Comparisons
Cronometer vs MyFitnessPal vs Countwell
Cronometer vs MyFitnessPal is the classic tracking matchup: the deepest nutrient data against the biggest food database. Both leave real gaps, though. MyFitnessPal now locks its basics behind a paywall, Cronometer is slow to log, and neither itemizes a restaurant meal. That is why Countwell belongs in this comparison, and for most people it is the one to beat. Here is how all three stack up.
Cronometer vs MyFitnessPal vs Countwell: which should you pick?
For most people, Countwell. It keeps custom macros, itemized restaurant meals, and an ad-free web app free, while barcode scanning, coach sharing, and AI-assistant logging are part of Countwell Premium. Pick Cronometer instead if micronutrients are your priority, since it tracks 80+ of them against curated data. Pick MyFitnessPal only if the largest food database matters more to you than free features, because barcode scanning and custom macros now cost money and the free app shows ads.
The short version: Cronometer wins on depth, MyFitnessPal wins on database size, and Countwell wins on keeping the useful parts free and adding the things the other two skip.
How do the features compare side by side?
Here is what each app includes today, free versus paid, with Countwell in the first column. Details change often, so confirm on each app before you switch.
| Feature | Countwell | Cronometer | MyFitnessPal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | |||
| Food log + calorie tracking | |||
| Barcode scanning | Premium | Premium | |
| Custom macro goals | Premium | ||
| No ads | not included | not included | |
| Full web app | |||
| Itemized restaurant meals | not included | not included | |
| Share your log with a coach | Premium | not included | not included |
| Log via an AI assistant | Premium | not included | not included |
| AI photo food scan | Premium | not included | Premium |
| Micronutrient detail (80+) | not included | not included | |
| Adaptive TDEE coaching | not included | not included | not included |
The features MyFitnessPal charges for are the ones Countwell keeps free.
Each app, up close
Countwell: free basics plus what the others skip
Countwell keeps custom macro goals, a full ad-free web app, and search over a million real foods free. Barcode scanning is part of Countwell Premium. It is not built for deep micronutrient work the way Cronometer is. What it adds instead is practical: you can itemize restaurant and takeout meals instead of logging one lumped total, share your log with a coach through a private link, and log meals from an AI assistant like Claude or ChatGPT. Those three, plus AI photo scan, live in Premium; the core log stays free. See the full field in our roundup of MyFitnessPal alternatives.
Cronometer: for micronutrient detail
Cronometer is the choice if you care about more than calories. It tracks 80+ micronutrients against high-quality sources like the USDA database and NCCDB, so it shows targets for things most apps ignore, such as magnesium, potassium, and vitamin K. Both barcode scanning and custom macro and micronutrient targets are free, and there is a full web app. The trade-off is speed: all that precision means more taps per entry, so it rewards careful logging over quick logging. The free tier shows ads and limits reports to the last seven days.
MyFitnessPal: for the biggest database
MyFitnessPal still has the largest food database in the category, which is its real advantage. If a food exists, someone has probably logged it. The catch is the free tier. Barcode scanning, custom macro goals, and the newer meal-scan feature all sit behind Premium now, and the free app shows ads. Micronutrient tracking is basic compared to Cronometer. For a lot of people the barcode scanner was the main reason they used it, so paying to get it back is the moment they start looking around.
How should you choose between them?
- Want free barcode scanning and custom macros? Cronometer keeps both free. Countwell keeps custom macros free and includes barcode scanning in Countwell Premium; MyFitnessPal charges too.
- Eat out a lot? Countwell itemizes restaurant and takeout meals instead of logging one opaque total. Neither other app does.
- Work with a coach, or live in an AI assistant? Countwell shares your log by link and lets you log from Claude or ChatGPT. The others offer neither.
- Tracking vitamins and minerals? Cronometer, by a wide margin. Nothing here comes close on micronutrient depth.
- Want the largest food database? MyFitnessPal, as long as you accept the ads and the paywalled barcode scanner.
Frequently asked questions
- Cronometer vs MyFitnessPal vs Countwell: which is best?
- It depends on your priority. For free everyday tracking with itemized restaurant meals, coach sharing, and AI-assistant logging, Countwell. For deep micronutrient data, Cronometer. For the largest food database, MyFitnessPal, though its barcode scanner and custom macros now cost money.
- Is Cronometer more accurate than MyFitnessPal?
- For nutrients, yes. Cronometer uses curated databases and tracks 80+ micronutrients, while MyFitnessPal relies on a larger but more crowd-sourced catalog where entries vary in quality. For plain calorie counting, both are accurate if you log carefully. The most accurate app is the one you will keep using.
- Does MyFitnessPal still have a free barcode scanner?
- No. MyFitnessPal moved its barcode scanner, custom macros, and meal scanning to Premium, so its free tier no longer includes barcode scanning. Cronometer keeps barcode scanning free; Countwell includes it in Countwell Premium.
- Can any of them itemize a restaurant meal?
- Only Countwell. Cronometer and MyFitnessPal log a restaurant meal as a single database entry rather than breaking it into components. Countwell is built to itemize restaurant and takeout meals item by item, which is more accurate for food you cannot weigh or scan.