MacropassWhen is Cronometer the better choice?
Choose Cronometer if you track vitamins and minerals against curated scientific food data, with a free tier. Cronometer offers "95+ vitamins and minerals" free, "more than 1.1 million verified foods" from named scientific sources, AI photo and voice logging in Gold, a Macro Scheduler with one template per weekday in Gold, and a web version. Its own positioning: "Science-backed nutrition tracking at your fingertips." If micronutrients are the reason you track, this is the app.
When is Macropass the better choice?
If you weigh your food and verify against labels, use MacroFactor or Cronometer. If you quit trackers because logging is a chore, or you already ask your AI what is in your food, Macropass is built for you. Macropass is for people who want calories and macros with the least entry effort, a calorie estimate that shows its assumptions, no ads, no streaks, and the option to log meals from Claude or ChatGPT into a real diary. It never tracks vitamins, sodium or other micronutrients.
How do Macropass and Cronometer compare feature by feature?
Cronometer cells come from its website, App Store listing, help center and blog.
| Fact | Macropass | Cronometer |
|---|---|---|
| Logging input | Describe: text, voice, photo. No database, no barcode | Search and barcode free; AI photo and voice ("I ate two eggs…") in Gold |
| Shows the AI's assumptions per estimate | Yes: verbatim input, item list, stated assumptions, calorie band | Not documented by the vendor; matched-food list plus a "Do you also have…?" prompt |
| Correction in plain language | Yes, one sentence, before it counts | No; swap button, adjust servings |
| Food database | None, by design | "more than 1.1 million verified foods"; "not relying on AI-generated nutrition information" |
| Micronutrients | No, six values | Yes, free, "95+ vitamins and minerals" |
| Macro targets by weekday | Yes | Yes, Gold: "Macro Scheduler", one template per weekday |
| Streaks or similar mechanics | None | Yes; can be hidden (More, Display, Show Streaks) |
| Ads in the free tier | No free tier, no ads | Yes: the free version "has ads" |
| Price and trial | $9.99/mo or $49.99/yr, 14-day trial | Gold $10.99/mo or $59.99/yr; no standard trial advertised |
| Free tier | No | Yes, "Basic", with ads |
| Claude or ChatGPT can log a meal over MCP | Yes: Claude, ChatGPT, custom MCP | None; no public API |
| Platforms | iPhone, Android | iOS, Android, web |
Why does Macropass track only six values?
Because a described meal cannot support honest micronutrient numbers. An AI estimate of "grilled chicken and rice" can carry calories, protein, carbs, fat, fiber and sugar with stated assumptions and a band; a vitamin B12 figure from that sentence would be a guess dressed as data. Macropass would rather show six values it can explain than ninety it cannot. That is the whole trade, and it is why Cronometer is the right answer for a micronutrient completionist.
Macropass vs Cronometer questions
Does Macropass track vitamins or sodium?
No. Six values per meal and per day: calories, protein, carbs, fat, fiber, and sugar. No vitamins, sodium or other micronutrients, by design. Cronometer does, for free.
Is Cronometer free?
Yes, the Basic tier is free with ads; Gold is $10.99 per month or $59.99 per year on 2026-09-18. Macropass has no free tier.
Does Cronometer have AI photo logging?
Yes, in Gold, along with voice logging. A stated assumptions list and a calorie band are not documented by the vendor.
Can Claude log into Cronometer?
No. Cronometer has no public API or MCP integration. Macropass has an official MCP connection for Claude, ChatGPT and custom clients.
Can I use both?
Nothing stops you, but they solve different problems. Pick Cronometer for micronutrient precision, Macropass for the lowest-effort calorie and macro log with visible math.
