Comparison

PKU vs PheLena

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

PKU

This app helps individuals manage their Phenylalanine (PHE) intake by tracking food consumption. It allows users to add custom foods, create recipes, and set supplement reminders. A daily overview shows remaining PHE allowance, and a blood value list provides a quick health summary.

Highlights
  • Track Phenylalanine (PHE) intake
  • Add custom foods and recipes
  • Daily PHE allowance overview
  • Supplement reminder alerts
  • Blood value list
  • Recipe management with average PHE per 100g
Features
Read full description

Using PKU App will keep you on track. If you are forced to keep track of all food you ingest because you need to count the amount of Phenylanalin, then this app is just for you. ************************************************************************ At a glance: In the daily overview you can see how much PHE (phenylalanine) you still need in order to complete your daily amount. ************************************************************************ You can add your own food to the food list and favor all those ones which you need for fast access. ************************************************************************ With the recipe management you can create own recipes based on your food list. For each recipe a mean value is calculated for PHE per 100g. ************************************************************************ A simple blood value list for a quick overview ************************************************************************ In order to get alerted for taking your supplements regularly you can create custom recurring alerts. ************************************************************************ I am open to any feature requests and suggestions. Please drop your feedback here: http://jira.barz.eu/servicedesk/customer/portal/3 If you like my app please add a postive review on the AppStore. Thank you

About

PheLena

Features
Read full description

pheLena helps people with phenylketonuria (PKU) manage their daily phenylalanine (PHE) intake easily, accurately and safely. Instead of complicated calculations or generic nutrition trackers, pheLena provides exactly the features people with PKU and their families need in everyday life: a PHE diary, barcode scanner, blood PHE tracking, recipes and a curated PKU database. FEATURES • PHE Diary: Search for foods, enter the amount and automatically calculate PHE values against your daily limit — including breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. • Blood PHE Tracking: Record blood PHE levels, follow trends in clear charts and keep target ranges in view. • PHE Calculator: Quickly calculate individual products — ideal when shopping or eating at a restaurant. • Barcode Scanner: Scan EAN barcodes and add products directly from the database or link them to an existing entry. • Recipes: Save your own recipes and automatically calculate PHE values per serving. • Offline Mode: Entries can also be added without an internet connection and are automatically synchronized later. PKU DATABASE More than 2,500 products with PHE, calorie and nutritional values. The database also includes many special low-protein and PKU products. PRIVACY • Servers located in Switzerland • GDPR and Swiss data protection law compliant • No advertising • No external trackers • No sale of personal data PRO FEATURES • Family profiles for multiple people • Unlimited history • PDF diet reports • Advanced recipe management Free trial after registration — no credit card required. LANGUAGES German, English, Italian, French and Turkish — fully translated and switchable at any time. IMPORTANT pheLena does not replace medical advice. Appropriate PHE limits should always be discussed with your dietitian or treating clinic. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

PKU4 screens
PheLena4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: PheLena at every 5 days against PKU's every 2 months. PKU's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. PKU sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and PheLena sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PKU ships an update every 2 months, PheLena every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
PKU versus PheLena: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPKUPheLena
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS8.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB24 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperMaik BarzPhilipp Baumann

In-app purchases

1 purchases

PKU

One-time1
  • Unlock premium features$2.99
2 purchases

PheLena

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Annual subscription$22.991 Year

Questions

Is PKU free?
PKU is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PheLena free?
PheLena is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PKU or PheLena have ads?
Neither PKU nor PheLena shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PKU or PheLena?
PKU ships an update every 2 months, and PheLena every 5 days. Most recently, PKU was updated on November 11, 2026 and PheLena on November 5, 2026.

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