Sports · head to head
Catapult vs MyFitnessPal
Catapult
Sports
Wearable athlete tracking and video analysis for professional teams, with indoor sport needing separate hardware
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only MyFitnessPal has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Catapult satellite positioning does not work indoors, so arena sports must buy a local positioning system with anchor units installed in the venue, which is a capital project priced far above the outdoor product.; MyFitnessPal free tier limited to 5 food entries per day unless premium subscriber
- They diverge on capability: Catapult covers Vector wearables, MyFitnessPal covers 14M+ food database.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Catapult and MyFitnessPal actually diverge.
| Attribute | Catapult | MyFitnessPal |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | quote | Unknown |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, Windows | iOS, Android, Web |
| Founded | Unknown | 2005 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Sports).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Catapult
- Vector wearables
- Training load analysis
- Local positioning system
- Video analysis
- Weight room monitoring
- Athlete management integration
Only in MyFitnessPal
- 14M+ food database
- Barcode scanner
- Macro tracking
- Recipe importer
- Exercise logging
- Fitbit
- Garmin
- Apple Health
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Catapult
- A professional football or rugby club managing training load across a squad through a congested fixture listnot MyFitnessPal
- A national team programme that needs consistent workload data across athletes who play for different clubsnot MyFitnessPal
- A college programme with a sports science department that will act on readiness data rather than file itnot MyFitnessPal
- An indoor sport organisation prepared to fund a venue installation to get positional data where satellite tracking failsnot MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal
- Workout trackingnot Catapult
- Nutrition managementnot Catapult
- Health monitoringnot Catapult
- Fitness coachingnot Catapult
- Wellness improvementnot Catapult
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Catapult
- Satellite positioning does not work indoors, so arena sports must buy a local positioning system with anchor units installed in the venue, which is a capital project priced far above the outdoor product.
- Contracts are typically multi-year with hardware bundled into the subscription, so the annual figure understates the commitment and early exit does not recover the hardware.
- The data is only useful with a qualified sports scientist to interpret it; programmes that buy the vests without the staff get expensive attendance records instead of workload management.
- Raw data access and export are limited relative to what research-minded departments want, so bespoke analysis often depends on what the vendor chooses to expose.
- Cost puts it out of reach of amateur and school sport entirely, and the venue dependency for indoor tracking means the system is tied to a building rather than to the team.
MyFitnessPal
- Free tier limited to 5 food entries per day unless premium subscriber
- Limited offline functionality - cannot search new foods or scan barcodes without internet
- Database accuracy issues reported at approximately 15% error rate
- Data export only available via desktop web browser, not mobile app
Pricing, plan by plan
Catapult
On request- Catapult Vector$undefined/year
- Quoted per athlete with hardware bundled into a multi-year term
- Outdoor satellite positioning only
- Analysis software and support included
- Catapult Indoor Tracking$undefined/year
- Requires anchor units installed in the venue
- Capital installation cost in addition to the subscription
- Priced well above the outdoor product
- Catapult Video$undefined/year
- Coded match and training video
- Quoted per organisation
- Sold separately from athlete monitoring
MyFitnessPal
Free- FreeFree
- Calorie and macro tracking
- 20.5M food database
- Weight tracking
- Premium$19.99/month
- Ad-free experience
- Unlimited food entries
- Barcode scanner
- Premium+$24.99/month
- All Premium features
- Meal planner with 1,500+ recipes
- Automated grocery lists
Which should you pick?
Choose Catapult if
- You need vector wearables.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows.
- You also want training load analysis.
Choose MyFitnessPal if
- You need 14m+ food database.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS, Android, Web.
- You also want barcode scanner.
Questions people ask
- Is Catapult or MyFitnessPal better?
- Neither clearly leads. Catapult starts at On request and MyFitnessPal at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Catapult or MyFitnessPal?
- MyFitnessPal has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Catapult and Free for MyFitnessPal.
- Does Catapult or MyFitnessPal run on more platforms?
- Catapult runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows. MyFitnessPal runs on iOS, Android, Web.
- Can I use MyFitnessPal for free?
- Yes. MyFitnessPal has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Catapult starts at On request.
- What is Catapult best used for?
- Catapult is most often used for a professional football or rugby club managing training load across a squad through a congested fixture list, a national team programme that needs consistent workload data across athletes who play for different clubs, a college programme with a sports science department that will act on readiness data rather than file it, an indoor sport organisation prepared to fund a venue installation to get positional data where satellite tracking fails. Of those, a professional football or rugby club managing training load across a squad through a congested fixture list and a national team programme that needs consistent workload data across athletes who play for different clubs are not what MyFitnessPal is typically brought in for.
- What can Catapult do that MyFitnessPal cannot?
- Catapult covers Vector wearables, Training load analysis, Local positioning system, Video analysis. MyFitnessPal covers 14M+ food database, Barcode scanner, Macro tracking, Recipe importer.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Catapult: Does it work indoors?
Not the satellite-based Vector product. Indoor sports need the local positioning system, which requires anchor units installed in the venue and costs considerably more.
MyFitnessPal: Does MyFitnessPal have a free tier and what are its limits?
Yes, MyFitnessPal offers a free tier with access to calorie and macro tracking, a 20.5M food database, and weight tracking. However, free users are limited to 5 food entries per day and must endure advertisements.
SourceCatapult: Is the hardware bought or leased?
It is normally bundled into a multi-year subscription. Ask what happens to the units at the end of the term and what an early exit costs.
MyFitnessPal: Does MyFitnessPal work offline?
MyFitnessPal has limited offline functionality. You can view previously logged foods and meal history without internet, but you cannot search the full food database or scan barcodes offline.
SourceCatapult: Do we need a sports scientist?
Effectively yes. Without someone to interpret load and readiness data and a coaching staff willing to change sessions because of it, the investment does not return anything.
MyFitnessPal: Can I export my data from MyFitnessPal?
Yes. MyFitnessPal allows users to export full account data including all food logs, recipes, and weight entries through the web browser (desktop only, not available in the mobile app).
SourceCatapult: How does it compare with a chest strap or a watch?
Those give heart rate and little else. Catapult adds positional, acceleration and collision data, which is what distinguishes training load work from fitness tracking.
MyFitnessPal: What devices does MyFitnessPal integrate with?
MyFitnessPal integrates with 40+ health apps and devices including Fitbit, Garmin, Apple Health, Google Fit, Samsung Health, and Apple Watch, automatically syncing activity and calorie data.
SourceRelated pages
More on MyFitnessPal
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