Tracking macros can feel like an uphill battle. Each diet or health plan has a different set of rules, and it can be tough to keep track of the numbers so you can stay on track and reach your goals. Thankfully, nutrition-tracking apps can help, making it easier to log food, understand your intake, and stay organized. You've come to the right place if you’re trying to decide between Cronometer vs Carb Manager. This article will help you figure out which one of these popular apps is the best fit for your health goals, dietary preferences, and lifestyle. Additionally we will also touch upon how to hit your macros?
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Cronometer is a nutrition tracker app that helps you log your food intake and track your calories and micronutrients. While many nutrition apps only track macros like carbs, fats, and proteins, Cronometer goes beyond the basics and tracks 85 nutrients and other health metrics to give users a comprehensive diet overview.
The app is highly customizable, allowing you to track specific diets, like keto or vegan. You can also sync it to various fitness trackers and health apps to import workout data, blood sugar levels, and more. Cronometer compiles all of your health data to provide you with comprehensive health reports that you can use to make informed decisions about your wellness journey.
Understanding how your lifestyle affects your biometrics can give you direction as you make health decisions. Before you subscribe: Cronometer tracks 85 nutrients in your diet. It can pair with a variety of fitness apps. The free subscription comes with ads.
Carb Manager is a food tracking app geared towards low-carb and keto diets, although you can set your macronutrient goals to your preference. It lets you track macros, chart weight loss progress, and scan nutrition information through a barcode. The premium option is billed annually, including:
When considering Cronometer vs. Carb Manager, knowing that both apps can help you track macros is essential. Nevertheless, they approach this task differently. Cronometer targets anyone looking to improve their nutrition, while Carb Manager is geared toward those following a keto or low-carb diet.
Good for: Anyone who wants to dig into carbohydrates, fat, and protein instead of just calories
If you’re serious about tracking macros and other key health metrics, Cronometer is your choice. Former GGR senior editor and certified nutrition coach Erin Chancer, who tested the app, said it’s very easy to use and has many available metrics.
“Other than meal and exercise tracking, you can track your measurements (such as biceps, calves, and hips.) You can track heart rate, blood pressure, and pulse. There is also a way to track your mood and sleep to chart your mental health. Anything you choose to track can then be added to your daily diary,” Erin says.
This was overwhelming at times, but if you can narrow down your most important metrics, Cronometer makes it easy to see macros (and even micronutrients) and other metrics with visually appealing data graphs, charts, and reports. Because of this, she rated it a 4 out of 5 for features and ease of use and a 4.5 out of 5 for available stat tracking.
Perry Nix, RD, loves that Cronometer doesn’t just track macros and instead actually helps people “obtain an optimal micronutrient intake, too”
“Cronometer tracks significantly more nutrients than most other tracking apps. This is super helpful for those with medical conditions that can lead to nutrient deficiencies,” she explains. “It’s also great for athletes who want to track nutrients like electrolytes and B vitamins for improved muscle recovery, hydration, and energy production.”
All this is available in the free version, but you must upgrade to the paid app for additional tracking, such as fasting times.
The only place Cronometer fell short was meal tracking. While the meal tracker is relatively easy to use, you have to enter meals manually as recipes, according to Erin. She says this isn’t a deal breaker if you meal prep or eat the same things daily. Nevertheless, it can be tedious for new meals with many ingredients.
“When you have a meal with multiple ingredients (e.g., my daily salad lunch), unless you weigh and measure everything you eat, you’ll have to estimate the amounts, which can lead to inaccuracy in your tracking,” she says.
Good for: Anyone who wants a sizeable low-carb recipe database and a simple way to track macros.
If you’re following a keto diet, you’ll need a weight loss app that can accurately track carbohydrates and, ideally, net carbohydrates. While many apps have this functionality, it’s often a premium feature. Carb Manager still tracks calories, but it puts carbs at the forefront, and the free version's database has more than 5,000 low-carb recipes.
Yet despite the large library and extensive features, GGR staff writer and Olympian Caine Wilkes says it’s simple to navigate. He gives it a 4 out of 5 for ease of use and functionality and a 4.5 out of 5 for accuracy.
“I never had to input a meal while using it. However, there were quite a few times where nutritional information was off, even for scanned-in items, although errors were minor. And they were quick to fix,” he says.
While carbohydrates are the primary consideration with the keto diet, Carb Manager can also track water intake, intermittent fasting times, and workouts. If you upgrade to the premium version, you can also see your micronutrient intake.
Perry Nix, RD, says, “I like that you can track macros, calories, exercise, water intake, and body weight. It’s also convenient that the app includes thousands of healthy recipes for when you’re needing a little meal inspo.”
Perry also calls out that “Carb Manager markets towards individuals following a keto or low-carb diet, which are considered restrictive diets. If you have a history of disordered eating, avoid using tracking apps and following restrictive diets, as these practices can spiral into unhealthy obsessions.”
This app is compatible with several devices, including blood sugar trackers, but Caine says these are upgraded features that require a premium subscription. There’s never any confusion about which features are free and which are part of the premium membership, though, which is another thing Caine likes about the app.
Carb Manager also gets a perfect score (5 out of 5) for the community aspect. Some groups and challenges help keep you motivated and engaged.
“Groups are basically forums and chats for people with similar weight loss goals, and each week a 4-week challenge begins to engage the community together, earning challenge points through logging food and using the app,” Caine says.
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