Cronometer vs MacroFactor
Two tools coaches often weigh against each other, compared on the same terms.
Cronometer
A food diary with unusually careful data — micronutrients included — plus a professional view that lets a coach see a client's logs.
MacroFactor
A food-logging app with fast AI photo and voice logging and an adaptive algorithm that adjusts calorie targets from a client's real weight trend.
Pricing
Cronometer: Free tier covers logging; paid tiers add coach features
MacroFactor: Subscription app with a free trial; no free tier
Category
Cronometer: Nutrition
MacroFactor: Nutrition
Topics
Cronometer: Food Diary, Nutrition Calculator
MacroFactor: Food Diary, Nutrition Calculator
Last checked
Cronometer: 2026-09-16
MacroFactor: 2026-09-28
What it is
Cronometer
Food logging built around verified nutrition data rather than a crowd-sourced database. It tracks micronutrients as seriously as it tracks macros, and its professional tier gives coaches a dashboard of client diaries.
MacroFactor
A nutrition tracker from the Stronger By Science team. Clients log by photo, voice, barcode or search, and the app recalculates their energy expenditure each week from what they ate and how their weight moved.
Best for
Cronometer
Coaches who need the numbers to be right — working with athletes, restrictive diets, or anyone whose intake you are reporting to a dietitian or doctor.
MacroFactor
Clients who have given up on slower food diaries, and coaches who want targets based on data rather than a formula. The logging speed is the whole point.
Watch out for
Cronometer
Careful data means a smaller database of branded and restaurant foods, so logging takes longer. Clients who want to scan a barcode and move on may resist it.
MacroFactor
There is no free tier, so it is a cost you are asking clients to take on. AI photo estimates are estimates — portion sizes still need a human eye.
Editorial comparison — nothing here is paid placement. Pricing changes often; treat the vendor’s own page as the truth. How we review