Home / Comparisons / Carb Manager vs Cronometer: why Carb Manager wins in 2,200 store reviews
Carb Manager vs Cronometer: why Carb Manager wins in 2,200 store reviews
Which app wins?
Cronometer
Carb Manager wins: a 4.12 mean rating against Cronometer's 3.85 across 1,100 reviews each, with 841 four- and five-star reviews to Cronometer's 745 and fewer one- and two-star reviews (193 against 253).
- Keto and low-carb tracking: Carb Manager
- Recipes: Carb Manager
- Ease of use: Carb Manager
- Lowest listed price: Carb Manager
- Detailed micronutrient tracking: Cronometer
- Fewer paywall complaints: Cronometer
- Tracking on the web: Cronometer
How do Carb Manager and Cronometer compare?
| App | Price | Free tier | Platforms | Reviews analyzed | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carb Manager | $8.49 a month, $39.99 a year, checked Oct 6, 2026 (example price) | Not listed | ios, android | 1100 (as of 2026-10-06) | |
| Cronometer | $8.99 a month, $49.99 a year, checked Oct 6, 2026 (example price) | Not listed | ios, android, web | 1100 (as of 2026-10-06) | Best for detailed micronutrient tracking |
What are the pros and cons of each app?
Cronometer
Pros
- Verified food database
- Detailed micronutrients
Cons
- Slower food logging
- Dense interface
Which should you pick?
Pick Carb Manager, especially if you eat keto or low-carb. Its reviewers are happier, its fans talk more about recipes and how easy it is, and it lists the lower price. Of 1,100 reviews each, 841 Carb Manager reviewers gave four or five stars against 745 for Cronometer, and the mean rating is 4.12 against 3.85. Source: Carb Manager reviews on the App Store and Google Play, Cronometer reviews on the App Store and Google Play, collected October 6, 2026.
This is a closer race than most. Both apps are well liked, and Cronometer is the better choice if you want a detailed micronutrient breakdown or a web version on your laptop.
What does each app cost?
Both prices are in the verdict box above, checked October 6, 2026: the Carb Manager figure from its App Store listing and the Cronometer figure from its Gold pricing page. Carb Manager’s listed monthly and annual prices are both lower than Cronometer’s. Both are marked as example prices until we confirm them on each vendor’s own pricing page, and our product file has no confirmed free tier or free trial for either, so check the sign-up screen before you subscribe.
Cheaper does not mean fewer money complaints, though. Of Carb Manager’s 193 one- and two-star reviews, 59 (30.6%) mention the price, the paywall or a subscription, against 41 of 253 (16.2%) for Cronometer. Source: Carb Manager reviews on the App Store and Google Play, Cronometer reviews on the App Store and Google Play, collected October 6, 2026.
Which app wins for what?
Our verdict for each use, with the counts behind it. Source: Carb Manager reviews on the App Store and Google Play, Cronometer reviews on the App Store and Google Play, collected October 6, 2026, the App Store listings and our product file.
- Keto and low-carb tracking: Carb Manager. Its App Store screenshots show net carbs alongside fiber, total carbs, protein, fat and calories.
- Recipes: Carb Manager. 96 of 841 positive reviews (11.4%) mention recipes, against 39 of 745 (5.2%) for Cronometer.
- Ease of use: Carb Manager. 253 of 841 positive reviews (30.1%) call it easy or intuitive, against 187 of 745 (25.1%).
- Lowest listed price: Carb Manager. Both its monthly and annual prices are lower in our product file.
- Detailed micronutrient tracking: Cronometer. Our product file lists its detailed micronutrients, and 324 of 745 positive reviews (43.5%) praise its tracking, against 346 of 841 (41.1%).
- Fewer paywall complaints: Cronometer. Price comes up in 16.2% of its low ratings against 30.6% for Carb Manager.
- Tracking on the web: Cronometer. Our product file lists it on iOS, Android and the web; Carb Manager is listed on iOS and Android.
How do reviewers rate them?
Both lean positive, and Carb Manager leans further. Of 1,100 Carb Manager reviews, 841 (76.5%) gave four or five stars and 193 (17.5%) gave one or two. Of 1,100 Cronometer reviews, 745 (67.7%) gave four or five stars and 253 (23.0%) gave one or two. Source: Carb Manager reviews on the App Store and Google Play, Cronometer reviews on the App Store and Google Play, collected October 6, 2026.
| Stars | Carb Manager | Cronometer |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 722 (65.6%) | 606 (55.1%) |
| 4 | 119 (10.8%) | 139 (12.6%) |
| 3 | 66 (6.0%) | 102 (9.3%) |
| 2 | 57 (5.2%) | 88 (8.0%) |
| 1 | 136 (12.4%) | 165 (15.0%) |
| Mean | 4.12 | 3.85 |
| Source, collected October 6, 2026 | App Store, Google Play | App Store, Google Play |
Each sample is 1,100 reviews (500 App Store, 600 Google Play), collected October 6, 2026. The Carb Manager sample runs from January 24, 2025 to October 4, 2026 on the App Store and from November 25, 2025 to October 5, 2026 on Google Play, across 25 app versions. The Cronometer sample runs from May 22, 2026 to October 4, 2026 on the App Store and from July 29, 2026 to October 5, 2026 on Google Play, across 26 app versions. Source: the store review pages linked in the table; see How we research.
One thing to weigh: Carb Manager’s App Store reviews reach back about 20 months and Cronometer’s about four and a half, so older versions count for more in Carb Manager’s figures. Store reviews also lean towards very happy and very unhappy users, so read these as what reviewers said, not what every user thinks.
What do reviewers love about each app?
Tracking tops both lists at a similar share. Where Carb Manager pulls ahead is recipes and ease of use; Cronometer’s fans mention its support team more. We counted themes by keyword tagging: a review matches a theme when its title or text contains one of the theme’s keywords, praise counts come from four- and five-star reviews, and one review can match more than one theme. Source: the store review pages linked in the table, collected October 6, 2026; see How we research.
| Praise theme | Carb Manager (of 841) | Cronometer (of 745) |
|---|---|---|
| Macro tracking (macros, calories, protein, tracking) | 346 (41.1%) | 324 (43.5%) |
| Ease of use (easy, simple, intuitive, user friendly) | 253 (30.1%) | 187 (25.1%) |
| Recipes (recipes, variety, delicious) | 96 (11.4%) | 39 (5.2%) |
| Customer support (support, customer service, responsive) | 12 (1.4%) | 22 (3.0%) |
| Meal planning (meal plans, planning, planner, menu) | 10 (1.2%) | 2 (0.3%) |
| Source, collected October 6, 2026 | App Store, Google Play | App Store, Google Play |
What do reviewers complain about?
Carb Manager’s unhappy reviewers mostly complain about money; Cronometer’s complain more about updates and sync. The same keyword method applied to one- and two-star reviews gives these themes. Source: the store review pages linked in the table, collected October 6, 2026.
| Complaint theme | Carb Manager (of 193) | Cronometer (of 253) |
|---|---|---|
| Price or paywall (price, paywall, subscription, premium, charges, refunds, cost) | 59 (30.6%) | 41 (16.2%) |
| Login or crashes (logging in, crashes, freezing, bugs) | 25 (13.0%) | 30 (11.9%) |
| Recent update (update, new version, latest version) | 13 (6.7%) | 35 (13.8%) |
| Sync or lost data (sync, not saving, lost entries) | 4 (2.1%) | 13 (5.1%) |
| Source, collected October 6, 2026 | App Store, Google Play | App Store, Google Play |
What changed recently?
The Carb Manager App Store listing shows version 12.6.7, with a release note dated May 28, 2026 that describes infrastructure changes to handle more traffic and faster response times. The Cronometer App Store listing shows version 4.59.1, with a release note dated September 14, 2026 that lists bug fixes and general improvements. Each listing returned one release note, so this page does not chart earlier versions. Source: the App Store listings for Carb Manager (listing) and Cronometer (listing), checked October 6, 2026.
Not on keto? See which tracker wins for most people. Want meals planned for you? Read our meal planner review.
How did we research this comparison?
The counts on this page come from public App Store and Google Play reviews, the App Store release notes and the store listings, collected and sorted with AI assistance and checked against the evidence files. We do not test apps by hand. We did not analyze Reddit or forum threads, because Reddit blocks automated collection. The full method is on the how we research page.
Our bias. Cronometer runs an affiliate program on Awin, listed in our product file as a recurring commission, with terms not yet confirmed. Our product file lists no paying program for Carb Manager. No affiliate link is live on this page yet. The winner comes from the review evidence, not from the commission. See the affiliate disclosure.
What is our recommendation?
Go with Carb Manager if you count carbs, eat keto or want recipes built into your tracker. It has the happier reviewers and the lower listed price. Download it, log a few days, and only pay once you know you will keep using it, since the paywall is its reviewers’ top complaint. If you care more about vitamins and minerals than net carbs, or you want to log from a browser, pick Cronometer instead.
Where can I read more?
What are the most common questions?
Is Carb Manager better than Cronometer?
In the reviews, yes, by a clear but not huge margin. Carb Manager’s mean rating is 4.12 against Cronometer’s 3.85, each from 1,100 App Store and Google Play reviews collected October 6, 2026.
Which is better for keto?
Carb Manager. Its App Store screenshots show net carbs alongside the other macros, and its fans mention recipes about twice as often by share as Cronometer’s do.
Which is cheaper?
Carb Manager lists the lower monthly and annual price; both are in the verdict box, checked October 6, 2026. Both are marked as example prices until they are confirmed on each vendor’s own pricing page.
What do Carb Manager reviewers complain about most?
Of 193 one- and two-star reviews, 59 mention the price, the paywall or a subscription, and 25 mention logging in, crashes or bugs. Counts are keyword matches, so one review can count under more than one theme.
What do Cronometer reviewers complain about most?
Of 253 one- and two-star reviews, 41 mention the price, the paywall or a subscription, and 35 mention an update. The same keyword method was used for both apps.
Why do the review dates differ between the two apps?
Each sample is the most recent 500 App Store and 600 Google Play reviews the stores returned on October 6, 2026. Carb Manager’s App Store reviews go back to January 2025 and Cronometer’s to May 2026, so Carb Manager’s sample covers a longer period.
Did Plate Scales test either app?
No, we do not test apps by hand. This page reports what store reviews, release notes and the store listings say, with counts.
Does Plate Scales earn money from this page?
Cronometer runs an affiliate program on Awin, and our product file lists no paying program for Carb Manager. So the winner here is the app that earns us nothing, and no affiliate link is live on this page yet.
Where do the numbers come from?
- Carb Manager on the App Store (listing, reviews, release notes, screenshots, listed price), accessed October 6, 2026
- Carb Manager on Google Play (listing, reviews), accessed October 6, 2026
- Cronometer on the App Store (listing, reviews, release notes), accessed October 6, 2026
- Cronometer on Google Play (listing, reviews), accessed October 6, 2026
- Cronometer Gold pricing page, accessed October 6, 2026
Updates log. October 6, 2026: Rewritten in the site's new voice: Carb Manager named the overall winner, per-use winners with reasons, price up front and a closing recommendation. Every count is unchanged from the evidence files. October 6, 2026: Page drafted from 2,200 store reviews (1,100 per app) collected October 6, 2026.