Zoe app review: Is it worth it? Our expert nutritionist gives her verdict

Nutrition brand Zoe completely overhauled its gut health app and test kit offering in September 2025. 

Gone are the blood glucose and fat tests - and the associated yellow arm sticker and blue cookies. The streamlined version includes a gut health (microbiome) test, and new version of the app powered by AI. 

It also includes Zoe's 'processed food risk score' system, which you can use to scan products while you shop, as well as giving you insights on how processed your meals are.

The high price point of the original (£599 for tests and a year's membership) meant it was out of reach for many. But the newer version of the programme is almost half that, so is now the time to give it a go? 

As Which?'s nutritionist and lead food and health researcher, I've had more questions about Zoe than anything else I can think of in the time I've worked here. I tried the previous version out myself for six months, talked to relevant health experts for a fuller view, and also asked hundreds of Which? members who'd used it about their experiences.

I've now tested out the updated version, and gathered fresh insights from other users and experts. Find out what's changed, and my verdict on whether the new version is worth it, below.

How much does the Zoe app cost?

You can buy either a bundle which includes the gut test kit and a year's subscription, or app-only subscriptions of different lengths. 

As of December 2025, there are three plans to choose from:

• Bundle: Gut test kit (£149) and 12-month app subscription (£9.99 per month) - £268.88
• App only (12 months): £9.99 per month - £119.88
• App only (3 months): £24.99 per month - £74.97

All memberships are billed in advance and automatically renew unless cancelled.

If you want to join Zoe, you can do so on the Zoe website.

Bear in mind, Zoe won't be suitable for everyone. In particular, it advises that it isn't suitable if you have an existing bowel disease, and warns that some dietary changes can trigger adverse results in people with sensitive guts. 

See the ZOE FAQs for the full list of medical conditions it's not suitable for.

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My experience of using Zoe as a nutrition and food expert

I was intrigued to try the original Zoe app, but after six months using it, comparing my results with others, and discussions with dietitians and gut health experts about my findings, I wasn't convinced that it offered truly personalised nutrition advice as claimed (though I can see that it may be helpful for some as an aid to eating more healthily and understanding their digestion better). 

Initially, the app suggested ways to make meals healthier, usually by increasing the wholegrain or veg content or by adding nuts and seeds, but this feature disappeared during my original trial (features seemed to get added and removed regularly while I was using it). 

Beyond that, to get good 'meal scores' on the app, you generally need to eat more plant foods and less refined carbs, sugar, processed meat and processed food – healthy eating advice that is broadly applicable to everyone. 

So, I was interested to see what had changed with the new version and if it was more personalised.

Zoe app overhaul: what's new?

In September 2025 Zoe launched an updated version of its app and gut health test. It included big changes, scrapping the blood glucose monitor and the fat test. No more glucose monitor arm patch, no blue cookie test - just the gut microbiome test remains.

The app has changed dramatically too. It now includes AI-powered nutrition advice,  a 'processed-food risk' analyser and an AI-food scanner to make logging your meals simpler. There's no big personalised report on your test findings now either, you just get info in the app when it's ready.

And the focus has shifted too. It's more about eating 'mindfully' and healthily and less emphasis on highly personalised nutrition insights.

The Zoe gut health test

The main Zoe bundle still includes a gut microbiome test though. I was especially interested in doing a repeat test because of my poor result on the first one I did with the original Zoe app.

I was quite surprised by those initial results - my gut microbiome was rated as bad. According to Zoe, I had only two out of 50 ‘good’ bacteria and 20 out of 50 ‘bad’ bacteria. 

Whilst I'm not super strict about what I eat, as a nutritionist I know that I have a generally healthy diet and pack in lots of plant foods and variety. 

I had Crohn’s disease in my teens and twenties, but after a resection on my colon almost 20 years ago I’ve been symptom free. I also don't have any regular symptoms of poor gut health such as feeling run down, bloating, digestive issues or being prone to colds. 

I contacted Zoe after the first test to ask about my result. It told me: ‘Crohn’s does impact your microbiome and bowel surgery produces large-scale changes that can persist for a long time. There are distinct differences between the gut microbiome of people with and without Crohn’s, but we don’t know if these changes are a consequence of the condition or vice versa.'

Since my original Zoe test I've taken a three-month course of probiotics so I was interested to see if these had impacted my gut bacteria when I tried the new version.

This time round, Zoe rated my current overall score for gut health as 423/1000, which is deemed poor and below the average Zoe member score. But, there has been a change in my gut bacteria since I last took the test - I now have five of 50 good bugs (three new ones) and 18 out of 50 bad bugs (two fewer). 

But having used the new app, digested my gut health insights, and compared with other users and experts, has my overall opinion changed? Which? members can find out in the member exclusive seciton below.

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Why you can trust our Zoe nutrition app review

We purchased the Zoe app and kit independently so there was no outside influence on our review. 

I'm Which?'s in-house nutritionist, Shefalee Loth, and I trialled the original Zoe app for six months in 2024, analysing the process and information provided, and using the app and its recommendations for my daily meals. I then trialled the new version between October and December 2025, alongside our health and wellbeing editor Jessica Carson, for comparison.

I followed up with Zoe for further insights on the results, and talked to independent experts including a gut health dietitian and microbiome research expert to assess the information given. 

Is Zoe really worth it? Our expert verdict

To sign up for Zoe, head to the Zoe website

More about Which? experts and our Zoe app research

Shefalee Loth, Which? principal researcher and nutritionist

Shefalee is a public health nutritionist with 20 years' experience, and has worked for the NHS, The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and World Cancer Research Fund

At Which? Shefalee is a principal researcher, researching and writing food and nutrition content for our magazine and website and is a media spokesperson. She is also a trustee at Sustain, the food and farming alliance.

She focuses on cutting through the hype to explain what you need to know about nutrition and healthy eating. From How bad is ultra-processed food? to the Top gut health myths you need to know about and What really works to cut cholesterol, Shefalee gives no-nonsense advice to help you make healthier choices and save money.

Our Zoe user research

In October 2024, our consumer research and analysis team surveyed 241 Which? members from our Connect research panel who told us they'd used Zoe in the past two years. 

We asked users a series of questions about their experiences to find out how useful people found it overall (and to be able to put numbers to it), and also gave people space to send us free-form responses with additional detail and their verdict on its impact on their life and eating habits. 

Shefalee followed up with some respondents to our survey for extra insights.

Our surveys are run and checked by our in-house Market Research Society qualified statisticians. For more on how Which? conducts its research see our Which? Testing & research explainer. 

Find out more about how Which? is not influenced by product manufacturers or retailers and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent

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Healthy lifestyle changes you can make for free

Plenty of Zoe advocated diet changes are broadly recommended for health, so you don’t need to sign up to benefit. These include:

• Eating diverse plant-foods: The more variety the better, and things like herbs and seeds count. Aim for 30 plant foods a week. Lentils, pulses, legumes and nuts are all good sources of protein and can be used in recipes to reduce meat content. Veg, wholegrains, nuts and seeds contain fibre, which helps gut health.
• Reducing your intake of ultra-processed foods (UPF): While some foods classed as UPFs can still be healthy, such as baked beans and wholemeal bread, it's worth looking at how much of your diet is made up of the less healthy options, such as crisps, sugary drinks and snacks, and aiming to cut back. See more advice in our guide to ultra-processed foods.
• Including fermented foods in your diet: These contain microbes that could be beneficial for your gut. They include kefir, kimchi and kombucha, and everyday foods such as cheese and yoghurt. 
• Lifestyle changes: It’s not just food that affects your gut health. Being active, managing stress, getting enough sleep and managing your mental health also have an impact – so make sure you don’t neglect these areas, either.

You can sign up to Zoe's newsletter for free to get regular advice and healthy eating insights.

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