Fitbit App or other alternative

I've decided I need to get fit and have seen other VI people using the Fitbit Flex so, I downloaded the fitbit app last week and was immediately impressed but, two days after I downloaded it, they updated and now I can't get half the features to work. My exercise no longer appears on my dashboard although I can still log food and water. I also discovered that even when exercising on a cross trainer with my iPhone in my pocket, my fitbit didn't seem to register just how hard I was working, yet pedometer++tracked me as having done just under 3000 steps. I haven't yet purchased the plus tracker and am wondering now whether it's worth it? I looked a my fitness pal but all the foods there seem to be for the American market so I'm a little stumped as to what to do. I do like the idea of having a wristband on and it just registering my activity but now am wondering whetheri t's worth it or not.