Top 10 Health Apps – Make Your Health A Priority

A healthy lifestyle can often be a complex topic. Too many people, it represents a prison in which there’s no room for sinful treats like sweets, pasta, or fast food.

But it doesn’t have to be like that. 

To some folks, a healthy lifestyle means running every morning, drinking several liters of water, and eating plenty of vegetables. To others, it may represent eating every type of food in moderation and working out every other day.

I think we can all agree that breaking old habits and creating new, healthy ones can be very challenging. 

Add insult to injury, some people are fighting their own battles with different medical conditions; some can’t manage their sleep schedules or don’t have time to take care of their mental health.

So, as you can see, a healthy lifestyle comes in layers.

Luckily for us, there are many health and fitness apps that can help us with that. And in the fast-paced world we live in, those apps can quickly become our best friends. Our team tried out tons of health apps to consolidate the top 10 best health apps for you.

What are the top 10 best health apps? How to know which one’s for you? What are the pros and cons of such apps? 

Top 10 Best Health Apps

Whether you need help with choosing the right food menu, workout plan, or just need to keep track of your medical condition and mental health – a health app can be of great help.

It can save you a lot of time and money, and it’s also suitable for recording your food intake and health status.

Be that as it may, there are over 300,000 apps on the market, solely in the health category. Some of them are free, and some aren’t.

Moreover, there are several different types of health apps, such as:

• Nutrition apps
• Fitness apps
• Sleep apps
• Mental health apps
• Apps for various health conditions (migraine, for example)
• Yoga apps
• Period tracker apps
• Water intake apps
• Apps that help with overcoming bad habits (smoking), and many more.

Finding the best app for your needs can be a bit overwhelming since there’s a lot to choose from.

To narrow down your search a bit, we took the liberty of creating the list of best health apps, in our opinion. 

Let this be your guide in finding the best app for your needs.

Without beating around the bush, let’s get started!

1.Migraine Buddy – Best Migraine App

Although migraines are not dangerous, the condition can considerably affect the quality of life. 

Some researches even show that migraines with aura can significantly increase the risk of ischemic stroke.

That’s why it is crucial to address this problem as soon as possible and learn how to be ahead of it. 

And what if we tell you there’s an app specifically designed to detect and track migraine patterns?

Migraine Buddy is, as its name suggests, a migraine app. Truth be told, it’s by far the best migraine app we tested so far.

Migraine Buddy is a free app designed by data scientists and neurologists. Having said that, it is medically reviewed and, thus, reliable. With an average rating of 4,7/5 out of 80,000 ratings, the app is positioned as the best headache and tracking app available.

Being a migraine diary, this app helps you track your migraines and identify the migraine triggers by entering a plethora of different information, like:

• Migraine frequency
• Migraine duration
• Pain location
• Pain intensity level
• Migraine aura
• List of medications, etc

Users can also log information such as type of episode, start and end times, or select the pain’s exact location using the interactive head map.

The app allows you to record the symptoms that emerged before the migraine episode or the relief methods you use.

You can also describe how migraine episodes affect your daily tasks.

With full access to Migraine Buddy’s community, you can easily read someone else’s experience with migraine, share your personal insights and give tips to other users.

Migraine Buddy can help you improve your lifestyle and learn more about migraines, triggers, and how to prevent them. 

Not only that, but you can easily share data log with your doctor. 

It may help with the diagnosis since learning about someone’s condition and choosing the proper medication can take time.

Migraine Buddy’s community counts more than 2,8 million satisfied users worldwide, and the app is free. It’s also compatible with both iPhone and Android phones.

2. MyFitnessPal – Best Food Tracking App

One of the best and most popular apps for fitness is, without a doubt, the MyFitnessPal app. 

The app is straightforward to use and includes thousands of different foods and restaurant meals so you can keep track of everything you eat throughout the day.

You can set the goals you want to accomplish, and the app will calculate the ideal amount of calories and water you need to take each day.

MyFitnessPal will keep track of everything you eat, and you’ll learn the details of the types of food you eat. You can also set the reminder setting on to get notified during the day.

It’s also worth mentioning that the free version of the app only does the basic calorie intake counting. 

If you want to have access to exercises, engage with the community or track your status, you’ll need to buy the premium subscription.

It’s available on both App Store and Google Play store.

3.Headspace – Best Meditation App

Headspace is a healthcare and meditation company that also features its own Netflix show called ‘Guide To Meditation’.

The company’s co-founder Andy Puddicombe (a Buddhist monk, by the way), guides you through stages of meditation and shares personal stories and tips.

Since research shows meditation can reduce stress, help control pain and improve emotional health, we decided to include such an app in our list.

Nonetheless, the company also includes one of the best meditation apps available on the market. The app’s design takes the user interface and user experience to the next level.

Headspace lets you choose mini guided meditation sessions according to your mood or lifestyle. 

The app also includes SOS emergency sessions and multiple programs that help you relieve stress, anxiety and help you sleep.

What’s more, you can choose a session length according to your free time.

Headspace app will also occasionally send you notifications to chill out and breathe, which is one of the most helpful and engaging features they have.

With almost a million rating and an average of 4.9, the app does come free, on both iOS and Android, but if you want the full scoop, you’ll need to pay $13 a month for their premium subscription.

4.Fitplan – Best Workout App

Fitplan is one of the highest-rated fitness apps on the market. It was founded in 2016, and it counts more than 1,5 million users worldwide.

This app is excellent if you want to have quality training with a personal trainer of your choice.

Fitplan offers workout training sessions with multiple different coaches, including celebrities and influencers, such as Alex Rodriguez, Rob Gronkowski, Corey Calliet, Lin Lowes, and many more.

Every workout plan includes thorough video sessions that range from 20 to 90 minutes. 

You can also choose between multiple different programs based on your goals or desired muscle gain and fat loss. 

The app includes:

• Yoga
• Zumba
• Beginner-friendly workouts
• Body-shred and sculpting plans
• 7-minute workouts
• Prenatal fitness programs 
• Strength training programs
• Different body challenges, etc.

Fitplan, available on both iOS and Android, includes both annual and monthly subscriptions, and there’s a 7-day free trial available.

You’ll also have access to Fitplan’s community, where you can share or read other users’ nutrition tips and receive feedback on your fitness goals.

5.SleepCycle – Best Sleep Tracking App

It’s not a surprise that a good night’s sleep is crucial for overall health. Research shows that it is as important as exercise or healthy eating.

Not getting enough sleep may affect your body weight, increase inflammation, and increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, or type 2 diabetes.

The best way to improve your sleep habits is to have the help of a great sleep app, like SleepCycle.

This app will be active during the night, tracking the following:

• The quality of your sleep
• Time you go to bed
• Sleep time (time in bed)
• Heart rate
• Snoring
• Sleep talking
• Increased sleep quality
• Decreased sleep quality
• Sleep  quality affected by the moon and air pressure
• Activity (steps)
• Total time in bed
• Total nights
• The average time in bed
• The shortest and longest night
• Best and worst night

You’ll also be able to see the chart that represents three states:

• Deep sleep
• Light sleep
• Awake

You’ll need to set your phone by the bedside near you so that it can track movements and sounds.

SleepCycle will document the REM sleep stage based on your stillness. It will also track the restless movements during the lighter stages of your sleep in the morning and wake you up.

There are also some features you get with the premium version, which costs $40 per year. With almost half a million rating and an average of 4.5/5, it’s available on both Android and iOS.

6.HealthTap – Best Overall Health App

We all sometimes use Google to find answers about some medical conditions. However, that’s not a reliable and safe way to learn about such stuff.

That’s why there are apps such as HealthTap. 

This app features a database of real doctors – physicians, dentists, or psychiatrists. 

So, how does it work?

Using HealthTap, you can ask any health-related questions and have a conversation with a qualified physician. 

The doctors are available 24/7; they reply fast and give accurate advice on what to do when you’re not feeling well.

To start using the app, you need to fill an appointment request and describe your symptoms or the reason for the visit. Right after the payment is made, you’ll be connected to a suitable doctor according to your symptoms.

If you don’t want an appointment, you can submit your health-related question to HealthTap staff and receive an answer within 24 hours.

That saves you money and time you’d spend on a trip to the doctor’s office.

You’ll also have access to HealthTap’s community, where other people share their experiences before consulting with a doctor.

Also, doctors can prescribe medications for customers in the US and send them to a home address or a local pharmacy.

In addition, you are able to consult with a doctor via text message or video call.

Available on bot iOS and Android, the price for the prime version is $30 per visit plus a $15 fee. The basic plan costs $80, and insurance covers part or all of the cost.

Lastly, it’s important to mention that HealthTap is not designed for medical emergencies and doesn’t offer specialist consultations.

7.Down Dog – Best Yoga App

Yoga may not seem necessary for overall health, but we assure you it indeed is. 

You can control your body and mind with yoga because it’s a mix of both worlds – physical and mental disciplines. It manages stress, relieves anxiety, and it’s relaxing.

Not to mention how it can help with flexibility and body strength.

Now, Down Dog is one of the most highly rated yoga apps. 

This app features different yoga instructors and has plenty of routines and classes for all levels.

You can choose classes from:

• Multiple different levels (beginner, expert)
• Different yoga instructors
• Lesson duration (from 10 to 110 minutes)
• Different types of training (Yoga, HIIT, Meditation, Barre, or Prenatal Yoga)

The app also includes an intro to yoga and even has more challenging practices for experienced yogis.

Down Dog generates new series of moves and allows you to choose a specific focus and speed, and you’ll always have a different class each time you sit on your mat.

Instructions are clear and not difficult to understand, and the app is straightforward to use.

The class combines video with the instructor showing poses on the mat and audio follows.

The app costs $8 per month and $50 per year. The premium version has better music, and you can customize your settings slightly more. It’s available on both iOS and Android.

8.MindDoc – Best Mental Health App

Mental health is equally important as physical health. It includes our social, emotional, and psychological well-being.

If a person doesn’t feel good mentally, it can easily affect its physical state. Mental illness can pose a risk of stroke, heart attack, or type 2 diabetes.

However, we often don’t want or don’t have the time or money to spend on psychiatrist or therapist visits. 

That’s where an app such as MindDoc comes in.

This app is specifically designed for people who cope with anxiety or depression. It tracks emotional, physical, and psychological health.

With MindDoc, you can judge your mental health state. It helps you understand your state of mind and determine which type of doctor is best for you to see.

In order to provide you with some accurate reports, the app will ask you questions every day for two weeks straight.

Based on your statistics, the MindDoc will provide you with personalized recommendations and exercises to help you cope with anxiety or depression.

The app is also designed for monitoring eating disorders, bipolar disorder, and many more. It also includes explanations about certain moods, and you can learn about psychotherapy and signs of depression.

MindDoc is available for both iOS and Android devices.

The app comes free, but for more advanced options, you’d have to purchase a premium version that costs $7 per month or $48 per year.

9.Fooducate – Best Food Education App

A balanced and healthy diet is essential. Without it, your body is more prone to diseases, infections, inflammations, fatigue, or overall low performance.

Learning about it can be tricky since you usually have to combine the information you find in different places while browsing.

With Fooducate, you can learn everything about the food you buy in a grocery store in one place on your iOS or Android devices. 

You can compare 250,000+ barcodes to see the particular product’s nutrition grade and its advantages and disadvantages. That way, you can easily separate healthy from unhealthy food.

The app is very educational, and it analyzes and teaches you about GMOs, food colorings, additives, and similar.

Fooducate can also track your food intake, give some exercises and many more.

To get all the features, you’ll need to go premium which costs $5 per month, or buy a lifetime offer for $75.

10. 8Fit – Best Fitness and Meal Plan App

If you’re determined to change your life completely and turn to healthy habits, 8Fit may be the app for you.

The app will take your body parameters and create a personalized meal menu and workout program.

8Fit will ask you the following questions before you start:

• Gender
• Height
• Weight
• Age
• Targeted body fat
• Current body fat
• What are your goals, etc.

You can also choose between several programs:

• Lose fat
• Get fitter
• Gain muscle mass

The app includes a workout plan 6 times a week, and sessions are between 8-12 minutes long.

Professional coaches hold fitness classes, and you can also choose the ones that target the specific body parts you want to work on.

As for the meals, 8Fit is outstanding! 

You can choose the food you like, dislike, or particular recipes.

They offer paleo, vegetarian, standard, vegan, pescetarian, and custom meal plans. 

The best part?

It’s flexible and adjusts to your goals, needs, and lifestyle.

There’s a free version, but your meal plans and workouts will be severely limited. On the other hand, a premium plan costs $60 per year or $25 every three months. It’s available on both Android and iOS.

How To Choose The Best App?

Before using a health care app, you might want to consult with your doctor first and see if he/she has some recommendations.

You may also do the following:

1. Determine your health goals

You might want to consider which type of app you need in the first place. For example, you won’t be installing the same app for managing anxiety and weight loss. Take a look at your goals, and see what you want to do before committing to any premium plans.

2. Read online reviews about the particular app

Reading online reviews about the specific app can help you a lot – many people will share their experiences and honest opinions about the app’s prices and features.

3. The price of the app

Many excellent apps come for free, but that’s usually not the case.

Most of the apps have free versions, but most of the content is restricted. 

Thus, before deciding which app to use, make sure you know which features come for free and the price for premium plans.

4. Look through features the app offers

If you’re searching for an app that can help you with a particular health condition, read the description of the app carefully. Best if you can check out a video of their features too.

For example, if you want to lose weight, you’ll look for an app that offers different workout programs and meal plans.

The same goes for special features such as push notifications, progress tracking, reminders, and other features.

5. Learn more about the app

Read about the app’s developers and terms and conditions. You need to know whether and how your personal data will be shared.

How Can Health Apps Help You?

Health apps can be beneficial as they can promote healthy behaviors and motivate and support positive changes.

They can also help in accessing valuable and applicable health-related information at a faster rate.

One study conducted by two respected doctors Bellal Joseph and Mark Granick proved that mobile health apps are effective in treating emergency burn patients.

The app helped them evaluate patients’ states and give the proper care without an in-person visit.

What’s more, telephotography proved safe and effective for medicine, as it simplified the process and saved a lot of time and money along the way.

The Pros and Cons of Health Apps

How are health apps improving our lives?

To see positive and negative aspects of health apps, refer to the table below!

Advantages

• Users can monitor their progress.
• You can access doctors anytime, anywhere.
• Users engage in their overall well-being.
• Health care providers can easily access patient information.
• Many health apps have educational nature.
• The speed of healthcare delivery is improved with health apps.
• Health apps can reduce health costs for patients and providers.
• Health apps may save a lot of time.

Disadvantages

• Some health apps may include inaccurate or false information.
• Not all health care apps are FDA-approved.
• Many health apps can expose your personal information.

FAQ Section

Which Health App Is Best?

The answer to this particular question isn’t simple – our entire scope of creating this article came from the need to answer it. Because of the many categories involved and its corresponding apps, we can’t select a single app to crown a winner of this small roundup.

Each category has its winners, and you should use this list as a guideline in search of the best health app for your needs and requirements.

What Is The Best Free App for Health?

The best free apps are Migraine Buddy and MyFitnessPal. 

You have full access to all of the features, educational information, meals, exercises, and user community.

What Is The #1 Health and Fitness App?

One of the best apps in the fitness industry is undoubtedly MyFinessPal.

Its database counts more than 5 million foods, a barcode nutrition scanner, and many recipes. Users can easily track their food intake and do the exercises provided by the app.

What Is the Best Health App For Android?

The best health apps for Android are:

1. Migraine Buddy
2. MyFitnessPal
3. Headspace