WW vs Noom: how do they compare? (2024)

If you’re looking for an effective weight loss programme, you’ve probably come across Noom as well as WW.

While both programmes are designed for weight loss, the differences between WW and Noom are plentiful. For one,WW has been helping people lose weight for more than 55 years, thanks to decades of research and constant innovation designed to meet the needs of members at every life stage. Read on to learn more about how WW and Noom compare.

The main differences between WWand Noom

While both WW and Noom are designed to foster weight loss, Noom relies on old-school calorie counting and assigns a red, yellow, or green colour to each food. WW combines powerful behaviour-change science and our science-backedPersonalPoints system, which takes a food’s complete nutritional profile into account by boiling down calories, saturated fat, sugar, and protein into one easy-to-use Points value.

On WW, every member gets a personalised Points Budget based on height, age, weight, and sex that consists of daily Points and weekly Points.

WW vs Noom: programme philosophy

The WW programme is based on proven principles of nutrition and behaviour change science to help you build healthy habits around food, mindset, sleep and activity.

WW offers three different types of plan, so you can choose the one with the level and type of support that best suits you.

Our Core plan delivers a personalised weight loss programme through our award-winning WW app. If you prefer face-to-face connection and accountability, our Premium plan also gives you access to as many virtual and in-person workshops as you like.

When following Noom, you get a personalised calorie budget, checklists, worksheets, and digital messaging to help you manage mental and emotional barriers to weight loss.

WW vs Noom: food

No foods are off-limits with either programme. Noom has 3.7 million food options to track, with foods grouped into a traffic light system of green, yellow, and red foods to guide your food choices within a calorie budget.

The science behind the Points system stems from the proven theory that not all calories are equal: some foods leave you feeling extra satisfied while others may stoke your appetite for more. So while you can spend your PersonalPoints Budget on whatever foods you’d like, members tend to naturally gravitate toward whole foods with higher protein and away from processed foods with higher sugar and saturated fat content, and achieve sustainable weight loss without deprivation.

Everything is on the table: WW’s database has over 45,000 foods, including meal options from 70 restaurants and 3,400+ WW recipes. When they first join WW, members take a science-backed personal assessment on their food preferences, lifestyle, and preferred approach to weight loss. Then, they’re matched with a Points Budget and a list of ZeroPoints foods which could include fruits and non-starchy veggies, lean proteins, and/or whole grains.

WW vs Noom: support and personal coaching

There are no in-person meetings or groups on Noom, which offers digital personal coaching through theapp. After two weeks on the programme, you're put into a digital support group with other members.

WW offers several modes of support to fit your lifestyle, schedule, and learning style. Digital members can participate in a members-only Connect social network in the WW app, where you can find inspiration and get real-time advice.

If you like the idea of meeting like-minded people and forcing connections in a group environment, our Unlimited Workshops + Digital plan is perfect for keeping you motivated and on-track.

WW vs Noom: at a glance