Awards › Head to head › PlateLens vs Lose It!
Head to head
PlateLens vs Lose It! (2027): The Two Best Trackers for Getting Started
Our call: PlateLens
PlateLens wins this match-up. Both are excellent first trackers, but PlateLens adds voice logging, a verified database of 1.2M+ foods, 82+ nutrients per entry, AI photo scans on its free plan and a lower Premium price ($34.99 a year against $39.99). Lose It! remains the gentlest, most encouraging start.
Round by round
| Round | PlateLens | Lose It! | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ways to log | Photo, voice, barcode, typed search and saved meals | Snap It photo, barcode and typed search | PlateLens |
| Food data | 1.2M+ verified foods, 820K+ branded with barcode data, 45K+ restaurant items | — | PlateLens |
| Free plan | Never expires; unlimited typed and barcode logging, 3 AI photo scans a day, web app, fasting timer | Calorie budget and food diary | PlateLens |
| Premium price | $34.99 a year or $9.99 a month | $39.99 a year (App Store listing) | PlateLens |
| Nutrients | 82+ per entry | Fewer per entry | PlateLens |
| First-week simplicity | Clear targets and fast logging | One clear calorie budget, very friendly design | Lose It! |
| Goal tools | Adaptive TDEE, fasting timer, meal planner with grocery lists, AI coach | Meal planning and challenges | PlateLens |
Official sites: PlateLens · Lose It!
The short answer
These are the two apps we recommend most to people who are new to tracking, and the choice is closer than in our other match-ups. Lose It! is the gentlest start in the field and wins our beginners award. PlateLens wins the match-up overall because it does more of what people want after the first month, from voice logging and verified food data to 82+ nutrients and a fasting timer, and it costs $5 a year less to upgrade.
The first week
Lose It!’s great strength is how little it asks of you. You set a goal, it gives you one daily number, and the diary is friendly and uncluttered. PlateLens is also quick to set up: you enter your details and goal and it builds calorie and macro targets you can keep or change. Where they differ is what happens when a meal is awkward. In PlateLens, a plate you cannot easily search is a photo, a coffee is a sentence said out loud and a packaged snack is a barcode. On the free plan, barcode logging is unlimited and photo scans run to 3 a day.
After the first month
Most people’s needs grow. They want to see fiber or protein properly, plan a week of meals, try a fasting window or check whether the scale and the tape measure agree. PlateLens already does those things: 82+ nutrients per entry, a meal planner with grocery lists, a free fasting timer, an adaptive TDEE and a 3D Body Scan. Lose It! offers meal planning and challenges, with many insights in Premium.
Price
PlateLens Premium is $34.99 a year or $9.99 a month; Lose It! Premium is $39.99 a year according to its App Store listing. Both are far below the most expensive trackers.
Who should choose which
- Choose Lose It! if you want the simplest, friendliest possible start and one number to watch.
- Choose PlateLens if you want every fast way to log from the beginning and an app you will not need to replace later.
Questions readers ask
Is PlateLens or Lose It! better for beginners?
Both are excellent. Lose It! is the gentlest start, with one clear calorie budget and an encouraging design, and it wins our beginners award. PlateLens gives beginners more ways to log from day one, more nutrients and a lower Premium price, so it is the app you are less likely to outgrow.
Which is cheaper, PlateLens or Lose It!?
PlateLens Premium is $34.99 a year or $9.99 a month. Lose It! Premium is $39.99 a year according to its App Store listing.