Comparison

Cico vs Sphere

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

Head to head
About

Cico

This app helps you understand your body's daily calorie expenditure to manage weight loss. It offers simple food tracking and clear visualization of your calorie deficit, promoting a sustainable approach to health.

Highlights
  • Calculates total daily energy expenditure
  • Fast and simple calorie logging
  • Visualizes calorie deficit
  • Supports CICO method for weight loss
  • Flexible and sustainable approach
  • No rigid meal plans
Features
Read full description

The simple calorie counter that shows what you actually burn. Cico calculates your total daily energy expenditure so you know exactly how many calories your body uses. Not just at the gym, but all day. Track your food in seconds, see your calorie deficit, and finally understand the math behind weight loss. KNOW YOUR DAILY BURN Most calorie trackers ignore the biggest number: how much you burn. Cico puts your daily expenditure front and center so you can set realistic goals and see real progress. FOOD TRACKING THAT DOESN'T SUCK No 47-step meal entries. No overwhelming dashboards. Just fast, simple calorie logging you'll actually stick with. SEE YOUR CALORIE DEFICIT Weight loss isn't magic, it's math. Cico shows the gap between calories in and calories out, day by day. When you can see it, you can manage it. THE CICO METHOD WORKS No fad diets. No forbidden foods. The calories in, calories out approach is flexible and sustainable. Eat what you want, stay aware, and build habits that last. MADE FOR REAL LIFE Whether you're losing weight, maintaining, or just want to understand your body better, Cico meets you where you are. No judgment. No rigid meal plans. Just clarity. Download Cico and start winning your day. NOTE: We do not offer medical advice. Consult with a professional before trying a new calorie plan. *Cico requires a monthly or yearly subscription for full access. Terms of Use: https://getcico.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://getcico.com/privacy

About

Sphere

Effortlessly track your calorie intake using voice commands or photos. Access a vast USDA food database and set personalized calorie goals. Enjoy features like streak tracking and offline functionality, with premium options for advanced insights.

Highlights
  • Voice logging
  • Photo logging
  • USDA food database
  • Calorie goal setting
  • Streak tracking
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

The fast calorie tracker, built on USDA data. Say what you ate or snap a photo, and it's logged. Use Sphere free, no subscription and no card. Upgrade to Premium for photo logging, macros and more. JUST SAY WHAT YOU ATE "Two eggs, toast and a coffee." One sentence, no typing, and every food lands in your log. Voice logging is free. Start it from a Lock Screen widget or Control Center, too. FOOD DATA YOU CAN TRUST 12,000 everyday foods measured by the USDA. When a food isn't there, AI fills the gap with an estimate, and you can fix any portion in one tap: cups, ounces, grams or calories. SEARCH THAT PUTS PLAIN FOODS FIRST Everyday foods come before branded products, so the food you meant is usually the top result. MISS A DAY, KEEP YOUR STREAK Earn skip days as you log. Take a day off and your streak is still there when you come back. No reminders on your off days. SAME LUNCH AGAIN? Copy a meal from yesterday and paste it into today. Saved meals and recent foods are one tap away. SET YOUR CALORIE GOAL IN A MINUTE A built-in calorie deficit calculator turns your age, height, weight and pace into a daily target, whether you want to lose, maintain or gain. FREE • Voice logging and food search • Daily calorie goal and deficit calculator • Streaks and skip days • Water tracking • Works offline, syncs when you're back PREMIUM • Photo logging: snap your plate, calories filled in • Barcode scanning • Macro tracking: protein, carbs, fat and more • Progress and weight charts • Apple Health sync Premium is billed through your Apple ID and renews automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Cico4 screens
Sphere4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Sphere at none against Cico's shown. Sphere also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Cico's advantage is ratings volume (61 vs 4) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases 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. Cico sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Sphere sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sphere holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cico has 61 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cico ships an update every 4 days, Sphere every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Cico versus Sphere: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCicoSphere
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (61 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings61 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysEvery 3 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size71 MB44 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperCico Wellness & Health SolutionsUpstory

Customer experience

Cico

All ratings61 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews28 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Sphere

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Cico

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly Standard$9.991 Month
  • Yearly Rescue7 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Yearly Standard7 Days trial$29.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Yearly Pro7 Days trial$39.991 Year
2 purchases

Sphere

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Premium Annual7 Days trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Cico free?
Cico is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sphere free?
Sphere is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Cico or Sphere?
Sphere is rated higher. Cico averages 4.8 out of 5 from 61 ratings, while Sphere averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Cico or Sphere have ads?
Cico shows ads; Sphere does not.
Which is updated more often, Cico or Sphere?
Cico ships an update every 4 days, and Sphere every 3 days. Most recently, Cico was updated on November 9, 2026 and Sphere on November 5, 2026.

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