Cronometer vs MacroFactor
Cronometer is for nutrient depth: up to 95 nutrients and compounds, a free plan with ads, and Gold at $59.99 a year. MacroFactor is for coaching: no free plan, no ads, and targets that adjust every week from your weight and what you eat, at $71.99 a year. Both need an account and a connection to search.
Which one fits you
Choose Cronometer if
- You care most about vitamins, minerals and other compounds.
- You want a free plan.
- You want a web version as well as the apps.
Choose MacroFactor if
- You want targets that adapt as you cut, bulk or maintain.
- You want no ads at all.
- You want a smoothed weight trend and an energy estimate.
At a glance
| Cronometer | MacroFactor | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | CronometerCronometer leads: Basic is free. Gold is $10.99 a month or $59.99 a year. | MacroFactor$11.99 a month, $47.99 every six months or $71.99 a year, after a 7‑day trial. No free plan. |
| Ads | CronometerAds in the free Basic plan, in the app and on its website. Gold removes them. | MacroFactorMacroFactor leads: None |
| Barcode scanning | CronometerCronometer leads: Free | MacroFactorIncluded |
| Nutrients | CronometerCronometer leads: Up to 95 nutrients and compounds | MacroFactorFull micronutrient tracking, with top contributors for any nutrient |
| Foods | CronometerMore than 1.1 million verified foods | MacroFactorMore than 1.36 million verified entries |
| Targets | CronometerYou set them; different targets by weekday with Gold’s macro scheduler | MacroFactorMacroFactor leads: Coached, collaborative or manual; coached targets adjust every week |
| Account | CronometerRequired (free) | MacroFactorRequired |
| Data used to track you | CronometerContact info, identifiers and usage data | MacroFactorMacroFactor leads: None listed |
| Works offline | CronometerNeeds a connection to search and log | MacroFactorMacroFactor leads: Searching its full database needs a connection; foods from your history and cached results work offline |
| Recipes | CronometerYes, free; importing from a link needs Gold | MacroFactorYes, including import from a link |
| Weight | CronometerYes, with Apple Health, Fitbit, Garmin, Oura and Whoop | MacroFactorYes, with a smoothed weight trend |
| Devices | CronometerCronometer leads: iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Android and the web | MacroFactoriPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Android |
| Export | CronometerCSV from the web version’s account settings; PDF reports with Gold | MacroFactorYour data, any time |
From each app’s App Store listing (US), website, help center and privacy policy, checked September 29, 2026. A check marks the app that leads a row; rows without one are close, or a matter of taste.
Nutrients
Cronometer tracks up to 95 nutrients and compounds, drawing on lab-analyzed sources such as NCCDB. MacroFactor tracks micronutrients too, and shows the top contributing foods for any nutrient; Cronometer’s version of that, Oracle Nutrient Search, is part of Gold.
Targets and coaching
MacroFactor’s core is its coach: it estimates your energy expenditure from your weight and what you log, and adjusts your targets every week. Cronometer lets you set targets for energy, macros and micronutrients, and Gold’s macro scheduler sets different ones by weekday.
Price and ads
Cronometer Basic is free, with ads in the app and on its website; Gold is $10.99 a month or $59.99 a year. MacroFactor has no free plan and no ads: $11.99 a month, $47.99 every six months or $71.99 a year after a 7‑day trial.
A third option: Calorie Tape
If you want neither ads nor a subscription, Calorie Tape, which we make, is free with no ads, needs no account and works offline. It shows every nutrient its sources report (65 for USDA’s generic foods), fewer than Cronometer, and you set its targets yourself.
Questions
Is Cronometer or MacroFactor better for micronutrients?
Cronometer, with up to 95 nutrients and compounds from lab-analyzed sources. MacroFactor tracks micronutrients and shows which foods each came from.
Which is cheaper, Cronometer or MacroFactor?
Cronometer: its Basic plan is free, and Gold is $59.99 a year against MacroFactor’s $71.99. MacroFactor has no free plan.
Do Cronometer and MacroFactor have ads?
Cronometer’s free Basic plan does; Gold removes them. MacroFactor has none.
More comparisons
- MyFitnessPal vs CronometerDatabase size or nutrient depth
- MyFitnessPal vs MacroFactorFree with ads, or a paid coach
- Lose It! vs CronometerA weight-loss plan, or nutrient detail
- Cronometer alternativesOffline, private, bigger or coached
- MacroFactor alternativesFree and cheaper options
- All comparisonsSix apps side by side
Sources
All checked September 29, 2026. Prices are US prices. Apps change; if something here is out of date, email hellochillcreatures@gmail.com and we’ll fix it.
- Cronometer: App Store (US) · Gold · Free version · Database · Data security · Privacy policy · Account settings (web) · Account (phone app) · Add a note · Forum: offline use (staff reply, 2019) · Forum: offline requests · Google Play
- MacroFactor: App Store (US) · The app · Privacy policy · Help: offline mode · Google Play
- Calorie Tape: Privacy Policy · Food Data
Cronometer and MacroFactor are trademarks of their owners, used here only to name the apps. Calorie Tape and Chill Creatures aren’t affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.