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5 Best Progress Photo Apps in 2026

July 10, 2026 · Mohammed Handa
A grid of popular mobile app icons for fitness tracking and progress photos.

5 Best Progress Photo Apps in 2026

Progress photos are the best way to see changes the scale won't show you, but only if you actually keep them organized and comparable.

In this post, I'll share the 5 apps I actually liked, what I liked about each one, and what annoyed me, so you can pick the right one without downloading five apps like I did. Let's start with the one you already have.

1. Photos App (the default option)

Platform: Pre-installed · Price: Free

[Screenshot: a progress photo album in Apple Photos]

This is where I started, and honestly, it's where you should start too. I made an album called "Progress," took a photo every Sunday, and it worked, for a while. It's free, it's already on your phone, and everything backs up to iCloud. You can even use the Hidden album if you don't want your progress pics showing up while you scroll with friends.

The cracks showed after a few weeks. My photos were all slightly different, so comparing them was frustrating. And there's no real way to put two photos side by side. I ended up taking screenshots of two photos next to each other, which felt ridiculous.

Pros:

Cons:

Best for: Your first month. After that, you'll want more.

2. Body Tracker: Progress Photos

Platform: iOS & Android · Price: Free trial with Pro subscription

[Screenshot: side-by-side comparison view in Body Tracker]

This is the app that finally made my photos consistent. it keeps everything in one clean timeline, organized by angle — front, side, and back. The in-app camera lets you align each new photo with your previous one, which fixed my biggest problem with the Photos app: every shot now actually matches.

Comparing is where it shines. Pick any two dates and you get a proper before-and-after, or export your whole journey as a time-lapse video, watching that for the first time was the most motivating moment I've had on this journey. It also tracks weight, and your photos stay on your device, which I appreciate for something this personal.

It's not perfect. There's no BMI calculator, no Apple Health sync, and no iCloud backup, so if you switch phones, you'll need to export your photos manually.

Pros:

Cons:

Best for: Actually tracking your transformation. This one nails it.

3. Hevy

Platform: iOS & Android · Price: Free with Pro subscription

[Screenshot: Hevy workout log with progress picture attached]

Hevy is my workout logger, and it's genuinely one of the best fitness apps I've ever used — no ads, generous free version, and a fun community where you can follow your friends' workouts. You can attach progress pictures to your workouts and log body measurements, so everything about your training lives in one place.

But here's the thing: photos are a side feature, not the point. There's no alignment tool, no angle organization, and no proper side-by-side comparison. My progress pics ended up scattered across workout posts instead of in one timeline. If you lift and want one app for everything, it's a fantastic choice, just don't expect a real photo tracking experience.

Pros:

Cons:

Best for: Lifters who want workouts first, photos second.

4. Photo Compare – Before & After

Platform: iOS · Price: Free with subscription

[Screenshot: finished before/after collage]

I used Photo Compare when I wanted to share my three-month before-and-after, and for that exact job, it's great. You pick two photos, choose a layout, add text or a slider effect, and get a polished image or video that looks good on social media.

But it wasn't built for tracking progress photos. It doesn't organize or save your photo history so you're still stuck using the default Photos app for storage, with all its limitations, and just importing two photos when you want a collage. Between that, the constant ads, and an overpriced weekly subscription model, I couldn't recommend it as your main app.

Pros:

Cons:

Best for: Making one shareable image. Nothing more.

5. Progress Body Tracker: My BMI

Platform: iOS · Price: Free with Pro subscription

[Screenshot: measurements dashboard]

Progress has been around since 2012, and on paper it does everything: weight, BMI, body fat, body measurements, and progress photos, with Apple Health and Fitbit sync. That's why I gave it a real shot.

In practice, it frustrated me. Recent updates have made the app noticeably worse — the redesign is harder to navigate, and I'm not the only one saying it; long-time users in the reviews are saying the same. For photos specifically, there's no alignment tool, the comparison view zooms photos inconsistently, and photo tracking sits behind the Pro paywall. Long-term users also report losing years of data after updates, which is scary for an app whose whole point is your history.

Pros:

Cons:

Best for: Spreadsheet-style body stats — if you can live with the new UI.

My verdict

If you just want to test whether the progress photo habit sticks, start with Photos Apps, it's free and already in your pocket. But once you're serious about seeing your transformation, Body Tracker: Progress Photos is the app I'd recommend. It's the only one on this list built exactly for this problem: consistent, aligned photos in one timeline you can actually compare.

Same angle, same lighting, same day each week, whichever app you choose, that's what makes your progress visible.

Which app do you use for progress photos? Let me know in the comments.