# Carbon vs MacroFactor

The clearest difference is chart position: MacroFactor at #10 against Carbon's #102. MacroFactor also leads on device support (4 vs 1). Carbon's advantage is review sentiment (80% vs 71%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Carbon sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month and MacroFactor sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Carbon against 4.8 for MacroFactor. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8K and 23K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Carbon's written reviews are positive against 71% of MacroFactor's.

Carbon ships an update weekly, MacroFactor every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Carbon | MacroFactor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carbon-macro-coach-and-tracker/id1437820611/reviews) | [4.8 (23K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/macrofactor-macro-tracker/id1553503471/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 8K | **23K** |
| Positive reviews | **79.7% of reviews** | 70.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 8 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #102 | **#10** |
| Size | 106 MB | 238 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Reform LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1437820610) | [Stronger By Science Technologies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1553503473) |

## What reviewers say

### Carbon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carbon-macro-coach-and-tracker/id1437820611)

**Currently charting:** #102 Top Grossing · Health & Fitness (US App Store)

This app provides personalized nutrition plans for weight loss, muscle gain, or maintenance. It adapts your plan as you progress and offers a comprehensive food tracker with a large database and barcode scanner. It supports various diet preferences and allows for custom meal planning.

**Highlights:** Personalized nutrition plans, Adaptive plan adjustments, Comprehensive food logging, Barcode scanner, Diet preference customization, Diet planner for flexible eating

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $11.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $11.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $11.99 | per month |
| Six Month Subscription | $59.99 | per 6 months |
| Six Month Subscription | $59.99 | per 6 months |
| Six Month Subscription | $59.99 | per 6 months |
| Yearly Subscription | $99.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $99.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Flexible and customizable
- 🔍 Accurate food database
- 💡 Helpful coaching and adjustments
- 🤝 Responsive customer support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Limited food database for some regions
- 🤔 Strict adherence required for adjustments
- 🤷‍♀️ Lack of exercise tracking integration

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional app crashes or freezes
- Issues with resetting account data

**Requested features**

- Add water intake tracking
- Improve barcode scanning functionality
- Allow more flexibility in macro adjustments
- Integrate with fitness trackers


### MacroFactor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/macrofactor-macro-tracker/id1553503471)

**Currently charting:** #10 Top Grossing · Health & Fitness, #77 Top Free · Health & Fitness, #198 Top Grossing (US App Store)

This app uses a dynamic algorithm to adapt your calorie and macro targets based on your metabolism and progress. It offers tools for quick food logging, a verified database, and personalized coaching to help you achieve sustainable diet goals without stress or rigidity.

**Highlights:** Dynamic metabolism adaptation, Personalized macro and calorie targets, Verified food database, Barcode scanner, Weekly coaching check-ins, Micronutrient tracking, Weight trend insights

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $11.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $11.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $11.99 | per month |
| Semiannual Subscription | $47.99 | per 6 months |
| Semiannual Subscription | $47.99 | per 6 months |
| Annual Subscription | $59.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $59.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $71.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $71.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription Bundle | $89.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🔍 Detailed analytics and data
- 🤖 Intelligent algorithm adjustments
- 👍 Flexible and customizable
- 💯 Comprehensive food database

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Limited food database for some regions
- 🤔 Steep learning curve for some users
- 💰 Subscription-based model
- 🤖 Occasional inaccuracies in AI-generated entries
- 🔀 Convoluted navigation in some areas

**Reported bugs**

- Disappearing food entries
- Inconsistent syncing with Apple Health

**Requested features**

- Apple Watch integration
- Micronutrient tracking
- Ability to edit database entries
- Improved barcode scanning for international users
- Customizable dashboard and widgets


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Carbon free?

Carbon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is MacroFactor free?

MacroFactor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Carbon or MacroFactor?

Carbon and MacroFactor are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 8K and 23K ratings respectively.

### Do Carbon or MacroFactor have ads?

Neither Carbon nor MacroFactor shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Carbon or MacroFactor?

Carbon ships an update weekly, and MacroFactor every 8 days. Most recently, Carbon was updated on September 26, 2026 and MacroFactor on September 27, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Carbon or MacroFactor?

Carbon currently peaks at #102 in the App Store charts, and MacroFactor at #10. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*