Customer Reviews (500)

bttrfly26 • 2025-05-23T22:07:15-07:00

i like this app but it’s only really helpful if you pay for premium. literally everything convenient is premium, which, in turn, makes me not use the app as much due to the inconvenience of it. i like experimenting a lot with recipes and the app make it take so much time to log. only get if ur ready to pay money and be serious about calories. otherwise i PROMISE u wont stay consistent

Ricky Hoey • 2025-05-23T18:41:50-07:00

I have to pay to put in my macros in grams… jeez just make the app cost money instead of pawning a “free” tracker app. So lame.

Rep Count • 2025-05-23T16:44:06-07:00

Whether my goals have been to simply maintain a simblence of accountability or to be meticulous about my macro consumption for physique contest prep, My Fitness Pal has supported me in my efforts for almost 12 years from maintaining a healthy weight and composition to earning a natural pro bodybuilding card with the IFPA, My Fitness Pal has been an invaluable weapon in my arsenal of fitness

MyFitnessPal App Review Analysis

1. Summary of Key Insights

MyFitnessPal is a popular calorie and macro tracking app with a large food database. However, recent changes to its pricing model, specifically moving key features like barcode scanning and macro tracking behind a paywall, have significantly impacted user sentiment. While users appreciate the app's extensive food database, ease of use (for some), and ability to track progress, the increasing cost and aggressive premium promotion strategies are major points of contention. The app's strengths are being overshadowed by perceived greed and reduced functionality in the free version, leading many users to seek alternatives. The overall sentiment is mixed, with a significant portion of negative reviews stemming from the paywall implementation.

Quantitative Metrics:

  • Overall Rating (from provided data): While not directly calculable from the raw review data, we can infer the rating is between 3 and 4 stars, leaning towards 4.
  • Score Distribution:
    • 5-star: 42.4% (212/500)
    • 4-star: 9% (45/500)
    • 3-star: 13.8% (69/500)
    • 2-star: 9.4% (47/500)
    • 1-star: 25.4% (127/500)

Key Strengths: Extensive food database, easy to use (for some), effective for weight management when used consistently. Key Weaknesses: Aggressive paywall for previously free features (barcode scanner, macro tracking), intrusive ads, occasional bugs and syncing issues, increasing cost, and perceived lack of value in the free version.

2. Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 500 reviews from the Apple App Store.
  • Time Frame: The reviews appear to be from 2024 and 2025, with a concentration in the more recent months.
  • Analysis Methods:
    • Sentiment Analysis: Manually assessed the sentiment of each review based on the text.
    • Keyword Extraction: Identified frequently mentioned keywords and phrases related to features, issues, and sentiment.
    • Frequency Analysis: Counted the occurrence of specific issues, feature requests, and positive aspects.

3. Key User Pain Points

  • Paywall for Previously Free Features: The most common complaint is that essential features like barcode scanning and detailed macro tracking are now only available with a paid subscription. This is perceived as a greedy move and diminishes the value of the free version.
  • Intrusive Ads and Premium Promotion: Users are bombarded with ads and pop-ups encouraging them to upgrade to premium, making the app frustrating to use.
  • Bugs and Syncing Issues: Some users report bugs that cause the app to freeze, crash, or fail to sync with other fitness trackers like Fitbit and Garmin.
  • Inaccurate Food Data: Some users have found calorie and macro information for certain foods to be inaccurate, questioning the reliability of the app.
  • Difficulty Editing Meals: Some users report that it is difficult to edit meals once they have been logged, requiring them to delete and re-add entries.
  • Login Issues: Some users report difficulties logging in, or being logged out frequently.
  • Poor UX Design: Some users find the app difficult to navigate, with a cluttered interface and too many clicks required for basic actions.
  • Poor Customer Support: Some users report that they have been unable to get help from customer support, especially regarding billing issues.

4. Frequently Requested Features

  • Bring Back Free Barcode Scanning: This is the most requested feature by far.
  • More Flexible Fasting Options: Users want more customization for intermittent fasting tracking, including the ability to set custom fasting windows.
  • Improved Integration with Other Apps/Devices: Users want better syncing with devices like Fitbit, Garmin, and Apple Health.
  • More Accurate Food Database: Users want the app to provide more accurate nutritional information for food items.
  • Family Plan: Users want to be able to share their subscription with family members.
  • Seniors Exercise Routines
  • QR Code Scanning
  • Ability to Modify Restaurant Meals

5. Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Extensive Food Database: Users appreciate the app's comprehensive database of foods, including restaurant dishes and international options.
  • Ease of Use (for some): Some users find the app easy to use and intuitive, especially for basic calorie tracking.
  • Effective for Weight Management: Many users have successfully used MyFitnessPal to lose or gain weight by tracking their calorie intake and exercise.
  • Motivation and Accountability: The app helps users stay motivated and accountable for their health and fitness goals.
  • Customizable Goals: Users appreciate the ability to set personalized goals for weight loss, weight gain, or weight maintenance.
  • Exercise Tracking: The ability to track exercise and water intake is a positive feature for many users.

6. Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Re-evaluate the Paywall: Consider offering a more affordable subscription tier or restoring some previously free features (like barcode scanning) to the free version. The current pricing strategy is alienating a significant portion of the user base.
  • Address Bugs and Syncing Issues: Prioritize fixing bugs that cause the app to freeze, crash, or fail to sync with other devices.
  • Improve Customer Support: Ensure that customer support is responsive and helpful, especially regarding billing and technical issues.
  • Reduce Intrusive Ads and Premium Promotion: Tone down the aggressive premium promotion and reduce the number of ads in the free version.

Medium Priority:

  • Improve Food Data Accuracy: Implement a system for users to easily report and correct inaccurate food data.
  • Enhance UX Design: Simplify the user interface, reduce the number of clicks required for basic actions, and improve navigation.
  • Add More Flexible Fasting Options: Allow users to set custom fasting windows for intermittent fasting tracking.

Low Priority:

  • Explore Family Plan Options: Consider offering a family plan option to allow users to share their subscription with family members.
  • Develop New Features Based on User Feedback: Incorporate user-requested features like workout routines for seniors.

7. Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • Affordable Calorie Tracker with Strong Community Focus: A calorie tracking app that offers a robust free tier with key features like barcode scanning and macro tracking, combined with a strong community forum for support and motivation.
  • AI-Powered Personalized Nutrition Coach: An app that uses AI to provide personalized nutrition recommendations based on user data, preferences, and goals, without aggressive premium promotion.
  • Hyper-Local Food Database: An app that focuses on building a highly accurate and comprehensive database of local restaurants and food items, with user-generated content and verification.
  • Calorie Tracker with Recipe Integration: An app that seamlessly integrates with recipe websites and allows users to easily import recipes and track their nutritional information.

8. Trends and Observations

  • Negative Sentiment Increase: There's a clear trend of increasing negative sentiment due to the paywall implementation. Many users express nostalgia for the "old" MyFitnessPal and disappointment with the current version.
  • Feature Loss is a Major Concern: Users are more upset about the removal of previously free features than the lack of new features.
  • App Stability is a Recurring Issue: Several users report app crashes, freezing, and syncing problems, indicating a need for improved app stability.
  • Cost Sensitivity: Users are highly sensitive to the cost of the app and are actively seeking more affordable alternatives.

9. Conclusion

MyFitnessPal remains a powerful tool for calorie and macro tracking, but its recent shift towards aggressive monetization has significantly damaged its reputation. The key to regaining user trust and maintaining its position in the market lies in re-evaluating its pricing strategy, addressing technical issues, and prioritizing user feedback. Failing to do so risks losing users to more affordable and user-friendly alternatives.

Overall Recommendation: Reconsider the current monetization strategy and focus on providing more value in the free version to retain users and maintain a positive reputation.

10. Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/myfitnesspal/id341232718