Free vs Paid Fasting Apps: Is Premium Worth It?
Quick Answer: It depends on what you need. If you only want a fasting timer, free tiers work fine. If you want detailed stats, weight tracking, meal logging, and insights that help you optimize over time, a premium subscription provides real value. Fasted offers the most generous free tier and the lowest premium price among major fasting apps.
Every major fasting app follows the freemium model: a free version to get you started and a paid subscription for the full experience. But what "free" and "paid" actually mean varies dramatically across apps. Some free tiers are genuinely useful. Others are barely functional demos designed to push you toward a subscription.
This guide breaks down exactly what you get for free and what you pay for across every major fasting app, so you can make an informed decision about whether premium is worth your money.
Free Tier Comparison
| App | Free Timer | Free Schedules | Free Weight Tracking | Free Meal Logging | Free Stats | Free Tier Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fasted | Yes | 6 schedules | Basic | Basic | Basic | Strong |
| Zero | Yes | Limited | No | No | Basic | Good |
| Simple | Yes | Limited | Limited | No | No | Very Limited |
| BodyFast | Yes | Limited | Limited | No | Limited | Limited |
| Fastic | Yes | Multiple | Limited | No | Limited | Moderate |
| Life | Yes | Multiple | No | No | Basic | Good |
The range is significant. Fasted and Life offer the most usable free experiences. Simple and BodyFast's free tiers are the most restricted, essentially functioning as extended trials designed to convert you to paid.
What Free Tiers Actually Give You
Fasted (Free)
Fasted's free tier includes the fasting timer, all six built-in schedules (16:8, 18:6, 20:4, OMAD, 5:2, ADF), and basic tracking. You can start fasts, track completion, and see basic progress. This is a genuinely usable fasting app without paying.
The premium upgrade adds detailed stats, advanced insights, and enhanced tracking features. But the free version works well enough that you can fast effectively for weeks before deciding whether premium adds value for you.
Zero (Free)
Zero's free version gives you the fasting timer and access to the educational content library. The timer works well and the articles are genuinely valuable. Weight tracking, nutrition features, and detailed insights require Zero Plus at $69.99 per year.
Simple (Free)
Simple's free tier is the most limited among major apps. After a lengthy onboarding quiz, most features sit behind the paywall. The free experience is essentially a preview of what you would get as a subscriber. At $59.99+ per year for premium, Simple is also among the most expensive.
BodyFast (Free)
BodyFast's free version provides a basic timer and limited fasting plans. The Coach feature, which is the app's main value proposition, requires a premium subscription at $49.99 per year. Without the Coach, you miss the adaptive planning that differentiates BodyFast.
Fastic (Free)
Fastic's free tier gives you the timer and some community access. Meal plans, detailed insights, and full social features require premium at approximately $39.99 per year. The free tier sits in the middle of the pack.
Life (Free)
Life's core features including the timer and fasting circles are largely free. This makes Life one of the most accessible options, though its feature set is more limited than apps with robust premium tiers.
What Premium Actually Unlocks
Premium subscriptions across fasting apps generally unlock three categories of features:
1. Detailed Stats and Insights
Free tiers typically show basic information: your current fast, recent history, and simple completion counts. Premium unlocks trend analysis, weekly and monthly breakdowns, consistency metrics, and pattern recognition.
This matters because fasting is a long-term practice. Understanding your patterns over weeks and months, not just today, helps you optimize your approach and stay motivated when progress feels slow.
2. Advanced Tracking
Weight tracking, meal logging, and integration features are commonly gated behind premium. These tools connect your fasting practice to measurable outcomes. Without them, you know when you fasted but not how it affected your weight or how your nutrition contributed to results.
3. Premium-Specific Features
Some features exist only in paid tiers:
- Zero Plus: Nutrition tracking, advanced insights
- Simple: Full AI coaching, personalized plans
- BodyFast: Coach with adaptive weekly plans
- Fastic: Complete meal plans, full social features
- Fasted: Enhanced stats, advanced insights
Premium Pricing Comparison
| App | Annual Price | Monthly Equivalent | Key Premium Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fasted | $29.99 | ~$2.50 | Detailed stats, advanced insights |
| Fastic | $39.99 | ~$3.33 | Meal plans, full social |
| BodyFast | $49.99 | ~$4.17 | Adaptive Coach |
| Simple | $59.99+ | ~$5.00+ | AI coaching |
| Zero Plus | $69.99 | ~$5.83 | Nutrition, advanced insights |
The price range from cheapest to most expensive spans $40 per year. Fasted is the most affordable premium option. Zero Plus is the most expensive. The question is whether the specific premium features of each app justify the price difference.
When Premium Is Worth It
Premium subscriptions make sense in specific situations:
You want to track weight alongside fasting. If seeing how your weight responds to consistent fasting is important to your motivation and decision-making, premium tiers that include weight tracking provide real value. Fasted includes basic weight tracking in the free tier, making it easier to evaluate.
You want meal logging. Understanding what you eat during your eating window matters for results. If you want this integrated with your fasting data rather than in a separate app, premium tiers that include meal logging are worthwhile.
You want long-term insights. After a month or two of fasting, the patterns in your data become valuable. Weekly consistency rates, average fasting durations, weight trends, and streak data help you understand whether your approach is working. Most apps gate these insights behind premium.
You respond to specific premium features. If AI coaching (Simple), adaptive plans (BodyFast), or social features (Fastic) genuinely help you stay consistent, the subscription pays for itself through better adherence.
For more on which features drive real results, see our features that matter guide.
When Premium Is Not Worth It
Premium is a waste of money in these situations:
You only need a timer. If you just want to know when your fast ends, free tiers handle that perfectly. You do not need to pay for a countdown.
You will not use the premium features. AI coaching is worthless if you never open the coach. Meal plans are wasted if you never follow them. Be honest about which features you will actually use before subscribing.
You are not committed to fasting yet. If you are still deciding whether intermittent fasting works for you, start with a free tier. Upgrade after you have established the habit and want to optimize it.
You can get the same data elsewhere. If you already track weight in a scale app and meals in a nutrition app, paying for those features in your fasting app is redundant.
The Best Value Strategy
Here is a practical approach to getting the most from fasting apps without overspending:
- Start with Fasted's free tier. It offers the most complete free experience with six schedules and basic tracking.
- Use it for two to four weeks. Establish your fasting habit and see if the basic stats answer your questions.
- Evaluate whether premium would help. If you find yourself wanting deeper stats, enhanced tracking, or advanced insights, the premium upgrade at $29.99 per year is the most affordable option.
- Try Zero's free tier too. If educational content matters to you, Zero's articles are available for free and complement Fasted's tracking.
This approach costs you nothing initially and ensures you only pay for features you will actually use.
For the complete comparison of all major apps, see our best fasting app roundup. For details on how Fasted compares to the most popular alternative, read our Fasted vs Zero comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a completely free fasting app?
Yes. Life Fasting Tracker is mostly free including its fasting circles feature. Fasted offers a strong free tier with six schedules and basic tracking. Zero provides a free timer and educational content. No major app is entirely free with all features unlocked, but several have free tiers that are genuinely usable.
Are fasting app subscriptions a one-time purchase?
No. All major fasting apps use recurring subscriptions, either monthly or annual. Annual plans are significantly cheaper on a per-month basis. There are no major fasting apps that offer a one-time purchase for full features, though some older or smaller apps may offer this.
Can I cancel my fasting app subscription anytime?
Yes. All major fasting apps allow subscription cancellation through your phone's app store (Apple App Store or Google Play). Cancellation stops future charges, and you typically retain premium access until the end of your current billing period.
Which fasting app has the best free tier?
Fasted offers the most complete free tier among major fasting apps, including the timer, six fasting schedules, and basic tracking. Life Fasting Tracker is also highly accessible at no cost. Simple has the most restrictive free tier, with most features gated behind the premium subscription.
Is it worth paying for AI coaching in a fasting app?
AI coaching (available in Simple) can be valuable for beginners who want personalized guidance and someone to answer questions. The value diminishes as you gain experience and learn what works for your body. If you already have a fasting routine that works, you are unlikely to need AI coaching.