Cronometer Review (2026)
The instrument among trackers: curated data, free micronutrients, and a business model that respects the free tier.
Pricing and features checked October 18, 2026
Cronometer
The nutrition nerd's choice: curated, lab-verified data and micronutrients by default.
What we like
- Curated database (verified sources, not user-submitted soup)
- Full micronutrient tracking (vitamins/minerals) on every tier
- Generous free tier — no ads in your diary
Worth knowing
- Smaller database of scanned packaged foods than MyFitnessPal
- Gold premium runs about $70/year — check current pricing
Cronometer wins our comparison on the thing that is hardest to fake: data quality. Where MyFitnessPal crowdsources millions of entries of variable reliability, Cronometer curates — foods verified against the USDA, NCCDB and Canadian files, with a visible source on every entry. When you log 200 grams of chicken, the micronutrient breakdown is lab-grade, not a stranger's guess.
The free tier is the category's most generous: the full micronutrient panel (23+ vitamins and minerals), macro tracking, no diary ads, and scanning included. Gold premium (about $70/year — verify current pricing) adds custom biometrics, diary groups, fasting timer, and deeper reports. Nothing essential is held hostage.
The honest weaknesses: the scanned-packaged-food catalog is smaller than MyFitnessPal's (rare US brands sometimes miss), and the interface is data-dense — wonderful for people who want information, initially loud for people who want a green checkmark and to be done. Give it a week before judging; the default dashboard calms down once you hide the panels you do not use.
Who thrives here: whole-food cooks (the curated entries shine on ingredients, not barcodes), keto and athletic users watching micronutrients, and anyone who has ever wondered "is this app's food data even real?" — Cronometer is the answer to that question.
| Dimension | Detail |
|---|---|
| Platforms | iOS / Android / Web |
| Food database | Curated + verified |
| Free tier | Generous, micronutrients included |
| Premium (hedged) | ~$70/yr Gold (varies) — check current pricing |
| Best for | Anyone who cares what is in the food, not just the calories — athletes, keto, micronutrient nerds. |
Frequently asked questions
Is Cronometer really free?
The core is genuinely free: curated database, calorie/macro tracking, the full micronutrient panel and barcode scanning, without diary ads. Gold (~$70/year) adds custom biometrics, groups, fasting and deeper reports — verify current pricing.
How accurate is Cronometer compared to MyFitnessPal?
For whole foods, meaningfully better: entries are curated against lab-grade sources with visible provenance, versus community submissions. For obscure packaged brands, MyFitnessPal's huge catalog sometimes has the item Cronometer lacks.
Does Cronometer work for keto?
Well — net carb and macro targets are first-class, and the micronutrient view catches the electrolyte shortfalls keto dieters actually run into.