TL;DR
- Pick Cronometer for micronutrient precision; pick MyFitnessPal for database breadth and faster everyday logging.
- Cronometer tracks up to 84 nutrients free and up to 95 on Gold, drawn from lab-analysed sources (NCCDB, USDA) with a curated community database.[1][2] MyFitnessPal's database is far larger but crowd-sourced and less consistent.
- Cronometer Gold is $10.99/mo or $59.99/yr; the free tier already covers full micronutrient logging.[1] MyFitnessPal Premium is listed at €79.99/yr and gates the barcode scanner.[3][4]
- If your question is "am I hitting my vitamins and minerals?", Cronometer is the better tool even on its free tier.
These two apps answer different questions. MyFitnessPal optimises for logging anything quickly from a giant database. Cronometer optimises for knowing exactly what you ate down to the micronutrient, from data it trusts. If you only track calories and the big three macros, the difference barely shows. If you care about iron, magnesium, omega-3s, or vitamin D, it is the whole decision.
Database model: breadth vs verification
MyFitnessPal's database is enormous because it accepts user-submitted entries. That breadth is its selling point and its weakness: you will find almost any product, but entries vary in accuracy and you learn to pick the verified ones. Cronometer takes the opposite stance, building on lab-analysed sources such as the NCCDB and USDA FoodData Central, with its curated community database (CRDB) reviewed by a curation team before entries go live.[2]
The practical effect: a generic "chicken breast" in Cronometer carries a complete, lab-sourced micronutrient profile, while the same search in MyFitnessPal returns dozens of entries with calories and macros but sparse micronutrient data.
Micronutrient coverage
Cronometer's free tier tracks up to 84 nutrients and compounds; Gold raises that to up to 95.[1] Notably, full vitamin and mineral tracking is in the free tier, so you do not need to pay to use Cronometer's defining feature. MyFitnessPal does surface some micronutrients, but its data density for them is thinner because the underlying entries are crowd-sourced. For body-composition work that depends on protein accuracy, our macro counting guide pairs naturally with whichever tracker you choose.
Verified pricing and free-tier limits
| Cronometer | MyFitnessPal | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Full micronutrient logging, up to 84 nutrients[1] | Logging + database (no barcode scanner)[4] |
| Paid monthly | $10.99/mo (Gold)[1] | €24.99/mo (Premium+, as listed)[3] |
| Paid annual | $59.99/yr ($4.99/mo equiv, Gold)[1] | €79.99/yr Premium; €99.99/yr Premium+[3] |
| Nutrients tracked | Up to 84 free / 95 Gold[1] | Calories, macros, limited micros |
| Database | Lab-analysed (NCCDB, USDA) + curated CRDB[2] | Crowd-sourced, very large |
Gold's annual cost over three years is straightforward, and it sits below MyFitnessPal Premium:
Cronometer Gold annual: $59.99/yr x 3 = $179.97
Cronometer free: 0 x 3 = 0 (micros included)
MyFitnessPal Premium: 79.99 EUR/yr x 3 = 239.97 EURThe headline is that Cronometer's strongest feature, complete micronutrient tracking, costs nothing. Gold adds photo and voice logging, recipe import, and unlimited custom charts on top.[1]
Who should pick which
- Pick Cronometer if you track vitamins and minerals, want lab-grade data accuracy, or are managing a clinical or athletic nutrition target. The free tier likely covers you.
- Pick MyFitnessPal if you want the fastest path to logging packaged and restaurant foods from the broadest database and care mainly about calories and macros.
- Run both if you want MyFitnessPal's breadth for convenience days and Cronometer's precision when you are auditing micronutrient gaps.
Verified as of 2026-05-25. Cronometer pricing and nutrient counts read from the official Cronometer Gold page ($10.99/mo, $59.99/yr; 84 free / 95 Gold nutrients).[1] MyFitnessPal pricing read from the official subscription page, which is region-priced and displayed € figures for our region;[3] your local currency may differ. Currencies are mixed because each vendor quotes its own.
FAQ
Is Cronometer more accurate than MyFitnessPal?
For nutrient data, yes. Cronometer draws on lab-analysed databases and curates community entries, while MyFitnessPal relies heavily on crowd-sourced data of variable quality.[2] For calorie and macro logging of common foods, both are workable.
Is Cronometer free for micronutrient tracking?
Yes. The free tier tracks up to 84 nutrients and compounds, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and fatty acids. Gold raises the ceiling to 95 and adds logging conveniences, but the core micronutrient feature is not paywalled.[1]
How much does Cronometer Gold cost in 2026?
Gold is $10.99 per month or $59.99 per year (about $4.99/month on the annual plan).[1]
Which has the bigger food database?
MyFitnessPal, because it accepts user submissions at scale. Cronometer's database is smaller but built on verified, lab-analysed sources, so it trades quantity for nutrient accuracy.[2]
References
- 1 Cronometer Gold: pricing, nutrient coverage, and free-tier limits — Cronometer (2026)
- 2 Cronometer Data Sources (NCCDB, USDA, CRDB) — Cronometer Help Center (2026)
- 3 MyFitnessPal Premium subscription plans and pricing — MyFitnessPal (2026)
- 4 What are the features of MyFitnessPal Premium? — MyFitnessPal Help Center (2026)