Comparison

Needled vs MealMerlin

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Needled

Features
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Needled is the beautifully simple injection tracker for people on weight loss medications like Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Zepbound. Log your injections, track your weight, and always know how many doses are left in your pen - all in under 10 seconds. Free to download. Free to use. No meal plans. No calorie counting. No clinical jargon. Just the three things that actually matter on injection day. LOG INJECTIONS IN SECONDS Tap, confirm the date, done. Needled records your injection and updates your pen counter automatically. Set your schedule - weekly, twice weekly, or whatever works for you - and get a gentle reminder when it's time. On injection days, your dashboard shows a quick-log banner so you never forget. TRACK YOUR WEIGHT WITH CONTEXT Log your weight with quick-adjust buttons or slide to the exact number. Every entry can carry an optional label - like your current dose strength or a personal note - that shows up as a coloured phase marker on your progress chart. See exactly how dosage changes line up with your weight loss over time. KNOW YOUR PEN INSIDE OUT Tell Needled how many doses are in your pen and which dose you're up to. The app counts down for you and celebrates when you finish a pen with a summary of your progress: doses used, days on pen, and weight change. Got extra doses? Just keep logging. Need to match your specific dose count? You choose - 1 through 10. SEE YOUR PROGRESS CLEARLY A dedicated progress screen shows your weight trend over 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, or all time - with coloured phase markers showing your dosage labels. Below the chart: total injections, pens completed, average days between injections, and your current streak. PHOTO JOURNAL (PRO) Take progress photos and compare them side by side. Categorise by pose (front, side, back) and browse your transformation over time. Photos are protected behind Face ID or fingerprint - your journey stays private. CUSTOM METRICS (PRO) Track anything alongside your weight - waist measurement, blood sugar, body fat percentage. Create custom metrics that appear right on your dashboard. SMART REMINDERS Choose your injection days and set a reminder time. Needled sends a notification when it's time. Set separate reminders to log your weight too. MEET PIP Pip is your friendly teal companion who lives throughout the app. Pip celebrates your milestones, encourages you on injection day, and makes the whole experience feel warm - not clinical. WORKS FOR ANY INJECTION PEN While our community primarily uses weight loss medications like Ozempic (semaglutide), Mounjaro (tirzepatide), Wegovy, and Zepbound, Needled works for anyone who self-injects - insulin, B12, testosterone, Saxenda, and more. You configure your pen, your schedule, your doses. SET UP IN UNDER 2 MINUTES Tell us how many doses are in your pen, which days you inject, and your starting weight. That's it. SWITCHING FROM ANOTHER APP? Already tracking elsewhere? Import your injection and weight history so you don't lose your progress. FREE FEATURES - everything you need, always free - Injection logging with full history - Weight tracking with trend charts - Pen dose management and pen history - Injection day reminders - Dosage phase labels on charts - Dark mode, light mode, and system theme - kg, lbs, or stones and lbs NEEDLED PRO - optional extras for those who want more - Photo journal with before and after comparison - Custom metrics (waist, blood sugar, and more) - 7-day free trial, then a simple monthly or annual subscription Needled is a personal tracking tool, not a medical device. Always consult your healthcare provider about your medication. Needled uses the standard Apple Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Needled Privacy Policy: https://needled.app/privacy Needled Terms of Service: https://needled.app/terms

About

MealMerlin

Features
Read full description

MealMerlin is an AI-powered nutrition coach and calorie tracker designed to make food logging fast, visual, and practical. SNAP AND LOG MEALS Take a photo of your meal and review estimated calories, protein, carbohydrates, and fat before adding it to your daily log. TRACK FOOD YOUR WAY Scan packaged-food barcodes Search for foods and create custom entries Log meals using your voice Save meals for quicker logging later Track water and daily nutrition targets UNDERSTAND YOUR PATTERNS MealMerlin turns your food history into useful insights. Review daily progress, weight trends, achievements, and a weekly nutrition debrief built from your logged meals. PERSONALISED GUIDANCE Set goals, activity level, dietary preferences, calorie targets, and macro targets. MealMerlin uses this context to provide practical AI-generated suggestions and coaching. OPTIONAL APPLE HEALTH SYNC With your permission, MealMerlin can read selected activity and body metrics and write logged nutrition and water data to Apple Health. MEALMERLIN PRO Upgrade to MealMerlin Pro for features including voice logging, AI meal suggestions, progress photos, weekly analysis, smart reminders, and the AI nutrition coach. MealMerlin provides educational nutrition information and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Nutrition estimates and AI-generated guidance may not always be accurate. Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel subscriptions in your Apple ID subscription settings. Privacy Policy: https://api-production-4642.up.railway.app/legal/privacy Terms of Use: https://api-production-4642.up.railway.app/legal/terms

Screenshots

Needled4 screens
MealMerlin4 screens

Verdict

The call

Needled and MealMerlin are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters โ€” price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them โ€” neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Needled sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and MealMerlin sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Needled versus MealMerlin: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNeedledMealMerlin
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyWeeklyโ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 โ€” better16.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size46 MB31 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCONSULCODE LIMITEDpasito tola

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Needled

Subscriptions2
  • Needled Pro Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Needled Pro Annual7 Days trial$29.991 Year
3 purchases

MealMerlin

Subscriptions2
  • MealMerlin Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • MealMerlin Pro Annual$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Metabolic Audit$9.99

Questions

Is Needled free?
Needled is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MealMerlin free?
MealMerlin is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Needled or MealMerlin have ads?
Neither Needled nor MealMerlin shows ads.

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