Softwr

Sports & Recreation · head to head

MyFitnessPal vs Square Appointments

MyFitnessPal logo

MyFitnessPal

Sports & Recreation

Nutrition tracking made simple

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square Appointments logo

Square Appointments

Scheduling & Booking

Free scheduling for beauty businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: MyFitnessPal free tier limited to 5 food entries per day unless premium subscriber; Square Appointments the free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • They diverge on capability: MyFitnessPal covers 14M+ food database, Square Appointments covers Online booking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MyFitnessPal and Square Appointments actually diverge.

Attributes where MyFitnessPal and Square Appointments differ
AttributeMyFitnessPalSquare Appointments
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb, Ios, Android
CategorySports & RecreationScheduling & Booking
Founded20052009

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 MyFitnessPal

  • 14M+ food database
  • Barcode scanner
  • Macro tracking
  • Recipe importer
  • Exercise logging
  • Fitbit
  • Garmin
  • Apple Health

Only in Square Appointments

  • Online booking
  • Client management
  • Point of sale
  • Payment processing
  • Automated reminders
  • Instagram booking
  • Google booking
  • Mobile app

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

MyFitnessPal

  • Workout trackingnot Square Appointments
  • Nutrition managementnot Square Appointments
  • Health monitoringnot Square Appointments
  • Fitness coachingnot Square Appointments
  • Wellness improvementnot Square Appointments

Square Appointments

  • Online appointment booking for salons, barbers and personal servicesnot MyFitnessPal
  • Taking card payments and deposits at the time of bookingnot MyFitnessPal
  • Managing staff calendars, waitlists and no-show policiesnot MyFitnessPal

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

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

Square Appointments

  • The free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • Cancellation policies, no-show fees and waitlists require the Plus plan
  • Resource management, service cost tracking and the future bookings report require the Premium plan
  • Custom processing rates are reserved for Square Pro, which is aimed at businesses processing over $250,000 a year
  • Card processing fees are charged on top of the plan fee on every tier including the free one

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Square Appointments

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited appointments
    • Online booking
    • Client management
  • Plus$29/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Multiple staff calendars
    • No-show protection
  • Premium$69/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Multi-location
    • Staff management

Which should you pick?

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.
MyFitnessPal review

Choose Square Appointments if

  • You need online booking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want client management.
Square Appointments review

Questions people ask

Is MyFitnessPal or Square Appointments better?
Neither clearly leads. MyFitnessPal starts at Free and Square Appointments at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MyFitnessPal or Square Appointments?
MyFitnessPal starts at Free and Square Appointments at Free.
Does MyFitnessPal or Square Appointments run on more platforms?
MyFitnessPal runs on iOS, Android, Web. Square Appointments runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use MyFitnessPal for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is MyFitnessPal best used for?
MyFitnessPal is most often used for workout tracking, nutrition management, health monitoring, fitness coaching. Of those, workout tracking and nutrition management are not what Square Appointments is typically brought in for.
What can MyFitnessPal do that Square Appointments cannot?
MyFitnessPal covers 14M+ food database, Barcode scanner, Macro tracking, Recipe importer. Square Appointments covers Online booking, Client management, Point of sale, Payment processing. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Source
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.

Source
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).

Source
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.

Source
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on MyFitnessPal

More on Square Appointments

Keep looking

Other head to heads