MyFitnessPal vs Shutterbite · with How It Felt
MyFitnessPal vs Shutterbite: which journal fits?
How It Felt is a private, judgment-free journal for noticing how a meal feels. MyFitnessPal is a calorie and weight-goal tracker with structured food logging and progress tools, which may not feel safe during eating-disorder recovery. Shutterbite presents itself as a photo food journal with customizable tracking, statistics and goals. The useful difference is how much structure you want around a meal, and whether you want your reflection to stay private and open-ended.
What each app optimises for
MyFitnessPal vs Shutterbite
Calorie and weight-goal records in MyFitnessPal, or a configurable photo journal with statistics and goals in Shutterbite, as described in their current public materials. MyFitnessPal's tracking may not be appropriate during eating-disorder recovery.
How It Felt
A private pause around the experience of eating, with journal entries stored on your device and no target to maintain.
Side-by-side
| Feature | MyFitnessPal vs Shutterbite | How It Felt |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | MyFitnessPal vs Shutterbite MyFitnessPal starts with calorie-focused food logging and weight goals. Shutterbite starts with a meal photo and a customizable journal. | How It Felt How the meal felt, with room for hunger, fullness, emotion and senses. |
| Prompts and tracking | MyFitnessPal vs Shutterbite MyFitnessPal offers calorie, weight-goal and progress tracking. Shutterbite lists 40+ tracking options and lets you edit or create options. | How It Felt A small set of open-ended prompts, without a required program. |
| Looking back | MyFitnessPal vs Shutterbite MyFitnessPal describes progress views for calorie and weight-goal records; Shutterbite describes statistics for reviewing logged information over time. | How It Felt Review your own entries without an automated interpretation or score. |
| Photos | MyFitnessPal vs Shutterbite Shutterbite describes photo-led meal logging. MyFitnessPal's current product details should be checked for the photo tools available on your platform and plan. | How It Felt A photo can accompany an entry, but it is not recognised, named or analysed. |
| Goals and milestones | MyFitnessPal vs Shutterbite Both services describe progress features; Shutterbite also describes goals and rewards for milestones. Check current settings before choosing them. | How It Felt No goals, streaks, milestones or assigned routine. |
| Account and privacy | MyFitnessPal vs Shutterbite Read each service's current privacy policy, store disclosure and account terms before recording sensitive information. Shutterbite's listing links to its privacy policy and terms. | How It Felt No account for the journal. Entries stay on your device; separate service telemetry is described in our privacy policy. |
| Pricing | MyFitnessPal vs Shutterbite Both services have current plan or subscription details that can vary by platform and region. Shutterbite's listing says saving beyond its stated free threshold requires a subscription. | How It Felt Free with ads; optional Supporter tier. |
| Clinical role | MyFitnessPal vs Shutterbite Consumer journals are tools to review, not diagnosis or treatment. | How It Felt A private reflection journal, not a clinical tool or replacement for care. |
When to pick which
Pick MyFitnessPal vs Shutterbite if…
- You have checked with your care team that MyFitnessPal's calorie, weight-goal and progress tracking feels safe and appropriate for you.
- You want MyFitnessPal's calorie records and weight-goal tools for a care-team-supported reason.
- You want a photo-led journal with many configurable tracking options in Shutterbite.
- You have read the current product, plan and privacy details before recording sensitive information.
Pick How It Felt if…
- You want a private journal whose entries stay on your device.
- You want to notice the meal without a target, score or milestone to maintain.
- You want a quiet reflection space that you can pause whenever it stops feeling supportive.
Verdict
MyFitnessPal fits a calorie- and weight-goal-focused logging approach, which may be unsuitable or triggering during eating-disorder recovery. Shutterbite fits a photo-led journal with room to configure what you record and review. How It Felt is the private, quieter option for noticing a meal without assigned progress. None is automatically right for everyone; if journaling makes eating feel more pressured, you can pause and talk with an eating-disorder-informed clinician.
Frequently asked
What is the main difference between MyFitnessPal and Shutterbite?
MyFitnessPal centers calorie and weight-goal tracking. Shutterbite centers photo journaling with customizable tracking and statistics. Check their current official pages for exact features on your platform.
How is How It Felt different?
How It Felt is a private, non-clinical journal. Entries stay on your device, and the app does not require a target, streak or assigned routine.
Does Shutterbite require a subscription?
Its current store listing says the app is free until a stated saving threshold and then asks you to subscribe to keep saving more data. Check the listing and terms for the current limit and regional details.
Can any of these apps replace professional care?
No. These are consumer journaling tools, not diagnosis or treatment. If eating or body image is causing distress, consider speaking with an eating-disorder-informed clinician.
Sources and review date
The official product, store, terms 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. The research sources below provide context about tracking; they do not evaluate these products.
- How It Felt product page
- MyFitnessPal vs Shutterbite official site
- MyFitnessPal product page
- MyFitnessPal App Store listing
- MyFitnessPal privacy policy
- Shutterbite product page
- Shutterbite App Store listing
- Shutterbite terms of use
- Shutterbite privacy policy
- How It Felt privacy policy
- Shutterbite product page: Shutterbite
- Shutterbite App Store listing: Shutterbite: Food Journal
- Shutterbite terms of use: Terms of use
- Shutterbite privacy policy: Privacy policy
- Cheri A. Levinson et al. (2017): My Fitness Pal calorie tracker usage in the eating disorders
- Anderberg I. et al. (2025): The link between the use of diet and fitness monitoring apps, body image and disordered eating symptomology: A systematic review
- Shutterbite's product page describes its current photo-journal, tracking and statistics features; review the page for changes before relying on this comparison. [Shutterbite product page]
- The listing describes the current saving, tracking and subscription details for its platform and region; review it before recording sensitive information. [Shutterbite App Store listing]
- The terms describe the conditions for using Shutterbite; read them before creating an account or storing journal entries. [Shutterbite terms of use]
- The privacy policy is the source for current data-handling details; review it before recording sensitive information. [Shutterbite privacy policy]
- A study examined food-tracker use in people with eating disorders; it does not establish that a tracking app is safe or unsafe for every person. [Cheri A. Levinson et al. (2017)]
- A systematic review examined links between diet and fitness monitoring apps, body image and disordered-eating symptoms; tracking can carry a different risk profile during recovery. [Anderberg I. et al. (2025)]
Last reviewed: September 12, 2026.
Try How It Felt
A calmer way to be with food.
How It Felt gives you a private place to notice how a meal felt, without a target to maintain.