometer says it uses your goals, preferences, recent logs and saved notes. You make any changes to your diary or targets. Crono Coach
MacroFactor describes weekly check-ins that adjust calorie and macro targets from your logs. That is a different tool from a chat assistant offering advice. Nutrition and Workouts are separate apps. MacroFactor apps MacroFactor Nutrition on the US App Store
FitCommit's Nutrition feature updates your calorie and macro targets as your body changes and you rescan. Its food capture is a starting point you should review. FitCommit on the US App Store
Lose It! lists its paid tools and recurring annual price in its membership guide. Yazio describes Pro's food capture, recipes and shopping lists in its support guide. Neither list proves which app will be easiest for you to use. Lose It! membership guide, Yazio Pro features
Compare the full bill
An annual price divided by 12 helps you compare costs. It does not mean you can pay that amount each month.
| Plan | Published price in USD | Monthly equivalent | Price status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cronometer Gold | Starts at $59.99 per year | Starts at $5.00 | A starting price, not a guaranteed checkout offer |
| MacroFactor Nutrition | $71.99 per year | $6.00 | US iPhone listing |
| Lose It! Premium | $79.99 per year | $6.67 | Published recurring annual plan |
| MyFitnessPal Premium | $79.99 per year | $6.67 | Publisher-stated annual price; checkout not tested |
| MyFitnessPal Premium+ | $24.99 per month | Not calculated | Separate tier with Meal Planner; annual price not captured here |
| Yazio Pro | $11.90 to $47.90 per year in catalog listings | $0.99 to $3.99 | Catalog price range; current offer unconfirmed |
| FitCommit | $1.99 each week, after a free 3-day trial | About $8.62 | One plan; publisher's quote, checkout not tested |
MyFitnessPal Premium costs $19.99 per month if you pay monthly. MyFitnessPal prices
These are published prices, not a quote for your account. Check your country, billing channel, and renewal terms before subscribing. Cronometer labels its prices as starting prices, with a monthly start of $10.99. MacroFactor also lists $11.99 monthly. Yazio says its subscription charges the full period upfront. The Yazio range comes from a third-party catalog, not from a Yazio quote. FitCommit's price comes from its own website. Cronometer pricing, MacroFactor US listing, Yazio billing, Yazio price catalog, FitCommit FAQ
Test your normal day
Use your own meals to compare the tools. A polished demo cannot tell you how many steps breakfast will take on a busy morning.
| Try this | Look for this |
|---|---|
| Log a packaged food | Can you find the right item and set the portion? |
| Log a home-cooked meal | Can you save the recipe and reuse it? |
| Repeat yesterday's breakfast | How many steps does it take? |
| Enter a meal from a photo | Can you review and correct the foods and portions? |
| Set your protein goal | Does the plan support the target format you want? |
| Review a week's progress | Can you find the logs and understand any target changes? |
| Connect Apple Health | Which data does the app read or write, and does that match your need? |
A photo entry is a starting point you should be able to review. It does not establish that the app knows every ingredient or serving size. Likewise, an Apple Health connection does not mean every app shares the same data in both directions.
If you want an app to adjust your targets, check what logs it needs and how it explains a change. If you want to choose targets yourself, check how easily you can edit them. These are different preferences, not a reason to crown 1 app the winner.
Choose the plan you will use
Write down the 1 task you want the paid plan to improve. Check that feature in the right tier, compare the full bill, and try it with your normal meals.
If the free plan already handles that task, keep using it. If a paid tool saves you steps or gives you control you need, you have a concrete reason to pay.