Type 2 diabetes occurs when there is resistance to the effect of insulin in the body. It is the common type among people with diabetes, with its occurrence ranging from 90 -95% of people with diabetes. Due to the latency of the symptoms of type 2 diabetes, it tends to cause serious complications if not properly treated.
However, with the help of recent technology, it is possible to now effectively monitor and treat Type-2 diabetes. A study in 2018 shows that mobile phone apps are productive in managing type-2 diabetes. This article reviews the best diabetes apps for managing Type-2 diabetes.
What to Look Out For When Picking A Diabetes App
Adults are more likely to develop type-2 diabetes (age 45 and older). It is more common for adults in this range not to be tech-savvy. Hence, considering the features of the diabetes app is a must before picking out the best choice. Here are some of the features to look for when picking a mobile phone app for managing diabetes:
- The Interface
As mentioned earlier, most Type-2 diabetics are not so accustomed to tech products. Even if you are, it would still be nice to use an app where you don’t need to start a search to find all the features you need. So, you should pick the best diabetes app with a neat and responsive interface. You should be able to input your data and see how your various lifestyle choices affect your blood glucose level.
- The Features
There might be some features you’re searching for in a diabetes app. For example, some would prefer the app to have various recipe suggestions or show how various food choices affect their blood sugar level. Popular features in diabetes management apps include workout and weight loss plans, carb intake counting, etc.
- Integration with Other Devices
It’s possible to sync some mobile apps with other devices, such as glucose meters or smartwatches (which could serve as exercise trackers). This could be very helpful in taking data automatically and making sure your activities throughout the day are automatically reflected in your mobile app.
- Apps with Regular Updates
You’ll definitely not like to wake up one morning and see your diabetes app having downtime. Monitoring your activities for that day would be an uphill task. This is why you choose the best diabetes app with a history of regular updates to prevent problems with crashes. Another way to get honest reviews about a diabetes app would be on Google Play Store or the iOS App Store. You’ll find tons of reviews to help your judgment.
- Premium Options
Some apps offer premium features for small amounts, while some also sell in-app products to help with your diabetes management. You should check for the premium options of the app to see if you can afford to go for some of these plans/products before picking an app to work with.
Best Diabetes Apps to help Manage Type-2 Diabetes
Managing diabetes all on your own could be such an overwhelming journey. Keeping up with the exercise plans, healthy diets, and weight loss could be a huge task. However, diabetes management apps could help ease the struggle.
After carefully reviewing various apps that we found online, here’s our explicit review of the best five diabetes apps (from top to bottom) that could help you in your type-2 diabetes management journey.
-
Klinio - Best Overall
Specs
- Compatibility: iOS and Android.
- Price: Free to download, with in-app purchases ranging from $4.99 - $69.99.
Klinio is more than just an app. It is a virtual assistant for both type 1 and type-2 diabetes patients. Irrespective of how long you’ve been managing Type-2 diabetes, Klinio can help keep your lifestyle choices in check.
Reducing your carb intake can be difficult at times. With Klinio, you get a personalized meal plan that helps keep your sugar, calories, and macronutrient intake in check. With over 45,000+ recipes on the app, you can always find something you love and won’t trigger any allergies (if present). Are you vegetarian? Klinio also got you covered. The best part is that these meals take about 15 - 20 minutes to prepare.
It’s not only about preparing the meals either. Getting the ingredients for the suggested meal could also be an expensive and daunting task. However, with Klinio, you get a weekly shopping list of affordable groceries, making grocery shopping easier.
Exercise is another lifestyle modification that is important for a person with type-2 diabetes. Whatever your endurance level is, Klinio has workout plans to suit you. If you’re not so cool with registering with a gym, the app also has home exercises requiring no equipment, which you can try.
Finally, Klinio has tracking features to store your blood glucose levels, HbA1c data, medications regime, exercise routines, etc. You can show this stored information to your doctor to help them diagnose you better. If you’ll also love to learn more about your condition, Klinio has a lot of educating content for you on their blog.
Pros
- Compatible with iOS, Android, and PCs.
- Provides meal plans tailored to your needs.
- Provides workout routines.
- Makes grocery lists for shopping
Cons
- Doesn’t come with a glucose meter. So, you’ll need to have one on hand to record blood sugar levels.
- Cannot sync with other devices
-
mySugr - Best Comprehensive Diabetes Management App
Specs
- Compatibility: iOS and Android.
- Price: Free to download, premium version $2.99/monthly, $49.99/annually.
In 2021, this app had over 3.5 million users over the globe. How does mySugr make so many people love using this app? Simple! They make managing diabetes for their users. With a gamification interface, each user has a customized “ diabetes monster” that they have to tame by staying physically active, eating right, and making the right lifestyle choices.
Apart from the fun part, this app is also packed with features. With features like the carb blogger, HbA1c calculator, and blood sugar tracker, this is one of the most comprehensive best diabetes management apps on this list. You can also connect this to a glucose meter to sync your blood glucose readings automatically. However, the app can only connect with AccuChek meters. You can also connect it to Apple Health and Google Fit in terms of connectivity.
The app also sends you reminders to input any data you might have forgotten. The app uses the data to create reports which can be exported as PDFs. Apart from your health professional, you can also connect with professionals provided by mySugr. They are known as Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (CDCES). This professional can answer any questions you have about your reports and can give professional suggestions and encouragement. These guys are also easily accessible and will answer any questions you have within one business day.
To crown it all, the app has a very affordable subscription price.
Pros
- Have fun and user-friendly interface.
- Connects to a glucose meter (AccuChek meter) and various devices.
- Gives access to diabetes specialists.
- Affordable.
Cons
- Cannot connect to different glucose meters.
-
MyFitnessPal - Best Weight Loss App
Specs
- Compatibility: iOS and Android.
- Price: Free to download, premium version $20/monthly, 80$/annually.
If you’re a type-2 diabetes patient looking to get some pounds off the scale, look no further than MyFitnessPal. This is the best diabetes app for weight loss and calorie counting. We can definitely say one thing: it does both quite well. Available on iOS, Android, and PC, this app has free and premium versions.
Although you get some basic features on the free version like calories, activity, and weight tracking, the real deal is the premium version. However, you should be ready to dole out the cash for this. While it is expensive, it is pretty worth it. Let’s get into some of its features.
First, MyFitnessPal gives an explicit of your calorie intake for the day. Breaking down your meal into the various macronutrients, you report how well you did compare to your calorie goal. Also, it estimates what you’ll weigh after a particular period if you continue in the same trend as the day under review. Features like this make MyFitnessPal stand out from the competition.
Also, the app has a barcode scanner that can scan any packaged food and give a breakdown of its calorie composition. This feature is very useful and has a vast inventory of many food products. You can also add your recipes to the database or even copy URLs of websites with recipes to the app, and it imports them automatically.
Finally, you can map out workout plans with the app. It also helps you track your fitness by connecting the app to various fitness trackers such as Garmin, Fitbit, Misfit, Polar, etc.
Pros
- Offering explicit food calorie information
- Offers a vast inventory of food databases, which works perfectly with a barcode scanner for food.
- Can be connected to fitness devices
- Pops up with useful notifications.
Cons
- The premium version is on the expensive side.
- Requires steady internet connection.
-
Fooducate - Best for Food Analysis
Specs
- Compatibility: iOS and Android.
- Price: Free to download; the premium version starts at $3/monthly.
If you need an app to monitor just your nutrition, then Fooducate is the best choice. Just as the name implies, it educates you about your various food choices with simple terms. Having a database containing over 300,000 food products, Fooducate has your diet choices covered. With the barcode scanner, you can simply find out if a food product is good for your diet or not.
Fooducate grades food using 10 grades from A - D. The food can get a grade ranging from A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, and so on. After grading the food, the app also shows you the macronutrient breakdown of the food (for those on the paid version) and why it gave it that grade. For example, whole wheat bread gets a B- despite its whole grain content.
The app also gives better alternatives for foods with poor grades, so you don’t have to crack your head over replacements. Finally, the app has nutrition professionals and a community of users to help with making the right food choices for managing blood sugar.
Pros
- Grades food choices in easy terms.
- Comes with a barcode scanner for easy food grading
- Gives good alternatives for bad food choices.
- Gives the macronutrient breakdown of foods with the paid version.
Cons
- The free version doesn’t provide macronutrient breakdown
- Cannot be connected to other devices.
-
BlueStar Diabetes - Best App with a Glucose Meter
Specs
- Compatibility: iOS and Android.
- Price: Free to download, paid plan $100/monthly.
Certified by the FDA, the BlueStar Diabetes app is a popular choice among health practitioners to prescribe to a patient. While you could get the app for free, BlueStar diabetes offers tools such as a glucose meter and customized support, which costs $100 monthly. However, it can be covered by insurance. Another peculiar feature of using BlueStar is that you can only get the tools and support if your physician recommends it.
By using the meter and syncing it with your app, you get customized guidance on the lifestyle modifications and medications to use. It also comes with a barcode scanner for food to help track your calorie intake. The app also allows real-time chat with physicians and allows you to share your data on the app with them. Also, you could set reminders to help you stay committed to your medications.
Finally, you can connect the app to various devices such as your Fitbit or Apple Watch. This way, you can track your activity level for the day. However, this app is only meant for people with type-2 diabetes over 17.
Pros
- Comes with a glucose meter (if premium).
- Provides real-time online medical support.
- Sends medication prompts.
- Syncs with many fitness devices
- Can be covered by insurance.
Cons
- Require authorization from a physician before use.
- Subscription is quite expensive if you’re paying out-of-pocket.
- Made for patients above 17.
Comparison Table for the 5 Apps
|
Diabetes App |
Price |
Compatibility
|
|
Klinio |
Free to download, with in-app purchases ranging from $4.99 - $69.99.
|
iOS and Android |
|
mySugr |
Free to download, premium version $2.99/monthly, $49.99/annually.
|
iOS and Android |
|
MyFitnessPal |
Free to download, premium version $20/monthly, 80$/annually.
|
iOS and Android |
|
Fooducate |
Free to download, the premium version starts at $3/monthly.
|
iOS and Android |
|
Bluestar Diabetes |
Free to download paid plan $100/monthly.
|
iOS and Android |
Stay on Top of Diabetes
Managing a condition like diabetes could be an uphill task to do without any assistance. However, you can live your best life while keeping your diabetes checked with these apps. Check them out and conquer the monster!
