Apps Like BetterMe But Cheaper: Better Alternatives for Less Money
BetterMe costs $20-50/month for generic workout and meal plans. Here are cheaper alternatives that offer better workouts and nutrition tracking — starting at free.
BetterMe charges $20 to $50 per month for a combination of workout plans and meal plans that many users describe as generic and template-based. At the high end, that is $600 per year — more than many gym memberships. If you are looking for the same functionality at a lower price, or better functionality for the same or less money, this guide breaks down every major alternative worth considering.
The key insight: BetterMe bundles workouts and nutrition into one app, but both components are individually mediocre. You can get significantly better workouts and significantly better nutrition tracking by using two specialized apps — often for less than what BetterMe charges for one.
What Are You Actually Paying For with BetterMe?
Before comparing alternatives, here is what BetterMe provides and where its value gaps are:
| What BetterMe Offers | What BetterMe Lacks |
|---|---|
| Template workout programs | Truly personalized plans |
| Basic meal plan templates | Verified food database |
| Water tracking | AI food recognition |
| Progress photos | Comprehensive nutrient tracking |
| Mindfulness content | Voice logging |
| Polished app design | Recipe import |
| All-in-one convenience | Detailed micronutrient data |
BetterMe's core product is convenience — everything in one place. But "everything mediocre in one place" is not necessarily better than "excellent tools in two places."
How Much Can You Save by Switching from BetterMe?
| Alternative Approach | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost | Annual Savings vs BetterMe ($33/mo avg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| BetterMe | $20-50 (avg ~$33) | $240-600 | — |
| Nutrola + Nike Training Club | €2.50 + free | ~$33 | ~$363 |
| Nutrola + JEFIT | €2.50 + free | ~$33 | ~$363 |
| Yazio + FitOn | ~$6.99 + free | ~$84 | ~$312 |
| Lose It + YouTube workouts | ~$3.33 + free | ~$40 | ~$356 |
| FatSecret + Nike Training Club | Free + free | $0 | ~$396 |
Every alternative approach on this list costs less than BetterMe. Most save you $300 or more per year.
The Best Strategy: Dedicated Nutrition App + Free Workout App
Rather than looking for a single BetterMe replacement, the smarter approach is to use two specialized apps:
- A dedicated nutrition tracking app for food logging, calorie and nutrient tracking, and meal planning
- A free workout app for exercise programming and guided workouts
This combination gives you better performance in both categories at a fraction of BetterMe's cost.
Best Nutrition Apps to Replace BetterMe's Meal Plans
1. Nutrola — Best Overall (€2.50/month)
Nutrola is the strongest nutrition replacement for BetterMe by a significant margin. Here is why:
What Nutrola offers that BetterMe does not:
- AI photo recognition — snap a photo of any meal for instant logging
- Voice logging — describe what you ate and the app logs it automatically
- Verified food database with 1.8 million-plus items reviewed by nutritionists
- 100-plus nutrient tracking including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and fatty acids
- Barcode scanning with comprehensive nutrition data
- Recipe import from any URL — paste a link and get the full breakdown
- Apple Watch and Wear OS support for on-the-go logging
- 15 language support
- Zero ads on all plans
- Over 2 million users with a 4.9 average rating
What BetterMe has that Nutrola does not:
- Built-in workout programs (but free alternatives exist)
- Template meal plans with specific recipes (Nutrola focuses on tracking rather than prescriptive plans)
- Mindfulness and meditation content
The cost: €2.50 per month after a free trial. That is roughly 90 percent less than BetterMe's average monthly cost.
2. Yazio — Best for Fasting + Nutrition (~$6.99/month)
Yazio combines nutrition tracking with intermittent fasting tools, making it a good fit for BetterMe users who want structured eating schedules alongside calorie tracking.
- Clean interface with meal planning features
- Intermittent fasting timer and programs
- Calorie and macro tracking
- European food database (strong in EU markets)
- No AI photo or voice logging
- Limited micronutrient tracking
3. Lose It — Best for Simple Calorie Tracking (~$3.33/month)
Lose It provides straightforward calorie and macro tracking with an AI photo feature (Snap It) at a budget price.
- Clean, approachable interface
- Snap It photo recognition for food logging
- Calorie and macro tracking
- Barcode scanning
- Basic but functional — covers BetterMe's nutrition capabilities and then some
4. FatSecret — Best Free Option ($0)
If your budget is zero, FatSecret offers free calorie tracking, barcode scanning, and macro breakdowns. The interface is dated, but the core functionality exceeds BetterMe's nutrition features at no cost.
Best Free Workout Apps to Replace BetterMe's Exercise Plans
Nike Training Club (Free)
Nike Training Club is arguably the best free workout app available:
- Professional-quality workouts designed by Nike trainers
- Programs for every level (beginner to advanced)
- Categories: strength, endurance, yoga, mobility
- Video demonstrations for every exercise
- No subscription required for full access
For most BetterMe users, Nike Training Club alone replaces BetterMe's workout component — for free.
JEFIT (Free Tier)
JEFIT specializes in strength training:
- Extensive exercise database with animations
- Customizable workout plans
- Progress tracking and logging
- Rest timers
- Free tier covers most functionality
FitOn (Free)
FitOn offers celebrity-trainer-led workouts:
- Guided video workouts across categories
- HIIT, strength, yoga, pilates, and more
- Community challenges
- Free with optional premium upgrade
YouTube Fitness Channels (Free)
The most overlooked alternative to paid workout apps is YouTube. Channels like Fitness Blender, THENX, Yoga with Adriene, and countless others offer thousands of free, high-quality workout videos. The "downside" is curation — you need to choose your own program rather than following a pre-built one.
Head-to-Head: BetterMe vs Nutrola + Free Workout App
| Feature | BetterMe ($33/mo avg) | Nutrola + Nike Training Club (€2.50/mo) |
|---|---|---|
| Workout programs | Template-based | Professional Nike trainers |
| Workout variety | Good | Extensive |
| Workout personalization | Quiz-based templates | Choose any program |
| Food database | Basic, unverified | 1.8M+ verified items |
| Nutrients tracked | Basic calories | 100+ nutrients |
| AI photo logging | No | Yes |
| Voice logging | No | Yes |
| Barcode scanning | Basic | Full nutrition data |
| Recipe import | No | Yes |
| Apple Watch | Limited | Yes |
| Wear OS | No | Yes |
| Water tracking | Yes | Built-in |
| Mindfulness | Yes | No (use free meditation apps) |
| Monthly cost | $20-50 | €2.50 |
| Annual cost | $240-600 | ~$33 |
The combination of Nutrola plus a free workout app beats BetterMe in virtually every category while costing 90 percent less. The only features you lose are BetterMe's built-in mindfulness content (replaceable with free meditation apps like Insight Timer) and the "one app for everything" convenience.
What About Other All-in-One Apps?
If you specifically want a single app that combines workouts and nutrition:
MyFitnessPal + Exercise Tracking (~$13.33/month premium)
MyFitnessPal offers both nutrition tracking and exercise logging, though the workout component is basic compared to dedicated fitness apps. At roughly $13 per month for premium, it costs less than BetterMe while offering a larger food database.
Fitbit/Google Fit (Free with device)
If you own a Fitbit or use Google Fit, these platforms offer basic nutrition logging alongside activity tracking. The nutrition features are limited, but the price is included with your device.
Apple Fitness+ (~$9.99/month)
Apple Fitness+ provides excellent guided workouts but does not include nutrition tracking. You would still need a separate nutrition app. The combination of Apple Fitness+ plus Nutrola (~$12.49/month total) gives you better workouts and dramatically better nutrition tracking than BetterMe for less money.
The Real Cost of BetterMe: What Else Could You Buy?
At BetterMe's average price of $33 per month ($396/year), here is what the savings from switching to Nutrola (€2.50/month, ~$33/year) could buy:
| Alternative Use of $363 Annual Savings | Impact |
|---|---|
| 6 months of a budget gym membership | Access to real equipment and classes |
| 3 sessions with a personal trainer | Professional, truly personalized guidance |
| A quality set of resistance bands + dumbbells | Home gym equipment that lasts years |
| 2 sessions with a registered dietitian | Medical-grade nutrition advice |
| A high-quality food scale + kitchen equipment | Better cooking and portion accuracy |
| Premium ingredients for healthy cooking | Actual nutrition improvement |
The irony of paying $400/year for generic template plans from an app is that the same money could fund actual personalized guidance from real professionals — personal trainers who watch your form and dietitians who understand your medical history.
How to Switch from BetterMe Without Disruption
Step 1: Cancel BetterMe Properly
Cancel through your phone's subscription settings, not just by deleting the app:
iPhone: Settings > your name > Subscriptions > BetterMe > Cancel Subscription Android: Google Play Store > Profile > Payments & Subscriptions > Subscriptions > BetterMe > Cancel
Take a screenshot of the cancellation confirmation. BetterMe has a high volume of auto-renewal complaints, so documentation protects you.
Step 2: Download Your Replacement Apps
- Install Nutrola and start the free trial for nutrition tracking
- Install Nike Training Club (or your preferred free workout app) for exercise
Step 3: Set Up Your Nutrition Targets
In Nutrola, set your calorie target and any macro goals. If you were following a specific BetterMe meal plan (keto, high protein, etc.), configure matching macro targets in Nutrola.
Step 4: Choose a Workout Program
Browse Nike Training Club's programs and select one that matches your current fitness level and goals. Most programs are 4-6 weeks and include scheduled rest days.
Step 5: Give It Two Weeks
The transition from any all-in-one app to a two-app approach takes a few days of adjustment. After two weeks, most users find the specialized apps are both easier to use and more effective than BetterMe's bundled approach.
The Bottom Line
BetterMe bundles mediocre workouts and mediocre nutrition tracking at a premium price. For $20-50 per month, you get template-based plans, basic food tracking, and an app that generates more auto-renewal complaints than almost any competitor.
The better approach: use Nutrola for nutrition tracking (€2.50/month after a free trial — AI photo and voice logging, verified database, 100-plus nutrients, zero ads) and a free workout app like Nike Training Club for exercise. Total cost: €2.50/month versus $20-50/month for BetterMe. Total savings: $200-567 per year. Total quality improvement: significant in both categories.
Start Nutrola's free trial today and pair it with any free workout app. In under 10 minutes, you will have a better health and fitness setup than BetterMe provides — at a fraction of the cost.
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