5 Best Apps for Gaining Weight

“5 Apps for Gaining Weight” was written by Devon Suggs, RDN, reviewed/edited by Katie Dodd, MS, RDN, CSG, LD, FAND, and updated by Aly Bouzek, MS, RDN.

With the ever-growing list of apps related to weight, it can be difficult to decipher between them all. As dietitians, we want to provide you with the 5 best apps for gaining weight or maintaining your weight.

Apps are a wonderful resource to make successful health journeys a little easier! While most fitness apps solely focus on weight loss, there are a few apps that are equally as good for weight gain and maintenance.

Here’s a short guide of the top 5 apps we believe will help benefit weight gain and stop unintended weight loss!

Please note that these apps for gaining weight are presented randomly and not in a ranked order.

Apps for Gaining Weight #1: MyFitnessPal

4.3 stars and over 100 million downloads

Looking to successfully gain or maintain weight with calorie counting? MyFitnessPal has been around since 2005 and has grown immensely. If you like to calorie count and want a community presence, this app will be the perfect fit for you!

This app has one of the largest databases of foods (over 14 million foods), compared to many other health apps and is user friendly. You will also receive feedback through the app and be able to easily track your progress.

On top of that, MyFitnessPal offers an area on the app to establish a virtual community with others who may be on the same health journey as you!

MyFitnessPal has a free and premium version. The free version is great to use if you are learning the ins and outs of calorie counting for this first time. A premium subscription will have more goal setting options, no adds, and some other bonus add-ons.

This app is perfect for someone who enjoys visible, quantifiable data when logging their food and exercise.

Why You Should Use MyFitnessPal

• Has high success rates
• Is accessible for Android and IOS
• Has over 500 healthy recipes
• Has over 50 workouts
• Get customized meal plans and macro goals
• Offers a space for a community presence
• Has both a free and premium option

Potential Downsides

• Might be difficult to use at first if user has not calorie counting experience
• Additional content must be paid for by getting a premium account

Apps for Gaining Weight #2: Foodvisor

4.4 stars with over 1 million downloads

Foodvisor provides customized nutrition plans that can help you on your weight gain journey. And with over 300 recipes to choose from, your meals will never be boring!

This app can also count your meal calories by simply snapping a picture of your plate or by scanning the barcode of the food/drink item. If you are needing to reach specific calorie goals to gain weight, this feature can be super helpful.

Why You Should Use Foodvisor

• Provides custom nutrition programs
• Over 300 recipes
• Customized fitness program
• Accessible for Android and IOS
• Has both free and premium options

Potential Downsides

• The premium version is needed to unlock specific features like personalized nutrition plans, fitness plans, recipes, and courses

Apps for Gaining Weight #3: EatWise

4.2 stars with over 100K downloads

EatWise is great for individuals who may need a reminder to eat at appropriate times. If you are trying to gain weight or want to stop unintended weight loss, this app can be especially useful by reminding you to have a snack and get your calories in for the day.

It’s easy to get caught up in your day to day activities as well all do. Using this simple app makes gaining weight easier for you without even noticing it.

Additionally, EatWise lets you select how many meals you want in the day. You can also customize the time between meals and snacks.

Why You Should Use EatWise

• Easy to use
• Great for remembering to eat more calories when trying to gain weight
• Accessible for Android and IOS
• Free

Potential Downsides

• No extra features are included, such as calorie counting or provided recipes

Apps for Gaining Weight #4: Cronometer

4.7 stars with over 1 million downloads

Cronometer boasts over 1.1 million verified foods in its database. This makes it easier to log and track your meals (especially with helpful details like calories, protein, carbs, fats, and more).

Not only that, but Cronometer has recommended guidelines for different nutrients, that you can then compare to your daily intake.

This app for gaining weight also lets you easily connect to popular fitness tracking devices by connecting your device right to Cronometer.

Why You Should Use Cronometer

• Easy to use
• Great community both through app forums and the Facebook group
• Offers sleep tracking
• Can import recipes
• Free and premium versions
• Accessible for Android and IOS

Potential Downsides

• Some users note the lack of preprogrammed foods to choose from (especially if following a specific diet such as vegan)

Apps for Gaining Weight #5: FatSecret

4.5 stars with over 50 million downloads

FatSecret is another great app for gaining weight. It provides over 1 million verified foods in its database (in 20 languages). Wow! Not only that, this app lets you set reminders for meals so you never miss out on getting those much needed calories.

FatSecret also has a barcode scanner and image recognition. This means that you can take a picture of your food and the app will help to identify the food – making keeping track of your meals a bit easier.

Why You Should Use FatSecret

• Easy to use
• Food diary to plan out meals
• Integration with Fitbit, Google Fit, and Samsung Health
• Provides journal to record and keep track of your progress
• Can set reminders for journals, meals, and weigh-ins
• Accessible for Android and IOS
• Free (with premium version available)

Potential Downsides

• Verbiage is geared toward weight loss, (but it still made our dietitian-approved best apps for gaining weight because it can also be used for weight gain)

Comparison of Apps for Gaining Weight

This is a lot of information and each app for gaining weight has it’s own benefits and downsides. Here is a summary and comparison of the apps in this review.

Final Thoughts on Apps for Gaining Weight

Make sure to consult with your doctor before starting weight gain, maintenance, loss or any significant dietary changes. These apps are here for extra help after receiving advice from a healthcare provider!

If you want to learn more information on gaining weight, check out these other blog posts:

• High Calorie Recipes e-Cookbook
• High Calorie Smoothies for Weight Gain
• 5 Best High Calorie Drinks
• High Calorie Soups for Weight Gain
• The Best Foods to Gain Weight
• The Best Shake for Gaining Weight
• 15 Best High Calorie Vegan Foods