It didn't take long - MyFitnessPal rolls out its first paid offering!
Marbella29660
Posts: 71 Member
Here's the full article: http://bit.ly/1GVA4dP and for those that like a long read please see below. Long story short, it sounds like a bug free version at $9.99 a month or $49.99 a year to me. Whatcha think MFPers?
As smartphones rich in sensors and wearable computing devices pressed to our skin vacuum up data about our bodies and activity, digital health is rapidly becoming a large and mainstream market. One of the leading mobile apps in the world of digital health is MyFitnessPal, which was acquired by Under Armour earlier this year for $475 million. Today the company, which tracks diet and exercise, is launching its first premium service, an ad-free paid subscription for power users.
"PEOPLE WANT TO GO BEYOND THE CALORIE."
"People want to go beyond the calorie," said founder Mike Lee. The service, which now counts over 70 million active users, began as a way to simply track what you ate. It then layered on activity tracking and would update meal suggestions based on exercise. But a lot of power users wanted to go deeper, and were willing to pay for it. "We want to offer them a way to make custom reports, to dig deeper into the nutrient density of the food, and to customize the measurements used to plan their meals." The premium service will cost $9.99 a month or $49.99 a year and will be available on iOS and Android.
The transition from helping average people lose weight to helping bodybuilders perfect their protein intake makes a lot of sense now that MFP is part of Under Armour. The app has become popular among the musclebound set, but its features were still mainly aimed at ordinary folks trying to lose weight. The new features recognize that, and pivot toward the brand of its new parent company. "At a very high level, Under Armour’s mission is to make athletes better," says Lee. "It was clear to them that digital and data was becoming a bigger part of how to improve athletic performance."
IS UNDER ARMOUR A TECHNOLOGY COMPANY?
But is Under Armour, best known as an apparel company, really in a position to challenge companies like Apple and Google, both of which are working on plans to help people track and understand their health data? "Data is fine, but to keep people coming back to the app, you need community," says Lee. "That’s what we have that they don’t." With the acquisition of MyFitnessPal and Endomondo this February, Under Armour says it has 120 million active users sharing data about their diet and exercise. It’s not clear if people can communicate across those different services yet, but the ability to chat with other users is a key to maximizing engagement.
myfitnesspal premium
There is another, less convincing argument about brand synergy here. "A lot of people don’t understand this about them, but they are a technology company, from the very beginning. It was a shirt developed by a football player who was frustrated with his cotton t-shirt weighing him down and making him cold. So he developed the compression shirt." Lee says. "They created a mag-zip zipper, changing something that was the same for 50 years. You can do it one handed!"
Zippers aside, Under Armour has experimented with building its own wearables. Earlier this year it announced a partnership with HTC around the Grip fitness band and it also created its own wearable fitness band, the Armour 39. The device got high marks for its comfort and data, but lacked a polished app and social features. That is precisely the kind of experience it got with the MyFitnessPal purchase. "They have tried this stuff before, but realized they needed a little outside expertise, says Lee. "They don’t want to be disrupted, they want to be the disrupter."
0
Replies
-
I actually don't get bugs or pop ups or anything on my version of MFP, and I'm happy with what I've seen from the free version. I guess if you're someone who's really into this and dedicated I think that's not too bad of a price. If you pay for Netflix a month ($8 or more) then it's not that much of a difference and this will actually make you feel good whereas Netflix is going to make you chubby0
-
Seems totally worth it to me. Sadly, I'm in Canada so I can't give them my money, they somehow won't accept it.0
-
I'll continue to use it as long as it's free and I don't have bugs. I'm not paying for anything. I'll log my calories on paper if I have to. I'm sick of being nickel and dimed to death.0
-
It Didn't Take Long
2005 - MyFitnessPal is launched.
2015 - MyFitnessPal adds a paid option for those wishing more features.
10 years isn't long?
For comparison, here is a state of the art cell phone in 2005.jpg)
0 -
A bug-free version of any software exists only in the mind of its developer. Before anyone can "dig deeper into the nutrient density of the food", they're going to need to clean up their database -- garbage in-garbage out has been a by-word for decades.0
-
Since the last update the existing free version no longer recalculates macro targets once cardio is added. I'm not against paying for extra, but to downgrade the free version to make some pay up is not on.0
-
It Didn't Take Long
2005 - MyFitnessPal is launched.
2015 - MyFitnessPal adds a paid option for those wishing more features.
10 years isn't long?
For comparison, here is a state of the art cell phone in 2005
Oh man, that was my all time favorite phone! The COOLEST!
I don't see any issue with a paid version. They stuck it out quite a long time before offering it. Some people really want to narrow down every detail. I hope with the revenue from the paid versions they will start adding features like posting pictures easier, etc. I just hope it stops popping up the ad every time I log in.0 -
-
It Didn't Take Long
2005 - MyFitnessPal is launched.
2015 - MyFitnessPal adds a paid option for those wishing more features.
10 years isn't long?
Feb 4: Corporate Fitness Giant - Under Armour (known for nickel and diming for features in their MayMyFitness apps) buys MyFitnessPal. MFP users fear the same strategies coming to MFP.
May 4: MFP Premium introduced.
Source https://gigaom.com/2015/02/04/under-armour-buys-myfitnesspal-for-475-million/
No, it didn't take long for UA to attempt to monitize in their typical way ("premium memberships") after buying MFP.0 -
Thanks for the article post. I had not seen it but agree completely. I've never had any problems with MFP, but I put myself in the category of those who felt it was a bit basic, and am willing to pay for more. Now if Under Armour could just buy JEFit, for fitness tracking, and combine the two, I'd be VERY happy
As I posted in another thread -I signed up and posted why in another thread. Given how much time I spend using the online site and my App, and the benefit I get out of it, I'm happy. I'd prefer it was free, but I drop more on pizza and wings for the family at times than the $50 for an annual subscription. I'm sure some people pay more for coffee at Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks than that in a single month. Others I'm sure spend more than that on supplements and other health aids. I think some perspective is needed.0 -
I'll continue to use it as long as it's free and I don't have bugs. I'm not paying for anything. I'll log my calories on paper if I have to. I'm sick of being nickel and dimed to death.
I hear ya! I will keep using the free version but if it gets neglected because of the fee for service version I will just start using my Fitbit completely. It has all of the same features and it's free. There is a premium version but I'm happy with what the free offers. Does MFP offer a trial period? Of course it's been my experience that the free version is very limited and when you try to use a premium feature you are informed that you have to purchase it to get that feature.0 -
I don't mind paying for software or apps because I understand that plenty of time and effort goes into creating software. It's not free, even though people seem to think it magically creates itself while we are all asleep.
But, I do NOT like monthly subscriptions. I'd prefer to just pay a fair, one time fee and "own" the app after that. I'm not sure what I'll do. If they offer the premium for free or a short time to try it out I may try it. Not sure yet.0 -
winsjess632 wrote: »I actually don't get bugs or pop ups or anything on my version of MFP, and I'm happy with what I've seen from the free version. I guess if you're someone who's really into this and dedicated I think that's not too bad of a price. If you pay for Netflix a month ($8 or more) then it's not that much of a difference and this will actually make you feel good whereas Netflix is going to make you chubby
"Netflix is going to make you chubby!!! "
Lol
0 -
MarciBkonTrk wrote: »I'll continue to use it as long as it's free and I don't have bugs. I'm not paying for anything. I'll log my calories on paper if I have to. I'm sick of being nickel and dimed to death.
I hear ya! I will keep using the free version but if it gets neglected because of the fee for service version I will just start using my Fitbit completely. It has all of the same features and it's free. There is a premium version but I'm happy with what the free offers. Does MFP offer a trial period? Of course it's been my experience that the free version is very limited and when you try to use a premium feature you are informed that you have to purchase it to get that feature.
I've been logging with fitbit (for free) ever since Under Armour paid out for the MFP database. I have to say it's a nice change, both web and mobile versions work seamlessly and it has none of the buggy problems I used to experience here.
In general I'm not against paying for an app but it has to work before you'll see my money. Whatsapp is a good example of that, for 3 years it just did what it was supposed to, no issues, no bugs. So after years of free use I had no qualms paying for a product / service that I knew worked. I couldn't say the same for MFP, so switched to an alternative.
These days I flitter in an out of MFP, as I do like reading the fights in the forums, their hilarious and always make my day. We're an opinionated bunch but that's what make's the world go round
0 -
I could just as easily use a spreadsheet to track calories and macros. Creating a database and spreadsheet is exercise for the brain. I would never pay for MFP food diary service.0
-
Marbella29660 wrote: »MarciBkonTrk wrote: »I'll continue to use it as long as it's free and I don't have bugs. I'm not paying for anything. I'll log my calories on paper if I have to. I'm sick of being nickel and dimed to death.
These days I flitter in an out of MFP, as I do like reading the fights in the forums, their hilarious and always make my day. We're an opinionated bunch but that's what make's the world go round
That's about my typical use, I read the forums mostly for info on weight training, and to see what everyone is ranting about. It was a critical and vital resource when I was losing, and it Is still really useful for me for checking macros on food. I have also read some of the most witty, creative, funny AND compassionate, heartfelt, AND blunt-to-the-point-of-cruel AND inspiring posts that I have ever seen in one place, and I will really miss our codependent, psycho, yet caring community if that changes.
I'm glad I had several years of free, unfettered, open MFP before this happened, warts and all. I feel like I have a true choice in the matter. If I were just starting out and really needed this tool, I'd feel pretty nervous about potential changes.0 -
I’m now a premium user. For one, the ads were killing my experience. Now, I’m hoping they do get away from the weight is everything model.0
-
I do not and will not start spending money for things over the internet unless they are to be either shipped to my door or picked up at the local post/ups/fedex location. They show too much potential to stick what I use behind a paywall and I will get used to getting log-related numbers elsewhere. I don't care if they load this site with ads - there are things on my browser that take care of those - but cutting functionality is an automatic game over.0
-
for now, the things I'm using are free (and I haven't been getting ads). If I want the additional features the paid version offers, I'll buy them but, for now, I'm happy with the free version (and there are plenty of other apps available if you're just tracking food.0
-
thirtypercentlessfat wrote: »It Didn't Take Long
2005 - MyFitnessPal is launched.
2015 - MyFitnessPal adds a paid option for those wishing more features.
10 years isn't long?
For comparison, here is a state of the art cell phone in 2005
Oh man, that was my all time favorite phone! The COOLEST!
I don't see any issue with a paid version. They stuck it out quite a long time before offering it. Some people really want to narrow down every detail. I hope with the revenue from the paid versions they will start adding features like posting pictures easier, etc. I just hope it stops popping up the ad every time I log in.AllanMisner wrote: »I’m now a premium user. For one, the ads were killing my experience. Now, I’m hoping they do get away from the weight is everything model.
Yep - me too! I think this is a great move. Can't wait to log in from work tomorrow - where the client's browser doesn't support ad blockers. This will make the experience more enjoyable when I am bored at work.
I do like the new dashboard on the home page - if they do more of those kinds of things, I think the sky's the limit.
I signed up for the year. If I don't see the improvement after 11 months, I can toss it. Easy choice.0 -
Even if I wanted to buy the premium version I don't have money. I don't even buy coffee or anything really (except for gas to drive the car and bulk food) because I'm super broke as the result of not having a job for four months until now. Would I buy premium in the future? Probs not cause I like to limit my expenses to clothes that are absolutely needed, car stuff, and food.0
-
Last time I put any serious money into a website it closed without any warning and I lost everything I paid for...never again. Learned my lesson the first time.0
-
Whatever. Their site, their rules. I personally don't see anything I'm willing to pay for - but if others do - ain't no big thing to me.
0 -
I can't remember ever seeing any adds. It's odd that some do and some don't. ..0
-
AllanMisner wrote: »I’m now a premium user. For one, the ads were killing my experience. Now, I’m hoping they do get away from the weight is everything model.
I'm glad you made the decision that you felt was best for you.
Personally I won't consider premium until the free version is back to the way it used to run or all the bugs that are created after each fix are fixed permanently. You'll have to let us non-paying members know how the pay version all works out for you as I am curious.
If all the bugs were fixed and all the features we had many months ago all fell back into place without adding any new issues.. Well I think far more ppl would consider going premium...but until that happens... many of the members trust is lost because we were promised so much with this last update (OCT). ..and we're still waiting...0 -
I haven't noticed any difference with the old version now that the premium is an option, other than the annoying "hey, we have premium now" every time I sign in. I saw a few people who are having glitches but maybe they are using the phone app and not the website - the website seems the same to me. I guess being one of the, what, 5 or 6 people on here who use the Windows Phone app I am not seeing the same stuff everyone else does so I am not seeing how it has changed on that side of it for the free users.0
-
christinev297 wrote: »I can't remember ever seeing any adds. It's odd that some do and some don't. ..
no ads here either0 -
-
CurvyToFit wrote: »Last time I put any serious money into a website it closed without any warning and I lost everything I paid for...never again. Learned my lesson the first time.
I've had this happen before too. Not paying for premium.
0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.6K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.3K Health and Weight Loss
- 176K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.6K Fitness and Exercise
- 431 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.4K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.8K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions