Ate vs MyFitnessPal vs Noom vs

Ate Food Diary vs MyFitnessPal vs Noom

The short answer: AteMate is the photo-first journal. MyFitnessPal is built around detailed food and activity records. Noom places meal logging inside a goal-focused programme with lessons and support. Noom's FAQ describes an eligibility restriction for people with an eating disorder; its wording does not clarify how it applies to past illness or recovery, so check the current terms directly. How It Felt is a private reflection journal for noticing hunger, fullness and the felt experience of a meal, without an assigned target. Its journal entries are stored locally, while its privacy policy describes limited service telemetry.

Food diary comparison

What each app optimises for

AteMate for photo-led journaling and pattern insights; MyFitnessPal for food and activity records; Noom for logging within a goal-focused programme with lessons. Noom's FAQ describes an eligibility restriction for people with an eating disorder, without clarifying past illness or recovery. Details vary by plan, platform and region.

How It Felt

A private pause around a meal, with room for hunger, fullness and feelings rather than a progress target.

Side-by-side

Feature	Ate Food Diary (now AteMate)	MyFitnessPal	Noom	How It Felt
Starting point	Ate Food Diary (now AteMate) A photo-first health journal that also captures context around a meal.	MyFitnessPal A food and activity diary with searchable food records.	Noom Meal logging sits inside Noom's goal-focused programme with lessons and support. Noom's FAQ describes an eligibility restriction for people with an eating disorder, without clarifying past illness or recovery.	How It Felt A brief check-in about the experience of eating.
Ways to record	Ate Food Diary (now AteMate) Take a meal photo, add notes and record wider daily context; current help materials also describe optional AI features.	MyFitnessPal Search for foods in the diary; the official help materials document barcode scanning in the app.	Noom Noom support documents meal logging by search and, for eligible users, photo, voice or typed descriptions.	How It Felt Note hunger and fullness, choose an emotion, then add sensory details or a photo if helpful.
Guidance	Ate Food Diary (now AteMate) AteMate offers pattern insights and an optional AI Coach that responds when asked.	MyFitnessPal The diary is mainly self-directed, with extra tools depending on the plan.	Noom Daily lessons and plan-dependent coaching or support are part of the current service materials.	How It Felt No lesson path, coach or assigned practice to complete.
Looking back	Ate Food Diary (now AteMate) Review a visual timeline and journal insights; the current product describes patterns across entries.	MyFitnessPal Review diary history and related records; available views depend on the product and plan.	Noom Review logs and revisit completed lessons; available views depend on the programme.	How It Felt Read your own notes without an automated score deciding what they mean.
Privacy and access	Ate Food Diary (now AteMate) AteMate uses an account-based service; its privacy policy describes journal content and optional AI processing. Review current controls before recording sensitive information.	MyFitnessPal MyFitnessPal uses an account-based online service; its privacy policy describes service, analytics and advertising-related processing.	Noom Noom uses an account-based online service; its privacy and programme terms apply to the plan and region you use.	How It Felt No account is needed for the journal. Entry content is stored locally, while selected event parameters and service telemetry are described in the privacy policy.
Cost model	Ate Food Diary (now AteMate) AteMate currently promotes a 7-day trial and subscription access; check the current offer.	MyFitnessPal MyFitnessPal offers free access alongside plan-dependent Premium features.	Noom Noom access and coaching depend on the current programme and subscription.	How It Felt Free to use, with an optional Supporter tier.

When to pick which

Pick Ate Food Diary vs MyFitnessPal vs Noom if…

AteMate uses photo journaling and pattern review. If photo logging or reviewing patterns could increase food focus, checking or distress — including during eating-disorder recovery — it may be safer to skip it and discuss other options with your care team.
MyFitnessPal is built around detailed food and activity records. If you are in recovery, you can pause or choose another kind of support if this format does not feel right for you.
Noom is a goal-focused programme with logging, lessons and plan-dependent support. Its FAQ describes an eligibility restriction for people with an eating disorder, without clarifying past illness or recovery; check the current terms before signing up.
Read each service's current product, plan and privacy information before recording sensitive details.

Pick How It Felt if…

You want a private journal without an account or programme.
You want to notice eating without an assigned score or target.
You prefer a quiet practice that you can pause whenever it stops feeling kind.

Verdict

AteMate, MyFitnessPal and Noom each offer more structure than How It Felt, though in different ways. MyFitnessPal is built around detailed food and activity records. Noom combines logging, lessons and support in a goal-focused programme, and its FAQ describes an eligibility restriction for people with an eating disorder, without clarifying past illness or recovery. How It Felt is the private, feeling-first option. Its journal entries are stored locally, with limited service telemetry described in its privacy policy. These services are not automatic recommendations for recovery, and you can pause an app whenever you choose.

Frequently asked

Is Ate Food Diary still available under that name?

The service is now presented as AteMate. Check AteMate's current official site and app-store listing for availability, features and subscription details.

How do these three services differ?

AteMate centres photo journaling and pattern insights. MyFitnessPal centres detailed food and activity records with searchable food entries. Noom combines meal logging with lessons and plan-dependent support in a goal-focused programme; its FAQ describes an eligibility restriction for people with an eating disorder, without clarifying past illness or recovery. How It Felt is a private reflection journal without an assigned target.

Is How It Felt another food-tracking app?

No. It does not provide a searchable food database or nutrition lookup. You can notice hunger, fullness and feelings, add a note or photo, or choose not to write anything.

Which service is most private?

This page does not rank the services by privacy. AteMate, MyFitnessPal and Noom use account-based online services, so review their current disclosures. How It Felt needs no account and stores journal entries locally, but its policy describes limited service telemetry.

Can these apps replace professional care?

No. They are consumer tools, not diagnosis or treatment. If eating, hunger, fullness or body image is causing distress, an eating-disorder-informed clinician can help you consider safe support.

Sources and review date

The official product, help, store and privacy pages linked above are the source of truth for current features, access and data handling. Details can change by plan, platform or region.

AteMate describes photo journaling, wider daily context, pattern insights and an AI Coach. [AteMate product page]
AteMate's policy describes account-based journal content and controls for optional AI features; review it before recording sensitive information. [AteMate privacy policy]
The help centre is the current source for capture, reflection, insights and access details. [AteMate help centre]
The current listing is a source for MyFitnessPal's diary and food-record features; access can vary by plan or platform. [MyFitnessPal App Store listing]
MyFitnessPal's current policy describes account-based service processing and related analytics and advertising practices. [MyFitnessPal privacy policy]
Noom's support materials document food search, barcode scanning and other meal-logging methods, with availability varying by plan or platform. [Noom logging and tracking help]
Noom's support materials document daily lessons and ways to revisit completed content; availability varies by location and programme. [Noom lessons help]
Noom's FAQ describes an eligibility restriction for people with an eating disorder, but does not clarify how it applies to past illness or recovery; review the current terms before considering the programme. [Noom FAQ]
How It Felt stores journal entry content locally, while its policy also describes selected service telemetry; it is not an entirely on-device service. [How It Felt privacy policy]

Last reviewed: September 17, 2026.

Learn the concepts

Plain-language explainers behind the comparison.

Try How It Felt

A calmer way to be with food.

A private place to notice how eating feels, without a target to maintain.