Cronometer vs MyFitnessPal vs MacroFactor: which food tracker fits a runner?

Cronometer vs MyFitnessPal vs MacroFactor comes down to what you want a food tracker to be good at. Cronometer is the most accurate, with a verified database and up to 95 nutrients. MyFitnessPal is the biggest, with 20.5 million+ foods and 40+ connected apps and devices. MacroFactor is the smartest at setting a calorie target, because it works out your real energy use from your food log and weight trend.

For runners there is a fourth question: does the app know what training you have today and tomorrow? None of the three plans carbs around your sessions or gives you a race-day fueling plan. Mavr publishes this article and builds an app for that gap, so we say clearly where each of the others is the better pick. Prices checked October 2026, from each vendor’s US App Store listing and website.

Quick answer

• Pick Cronometer if you want accurate data, micronutrients like iron, calcium and vitamin D, and a free barcode scanner. Gold costs $10.99 a month or $59.99 a year.
• Pick MyFitnessPal if you eat out a lot, want the biggest food database and want to connect Garmin, Strava or TrainingPeaks. Premium is $19.99 a month or $79.99 a year.
• Pick MacroFactor if your goal is weight loss or body composition and you want a calorie target that adjusts to your real metabolism. It costs $11.99 a month, $47.99 for six months or $71.99 a year.
• Pick Mavr if you train for races and want carbs, protein and calories that change with each day’s sessions, plus before, during and after workout fueling.

Cronometer vs MyFitnessPal vs MacroFactor at a glance

Price compared

On a yearly plan Cronometer Gold is the cheapest of the three at $59.99. MacroFactor is $71.99 and MyFitnessPal Premium is $79.99. The MyFitnessPal App Store listing also shows lower prices ($9.99 a month and $49.99 a year), which look like offers, so check the price in the app before you pay. MyFitnessPal also sells Premium Plus, which adds meal plans, grocery delivery and 1,500+ recipes. Mavr Pro is from $5.99 a week, or $79.99 a year (about $1.54 a week).

The free tiers matter more than the prices for many people. Cronometer’s free Basic plan keeps the barcode scanner and custom macro and micronutrient targets. MyFitnessPal’s free plan covers food and exercise logging, but barcode scan, Meal Scan, voice logging, custom macro goals and ad-free logging are Premium. MacroFactor has no free tier at all after its 7-day trial.

Food database: verified vs crowd-sourced

This is the biggest real difference between Cronometer and MyFitnessPal. Cronometer says its database has more than 1.1 million verified foods, drawn from sources such as the NCCDB, the USDA and the Canadian Nutrient File, and that every submitted item goes through a verification process. MyFitnessPal has more than 20.5 million foods, including restaurant dishes. A green check mark means MyFitnessPal has reviewed the entry; entries without one were added by members and have not been reviewed.

MacroFactor sits between the two. It describes its database as verified and uses Open Food Facts data for packaged foods. In practice: MyFitnessPal is most likely to have the exact chain-restaurant meal you ate, and Cronometer is most likely to have the right numbers for what it does have. Whichever app you use, check your 10 to 20 most-eaten foods against the label once, then save them as favourites or recipes.

Micronutrients

Cronometer wins this clearly. It tracks up to 84 nutrients on the free plan and up to 95 with Gold, and lets you set your own targets for each. For runners that is useful if you are checking iron, calcium, vitamin D or B12, for example on a vegetarian diet or after a blood test. MacroFactor gives detailed micronutrient breakdowns too. MyFitnessPal is built around calories and macros, with custom targets for protein, sodium, fibre and a few more.

Barcode, photo and voice logging

• Cronometer: barcode scan is free. Photo and voice logging are Gold features, along with a recipe importer, a fasting timer and Crono Coach, its AI assistant.
• MyFitnessPal: barcode scan, Meal Scan (photo) and voice logging are all Premium. It also has an AI Coach that gives tips based on your goals and logging history.
• MacroFactor: barcode scan and custom foods are included. Its AI food logging works from a photo, a photo plus a short description, or an uploaded picture, and there is a separate describe option.

Photo logging is quick but estimates portions, so check the grams on anything you eat often. A scale and a barcode still give the most accurate log in all three apps.

How each app sets your calorie target

MyFitnessPal and Cronometer both start from a formula. You enter your body, your activity level and your goal, and the app gives you a daily calorie target. Cronometer builds it from your BMR plus a baseline activity level, and you can type in your own fixed target instead.

MacroFactor works differently. It starts with a formula, then keeps adjusting its estimate of your expenditure from what you log and how your weight trend moves. If you eat the same amount and your weight does not change as predicted, it changes the estimate. Targets are updated at a weekly check-in. MacroFactor’s own analysis of 748 users found a median error of about 135 Calories a day after 3 to 4 weeks, against about 335 for formula estimates. That is the company’s own data, and it says accuracy drops when you only log part of your days.

For a runner this is MacroFactor’s strength and its limit. It finds your true average burn over weeks, which is great for weight goals. It does not know that Sunday is a 30 km long run. You can shift calories between days within your weekly budget, or set day-by-day targets yourself on its Collaborative or Manual programs, but you plan those shifts by hand.

Exercise calories and wearable sync

MyFitnessPal adds the calories from a logged or synced workout to your daily goal. Its partner list includes Garmin Connect, Strava, TrainingPeaks, Polar Flow and Google Health, plus Apple Health on iPhone, and it says it connects to 40+ trackers, watches and health apps.

Cronometer syncs with Apple Health and Apple Watch, Garmin, Fitbit, Oura, WHOOP, Polar, Suunto, Withings and Dexcom, and on Android with Health Connect and Samsung Health. Its help centre says that with the Add Expenditure Above Baseline setting on, energy you burn above your baseline is added to your target. Strava is not on its device list, and Cronometer’s forum says Strava sync ended after a change to Strava’s API terms.

MacroFactor connects to Apple Health on iPhone and Health Connect on Android, and does not connect to Garmin or Strava directly. It says it does not use wearable energy expenditure estimates to set your targets, by choice, because wearables often misjudge calories burned. So there are no workout calories to eat back.

Watch calorie numbers can be well off. A Stanford study of seven wrist devices found that none estimated energy expenditure with an error below 20%. Adding them back works well enough on most days, but it is a rough number to plan a long-run day around.

Cronometer vs MyFitnessPal

Is Cronometer better than MyFitnessPal? For accuracy, micronutrients and price, yes. Cronometer’s free plan includes the barcode scanner, its paid plan is $20 a year cheaper, and its data is verified. MyFitnessPal is better if you need breadth: restaurant meals, regional brands, and direct links to Strava and TrainingPeaks. Both add workout calories to your target, and neither plans fueling for a session.

MacroFactor vs MyFitnessPal

MacroFactor is the better pick if your goal is weight change and you will log consistently, because its target follows your real metabolism instead of a formula plus watch calories. It is also ad-free on every plan. MyFitnessPal is better if you want a free option, a huge database and direct Garmin or Strava sync. MacroFactor costs $8 a year less than MyFitnessPal Premium on yearly plans.

MacroFactor vs Cronometer

These two are the closest on data quality. Choose Cronometer for the deepest micronutrient tracking, a free plan, a lower yearly price and direct sync with Garmin, Polar, Suunto, WHOOP and Oura. Choose MacroFactor for the smartest calorie target and its weekly check-ins. If you train hard and want your watch data counted, Cronometer does that and MacroFactor deliberately does not.

The gap for runners: none of them plans your fuel

All three apps answer the question “how much did you eat compared with your target?” Runners and triathletes also need answers to different questions. How many carbs should today be, given tomorrow’s long run? What should you eat before an evening interval session? How many grams an hour should you take during a 2-hour run? What does race morning look like?

• Daily carbs should rise and fall with training. The ACSM position stand gives 5 to 7 g per kg of body weight a day for about an hour of moderate exercise, and 6 to 10 g per kg for 1 to 3 hours of moderate to high intensity. For a 65 kg runner, that is roughly 325 g on a light day and 520 g on a big long-run day at 8 g per kg.
• Fueling during sessions has its own targets: about 30 to 60 g of carbs an hour for 1 to 2.5 hours, and up to 90 g an hour for efforts beyond about 2.5 hours, using mixed glucose and fructose sources.
• Timing matters: carbs in the hours before a hard session and carbs plus protein after it.

A calorie tracker can show a long-run day as “you earned 1,200 kcal”, but it does not turn that into carbs at breakfast, gels during the run and a recovery meal after. It also only sees the workout once it is done, not the session on your plan for tomorrow. You can do this yourself in any of the three apps, by setting higher targets on long-run days, but you do the planning.

Where Mavr fits, and where it does not

Mavr starts from your training. It syncs sessions from Strava, Garmin, TrainingPeaks, Intervals.icu, Runna and Apple Health (which brings in Coros, WHOOP and Oura), and sets daily carb, protein, fat and calorie targets that change with the day’s training. It splits them into per-meal targets and adds before, during and after workout fueling. You log food by search, barcode, photo (AI Food Analysis) or voice, save recipes and favourites, and can ask Kai, the AI nutrition coach, what to eat around a session. The website has free race tools too: a race plan calculator, marathon, half marathon and ultra fuel calculators, and race pages with each race’s aid stations.

To be fair to the others: Mavr is not a general diet app. If your main goal is weight loss with no race on the calendar, MacroFactor’s adaptive target is a better tool. If you want to check iron, vitamin D and 90-plus other nutrients, Cronometer is better. If you want the biggest restaurant database, MyFitnessPal is. Mavr is also iPhone only, while all three of the others are on iPhone and Android.

Who should pick which

Pick Cronometer if you:

• Want the most accurate food data and micronutrient detail.
• Want a free plan that still scans barcodes.
• Use Garmin, Polar, Suunto, WHOOP or Oura and want activity counted in your target.
• Want the lowest yearly price of the three ($59.99).

Pick MyFitnessPal if you:

• Eat out often and need restaurant and regional foods.
• Want direct links to Strava, TrainingPeaks or Garmin Connect.
• Are happy with a free plan, or want meal plans and recipes with Premium Plus.

Pick MacroFactor if you:

• Want to lose, gain or hold weight and have stalled with formula targets.
• Will log most days and weigh yourself often.
• Prefer an ad-free app that ignores watch calorie estimates.

Pick Mavr if you:

• Train for a race and want daily targets that follow your sessions.
• Want before, during and after workout fueling, not just a calorie number.
• Follow a Runna or TrainingPeaks plan, or sync from Strava, Garmin or Intervals.icu.
• Use an iPhone.

If you have a medical condition or a history of disordered eating, a registered sports dietitian is a better first step than any app.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. 1Cronometer: Calorie CounterApple App Store (US)Gold $10.99 a month and $59.99 a year; 1.1 million+ verified foods; 95+ nutrients; free barcode scan; Gold features. Accessed October 17, 2026.
2. 2Cronometer GoldCronometerBasic vs Gold features, up to 84 vs up to 95 nutrients, $4.99 a month billed $59.99 a year. Accessed October 17, 2026.
3. 3Accurate food databasesCronometerNCCDB, USDA and CNF sources; verification of submitted items. Accessed October 17, 2026.
4. 4Sync devicesCronometerSupported devices and health platforms. Accessed October 17, 2026.
5. 5Energy TargetCronometer Help CenterBMR plus baseline activity; Add Expenditure Above Baseline setting; custom energy target. Accessed October 17, 2026.
6. 6Strava API changesCronometer ForumsModerator post, December 2024: Cronometer can no longer support Strava integrations.
7. 7MyFitnessPal: Calorie CounterApple App Store (US)Premium $19.99 a month and $79.99 a year (offers at $9.99 and $49.99 also listed); 20.5 million+ foods; 40+ connections; Premium and Premium Plus features; AI Coach. Accessed October 17, 2026.
8. 8MyFitnessPal PremiumMyFitnessPalFree vs Premium features; 7-day trial for new Premium users. Accessed October 17, 2026.
9. 9Apps and devicesMyFitnessPalPartner list including Garmin Connect, Strava, TrainingPeaks and Polar Flow. Accessed October 17, 2026.
10. 10What does the check mark mean?MyFitnessPal HelpChecked entries reviewed by MyFitnessPal; unchecked entries added by members. Accessed October 17, 2026.
11. 11MacroFactor: Macro TrackerApple App Store (US)$11.99 a month, $47.99 a half year, $71.99 a year; no free tier; 7-day trial; verified database with Open Food Facts data; weekly check-ins. Accessed October 17, 2026.
12. 12Does MacroFactor use energy expenditure data from my wearable activity tracker?MacroFactor HelpNo, by design. Accessed October 17, 2026.
13. 13How accurate is MacroFactor’s expenditure algorithm?MacroFactorCompany analysis of 748 users: median error about 135 vs 335 Calories. Accessed October 17, 2026.
14. 14Does MacroFactor support refeeds, diet breaks, or carb cycling?MacroFactor HelpCalorie shifting and day-to-day targets by program type. Accessed October 17, 2026.
15. 15AI food loggingMacroFactor HelpPhoto, Photo and Text, and Upload modes. Accessed October 17, 2026.
16. 16Data sourcesMacroFactor HelpApple Health and Health Connect; Fitbit integration removed. Accessed October 17, 2026.
17. 17Mavr: Running Nutrition & Fuel AppApple App Store (US)Mavr Pro prices; iPhone only. Accessed October 17, 2026.
18. 18American College of Sports Medicine Joint Position Statement. Nutrition and Athletic PerformanceThomas DT et al., Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2016Daily carbohydrate ranges by training load; 30 to 60 g an hour for 1 to 2.5 hours, up to 90 g an hour beyond 2.5 to 3 hours.
19. 19International Association of Athletics Federations Consensus Statement 2019: Nutrition for AthleticsBurke LM et al., International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2019Fueling for training and competition in distance running.
20. 20Contemporary Nutrition Strategies to Optimize Performance in Distance Runners and Race WalkersBurke LM, Jeukendrup AE, Jones AM et al., International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2019Carbohydrate periodization around training and race fueling for distance runners.
21. 21A step towards personalized sports nutrition: carbohydrate intake during exerciseJeukendrup A, Sports Medicine, 2014Carbs during exercise by duration; up to 90 g an hour with multiple transportable carbs for efforts over about 2.5 hours.
22. 22Accuracy in Wrist-Worn, Sensor-Based Measurements of Heart Rate and Energy Expenditure in a Diverse CohortShcherbina A et al., Journal of Personalized Medicine, 2017No device of the seven tested achieved an energy expenditure error below 20 percent.