People look past Cronometer when the free Basic account feels thin, when they want ads gone without paying, when they want targets that adjust on their own, or when they would rather not have the diary on US servers. Most go to MacroFactor for adaptive targets, MyNetDiary for a free verified database, or Yazio and MyFitnessPal for mass-market breadth.
Visibility in our rankings can be paid for. Payment moves a vendor's position within
the shortlist; it never adds a vendor, and it never changes a word of the review or of this page. The first three alternatives
go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands in a category, wherever the category has them; the
established names follow in their ranked order. How it works:
placement disclosure · editorial process.
What each alternative does differently
1. MacroFactor
Adaptive macro tracker with weekly target adjustments · United States
Premium-only and ad-free, with no free tier. It updates calorie and macro targets each week from your logged weight and intake, using an expenditure algorithm. Logging covers barcode, nutrition label scan and AI assistance. The vendor's own pages stress weight goals over a deep micronutrient view.
Switch from Cronometer if you want targets that adjust weekly instead of setting them by hand.
Pricing: No free version; $11.99 per month, $47.99 per six months or $71.99 per year, after a 7-day free trial. (free trial)
Full review: #1 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit MacroFactor →
2. MyNetDiary
Free calorie counter with a staff-verified database · United States
The closest free match. Its pages claim a staff-verified database of over 2 million foods, up to 108 nutrients per entry, a free barcode scanner and no ads. Photo logging, recipes and diet plans sit in paid tiers. Most of these claims are the vendor's own, including its comparisons.
Switch from Cronometer if you want a verified database and a barcode scanner without ads on the free tier.
Pricing: Free tier; Premium and a higher Premium Plus tier add photo logging, diet plans and recipes. We read no list prices on its pages. (free plan)
Full review: #2 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit MyNetDiary →
3. YAZIO
German calorie counter with optional AI photo logging · Germany
German calorie counter with AI photo tracking, barcode scanning and manual entry. It adds fasting timers (16:8, 5:2, 6:1), more than 3,000 recipes and fitness tracker sync. It is a lifestyle app aimed at weight goals, with less emphasis on vitamin and mineral depth.
Switch from Cronometer if you want recipes, fasting timers and photo logging in one weight-loss app.
Pricing: Free; PRO is sold as 3- or 12-month prepaid terms with no monthly option, and a 7-day trial is offered at times through the website. (free plan)
Full review: #5 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit YAZIO →
4. MyFitnessPal
Mass-market calorie counter with a large device network · United States
The best-known counter, with a free plan and Premium that adds barcode and meal scan, voice logging, custom macro goals and an ad-free experience. It also lists fasting and food insights as Premium. A free user types foods in by hand, so the free tier is thinner than Cronometer's.
Switch from Cronometer if you want the largest user base and a free plan for basic calorie and weight tracking.
Pricing: Free plan; Premium is listed at 9.99 euros per month or 49.99 euros per year, each with a 7-day free trial. (free plan)
Full review: #6 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit MyFitnessPal →
5. Lifesum
Swedish nutrition app with meal plans and AI logging · Sweden
Swedish app with photo, voice, typed, barcode and quick tracking, and meal plans and diets such as Mediterranean, keto and fasting. It syncs with Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch. It suits habit building and guided eating, and is lighter on micronutrient reporting.
Switch from Cronometer if you want guided meal plans and several ways to log a meal.
Pricing: Free version; Premium is an auto-renewing subscription sold through app stores and the website, with no list price on the pages we read. (free plan)
Full review: #7 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Lifesum →
6. Snapkin
Photo-only calorie and protein tracker from Belgium · Belgium
Photo-only tracker from Belgium: one photo per meal, no database search, no barcode. It puts protein first and checks your target against your weight, read from Apple Health or Health Connect. It offers a 3-day trial and no free version. It tracks calories and protein, not vitamins.
Switch from Cronometer if you want to log by one photo and care mostly about calories and protein.
Pricing: No free version; 3 days free, then EUR 9.99 per month or a yearly plan listed at EUR 49.99, shown beside a struck-through EUR 99.99 as a launch price. (free trial)
Full review: #3 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Snapkin →
7. Fitatu
Polish calorie counter with menus and a UK database · Poland
Polish calorie counter with an English site built on a UK product database, a barcode scanner, 1CLICK adding and about 38 nutrients beyond the macros. Premium+AI adds AI calorie estimates from a photo. Choose it for local grocery and restaurant coverage, not for a lab-analyzed database.
Switch from Cronometer if you shop in the UK or Poland and want local products and restaurant chains.
Pricing: A free version exists per its pages; paid tiers are named Premium and Premium+AI, and we did not record list prices. (free plan)
Full review: #9 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Fitatu →
8. Nutracheck
UK calorie counter built on British foods · United Kingdom
UK service with over 350,000 UK foods with photos, a barcode scanning app and a web food diary. It tracks calories plus seven key nutrients: carbs, sugar, protein, fat, saturated fat, salt and fibre. A 7-day free trial applies. It covers far fewer nutrients than Cronometer.
Switch from Cronometer if you eat mostly British foods and need calories plus a few key nutrients.
Pricing: 7 days free, after which restrictions apply; membership options are bought in the app or on the website, and we did not read a price. (free trial)
Full review: #10 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Nutracheck →
9. SnapCalorie
Photo and voice calorie tracker with free core features · United States
Photo-first tracker whose home page says core features are free forever, with no credit card. It adds voice notes, a free meal planner and an API. The pages say little about nutrient depth or the food database, so micronutrient trackers lose that detail here.
Switch from Cronometer if you want a free photo and voice logger and can live with a rough estimate.
Pricing: Core features free with no credit card; the terms describe a free trial and subscription charges for paid features, with no price on the pages we read. (free plan)
Full review: #11 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit SnapCalorie →
10. Foodvisor
French nutrition app with professional coaching · France
French app with a free version and a Premium tier that its page title frames as nutrition coaching. Prices are shown inside the app, not on the website, and the pages we could load were largely client-rendered. We could not confirm nutrient depth, so check the app before moving a diary.
Switch from Cronometer if you want coaching from a nutrition professional and are happy to test the app first.
Pricing: Free version; Premium price is shown in the app in local currency, tax included, with a 14-day trial referred to in its terms. (free plan)
Full review: #8 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Foodvisor →
11. Eat This Much
Automatic meal planner with food tracking · United States
A meal planner first. The free plan generates daily meal plans, tracks food, adds barcode foods, and keeps custom foods, recipes and recurring foods. Paid tiers add weekly planning, an automatic grocery list and delivery links. It plans what to eat, where Cronometer records what you ate.
Switch from Cronometer if you would rather have meals planned for you than log each one.
Pricing: Free plan at $0; Premium is listed at $5.00 per month. (free plan)
Full review: #12 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Eat This Much →
Questions and answers
Can I export my data from Cronometer?
Yes, Cronometer's data security page says you can export or delete all your data at any time. Export your diary before you cancel Gold. The privacy notice also describes a data portability request that returns your information in a portable and readily usable format.
What do I lose if I leave Gold?
You lose the ad-free experience and features such as custom charts, nutrition scores, photo and voice logging, the recipe importer, repeat items and Oracle nutrient search. A free Basic account stays available, with a 7-day outlook of nutrition data and two basic charts.
Where does Cronometer store my data?
Its privacy notice says it stores information in the cloud and on HIPAA-compliant servers in the United States. The company, Cronometer Software Inc., is Canadian. Ask any alternative for its hosting location in writing, since several of the apps here are US or EU services.
Is there a free alternative with a verified database?
MyNetDiary is the closest. Its pages claim a staff-verified database, a free barcode scanner and no ads on the free tier. SnapCalorie and Eat This Much also have free plans, but they are built for photo logging and meal planning, not for nutrient depth.
Which alternative adjusts calorie targets automatically?
MacroFactor does. Its page says it updates calorie and macro targets each week based on your progress. It has no free version. Snapkin also suggests a target after a month of logs, but it tracks calories and protein only.
Will an alternative track as many nutrients as Cronometer?
Few will. Cronometer's pages cite tracking of up to 95 nutrients and compounds in a free Basic account. MyNetDiary claims up to 108 per entry, and Fitatu lists 38 beyond the macros. Nutracheck tracks calories and seven key nutrients.
