Is Myfitnesspal Premium Worth It Reddit

You're staring at that "Go Premium" button on MyFitnessPal for the tenth time this week, wondering if the upgrade is the key to finally breaking your plateau. You've searched online, but you want the real, unfiltered answer. So, is MyFitnessPal Premium worth it, according to the consensus you'd find on Reddit?

For serious fitness goals, yes, it's worth the roughly $80 per year for one single feature: the ability to set macronutrient goals by the gram. The free version's percentage-based system is a critical flaw that holds people back, and Premium fixes it. Everything else is just a bonus.

Key Takeaways

• MyFitnessPal Premium is worth it for the ability to set macro goals in grams, which is essential for serious muscle gain or fat loss.
• The free version's macro tracking (by percentage) is inaccurate because your protein and fat intake will fluctuate as your daily calories change.
• The annual subscription costs about $79.99, which breaks down to less than $7 per month-cheaper than a single post-workout smoothie.
• The barcode scanner and massive food database, MFP's best features, are available on the free version.
• You can absolutely succeed with the free version if you only care about calories or are willing to manually check your macro grams daily.
• Free alternatives like Cronometer or MacroFactor offer similar or even better features than MFP Premium, giving you other options.

What Does MyFitnessPal Premium Actually Give You?

So you're wondering if paying for MyFitnessPal Premium is worth it, and you've seen the Reddit threads debating it. The answer depends entirely on how seriously you take your nutrition tracking. Let's cut through the marketing and focus on what actually moves the needle.

The free version of MyFitnessPal is a powerful tool. It gives you access to the largest verified food database on the planet and a best-in-class barcode scanner. For someone just starting to track calories, this is more than enough.

But the moment you want to get specific-to ensure you're eating enough protein to build muscle while in a deficit, for example-the free version's biggest weakness appears. Premium exists to solve this and add a few key quality-of-life improvements.

The #1 Reason to Upgrade: Macro Tracking by Gram

This is it. This is the feature that justifies the entire cost. The free version only lets you set macro goals as a percentage of your total calories (e.g., 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% fat).

This is a huge problem. Your body doesn't need a *percentage* of protein; it needs a specific *amount* of protein, measured in grams, based on your body weight and goals. A 180-pound person trying to build muscle needs about 160-180 grams of protein every single day, whether they're eating 2,500 calories or 2,200 calories.

With Premium, you can set your goal to exactly 170g of protein, 80g of fat, and fill the rest with carbs. It's precise and effective. The free version's percentage system makes this impossible.

Other Premium Features (The "Nice-to-Haves")

While gram-based tracking is the main event, Premium offers other perks:

• No Ads: The free app is cluttered with ads. Premium offers a clean, uninterrupted experience. This is a bigger deal than it sounds when you're using the app 3-5 times a day.
• Macros by Meal: See a breakdown of protein, carbs, and fat for your breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This is useful for ensuring you're getting enough protein at each meal, like 30-40 grams, to optimize muscle protein synthesis.
• Food Timestamps: See *when* you ate your meals. This can help you identify patterns, like late-night snacking that's pushing you over your calorie goal.
• Quick-Add Macros: If you know the macros of a meal without searching for it, you can just punch in the numbers directly. A small time-saver.
• Export Data: For the data nerds, you can export your entire food history into a CSV file to analyze trends.

But let's be clear: you are paying for the gram-based macro tracking. The rest are just convenient extras.

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Why the Free Version Fails Serious Lifters

The core issue with the free version of MyFitnessPal is the percentage-based macro system. It seems like a small detail, but it's the difference between consistent progress and frustrating plateaus.

Let's use a real-world example. Imagine you're a 180-pound man aiming for fat loss while preserving muscle. Your target is 165 grams of protein per day.

Your calorie goal is 2,200 on training days and 2,000 on rest days.

On the free version, you set your macros to 30% Protein / 40% Carbs / 30% Fat.

• On a training day (2,200 calories): 30% protein is 165 grams. Perfect. You hit your goal.
• On a rest day (2,000 calories): 30% protein is only 150 grams. You just missed your protein target by 15 grams.

Your body's need for protein doesn't drop by 10% just because it's a rest day. In fact, protein is crucial on rest days for muscle repair and recovery. The percentage system forces your most important macro to fluctuate with your daily calorie intake, which is the opposite of what you want.

This forces you to constantly do mental math throughout the day. You'll find yourself looking at your diary, seeing you have 500 calories left, and trying to figure out how many of those need to come from protein to hit your real, gram-based goal.

It's tedious, annoying, and a major point of failure. You're trying to make nutrition *easier*, not give yourself a daily math problem. The ads are annoying, but this fundamental flaw in the tracking system is the real reason people who are serious about their results eventually upgrade or switch apps.

The Best Free Alternatives to MFP Premium

One of the most common things you'll see on Reddit is people recommending alternatives that offer premium features for free or have a better overall system. Before you spend the $80 on MFP Premium, you should know your options. Honesty builds trust, and the truth is, MyFitnessPal isn't the only game in town.

This is for you if you need gram-based macro tracking but don't want to pay for MyFitnessPal.

MacroFactor: The Gold Standard for Adjustments

MacroFactor is widely considered the best-in-class nutrition app in 2025. Its killer feature is the "dynamic TDEE calculator." Instead of you guessing your calorie needs, the app calculates your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) for you based on your daily weigh-ins and nutrition logs.

If your weight loss stalls, the app will automatically adjust your calorie and macro targets downward. If you're losing too fast, it will bump them up. It takes all the guesswork out of adjustments. It's a paid app (around $71/year), but it functions like a personal nutrition coach. Its food database is not as large as MFP's, but it's growing quickly.

Cronometer: The Data Nerd's Choice

Cronometer is fantastic for anyone who wants to track more than just macros. It tracks over 82 micronutrients, like Vitamin D, Magnesium, and Zinc. If you're concerned about nutrient deficiencies, this is the app for you.

The free version of Cronometer is incredibly generous. It allows you to set macro goals by the gram-the exact feature you have to pay for in MyFitnessPal. The trade-off is a smaller food database, so you may have to manually enter foods more often. But for a free option, it's outstanding.

Lose It!: The User-Friendly Option

Lose It! is another popular competitor. It has a very clean, intuitive interface that many users prefer over MFP's sometimes-cluttered design. Its premium version also allows for gram-based macro tracking and is priced similarly to MyFitnessPal.

Its database is solid, and it has some unique features like "pattern recognition" to identify habits that are holding you back. If you tried MFP and found it clunky, Lose It! might be a better fit.

Ultimately, the best app is the one you'll use consistently. But knowing these alternatives exist is crucial before you commit to a year of MFP Premium.

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Is Premium Worth It? The Mofilo Verdict

So, what's the final call? Should you pull the trigger on the upgrade?

We'll make this very simple. It comes down to your goals and your tolerance for inconvenience.

MyFitnessPal Premium is worth it for you if

• You are serious about body composition. If your goal is specifically to build muscle or lose fat (not just "lose weight"), precise, gram-based control over your protein and fat intake is non-negotiable. This is the only way to do it easily within the MFP ecosystem.
• You value your time and mental energy. The convenience of not having to fight with ads or do daily macro math is worth the ~$7 per month. You're paying to remove friction.
• You are already committed to the MFP ecosystem. If you have years of data, recipes, and saved meals in MyFitnessPal, switching to another app is a pain. Upgrading is the path of least resistance to get the features you need.

MyFitnessPal Premium is NOT worth it for you if

• You are a beginner focused only on calories. If your main goal is simply to eat fewer calories and you're not worried about specific macro targets yet, the free version is perfect. Don't pay for features you don't need.
• You are on a very tight budget. You can achieve 95% of the results with the free version and a little bit of manual math. Or, you can use Cronometer's free version to get gram-based tracking at no cost.
• You are willing to try a different app. If you're not tied to MFP, an app like MacroFactor offers a more advanced, coached experience for a similar price, making it a better value for many people.

In short: if you need to control your macros by the gram and want to stay on MFP, pay for Premium. If not, save your money.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you get MyFitnessPal Premium for free?

No, you cannot get the full premium version for free indefinitely. However, MyFitnessPal frequently offers a 1-month free trial for new users or as a promotion to existing free users. You can use this to test the features before committing to the annual plan.

What is the main difference between MyFitnessPal free and premium?

The single most important difference is how you track macros. The free version uses percentages (e.g., 40% protein), while the premium version allows you to set specific gram targets (e.g., 160g of protein). This precision is critical for serious fitness goals.

Is MacroFactor better than MyFitnessPal?

For automatic adjustments, yes. MacroFactor's algorithm updates your calorie and macro targets based on your body's response, which is a game-changer. However, MyFitnessPal has a larger and more reliable food database, which means less manual entry.

How much does MyFitnessPal Premium cost in 2025?

As of December 2025, MyFitnessPal Premium costs $19.99 if you pay month-to-month, or $79.99 for an annual subscription. The annual plan breaks down to about $6.67 per month, making it the much more cost-effective option if you plan to use it long-term.

Can I lose weight with the free MyFitnessPal?

Yes, absolutely. Weight loss is primarily driven by being in a calorie deficit. The free version of MyFitnessPal is an excellent tool for tracking your total calorie intake, which is all you need to successfully lose weight. Premium becomes necessary when optimizing body composition.