Ranked for 2026
The 5 best apps for reverse dieting in 2026, tested
The best app for reverse dieting in 2026 is WhispCal: its Calorie Autopilot has a Reverse Diet Phase that raises your Target 200 kcal at most per step, from your own weight trend, and stops when you reach your new maintenance.
A reverse diet adds calories back slowly after a cut, so your metabolism can catch up before the scale does. The hard part is knowing when to add more and when to stop. Most apps leave both to you. The table shows which ones help.
By Thomas MoriceBuilds WhispCal, and writes everything here
| App | Reverse diet built in | How calories go up | Free tier | Price* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. WhispCal | Yes, its own Phase | Autopilot adds 200 kcal at most per step, from your weight trend | Yes, Phase 1. Reverse Diet is Premium | $4.99/mo or $39.99/yr |
| 2. MacroFactor | No, use a slow gain goal | Weekly targets follow your expenditure | No, trial only | $11.99/mo or $71.99/yr |
| 3. Cronometer | No | You raise the goal by hand | Yes, with ads | About $10.99/mo or $59.99/yr |
| 4. MyFitnessPal | No | You raise the goal by hand | Yes, with ads | About $19.99/mo or $79.99/yr |
| 5. Lose It! | No | You raise the budget by hand | Yes | About $39.99/yr |
How we ranked them
A reverse diet asks three things of an app. Small steps, so you never jump back to your old intake. A weight trend, not a single weigh-in, before each step. A clear stop, when your weight starts to climb at the higher intake. We ranked each app on how much of that it does for you, then on price.
We installed every app on this list and logged real meals in each one before ranking it. WhispCal is our app, so read the top spot with that in mind. Every competitor price is the US list price at the time of writing. For the method itself, read what reverse dieting is.
1. WhispCal
Reverse Diet is one of WhispCal's Autopilot Phases. It usually follows a Cut. Every 5 days by default, Autopilot compares your weight. Still drifting down? It raises your Target, 200 kcal at most. Holding steady? It waits. Starting to climb? It has found your new maintenance, and the Brief tells you so.
- Who it's for: anyone finishing a cut who wants the climb back to maintenance planned for them.
- Standout: every step comes from your own data, and you confirm, postpone or adjust each one. When the reverse ends, you pick the next Phase, such as a Bulk or another Cut.
- Downside: the Reverse Diet Phase needs Premium. The free tier gives you Phase 1, Find Peak Maintenance, which raises your intake while your weight holds and stops when it climbs.
- Price: Premium is $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year.
2. MacroFactor
MacroFactor has no reverse diet setting. Its help center suggests a weight gain goal at the slowest rate. If your weekly targets keep rising, your expenditure is climbing, which is the point of a reverse diet.
- Who it's for: data-minded lifters happy to set up the goal themselves and read the weekly numbers.
- Standout: a well-tested expenditure algorithm that updates every week.
- Downside: you decide when the reverse is over and what comes next. No free tier, only a trial.
- Price: $11.99 a month or $71.99 a year.
3. Cronometer
Cronometer won't plan a reverse diet, but it logs with care. If you follow a coach's plan, it shows exactly what you ate against each new goal.
- Who it's for: people following a coach's step plan who want accurate logs and micronutrients.
- Standout: verified food data and more than 80 micronutrients.
- Downside: you raise the calorie goal yourself each week, and you judge the trend yourself.
- Price: free tier with ads. Gold is about $10.99 a month or $59.99 a year.
4. MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal works for a reverse diet you run by hand. The database makes it easy to log the extra food each step adds.
- Who it's for: people who already use it and have a step plan on paper.
- Standout: the biggest food database here.
- Downside: the goal never moves on its own, so every step is a manual edit. The barcode scanner needs Premium.
- Price: free tier with ads. Premium is about $19.99 a month or $79.99 a year.
5. Lose It!
Lose It! is built for weight loss, and its setup aims at a deficit. You can still raise your budget by hand for a reverse diet.
- Who it's for: beginners who want a simple log while they add food back.
- Standout: a friendly, simple logger.
- Downside: no tools for a reverse diet. Every increase is a manual change.
- Price: free tier. Premium is about $39.99 a year, often on sale.
Which one should you pick?
Want the reverse diet planned and every step checked against your weight? Pick WhispCal. Want a weekly algorithm and don't mind setting it up? Pick MacroFactor. Following a coach's plan? Cronometer logs it best.
Compare one app at a time with WhispCal vs MacroFactor or WhispCal vs MyFitnessPal. Looking for a new tracker overall? See the best MyFitnessPal alternatives.
*Prices are US list prices at the time of writing. Stores set local prices.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best app for reverse dieting?
WhispCal. Its Reverse Diet Phase raises your Target 200 kcal at most per step, from your weight trend, and stops when your weight starts to climb. MacroFactor works too, set up as a slow gain goal.
How many calories should I add each week when reverse dieting?
Most plans add small steps, often 50 to 150 kcal a week, and watch the weight trend before each one. WhispCal never raises your Target by more than 200 kcal in one step, and checks your weight every 5 days by default.
Can I reverse diet for free?
Partly. WhispCal's free Phase 1 raises your intake while your weight holds and stops when it climbs. The full Reverse Diet Phase is Premium. Cronometer, MyFitnessPal and Lose It! are free if you raise the goal by hand.
Does MacroFactor have a reverse diet mode?
No. MacroFactor's help center suggests a weight gain goal at the slowest rate instead. You then watch whether your weekly targets rise.
How do I know my reverse diet is over?
When your weight starts to rise at the higher intake, you have reached your new maintenance. WhispCal spots that from your weight trend and the Brief tells you.
Keep exploring
Let WhispCal do the math automatically
These numbers are a starting point. WhispCal measures how your body actually responds — logging food in 3 seconds by voice, photo, or barcode — and auto-adjusts your targets as your metabolism changes. Free on iOS and Android.
Free on iOS & Android