Best Weight Loss Challenge Apps in 2026
Losing weight alone is hard. Losing weight with a group holding you accountable? That's a different story. We've compared the top five weight loss challenge apps on the features that actually help you stick to your goals: group challenges, accountability systems, progress tracking, and pricing.
Last updated
ChallengeCircle
Best for group weight loss accountability. The penalty system and custom challenges create real consequences — which is what makes people actually stick to their plans.
Price: Free / £3 per month
- Group weight loss challenges with real accountability
- Penalty system for missed goals
- Create custom challenges for steps, workouts, or habits
- Real-time leaderboards to stay competitive
- Affordable premium at £3/month
Feature Comparison
| Feature | ChallengeCircle#1 | Noom | MyFitnessPal | Lose It! | BetterMe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group Challenges | |||||
| Wearable Sync | |||||
| Leaderboards | |||||
| Penalty System | |||||
| Custom Challenges | |||||
| Free Tier | |||||
| Price | Free / £3 per month | £40-60 per month | Free / £9.99 per month | Free / £3.33 per month | Free trial / £12.99 per month |
Detailed Reviews
#1 ChallengeCircle
Best for group weight loss accountability. The penalty system and custom challenges create real consequences — which is what makes people actually stick to their plans.
Pros
- + Group weight loss challenges with real accountability
- + Penalty system for missed goals
- + Create custom challenges for steps, workouts, or habits
- + Real-time leaderboards to stay competitive
- + Affordable premium at £3/month
Cons
- − No calorie tracking or meal planning
- − Newer app with growing community
#2 Noom
Best for psychology-based individual weight loss. No group challenge or accountability features.
Pros
- + Psychology-based behaviour change approach
- + Personal coaching included
- + Food logging with colour system
- + Educational content on habits
Cons
- − Very expensive at £40-60/month
- − No group challenge features
- − No leaderboards or competition
- − Coaching quality varies
#3 MyFitnessPal
Best for calorie tracking. No group challenge or social accountability features.
Pros
- + Largest food database for calorie tracking
- + Barcode scanner for easy logging
- + Comprehensive macro tracking
- + Integrates with most fitness devices
Cons
- − No group challenges
- − No accountability system
- − Premium is expensive
- − Ads in free tier are intrusive
#4 Lose It!
Decent budget option with basic challenges but lacks depth for serious group accountability.
Pros
- + Clean calorie tracking interface
- + Basic group challenge features
- + Affordable premium tier
- + Food photo recognition
Cons
- − Challenge features are very basic
- − No penalty system
- − Smaller food database than MyFitnessPal
- − Limited social features
#5 BetterMe
Individual-focused with no group features. Expensive for what it offers.
Pros
- + Personalised workout and meal plans
- + Water tracking
- + Guided meditation included
- + Visual progress photos
Cons
- − No group challenges
- − Expensive subscription
- − Aggressive upselling
- − No wearable sync
Try ChallengeCircle — The #1 Weight-loss Challenge App
Download free on iOS and Android. Create your first challenge in under a minute.
