Yazio vs Cronometer for Macro Tracking in 2026

For macro tracking: Cronometer beats Yazio on free-tier macro depth and nutrients. Nutrola beats both on AI-photo speed + zero ads + 100+ nutrients.

Macro tracking is where calorie apps separate themselves. Counting calories is simple math. Counting protein, carbs, and fat accurately — and then layering fiber, sugar, sodium, saturated fat, and the rest of the numbers that actually drive body composition — is where the database, the logging workflow, and the free-tier limits decide whether you stick with an app or abandon it within two weeks.

Yazio and Cronometer are two of the most recommended macro trackers in 2026, but they sit at opposite ends of the spectrum. Yazio is a polished consumer app with a friendly design and a hard paywall on advanced macros. Cronometer is a clinical-grade tool with deep nutrient tracking and free macros — gated by daily log limits and a utilitarian interface. This guide compares them directly on the metric most users care about: macro tracking, free and paid, at speed.

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Yazio Macros: Polished Design, Basic Macros Free, Advanced on PRO

Yazio leads on visual design and onboarding. The app walks new users through goal setup, meal timing, and daily calorie budgeting in a clean, friendly flow that converts casual trackers into daily users faster than almost any competitor. Where Yazio stops being friendly is the macro paywall.

What Yazio gives you free for macros

• Daily calorie budget tuned to your goal and activity level.
• Basic protein, carbs, and fat totals displayed on the daily summary.
• Food logging from a crowdsourced database with barcode scanning.
• Simple goal setting for weight loss, maintenance, or gain.
• Water and weight tracking alongside macros.
• Recipe logging for a small selection of preset meals.

The free macro view is honestly basic. You see your three macro numbers against your calorie total, and that is the extent of what the free tier exposes. Yazio does not split saturated vs unsaturated fat on free, does not show fiber separately from carbs in its primary dashboard, and does not let you customize macro ratios — the app picks them for you based on your goal.

What Yazio locks behind PRO

• Custom macro ratios (flexible protein, carb, and fat percentages).
• Advanced nutrient breakdowns beyond the three main macros.
• Meal plans with macro-aligned recipes.
• Barcode scanner expansion features and recipe import.
• Detailed analytics and macro trend charts over weeks and months.
• Fasting tracker integrated with macro windows.
• Ad removal.

Yazio PRO runs roughly €3.33/month on an annual plan, which is inexpensive in absolute terms but steep relative to the free feature set. The app essentially uses free as a trial for PRO rather than a genuinely usable macro tracker.

Where Yazio wins

• Onboarding. New trackers are more likely to finish setup on Yazio than on any other app.
• Recipe UX. The recipe library and meal plan flow are visually the cleanest of any macro tracker.
• Localization. Strong European food coverage and multiple languages.
• Design polish. The weekly summaries and progress visualizations feel modern and motivating.

Where Yazio falls short for macros

• Free-tier depth. Basic protein/carbs/fat only, no customization, no fiber split, no saturated fat visibility.
• Crowdsourced database. Entries vary in accuracy. Verified labels exist but most entries are user-submitted.
• No AI logging. Photo, voice, and natural language entry are not part of the core flow.
• Paywall friction. The macro features most serious trackers actually want are behind PRO.

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Cronometer Macros: Free Macros + 80+ Nutrients with Daily Log Limits

Cronometer is the go-to for users who want accurate numbers. The app was built around verified nutrient databases (USDA, NCCDB, and CRDB) and treats macro tracking as one layer within a much deeper nutrition model. For anyone tracking health markers beyond calories — athletes, medical patients, registered dietitians, biohackers — Cronometer is the default recommendation.

What Cronometer gives you free for macros

• Full protein, carb, and fat tracking on the free tier.
• Custom macro targets expressed as grams or percentages.
• 80+ nutrient tracking including fiber, sugar, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, and most vitamins and minerals.
• Verified database entries from USDA and NCCDB (not crowdsourced).
• Custom recipes with full nutrient breakdowns calculated from ingredients.
• Daily nutrient report showing which targets you hit or missed.

Cronometer's free macro experience is substantially deeper than Yazio's. Where Yazio shows three numbers, Cronometer shows three numbers inside a report that also tells you whether you hit your fiber goal, how much saturated fat you consumed, whether you are low on potassium, and how your micronutrients stack against RDA targets.

What Cronometer limits or locks

• Daily log limits on the free tier restrict how many entries you can add per day in certain configurations, and some custom food and recipe features require Gold.
• No barcode scanning on the standard free tier (limited or gated in most regions).
• No recipe import from URLs on free.
• No AI features — logging is manual search and entry.
• Advanced reports, custom biometrics, fasting timers, and additional food group tracking require Cronometer Gold (roughly $9.99/month or $69.99/year).
• Interface is utilitarian — closer to a clinical tool than a consumer app.

Where Cronometer wins

• Nutrient depth. 80+ nutrients on free is unmatched among mainstream trackers.
• Database quality. Verified USDA/NCCDB data means the numbers are trustworthy without cross-checking.
• Custom macro targets. Set exact gram targets for protein, carbs, fat, and individual nutrients.
• Professional adoption. Used by dietitians and researchers because the data is reliable.

Where Cronometer falls short for macros

• Daily limits on free. Active users frequently hit the caps that Gold removes.
• Logging speed. Manual search with no AI logging means each meal takes longer to record than on AI-first apps.
• UX. The interface is functional but dated, with dense tables and minimal visual storytelling.
• Barcode and recipe import. Gated, which slows real-world logging.

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Nutrola Macros: Free Trial, 1.8M+ Verified, 100+ Nutrients, AI Photo and Voice

Nutrola approaches macro tracking from a different direction. Instead of asking users to pick between polished design (Yazio) and nutrient depth (Cronometer), Nutrola combines both and adds AI logging so the tracking itself takes seconds rather than minutes.

What Nutrola delivers on the free trial

• Full macro tracking — protein, carbs, fat — with custom ratios and gram targets.
• 100+ nutrients tracked, including fiber, sugar, saturated and unsaturated fat, sodium, potassium, every major vitamin and mineral.
• 1.8 million+ verified food entries, each reviewed by nutrition professionals.
• AI photo logging in under three seconds — point the camera, snap, the AI identifies foods and estimates portions.
• Voice logging with natural language — say what you ate, the NLP engine parses it into verified entries.
• Barcode scanning backed by the verified database.
• Recipe import from URLs with full macro and nutrient breakdowns.
• 14 languages for full localization.
• Zero ads on every tier — free trial or paid.
• Full HealthKit and Google Fit integration with bidirectional sync.

After the free trial, Nutrola is €2.50/month — less than Yazio PRO and a fraction of Cronometer Gold, with broader free-trial features than either app exposes on their free tiers.

Where Nutrola wins on macros

• Depth. 100+ nutrients vs Cronometer's 80+ vs Yazio's basic macros.
• Database. 1.8M+ verified entries vs crowdsourced (Yazio) or smaller verified sets (Cronometer).
• Speed. AI photo logging in under three seconds beats manual search every time.
• No daily limits. Unlimited logging, unlimited recipes, unlimited entries on the free trial.
• No ads. Clean interface on every tier, unlike most calorie apps that show ads on free.

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Who Wins on Each Metric?

Metric	Yazio	Cronometer	Nutrola
Free-tier macro depth	Basic (P/C/F only)	Full (with 80+ nutrients)	Full (with 100+ nutrients)
Custom macro ratios	PRO only	Free	Free trial
Nutrient tracking	PRO (limited)	80+ (free)	100+ (free trial)
Database quality	Crowdsourced	Verified (USDA/NCCDB)	Verified (1.8M+)
Daily log limits	No	Yes (free)	No
AI photo logging	No	No	Yes (under 3s)
Voice logging	No	No	Yes (NLP)
Barcode scanning	Yes (free)	Limited (free)	Yes (free trial)
Recipe URL import	PRO	Gold	Free trial
Ads	Yes (free)	Yes (free)	Never
Languages	15+	~4	14
Price after free	~€3.33/mo PRO	~$9.99/mo Gold	€2.50/mo

Free-tier winner between Yazio and Cronometer: Cronometer, decisively — full macros, 80+ nutrients, verified data, and custom targets all free, versus Yazio gating everything beyond three basic numbers behind PRO.

Overall winner for macro tracking in 2026: Nutrola, because it combines Cronometer-level nutrient depth, a larger verified database, no daily log limits, AI-powered logging that Cronometer lacks, a polished interface that Cronometer lacks, and zero ads that neither competitor offers.

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How Nutrola Handles Macro Tracking

• Custom macro ratios: Set protein, carb, and fat targets by percentage or grams. Update any time without waiting for a subscription unlock.
• 100+ nutrients: Every meal shows calories, macros, fiber, sugar, saturated and unsaturated fat, sodium, potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, vitamins A/B-complex/C/D/E/K, and more.
• AI photo logging: Snap a meal photo. The vision model identifies each food on the plate, estimates portions, and logs verified macro and nutrient data in under three seconds.
• Voice logging: Say "a chicken breast, half a cup of rice, and a side of broccoli" and the NLP engine parses the phrase into three verified entries with full macros.
• Barcode scanning: Point the camera at any packaged food. Verified database lookups populate the full macro and nutrient profile, including region-specific labels across Europe, North America, and Asia.
• Recipe URL import: Paste any recipe link. The parser identifies ingredients, scales quantities, and returns a full macro and nutrient breakdown per serving.
• 1.8M+ verified entries: Every database entry has been reviewed by nutrition professionals. No guessing whether a crowdsourced entry is accurate.
• Daily macro dashboard: See remaining grams of protein, carbs, and fat at a glance. Progress rings update in real time as you log.
• Macro history and trends: Weekly and monthly views show macro consistency, average hit rates, and correlations with weight and performance.
• HealthKit and Google Fit sync: Macros and nutrients write to Apple Health and Google Fit. Activity and workouts read back in, adjusting your targets automatically.
• No daily log limits: Log unlimited meals, snacks, recipes, and custom foods on the free trial and on the paid plan.
• Zero ads, 14 languages, €2.50/mo after trial: Clean, fast, global, affordable. Free trial delivers every macro feature at zero cost.

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Best if you want polished design and do not care about nutrient depth

Yazio PRO

If you want a visually polished app, enjoy the onboarding flow, and only need basic macro totals, Yazio PRO works. Be aware that most of what you would actually want for macro tracking is paywalled, the database is crowdsourced, and there is no AI logging. At around €3.33/month, you are paying more than Nutrola for less depth.

Best if you want free nutrient depth and accept a utilitarian interface

Cronometer (Free or Gold)

If you are a data-first tracker, work with a dietitian, or manage medical conditions that require nutrient precision, Cronometer's free tier delivers more than any other free option on the market — full macros, 80+ nutrients, verified databases, custom targets. Accept daily log limits, no AI features, and a dated UI. Gold removes the limits but runs around $9.99/month, nearly four times Nutrola's paid price.

Best if you want full macro depth, speed, and zero ads

Nutrola (Free Trial, then €2.50/mo)

If you want macro tracking that covers every nutrient Cronometer tracks (plus 20 more), uses a verified database bigger than either competitor's, removes daily limits, adds AI photo and voice logging that cut logging time from minutes to seconds, and never shows ads on any tier — Nutrola's free trial is the clear choice. After the trial, €2.50/month is less than Yazio PRO and a fraction of Cronometer Gold.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Yazio or Cronometer better for macro tracking in 2026?

Cronometer is better for macro tracking on the free tier. Cronometer gives you full protein/carbs/fat plus 80+ additional nutrients for free, while Yazio locks customizable macros and detailed nutrient views behind PRO. Yazio wins on visual polish and onboarding; Cronometer wins on data depth and accuracy.

Can I track macros for free on Yazio?

Yazio shows basic protein, carbs, and fat totals on the free tier, but you cannot customize macro ratios, view detailed nutrient breakdowns, or access advanced macro analytics without PRO. If macro customization matters, Yazio free is not enough.

Does Cronometer have daily log limits on the free tier?

Yes. Cronometer's free tier imposes daily limits on certain logging and custom food features that are removed by Gold. Active macro trackers frequently hit these caps, which is one of the most common reasons users upgrade or switch.

How does Nutrola compare to Cronometer on nutrient tracking?

Nutrola tracks 100+ nutrients vs Cronometer's 80+, uses a larger verified database (1.8 million+ entries vs Cronometer's smaller verified set), has no daily log limits on the free trial, adds AI photo and voice logging that Cronometer does not offer, and never shows ads. Nutrola is €2.50/month after trial vs Cronometer Gold at roughly $9.99/month.

Is Nutrola's AI photo logging accurate for macros?

Yes. Nutrola's vision model identifies foods on a plate, estimates portions, and pulls verified macro and nutrient values from the 1.8 million+ entry database in under three seconds. For complex plates, you can adjust portion sizes after the AI suggestion and the macros update in real time.

Can I import recipes into Nutrola for macro tracking?

Yes. Paste any recipe URL and Nutrola parses the ingredients, scales quantities, and returns a full macro and nutrient breakdown per serving. This is available on the free trial, unlike Yazio where recipe features require PRO and Cronometer where they require Gold.

How much does Nutrola cost after the free trial?

Nutrola is €2.50/month after the free trial. This includes full macro tracking, 100+ nutrients, the 1.8 million+ verified database, AI photo and voice logging, barcode scanning, recipe URL import, HealthKit and Google Fit sync, 14 languages, and zero ads on every tier. Billing runs through the App Store or Google Play and covers iPhone, Android, iPad, and Apple Watch under a single subscription.

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Final Verdict

For macro tracking on a free tier, Cronometer beats Yazio — full macros, 80+ nutrients, verified data, and custom targets all free, versus Yazio's three-number summary gated behind a PRO subscription. If you have to choose between those two in 2026, choose Cronometer for depth unless you specifically value Yazio's polished design and recipe library over accurate nutrient numbers.

Neither app, however, delivers what serious macro trackers actually want: verified depth plus AI-powered logging speed plus a clean, ad-free interface at a realistic price. Nutrola does. On the free trial, Nutrola provides full macros, 100+ nutrients, a 1.8 million+ verified database, AI photo logging in under three seconds, voice logging with natural language, no daily log limits, and zero ads. After the trial, €2.50/month is less than Yazio PRO and a fraction of Cronometer Gold.

If you are choosing a macro tracker in 2026, start with Nutrola's free trial. Log a week of real meals using AI photo, voice, and barcode, and see whether hitting your protein target every day becomes effortless. If it does, €2.50/month keeps the workflow. If it does not, Cronometer remains the best free fallback for nutrient-depth tracking, and Yazio stays in the conversation for users who prioritize design over data.