Is Cronometer Free? What Basic, Gold, and Pro Cost โ
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Is Cronometer free? Yes. Cronometer Basic is free with no time limit and no trial countdown. It logs food, exercise, and biometrics, tracks up to 84 nutrients, scans barcodes, syncs with your watch, and exports your whole history. You pay only when you want more.
Cronometer does cost money above that line. Gold is $4.99 a month billed annually, which is $59.99 for the year, or $10.99 a month if you pay month to month. Pro, built for dietitians and coaches, is $39.99 a month. Prices are standard US prices as of mid 2026 and change by region.
TL;DR - Cronometer Pricing Quick Summary
โข Basic (Free): Full nutrition tracker with up to 84 nutrients, barcode scanner, 7-day reports, ads included
โข Gold ($4.99/mo annual): Up to 95 nutrients, ad-free, Photo Log, Voice Log, fasting timer, Crono Coach, unlimited history, Oracle nutrient search
โข Pro ($39.99/mo): All Gold features + client management, HIPAA compliance, professional reports
โข Best value: Gold annual at $59.99/year for serious trackers who care about micronutrients (Cronometer Gold)
If you're tired of guessing which micronutrients you're missing and want verified nutrition data instead of crowdsourced entries, Cronometer is worth a look. The question is which of the three tiers fits your goals and your budget.
Cronometer offers a free Basic account, a Gold subscription for serious trackers, and a Pro plan for health professionals. Below is what each tier costs, what you actually get at each level, and how the price compares to MyFitnessPal, Lose It, MacroFactor, and NutriScan's calorie counter app.
How Much Does the Cronometer App Cost? ๐ต โ
The app itself is a free download on iOS and Android, and the Basic tier stays free. Everything below is what the paid tiers add on top.
| Plan | Price | Billed | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $0 | Never | Anyone who wants a full tracker with 7-day reports |
| Gold | $4.99/mo | $59.99 once a year | Individuals who track micronutrients long term |
| Gold (monthly) | $10.99/mo | $131.88 a year if you stay | Short stints and trial runs |
| Pro | $39.99/mo | Monthly | Dietitians and coaches managing clients |
Prices are standard US prices as of mid 2026 and change by region. Enterprise Pro pricing is quoted by Cronometer directly.
Is Cronometer Free? What Basic Gives You ๐ โ
Cronometer Basic is a fully functional nutrition tracker you can use forever without upgrading, and there is no scan cap or trial clock on it.
You get access to lab-analyzed nutrition data from sources like the USDA and the NCCDB, the Nutrition Coordinating Center database curated by the University of Minnesota (Cronometer Data Sources). This means verified food entries, not just user-submitted guesses. You can track up to 84 nutrients on Basic, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and fatty acids (Cronometer Gold). Most calorie trackers stop at macros. Cronometer goes deeper.
Choosing between free and premium plans? Let's break down what you actually get.
The Basic Plan Includes โ
- Food, exercise, and biometric logging
- Custom macro and micronutrient targets
- Barcode scanner
- Manual custom foods, meals, and recipes
- Sync with fitness apps and devices (Apple Health, Google Fit, Fitbit, Garmin)
- Diary groups to organize meals and snacks
- Data export for your entire history
- iOS and Android mobile apps
- Reports and charts within a 7-day window
When Basic Works Fine
If you're new to tracking micronutrients and want to test Cronometer's approach before paying, Basic works fine. If you only track occasionally and don't need long-term data analysis, free is enough.
Where Basic Falls Short
The 7-day report limit becomes frustrating fast if you're trying to spot patterns, like whether your iron intake dipped during your cycle or if your magnesium levels correlate with sleep quality. You also can't schedule fasts, automate repeat meals, or use the Oracle nutrient search.
How Much Does Cronometer Gold Cost? Monthly vs Yearly ๐ฐ โ
Gold costs $10.99 per month when billed monthly. That works out to $131.88 per year if you stay subscribed.
If you pay annually, it's $4.99 per month billed as $59.99 upfront (Cronometer Gold). That is a 54% saving, $71.89 a year, compared to the monthly option. Prices are standard US prices as of mid 2026 and change by region.
| Billing Option | Monthly Cost | Annual Total | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $10.99 | $131.88 | - |
| Annual | $4.99 | $59.99 | 54% ($71.89) |
That feeling when you realize the annual plan saves you $71.89.
Trial and Cancellation โ
Cronometer doesn't advertise a standard free trial for Gold, but you can email customer support to request one (Garage Gym Reviews, Cronometer Review). Cronometer doesn't publish a trial length, so ask how long you get when you write in.
Canceling is straightforward. If you subscribed via the iOS app, cancel through your Apple ID subscriptions. Android users cancel through Google Play. Web subscriptions are managed in your Cronometer account settings.
What Do You Get With Cronometer Gold? โจ โ
Gold removes ads and unlocks features that make tracking faster, insights clearer, and historical data useful.
Ad-Free Experience โ
No interruptions between screens. The app feels faster and cleaner without the visual clutter.
Photo Logging โ
Snap a picture of your meal and Cronometer identifies ingredients and servings. It is not perfect. Complex dishes with sauces or mixed ingredients often need a manual adjustment. For simple meals like grilled chicken and roasted vegetables, it saves real time.
Pro Tip for Photo Logging
For the most accurate results, photograph meals from directly above with good lighting. Separate items on your plate when possible. If you need faster, more accurate AI photo logging, check our comparison of NutriScan vs Cronometer.
Fasting Timer โ
Start, stop, edit, and schedule fasts directly from your food diary. You can track intermittent fasting windows (16:8, 18:6, OMAD) alongside your nutrition data. If you're interested in fasting, you might also want to read about my 36-hour water fast experience.
Recipe Importer โ
Paste a recipe URL from any website and Cronometer automatically creates a custom recipe with ingredients, measurements, and verified nutritional data. This eliminates the tedious manual entry process.
Repeat Items โ
Schedule foods, meals, or recipes to appear in your diary automatically. Set a daily protein shake, a weekly meal prep recipe, or specific snacks for certain days.
Macro Scheduler โ
Set different macronutrient targets for different days of the week. Perfect for carb cycling, higher carbs on training days, lower on rest days.
Custom Biometrics โ
Track health markers beyond the default options. Create biometrics for pain levels, symptom severity, lab results, medication doses, or anything else you want to correlate with your diet. This is especially useful for people managing conditions like PCOS or diabetes.
Nutrition Scores โ
Cronometer calculates scores for key health categories like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids. These scores show at a glance whether your diet is hitting critical nutrient targets.
Oracle Nutrient Search โ
Missing magnesium? Low on iron? The Oracle suggests foods rich in the specific nutrient you need more of. Instead of guessing which foods to add, you get a ranked list based on nutrient density. This feature alone makes Gold worth it for anyone focused on micronutrient gaps.
Unlimited Historical Data โ
View nutrition data, charts, and reports over any time period, whether that is weeks, months, or years. You can analyze long-term trends, compare different diet phases, and pull historical data for medical consultations.
Cronometer Pro Pricing: For Health Professionals ๐จโโ๏ธ โ
Cronometer Pro costs $39.99 per month for individuals, and that price covers 10 client seats (Cronometer Pro). Enterprise pricing requires contacting Cronometer directly.
Pro Includes Everything in Gold Plus โ
- Client management via desktop web app
- HIPAA business associate agreement (BAA) for covered entities
- Professional nutrition reports and charts
- Secure in-app messaging with clients
- Food and recipe sharing with clients
- Directory listing in Cronometer's professional directory
- Weekly live webinar Q&A with Cronometer staff
- Client notes and photo sharing
- Restrictions settings to limit client access to sensitive data
Who Needs Pro?
If you're a registered dietitian managing multiple clients and need HIPAA compliance, Pro is built for you. If you're a coach who wants to monitor client logs, share meal plans, and communicate securely in one platform, Pro consolidates those workflows.
How Cronometer Compares to Other Trackers ๐ โ
Figure 1: Annual pricing of popular nutrition tracking apps in 2026. Paying Cronometer Gold month to month costs $131.88 a year, more than double the $59.99 annual plan.
vs MyFitnessPal Premium ($79.99/year) โ
MyFitnessPal Premium costs $79.99 a year (MyFitnessPal Premium). MyFitnessPal has a bigger food database and faster logging for common foods. Cronometer has verified nutrition data and tracks way more micronutrients. If you care about micronutrients, Cronometer Gold ($4.99/month annually) is cheaper and better. If you just need fast calorie and macro tracking, MyFitnessPal is easier. See our detailed NutriScan vs MyFitnessPal comparison.
vs MacroFactor ($11.99/month or $71.99/year) โ
MacroFactor costs $11.99 a month or $71.99 a year (MacroFactor pricing), and its pitch is dynamic calorie adjustment based on your weight trends. It does track micronutrients through its Nutrient Explorer (MacroFactor Nutrient Explorer), but Cronometer covers more of them and leans on lab-analyzed entries rather than a macro-first database. They solve different problems. Read more in our NutriScan vs MacroFactor comparison.
vs Lose It Premium ($79.99/year) โ
Lose It Premium used to undercut Cronometer Gold. It doesn't anymore: Lose It raised Premium to $79.99 per year (Lose It Membership Tiers and Pricing), $20 above Gold's $59.99. Lose It focuses on calorie and macro tracking with meal plans, recipes, and Snap It photo logging. It doesn't track micronutrients beyond the basics. At the new price, Gold is both cheaper and deeper. See our NutriScan vs Lose It comparison.
vs NutriScan Premium (about $59 a year) โ
NutriScan specializes in photo-based food logging with AI meal recognition, especially for Indian and global cuisines. NutriScan's AI is faster and more accurate for mixed dishes, curries, and restaurant meals. Cronometer has the edge on micronutrient tracking and lab-verified data. If you want the fastest photo logging, NutriScan is the better deal. If you need deep nutrient analysis, Cronometer Gold is worth the cost.
NutriScan's AI meal scanning: snap a photo and get instant nutrition breakdown (Home > Camera Icon > Click Picture)
Quick decision guide:
- Best for micronutrients: Cronometer Gold
- Best for fast photo logging: NutriScan
- Best for adaptive macro coaching: MacroFactor
- Cheapest premium option: Cronometer Gold is $59.99 a year, and NutriScan Premium is about $59 a year
Who Should Actually Pay for Cronometer Gold? ๐ฏ โ
Pay for Gold If You: โ
- Care about micronutrients beyond basic macros (iron, magnesium, vitamin D, zinc)
- Want to track nutrient trends over weeks or months
- Use fasting protocols and want an integrated timer
- Import recipes frequently and don't want manual entry
- Eat similar meals often and want automated logging with repeat items
- Carb cycle or adjust macros on different days
- Track health markers or symptoms alongside diet
- Need Oracle suggestions to fill nutrient gaps
- Want ad-free tracking
Stick With Basic If You: โ
- Only care about calories and macros
- Track sporadically or for short-term goals
- Don't need long-term data analysis
- Tolerate ads in exchange for free access
- Don't use advanced scheduling features
Real-World Scenarios: Which Plan Fits Your Goal? ๐ โ
Scenario 1: General Health and Weight Loss โ
Start with Basic. Log your food, set calorie and macro targets, and use the 7-day reports. If after a month you find yourself frustrated by the 7-day limit or wanting to analyze nutrient trends, upgrade to Gold. The $5/month annual plan won't break your budget. If you need help calculating your targets, use our free online macro calculator.
Scenario 2: Addressing a Nutrient Deficiency โ
Go straight to Gold. The Oracle nutrient search and nutrition scores make it easy to identify which foods fill your gaps. Custom charts let you track your iron intake over weeks and correlate it with energy levels.
Scenario 3: Athlete Tracking Macros and Micronutrients โ
Gold is the right tier. Macro scheduler lets you adjust targets for training vs rest days. Repeat items save time logging the same pre-workout meals. Custom charts help you track protein, carbs, and key electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium).
Scenario 4: Dietitian Managing 10+ Clients โ
Pro makes sense. Your clients get Gold free, you can review their logs and send reports, and you stay HIPAA compliant. The directory listing is a bonus for client acquisition.
Scenario 5: Managing a Chronic Condition (Diabetes, PCOS) โ
Gold gives you the tools to track patterns that matter. Custom biometrics let you log blood sugar, symptoms, or medication doses alongside your diet. Custom charts help you spot correlations. For more on managing PCOS with nutrition tracking, see our PCOS meal tracking guide. You can also use our specialized PCOS macro calculator or diabetes macro calculator to get personalized targets.
How to Get the Best Deal on Cronometer Gold in 2026 ๐ก โ
Pay Annually โ
The $59.99/year plan saves you 54% compared to paying $10.99/month. If you commit to Cronometer for even 6 months, the annual plan is worth it.
Email for a Trial โ
Before paying, email Cronometer support and ask for a free trial. Some users report getting 7 days to test Gold features.
Buy During New Year Promotions โ
Cronometer runs promotions from time to time rather than on a published schedule, so there is no discount you can count on in a given month. Join the email list and check the app before you buy in case one is live.
Use Partner Perks โ
Cronometer Gold subscribers get special offers and reduced prices from health and wellness partners like WHOOP and Oura (Cronometer Gold). Check for bundled discounts if you own these devices.
Export Your Data Before Canceling โ
If you downgrade from Gold to Basic, you lose access to long-term reports, but your data stays in your account. Before canceling, export your full history as a CSV.
Final Breakdown: Basic vs Gold vs Pro โ๏ธ โ
| Feature | Basic (Free) | Gold ($4.99/mo annual) | Pro ($39.99/mo) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core food logging | โ | โ | โ |
| Nutrient tracking | Up to 84 | Up to 95 | Up to 95 |
| Lab-verified food data | โ | โ | โ |
| Barcode scanner | โ | โ | โ |
| Custom foods/recipes | โ | โ | โ |
| App/device sync | โ | โ | โ |
| Reports (7-day limit) | โ | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Ad-free | โ | โ | โ |
| Photo logging | โ | โ | โ |
| Fasting timer | โ | โ | โ |
| Recipe importer | โ | โ | โ |
| Repeat items | โ | โ | โ |
| Macro scheduler | โ | โ | โ |
| Custom biometrics | โ | โ | โ |
| Nutrition scores | โ | โ | โ |
| Custom charts | โ | โ | โ |
| Oracle nutrient search | โ | โ | โ |
| Print reports | โ | โ | โ |
| Client management | โ | โ | โ |
| HIPAA BAA | โ | โ | โ |
| Professional directory | โ | โ | โ |
Coming over from MyFitnessPal? Start on Basic and follow our MyFitnessPal to Cronometer switching guide before you decide on Gold.
Conclusion ๐ โ
Cronometer Basic is one of the best free nutrition trackers available. If you only care about current-week data and can tolerate ads, you don't need to upgrade.
Cronometer Gold at $4.99/month (billed annually) is worth it if you care about micronutrients, long-term trends, or advanced features like fasting timers and macro schedulers. It's cheaper than most paid trackers and offers deeper nutrient analysis than competitors.
Cronometer Pro makes sense for health professionals managing multiple clients or families who want several Gold accounts.
The right plan depends on your goals. If you're fixing a nutrient deficiency, tracking a chronic condition, or optimizing athletic performance, Gold is the smart buy. If you're casually tracking calories for a few weeks, Basic is enough. And if you're a coach or RD, Pro consolidates client management into one platform.
Want the fastest way to track your meals? Try NutriScan's AI-powered meal scanning to log food in seconds with a photo, no manual entry required.
Frequently Asked Questions โ โ
Is Cronometer free? โ
Yes. Cronometer Basic is free with no time limit. It includes food, exercise, and biometric logging, up to 84 nutrients, the barcode scanner, device sync, and full data export. The limits are ads and a 7-day window on reports and charts.
Does Cronometer cost money? โ
Only if you upgrade. Basic costs nothing, forever. Cronometer Gold costs $4.99 a month billed annually at $59.99 a year, or $10.99 month to month. Cronometer Pro costs $39.99 a month. These are standard US prices as of mid 2026 and change by region.
How much is the Cronometer app? โ
The app is a free download on iOS and Android, and the Basic tier costs nothing to use. Paid tiers cost $59.99 a year for Gold ($4.99 a month), $10.99 a month if you bill monthly, and $39.99 a month for Pro. Prices are standard US prices as of mid 2026.
How much does Cronometer Gold cost? โ
Cronometer Gold costs $4.99 a month when billed annually ($59.99 a year) or $10.99 a month on the monthly plan. The annual plan saves 54%, or $71.89 a year, compared to paying monthly.
What is the difference between Cronometer Gold and Pro? โ
Gold ($4.99 a month billed annually) is for individual users and includes ad-free tracking, photo logging, a fasting timer, and unlimited historical data. Pro ($39.99 a month) is for health professionals and adds client management, a HIPAA business associate agreement, and professional reports.
Does Cronometer offer a free trial for Gold? โ
Cronometer doesn't advertise a standard free trial, but you can email their support team to request one. Cronometer doesn't publish a trial length, so ask how long you get when you write in.
Is Cronometer worth the price compared to other apps? โ
Cronometer Gold at $4.99 a month billed annually ($59.99 a year) offers the deepest micronutrient tracking of the mainstream apps. It costs less than MyFitnessPal Premium and Lose It Premium at $79.99 a year, and tracks up to 95 nutrients where most rivals stop at macros. Best value if you care about vitamins and minerals beyond calories.
Can I use Cronometer for PCOS management? โ
Yes, Cronometer Gold's custom biometrics and detailed nutrient tracking make it useful for PCOS management. You can track symptoms, correlate them with nutrition intake, and monitor key nutrients like magnesium and vitamin D.
