In the health and fitness industry, there has been a sudden rise in the number of programs and gadgets that are available to people who want to live a better life by making healthier food choices. If you type the words “weight loss app” into any app store, you’ll notice two names pop up at the top of the list: Weight Watchers and Noom.
We have decided to do our research and see what people have to say about these two apps. Let’s settle the debate of which between Noom and Weight Watchers is the best program and which one gets the best results.
What is a Noom Coach Exactly?
Noom is a smartphone application that gives you access to a personal coach but also gives you nutrition advice, helps you count calories, and allows you to find new recipes with a unique twist. This is the perfect app if you're serious about losing weight and want to start your journey on the right foot.
The app is free and has tons of free features as well. All you need to get started is your email address.
The designers of this app claim that the free features on this app alone are enough for you to start losing pounds consistently.
And all of this might be true if we take it by what many who have already used the app had to say. However, they did state that the most benefits they got came from the coaches they were able to access through the weight loss program.
You can speak directly with the coaches and get any clarification on things you may not have grasped. They can also give you advice and a plan on how to improve your fitness program and diet. The makers of the app claim that the app can look at your daily calorie intake logs and come up with new recommendations to reach your objectives on the fly.
Because of this different approach, a lot of users are claiming that this app did a great job at keeping them focused and motivated to reach their weight loss goals, especially since the app focuses more on the number of calories that are being consumed than which type of calories.
Foods are separated by colors with green foods (veggies, whole grains, fruits) being encouraged while red foods (processed or fatty items) are discouraged.
What are Weight Watchers?
Weight Watchers, or WW for short, is a system that uses points to help people reach their weight loss goals sustainably.
Of course, Weight Watchers is also a smartphone app that allows you to track your exercise regimen and food intake more easily. According to their website, it also allows you to find restaurant-worthy recipes.
Weight Watchers has been around since the '60s, and uses a much softer method than many other weight loss systems.
Instead of taking a draconian approach, each food you eat will be given a certain number of points. Food like a slice of pizza, for instance, will cost you more points, so you know you have to eat something with a lower score later if you had a slice at dinner.
One advantage WW has is that it's proven and has a large, loyal following. Don’t mistake it for a pure calorie counting program, however.
Comparing Weight Watchers and Noom
Our goal is to provide you with as fair an opinion as possible. If you ask different people on our team, chances are you’ll get people who prefer Noom and others who prefer Weight Watchers.
So, we decided to take a more objective approach. We looked at the features of both options along with thousands of other reviews so you won’t have to waste your time finding out who is better.
We also created a simple point system based on a few fundamental categories so you can get a clear idea of what’s the better option.
1. Best for Calorie Tracking: Noom
The principle of calorie deficit is pretty straightforward. The goal is simply to burn more calories than you take in. As a result, you can burn fat faster and achieve your objectives in a few weeks in many cases.
Noom claims that their app allows you to reach recipes and food items easier and it also makes it easy to log how much was consumed. They claim that with the millions of different meals they have in their system, they can help you come up with different meals consistently without having to worry about what you should eat next.
The Weight Watchers program, on the other hand, doesn’t focus on calories per se. Rather, it assigns a score to different foods.
Some might find the Weight Watchers model more user-friendly, but since we are seeing a lot of positive reviews for Noom’s approach, more people seem to have a preference for the traditional model.
Since Noom allows you to track your caloric progress more precisely, we have to make it 1-0 for Noom.
2. Best Free Trial: Weight Watchers
Both options advertise their free trial heavily. We will discuss prices later, but, in either case, it's always better to get a free shot at an app when considering that you're investing in your health.
Noom has a 2-week trial offer that allows you to try their personal trainer program for only $1. You don't even have to pay the full amount if you decide to stop early. You'll get the chance to get complete access to their personal coaches and many reviewers said that it was a good way to build a foundation and start building better habits.
Weight Watchers works on a monthly subscription just like Noom. The only difference is that you get to try the program for free for a month. This is a perfect way to test the waters and see if their point system works in helping you reduce your caloric intake.
For this reason, we have to give this one to Weight Watchers, since one month is better than 2 weeks. The score is now even at 1-1.
3. Better Support: Weight Watchers
Both of these programs did pretty well in the support department, so finding a winner here was difficult.
Many reviewers have talked about the level of support they were able to get at every level, whether it was coming up with attainable weight loss goals, helping them stick to their objectives, and maintaining good habits over time.
We tried Noom’s service and all of our questions we answered in a day or less. They also have a vibrant Facebook community that will be glad to help if you need anything.
However, since Weight Watchers has been in business for well over 50 years now, they have had the time to build a solid customer support system and a massive community worldwide.
There are tons of unofficial and official WW forums, not to mention Facebook and other very active communities. We personally believe that community plays an essential role in building and maintaining healthy life habits that contribute to weight loss.
Based on the size of the community and the experience we had, the score is now 2-1 for Weight Watchers.
4. Better Coaching: Noom
Note that both of these options will allow you to work directly with a personal coach that will be able to guide you through your journey for a fee.
The whole concept of Noom is built around the concept of having a real human dietician working with you. And, when we search all the options on the market, it seems that Noom is the first app of its kind to allow you to have that direct of a link.
Most users have glowing reviews about the motivation, programs, and advice they were able to get from Noom’s dieticians. Many said that it helped them stay focused and motivated, and others pointed to the motivational factor as the key to success in their weight loss journey.
Weight Watchers was also first centered around face to face visits and the current app allows you to connect with a real dietician as well. However, many reviewers mentioned having access issues with their dieticians, with some saying that it took too long to get a response.
Maybe this was caused by the technical issues they reported, but we have to give this point to Noom. The score is now 2-2.
5. Ease of Use: Noom
Losing weight is never easy. However, you shouldn't make things harder for yourself by writing down your calories on a piece of paper. There was a time when there was no other choice and we had to spend hours calculating how many went in and out at the end of the week.
Instead of speaking with a human usability expert to tell us which app is the most user-friendly, we looked at reviews that mentioned the user experience specifically.
The Weight Watchers app allows you to look for a series of dishes and WW proprietary products and how much you consumed. The app also has a barcode scanner, though many stated it had difficulty recognizing products correctly.
Noom users, on the other hand, said that the app made finding everything a breeze, especially with the feature that allows you to pull up previous recipes you added, which is a great time saver.
Some said that it was as if the app could learn what you like to eat. Based on what people had to say, we have to give the lead to Noom at 3-2.
6. Price: Noom
The good thing here is that both apps offer personal coaching services and we can see that they both offer similar offers when we look at the price. Both apps also have free trials with plenty of features that don’t require you to subscribe.
First, let’s talk about Noom. The monthly subscription plan is at $59,99, though you can get a big discount if you go for the annual plan which is $199.00.
With Weight Watchers, the price is $54.95 with the first month free if you subscribe for 6 months. This is around $13.75 weekly. You won’t find a discount, however, which means that you'll eventually have to pay much more for a personal trainer.
Based on price alone, we have to give that point to Noom. The score is now at 4-2.
This makes Noom the clear winner.
FAQs
How much will I pay per month for Noom?
The Noom coaching service and weight loss app will cost you $59.99 monthly, though you can find discounts if you want to go for a longer subscription. The app itself, however, is free and has many free features that will help you start your weight loss and fitness journey. All you need to get started is an email address.
Is Noom a Good App for those who want to lose weight?
Absolutely. What makes Noom a great app is that it allows you to really focus on what you’re eating. While working out and having a good exercise regimen will help, having a good meal plan is the most important part if your goal is to be healthier.
How much does Weight Watchers cost per month?
The monthly cost for Weight Watchers basic app is $19.95 and you’ll need to pay $54.95 per month for the coaching service.
What’s the goal of Weight Watchers?
The main goal of Weight Watchers is to give you some guidance in losing weight without having to sacrifice taste. They do a great job at showing you which foods are good and which ones you should avoid. It all boils down to limiting the number of points you accumulate each day.
What are free foods on Weight Watchers?
Free, or zero-point foods, are one of the categories into which foods are classified in the Weight Watchers system. Free foods include things like fruits, fish, non-starchy fruits and vegetables, lentils, beans, and chicken breast. These are foods that are not added to your daily tally, so you can eat as much as you want. Many have also claimed that it was those foods that helped them fight cravings.
These foods aren’t free in calories, however. Instead, the company promotes adding more low-calorie, high-nutrient foods to your diet in order to develop better health habits and reach your objectives. None of these foods will be counted on the WW app.
What can you Eat on Weight Watchers?
Weight Watchers allows you to eat the foods you love; you just have to watch the portions. The app will force you to get a smaller lunch if you ate sugary snacks earlier. It’s more about limiting the amount you consume instead of banning foods from your diet.
Weight Watchers vs Noom: Who Won?
The fastest and most efficient way to lose weight is to have a good exercise and nutrition plan. While having a personal coach at the gym can help, staying focused and motivated at home is much tougher.
Based on what we’ve gathered from users in countless dieting and fitness forums as well as our own research, we have to say that Noom is the number one option, especially if you’re serious about reaching your goals.
If you want to get the app, you can download it and try it for 14 days for only $1 and find out exactly how much weight you can lose in just 2 weeks.