WW vs Noom compared: Points and Workshops vs psychology lessons, what the research shows, prices checked October 2026, auto-renewal terms and the medical tiers.
Key takeaways
- WW led to at least 2.6% more weight loss than control groups at 12 months in a 2015 independent review of commercial programs.[8]
- Noom's main published study was observational: 77.9% of 35,921 app users reported weight loss, with no comparison group.[11]
- On 2026-10-06, WW Core cost $12 a month on a 12-month plan, and Noom Weight cost $209 a year to $70 month-to-month, billed up front.[6]
- WW says Med+ prescribes only FDA-approved medications; Noom Med also offers compounded GLP-1s, which Noom states are not FDA approved.[7]
In short: WeightWatchers (WW) and Noom are both app-based programs, but they teach different things. WW gives you a Points budget, food tracking and group Workshops; Noom gives you short daily psychology lessons, food logging and coaching. WW has more independent trial evidence, and Noom’s published data are observational. On price, WW’s Core Program started at $12 a month on a 12-month plan and Noom Weight at about $17.50 to $70 a month, both checked on 2026-10-06. The better fit is the one whose style you will still enjoy in month ten.
This page puts the two side by side using each company’s own published prices and terms and the independent research. It does not name a winner. For each program in full, see our pages on WeightWatchers and Noom. InstaTuck has no affiliate agreement with either company. Both also run medical tiers that can prescribe medication; we describe those below but never rank prescribers.
WW and Noom in one minute
| WeightWatchers (WW) | Noom | |
|---|---|---|
| Core idea | Points: each food gets one number; some foods count as zero; you spend a daily budget | Psychology: daily lessons on habits, triggers and stress, drawing on CBT and related approaches |
| Daily effort | Track food in the app (photo, barcode or search) | 5 to 15 minutes of lessons, plus food and weight logging |
| People support | App chat with Coaches; about 3,000 weekly Workshops online or in person, per the company | Coaches for encouragement and accountability, and an online community |
| Starting price (non-medical) | From $12 a month on a 12-month plan | $209 a year ($17.50 a month) to $70 month-to-month, billed up front |
| Commitment | 12-month plan renews for another 12 months unless canceled | Every plan auto-renews; a 7- or 14-day trial converts automatically |
| Medical tier | Med+, through an affiliated clinic; says it prescribes only FDA-approved medications | Noom Med; prescribes brand-name, generic and compounded medications |
| Independent evidence | Several randomized trials of 12 months | Observational app data; a randomized trial registered, main results not found |
How each program works day to day
WeightWatchers: a budget and a group
WW turns the nutrition data of each food into a Points value and gives you a personal daily budget. Nothing is forbidden, and a list of ZeroPoint foods (the company’s trademark) does not need counting. You log food in the app, which the company says can recognize a photo or a barcode, and it offers 12,000-plus recipes and restaurant guides. The other half of the program is people: Coaches in the app and Workshops, which the company says run about 3,000 times a week online or at in-person Studio locations. If you like having a number to aim for and a regular group, WW is built for that.
Noom: lessons first, then logging
Noom Weight starts each day with 5 to 15 minutes of short lessons. Noom says they draw on cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy and stress-management theory, and they cover sleep and self-care as well as food. You log meals, exercise and weight, and coaches check in for accountability rather than medical care. The aim is to learn your own patterns, such as snacking in front of a screen or after a stressful day. If you like reading and reflecting, and would rather not count points, Noom is built for that. Neither company’s coaches are clinicians, so health questions still belong with your own doctor.
What the research shows
WeightWatchers is one of the most studied commercial programs. A 2015 Johns Hopkins review of 45 studies, with no commercial funding, found that WW participants lost at least 2.6% more weight at 12 months than people given only education or printed materials. In a 2011 Lancet trial of 772 adults referred by family doctors in three countries, a free year of WW led to 5.06 kg (about 11 lb) of weight loss, compared with 2.25 kg with standard care. In England’s WRAP trial of 1,267 adults, a full year of WW led to more loss than 12 weeks.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Brief advice and self-help | 3.26 kg |
| WeightWatchers 12 weeks | 4.75 kg |
| WeightWatchers 52 weeks | 6.76 kg |
Adults with a BMI of 28 or more referred from primary care in England. 1 kg is about 2.2 lb.
Source: Ahern AL et al., Lancet 2017 (WRAP, 1,267 adults) (checked on October 6, 2026)
Noom’s best-known published study, in Scientific Reports in 2016, looked back at 35,921 people who used the Noom Coach app between 2012 and 2014. 77.9% reported that their weight went down while using it, and people who logged dinners and weighed themselves more often did better. Because there was no comparison group and the weights were self-reported, the study cannot say how much of the change was due to the app. A 600-person randomized trial of Noom’s program against a digital control was registered (NCT04797169) and its protocol published in 2022, but we could not find its main weight results as of 2026-10-06. That doesn’t mean Noom doesn’t work; it means the independent proof is thinner.
The evidence in four numbers
- 2.6%at least this much more weight lost with WW than control at 12 months (2015 review)Annals of Internal Medicine 2015
- 5.06 kglost in a year with free WW membership, vs 2.25 kg with standard careLancet 2011
- 35,921Noom app users in the main published study (observational, no control group)Scientific Reports 2016
- 77.9%of those Noom users reported losing weight while using the appScientific Reports 2016
Checked on October 6, 2026
Both companies also publish their own figures, such as WW’s statement that Med+ members on a GLP-1 lost 21% of body weight in 12 months on average, and Noom’s analyses of members who used its app with medication. These come from the companies’ own member data rather than independent randomized trials, and the companies note their limits. Treat them as encouraging marketing figures, not as proof.
What they cost (checked 2026-10-06)
For the non-medical programs, the pricing styles differ. WW’s Core Program advertised $12 a month through month 12, on a plan that renews for another 12 months at $12 unless canceled. Noom bills every plan up front: from $70 for one month to $169 for four months (the plan Noom says most people start with) and $209 for a year. Noom’s trial lets you choose a price (examples include $0.50, $3, $10 or $18) and then converts to the plan you picked.
Over a full first year, that is about $144 for WW Core and $209 for Noom’s annual plan, before any promotions. Over four months, Noom’s most common plan ($169) costs more than four months of WW Core, but you are not tied in for a year. The cheapest monthly price is not always the cheapest total: think about how long you realistically expect to use the program.
The medical tiers: Med+ and Noom Med
Both brands now offer online visits with licensed clinicians who may prescribe weight-loss medication when they judge it appropriate. They differ in one important way. WeightWatchers states on its Med+ page that it only prescribes FDA-approved medications, in injection and pill forms, such as Wegovy, Zepbound and the new GLP-1 pills. Noom Med says it offers brand-name medications and also compounded GLP-1 programs, and its own fine print says compounded medications “are not approved by the FDA or reviewed for quality, safety or efficacy.” Read our guide to compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide before agreeing to one.
Medication costs are separate and often larger than the membership. Our Wegovy cost and Zepbound cost pages track manufacturer self-pay prices, and the GLP-1 coverage guide explains prior authorization. Whether a medicine is right for you is a decision for you and a clinician who knows your history; our questions to ask before a GLP-1 help you prepare, and the telehealth programs comparison shows what other prescribing services include, side by side and unranked.
Commitments and canceling
Both programs renew automatically, so the date you sign up matters. On WW’s 12-month plans, the WeightWatchers Membership Agreement says cancellation takes effect at the end of the commitment period, you pay the monthly fee until then, and fees are generally not refunded once a period starts, with exceptions such as some medical reasons. Noom says you can cancel at any time, but plans are paid up front and renew until you do. In 2022, Noom settled a class action over how its trials and renewals were disclosed for $62 million and agreed to clearer disclosures and easier online cancellation. With either program, put the renewal date in your calendar and keep the cancellation confirmation.
Who each may suit, and who should check first
WW may suit people who like a clear daily target, enjoy meeting others, want restaurant and recipe guides built into the app, and are comfortable with a year-long plan in exchange for the lowest monthly price. It may feel heavy for people who dislike daily tracking. Noom may suit people who are curious about the psychology of eating, prefer to learn on their own schedule, and want to try a shorter plan first. It may suit less well if you want group meetings or would rather rely on a program with more independent trial evidence.
WW’s membership terms are for adults 18 and older without an active diagnosis of anorexia or bulimia. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a history of disordered eating, have diabetes, kidney disease or several health conditions, or take many medicines, ask your own doctor before starting either one, and consider whether a medical weight-loss program with in-person care would fit better. Our medical vs commercial programs page lays out the differences.
Things people weigh up
- Numbers or lessons. A Points budget gives you a clear daily target; Noom’s lessons focus on why you eat. Some people find counting freeing, others find it tiring.
- Groups or self-paced. WW’s Workshops add a regular group, and trials found longer group support helped. Noom suits people who prefer to work through material on their own schedule.
- How much proof you want. WW has more independent randomized evidence. If that matters most to you, it is a real difference.
- Commitment length. WW’s lowest price is a 12-month commitment; Noom’s shorter plans cost more per month but tie you in for less time.
- If you may want medication. WW Med+ says it prescribes only FDA-approved medicines; Noom Med also offers compounded versions. Either way, the decision belongs with a clinician.
- Health conditions. If you take insulin or other medicines that lower blood sugar, or have had an eating disorder, talk with your doctor before starting either program.
Trying one without regrets
A low-risk way to start either program
- Write down your goalA realistic target, such as 5% of your weight in six months, plus one habit you want to build.
- Read the terms firstPlan length, renewal date, trial conversion and how to cancel. Screenshot them.
- Set a calendar checkMark week 4 and a few weeks before renewal to decide whether to continue.
- Judge by habits, not daysAt week 4, ask: am I logging, moving more and enjoying it? If not, switch styles.
Still deciding between more than these two? Our best non-prescription weight-loss programs ranks seven programs by evidence, and how to choose a weight-loss program gives 12 questions to ask any of them. If you only want a free logging app, see the best weight-loss apps. And whatever you choose, plan early for keeping weight off, because support that ends abruptly is when regain often starts. Back to all weight-loss programs.
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- Is a behavioral program enough for my health goals, or should we also discuss medication?
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Frequently asked questions
Which works better, WW or Noom?
No trial has compared them head to head. WW has several independent year-long trials showing more loss than standard care; Noom's published data are observational. Many people do well with either; fit and staying power matter most.
Is Noom cheaper than WeightWatchers?
Not usually over a year: on 2026-10-06 WW Core was $12 a month on a 12-month plan (about $144 a year), and Noom's annual plan was $209. Noom's shorter plans cost more per month but tie you in for less time.
Do I have to count anything on Noom?
Noom asks you to log food and weight, but it does not use a points budget. WW uses Points, with ZeroPoint foods that do not need counting.
Can WW or Noom prescribe Wegovy or Zepbound?
Both run medical tiers (WW Med+ and Noom Med) where licensed clinicians may prescribe FDA-approved medicines when appropriate. Noom Med also offers compounded GLP-1s. A membership never guarantees a prescription.
How do I cancel WW or Noom?
Both renew automatically. WW's 12-month plans end at the end of the commitment period; Noom plans can be canceled any time but are billed up front. Check the current terms before you pay and keep your confirmation.
References
- Core+. WW International, Inc.. (accessed October 6, 2026) Other
- The Points Program. WW International, Inc.. (accessed October 7, 2026) Other
- WeightWatchers Med+. WW International, Inc.. (accessed October 6, 2026) Other
- WeightWatchers plans and pricing. WW International, Inc.. (accessed October 6, 2026) Other
- WW Membership Agreement. WW International, Inc.. (accessed October 6, 2026) Other
- How much does Noom Weight cost in 2026?. Noom, Inc., 2026. (accessed October 7, 2026) Other
- Noom Med. Noom. (accessed October 6, 2026) Other
- Gudzune KA, Doshi RS, Mehta AK, et al.. Efficacy of commercial weight-loss programs: an updated systematic review. Annals of Internal Medicine, 2015. doi:10.7326/M14-2238 · PMID 25844997 (accessed October 7, 2026) Meta-analysis
- Jebb SA, Ahern AL, Olson AD, et al.. Primary care referral to a commercial provider for weight loss treatment versus standard care: a randomised controlled trial. The Lancet, 2011. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61344-5 · PMID 21906798 (accessed October 7, 2026) Randomized trial
- Ahern AL, Wheeler GM, Aveyard P, et al.. Extended and standard duration weight-loss programme referrals for adults in primary care (WRAP): a randomised controlled trial. The Lancet, 2017. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(17)30647-5 · PMID 28478041 (accessed October 6, 2026) Randomized trial
- Chin SO, Keum C, Woo J, et al.. Successful weight reduction and maintenance by using a smartphone application in those with overweight and obesity. Scientific Reports, 2016. doi:10.1038/srep34563 · PMID 27819345 (accessed October 6, 2026) Other
- Randomized trial of the Noom Healthy Weight program (NCT04797169). ClinicalTrials.gov (NLM). NCT04797169 (accessed October 6, 2026) Other
- Noom diet app $62 million class action settlement receives final court approval. Wittels McInturff Palikovic, 2022. (accessed October 6, 2026) News (reported facts only)
- FDA’s concerns with unapproved GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026. (accessed October 7, 2026) Government page
Facts checked on October 6, 2026
Educational information, not medical advice. Talk with a qualified healthcare professional about your own situation. In an emergency call 911.