Protocol tracking and workouts versus the micronutrient king with a lab-verified database. A factual side-by-side. Updated July 2026.
The short answer
Cronometer is the micronutrient specialist — up to 95 nutrients tracked free from lab-analyzed, verified sources, unlimited free barcode scanning, a full web app, and a cheaper annual plan ($59.99/yr Gold vs $79.99/yr). If nutrient precision is your #1, it's the best tool in the category and we'll say so plainly. BodyDex covers what Cronometer doesn't touch: peptide and medication tracking with supply forecasting, a real workout logger with routines, multi-item AI photo scanning, and on-device storage with no account and no ads. Pick Cronometer for micro depth and the web. Pick BodyDex for protocols, workouts, and privacy.
Feature-by-feature
Feature
BodyDex
Cronometer
AI photo food scanning
Yes — AI-powered, multi-item per photo (Premium)
Gold only — Photo Logging launched September 2025
Peptide & medication tracking
Yes — peptides, GLP-1s, and all medications with schedules & supply forecasting
None — supplements are logged as foods; no dose schedules, reminders, or supply tracking
Micronutrient depth
Core vitamins & minerals tracked
Up to 95 nutrients & compounds — free (their headline strength)
Cronometer has zero medication or dose tracking — the best you can do is log supplements as foods. BodyDex tracks peptides, GLP-1s, and all medications with schedules, injection-site rotation, and supply / refill forecasting, free for up to 2 active protocols per category.
A real workout logger
Cronometer logs exercise as calorie-burn entries and wearable syncs. BodyDex includes routines, set-by-set tracking, and an 873-exercise library with demonstrations — a genuine training log, not a calorie adjustment.
Multi-item AI scanning
BodyDex identifies every food on the plate in one photo and lets you correct each item before logging. Cronometer's Photo Logging arrived in September 2025 and is Gold-only — on price the two AI tiers are comparable; on maturity of the multi-item flow, we're ahead.
Local-first data
Your logs live on your device in a local SQLite database — no account required. Cronometer requires a cloud account; that's what powers its web app and sync, but for sensitive protocol data, local-first is the stronger privacy default.
Where Cronometer still wins
Micronutrient depth. Up to 95 nutrients and compounds tracked on the free tier — more than any app we compare, including BodyDex. If you're managing vitamin D, iron, potassium, or omega-3 intake at a granular level, this is Cronometer's home turf.
Verified database. Lab-analyzed, curated sources (NCCDB, USDA SR28, CNF) instead of crowd-sourced entries. Its accuracy-first positioning is legitimate, not marketing.
Web app & multi-device. A full website version with server sync. BodyDex is mobile-only today, and its on-device model means no multi-device sync yet (it's on the roadmap).
Annual price. Gold at $59.99/year undercuts BodyDex Premium's $79.99/year. Monthly pricing is comparable ($10.99 vs $9.99), but on the annual plan Cronometer is the cheaper subscription.
FAQ
Does Cronometer track peptides or medications?
No — Cronometer has no medication, peptide, dose, or supply tracking of any kind. The workaround is logging supplements as foods (via search, barcode, or a custom food), and auto-repeating a daily stack requires the Gold-only Repeat Items feature. There are no dose schedules, no dose reminders, and no supply forecasting. BodyDex treats peptides and all medications as first-class data types: schedules, injection-site rotation, and supply / refill forecasting are free for up to 2 active protocols per category, unlimited on Premium.
Is Cronometer's database more accurate than BodyDex's?
For lab-verified data, yes — that concession is easy to make. Cronometer sources from lab-analyzed, curated databases (NCCDB, USDA SR28, CNF, and others) rather than crowd-sourced entries, and its 'verified, not crowd-sourced' positioning is legitimate. BodyDex uses FatSecret, USDA, and Open Food Facts with manual override on every field, which covers day-to-day logging well — but if micronutrient precision is your top priority, Cronometer's database is the stronger instrument.
Which is cheaper — Cronometer Gold or BodyDex Premium?
Annually, Cronometer — Gold is $59.99/year versus BodyDex Premium at $79.99/year. Monthly, the two are comparable: Gold is $10.99/month and BodyDex Premium is $9.99/month with a 7-day trial (Cronometer has no standard public free trial). What you get for the money differs: Gold buys ad-free, unlimited history, Fasting Timer, Custom Charts, Photo Logging, and Crono Coach; BodyDex Premium buys multi-item AI scanning, voice logging, the AI coach, and unlimited protocol tracking.
Does Cronometer have AI photo logging?
Yes — Photo Logging launched in September 2025, alongside a Voice Log and the 'Crono Coach' AI coaching feature, but all three are Gold-only. BodyDex's AI photo scan is also paid (Premium) and identifies multiple items per photo with per-item correction before logging. On AI features the two are priced comparably; the bigger gaps are elsewhere — micronutrient depth on their side, protocol tracking and workouts on ours.
Can I use Cronometer without an account?
No — Cronometer requires a cloud account, and your data is stored server-side. That model is also what enables its full web app and multi-device sync. BodyDex takes the opposite trade: everything lives on your device in local SQLite with no account required, which is a stronger privacy default for sensitive protocol data — but it means no web app and no multi-device sync today (sync is on the roadmap).
Which app is better for workouts?
BodyDex. Cronometer's exercise support is manual calorie-burn entries plus wearable syncs (Apple Health, Fitbit, Garmin, Oura) — there's no workout builder, no sets and reps, and no routines. BodyDex includes a full workout logger with routines, set-by-set tracking, and an 873-exercise library with demonstrations, on the free tier.
Does Cronometer's free tier show ads?
Yes — Cronometer's free tier is ad-supported, and removing ads requires Gold. That said, its free tier is genuinely generous where it counts: unlimited barcode scanning, up to 95 tracked nutrients, and custom nutrient targets all free. BodyDex has no ads on any tier — there are zero ad SDKs in the app build.
Why pick BodyDex over Cronometer?
Pick BodyDex if you want peptide and medication tracking with supply forecasting, a real workout logger, multi-item AI photo scanning, and on-device storage with no account and no ads. Pick Cronometer if micronutrient precision from a lab-verified database is your #1 priority, you want the cheapest annual plan, or you need a full web app.
Cronometer is a trademark of its respective owner. BodyDex is not affiliated with or endorsed by Cronometer. Pricing and features verified July 2026 from each publisher's public marketing pages and app-store listings — products evolve, so always confirm current details on the publisher's site before deciding. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.