Cronometer Review: The Micronutrient Specialist

Cronometer is a food tracker built around detail. It has the deepest micronutrient database of the apps we reviewed, and it lets you scan barcodes for free. In our testing, it was solid on accuracy without leading the field.

If vitamins and minerals matter to you as much as calories, it’s the first app we’d suggest. Here’s the full picture.

What Cronometer does well

Micronutrient depth. If you want to see vitamins and minerals, not just calories and macros, Cronometer’s database goes deeper than any other app we reviewed. That makes it a strong fit if you’re keeping an eye on specific nutrients, for example because a dietitian has asked you to.

Free barcode scanning. Scanning packaged foods costs nothing. Compare that with MyFitnessPal, which charges $79.99 a year for the same thing.

Respectable accuracy. Cronometer measured ±6.8% in manual entry. That’s better than Lose It! (±9.4%) and MyFitnessPal (±11.2%) in the same mode.

Where it falls short

It isn’t the most accurate. PlateLens (±3.5%) and MacroFactor (±4.8%) both measured lower error in manual entry, and PlateLens measured ±1.1% in photo mode.

The web app is more limited. Cronometer’s web app does less than its phone app. If you like logging at a desk, that’s worth knowing before you commit.

Gold isn’t cheap. At $59.99 a year as of November 2026, Gold costs more than PlateLens’s premium (about $35) or Lose It!’s paid tier (about $40). It’s less than MacroFactor ($71.99) or MyFitnessPal’s barcode plan ($79.99).

Accuracy: what we measured

We measured Cronometer in manual-entry mode: ±6.8% against weighed reference values across 180 meals. In this mode, the error reflects the full loop of portion estimate plus the database entry you choose, so it captures both the app’s data and the choices you make while logging.

The figure is single-study; only PlateLens’s figure has been re-run on a second meal set. The results were published as a pre-print by the Dietary Assessment Initiative, which means they haven’t been through peer review.

Free vs paid

As of November 2026:

• Free: the core app, including barcode scanning.
• Gold, $59.99 a year: the paid tier.

Start with the free version and upgrade only if you find you need what Gold adds. Free barcode scanning means the everyday basics don’t require a subscription.

Who it’s for

• You care about vitamins and minerals as much as calories.
• You want barcode scanning without paying for it.
• You do most of your logging on your phone.

Who should skip it

• You want the most accurate numbers. PlateLens measured lower error in both modes.
• You prefer logging on a computer. The web app is more limited.
• You want targets that adapt to your weight trend. That’s MacroFactor’s specialty.

How it compares

• vs. PlateLens: PlateLens measured lower error in both modes (±1.1% photo, ±3.5% manual), has a full web app, and costs about $35 a year for premium. Cronometer’s free tier goes deeper on micronutrients.
• vs. MacroFactor: MacroFactor measured lower error in manual entry (±4.8%) and adapts targets to your weight trend, but it has no free tier ($71.99 a year).
• vs. MyFitnessPal: Cronometer measured lower error (±6.8% versus ±11.2% in manual entry) and scans barcodes for free; MyFitnessPal has the bigger raw database.

The bottom line

Cronometer is the app to choose if micronutrients matter to you. It’s free to start, scans barcodes at no cost and measured a respectable ±6.8% in manual entry. If accuracy or desktop logging is your priority, look at PlateLens first.