TrueCal vs Cronometer

Nutrient depth or a quick description

Cronometer's free Basic account has no time limit. It includes the full database, calories and up to 95 nutrients, unlimited barcode scanning, custom foods, and reports that look back 7 days. The company says its food data comes from lab-analyzed sources such as NCCDB and USDA rather than crowd-sourced guesses, and that submitted foods go through verification. Its App Store listing counts more than 1.1 million verified foods.

TrueCal takes a different route. You describe the meal the way you would text it to a friend, TrueCal estimates each part, and the source for each number sits on the estimate. Free keeps calories. Pro adds protein, carbs, and fat. TrueCal's plans list calories and macros, so if you want to follow a long list of vitamins and minerals, Cronometer is the app that lists them.

Gold and Pro side by side

Cronometer Gold costs $10.99 billed monthly or $59.99 billed yearly, and the Gold page also shows the yearly plan as $4.99 a month. Gold removes ads and adds photo logging, voice logging, and Crono Coach. Cronometer does not state a free trial on its Gold page or in its subscription help article. See Cronometer price for what the free Basic account keeps, the discounts on offer and the renewal rules.

TrueCal Pro costs $9.99 a month or $29.99 a year. It adds AI, photo, barcode, and voice logging, macros, caffeine tracking with a daily budget, and help adjusting your goal. For eligible customers, the 7-day Pro trial runs in the iPhone or Android app, and the App Store or Google Play charges when it ends unless you cancel.

Where TrueCal fits

TrueCal fits people who care most about getting every meal into the log and less about a full nutrient panel. Manual calorie logging is free, and one Pro plan covers iPhone, Android, and the web. The connected custom ChatGPT integration supports meal logging, progress, weight, and goal tools, subject to account access.

See TrueCal features and TrueCal pricing.

Which one to pick

If you track micronutrients

Pick Cronometer if micronutrients matter to you, you want barcode scanning without paying, or you like choosing verified foods from a list. Pay $59.99 a year for Gold if you also want photo and voice logging.

If getting every meal logged matters more

Pick TrueCal if calories and macros are enough and describing the meal is the step you will keep doing. Log the same dinner in each app and compare both the numbers and the effort.

Frequently asked questions