Ellim vs Lose It!
An honest, side-by-side comparison. We tell you where Lose It! wins, too.
Lose It! earned its 57 million users by being the simple calorie counter, but the modern version keeps moving yesterday's free features behind a $79.99 annual paywall — and it still can't log a workout. If calorie counting is your entire fitness life, it remains a competent choice. If you train, Ellim does both halves, and its free tier hasn't shrunk.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Ellim | Lose It! |
|---|---|---|
| Price (Free tier) | Free: unlimited routines, tracking, graphs, 3,500+ exercises, no ads | Free with ads (unlimited manual logging)Source: Lose It! — App Store↗ |
| Premium Price | $17.99/mo or $99.99/yr | $79.99/yr — no monthly plan; $299.99 lifetimeSource: Lose It! Help — Membership Tiers↗ |
| AI Workouts | LLM-based conversational AI (premium) | |
| Nutrition Tracking | Free (search + barcode) | Free manual logging; barcode scanning moved to PremiumSource: Lose It! Help — Barcode Scanner↗ |
| AI Meal Detection | Photo-based (premium) | Snap It photo logging (Premium)Source: Lose It! — App Store↗ |
| Water Tracking | Free (one-tap cups + daily goal; weekly trends premium) | Premium (bundled with custom goals)Source: Lose It! Help — Membership Tiers↗ |
| Exercise Library Size | 3,500+ exercises | Calorie-burn logging onlySource: Lose It! — App Store↗ |
| Workout Tracking | Yes | Calorie offset only — no sets or repsSource: Lose It! — App Store↗ |
| Custom Routines | Yes | |
| Apple Watch | No | Yes |
| HealthKit | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | No | Yes |
Try it yourself — Ellim is free
Workout tracking + nutrition logging + 3,500+ exercises + unlimited routines. All free. No paywall, no credit card.
Download Ellim FreeSee Ellim in Action
AI builds your workout
Track every set
Log meals with AI
3,500+ exercises
What you get with Ellim that Lose It! doesn't
exercises
builds your workout
describe it, AI creates it
routines & tracking
no caps, no paywall
Where Lose It! Falls Short
- The free tier has shrunk over time: photo logging launched free in 2016, and barcode scanning was historically free — today both sit behind Premium, and so do water tracking and custom macro targetsSource: TechCrunch — Snap It launch (2016, free)↗
- No real workout tracking — exercise entries exist only to offset your calorie budget; there are no sets, reps, routines, or training historySource: Lose It! — App Store↗
- Premium is annual-only at $79.99/yr — there is no monthly plan to try it cheaplySource: Lose It! Help — Membership Tiers↗
- Ads on the free tier that users describe as hijacking the screen during meal entry, and billing/support complaints that put its Trustpilot score at 1.8/5Source: Trustpilot — Lose It!↗
Where Ellim Wins
The Free Tier Still Includes the Basics
On Lose It!, barcode scanning, photo logging, water tracking, and custom macros have all migrated behind Premium over the years. On Ellim, barcode scanning, water tracking with a daily goal, and unlimited food logging are free today — and the free core staying free is a stated principle, not a launch promo.
It Tracks Your Training, Not Just the Burn
Lose It! logs exercise as a calorie number to subtract from your budget. Ellim logs the actual workout — sets, reps, weight, 3,500+ exercises, custom routines, progress graphs — free, with AI workout generation available on premium.
Pay Monthly, or Don't
Lose It! Premium is a $79.99 annual commitment with no monthly option. Ellim Premium is $17.99/mo or $99.99/yr — you can try a month without committing to a year, and the free tier is complete enough that many people never upgrade.
Where Lose It! Wins
We believe in honest comparisons. Here is what Lose It! does well.
- Faster, simpler logging flow than MyFitnessPal for basic calorie counting
- Large food database (56M+ items, company-reported) built over 18 years
- One of the oldest, most established calorie trackers — around since 2008
- Android support and broad wearable syncing (Fitbit, Garmin, Withings)
In-Depth: Ellim vs Lose It!
The Shrinking Free Tier
Workouts
Pricing Structure
Simplicity vs. Completeness
Pricing Comparison
- Free forever: full workout tracking
- 3,500+ exercise library with graphs
- Unlimited routines (no cap)
- Free nutrition tracking — search + barcode scanner
- Curated workout routines ready to use
- Premium: AI meal detection from photos + AI workout generation
Free with ads: unlimited manual food logging; barcode scanning, photo logging, water tracking, and custom macros are Premium
Which App Is Right for You?
Choose Lose It! if...
Choose Lose It! if you want a simple, veteran calorie counter and nothing else — you're fine with manual entry on the free tier (or the $79.99/yr Premium for barcode and photo logging), you like its quick logging flow, or you're on Android where Ellim isn't available yet.
Choose Ellim if...
Choose Ellim if you want your food and your training in one app, and the basics free: unlimited logging with barcode scanning, water tracking with a daily goal and Apple Health sync, a full lifting tracker with 3,500+ exercises. Premium adds AI — meal photos, workout generation, weekly dashboards — instead of unlocking features that used to be free.
The Verdict
Lose It! earned its 57 million users by being the simple calorie counter, but the modern version keeps moving yesterday's free features behind a $79.99 annual paywall — and it still can't log a workout. If calorie counting is your entire fitness life, it remains a competent choice. If you train, Ellim does both halves, and its free tier hasn't shrunk.
Download Ellim FreeFree download. No credit card required.
Switching Is Easy
You don't need to start from scratch. Bring your routines with you.
Import by Photo
Take a screenshot of your current routine. Ellim's AI reads it and creates the routine for you.
Import by Text
Paste your routine as text — exercises, sets, reps. Ellim converts it into a trackable routine instantly.
Or Start Fresh
Browse our curated routines or let AI build a personalized plan. Your workout history starts building from day one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is barcode scanning free on Lose It!?
Not anymore for new users. Barcode scanning ("Scan It") is listed under Premium features on the App Store, with some long-time free accounts grandfathered in. Ellim's barcode scanning is free for everyone.
Does Lose It! track water?
Only with Premium — water tracking is bundled into Premium's custom goals alongside sleep and nutrient targets. Ellim's water tracking is free: one-tap cups, a body-weight-based daily goal, past-day editing, and Apple Health sync.
Does Lose It! track workouts?
It logs exercise as calories burned to adjust your daily budget — there's no way to record sets, reps, or weight, and no routine builder. Ellim is a full workout tracker with a 3,500+ exercise library, free.
How much does Lose It! Premium cost?
$79.99/yr, billed annually — there is no monthly plan — with a $299.99 lifetime option. Ellim Premium is $17.99/mo or $99.99/yr, and Ellim's free tier already includes barcode scanning, water tracking, and full workout tracking.
Can I switch from Lose It! to Ellim?
Yes. Start logging in Ellim alongside Lose It! for a few days — food search and barcode scanning are free, so the trial costs nothing. Your workout side starts fresh either way, because Lose It! never had one.
Other Comparisons
Ready to try Ellim?
3,500+ exercises, ready-to-use routines, and nutrition tracking — all free. AI workouts on Premium.