Comparison

BulkMode vs Surplus

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

Head to head
About

BulkMode

This app is designed specifically for weight gain, unlike typical calorie counters. It offers personalized plans that adapt to your metabolism, provides progress insights, and motivates users with achievements. It simplifies food logging and integrates with health tracking.

Highlights
  • Calorie tracking for weight gain
  • Adaptive metabolism learning
  • Gradual plan ramp-up
  • Progress insights and reality checks
  • Effortless food logging (snap, scan, describe)
  • Apple Health sync
  • Motivation through trophies
Features
Read full description

Most people trying to gain weight quit before seeing results. Not because they're lazy. Because the tools aren't built for them. Calorie apps were made for weight loss. BulkMode was built from scratch for gaining. BUILT FOR GAINING No red warnings for eating "too much." Here, hitting your goal is a win, not a problem. STARTS WHERE YOU ARE Eating more is hard. Your plan ramps up gradually, so day one doesn't feel like a food challenge. IT ACTUALLY LEARNS Most apps give you a number on day one and never change it. BulkMode learns YOUR metabolism from real data. By week 6, your targets are tuned to how YOUR body actually works. REALITY CHECKS Gaining too slow? Too fast? You'll know, with a clear fix. Never waste another month wondering. ZERO EFFORT Snap your food. Done. Or scan a barcode, or just describe what you ate. Sync your weigh-ins with Apple Health. STAY MOTIVATED Earn trophies for hitting your goals. Yes, for eating. Seriously. Generic apps do everything for everyone. So we didn't build one. Ready to be one of the few who don't quit? Questions? Email support@bulkmode.app NOTE: We do not offer medical advice. All recommendations are suggestions only. Consult a healthcare professional before starting any nutrition plan or if you have medical concerns. *SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED FOR ALL FEATURES TERMS: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Surplus

Features
Read full description

Built for skinny hardgainers who struggle to eat ENOUGH to gain muscle. If you've ever heard "just eat more" but the scale won't budge — Surplus is for you. Most nutrition apps guilt-trip you about what you've already eaten. Surplus flips the script: it shows the gap. How many calories you're still SHORT of your daily surplus goal, so you know exactly how much more to eat to keep gaining lean muscle. No tedious food logging. No calorie-counting every bite. The scale is your source of truth. Why hardgainers love Surplus - Reversed nutrition view — see "you're SHORT X kcal" toward your gain goal, not what's "left" - One-tap daily weigh-in — log your weight in seconds - Prescriptive meal checklist — tick off meals to hit your target, zero calorie math - Smart weight-trend line — cuts through daily water-weight noise so you see real progress - Adaptive nudge — if your trend stalls for ~2 weeks, Surplus tells you to add +150–200 kcal/day - Streaks & reminders — stay consistent on the days motivation dips Made for real life Whether you're a student, an office worker, or a new gym-goer with a fast metabolism (ectomorph energy), Surplus fits a busy schedule. Weigh in, glance at your shortfall, tick your meals — done in under a minute a day. Surplus Pro (optional upgrade) - AI Meal Generator — instantly builds a meal plan + grocery list to hit your daily calorie and protein target - Allergen filtering on every generated meal Yours to keep Optional sign-in to back up and sync across devices (Apple, Google, or email). In-app account deletion and data export available anytime — your data, your call. Stop spinning your wheels. Eat enough, track less, and finally gain the lean muscle you've been chasing. Surplus is a fitness and nutrition tracking tool, not medical advice. If you are under 18 or underweight, talk to a healthcare professional before starting a bulk.

Screenshots

BulkMode4 screens
Surplus4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Surplus at none against BulkMode's 3. Surplus also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence and ads 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. BulkMode sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Surplus asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BulkMode ships an update every 8 days, Surplus fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
BulkMode versus Surplus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBulkModeSurplus
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (7 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings7 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 8 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscription—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size51 MB70 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperSimplify PossibleHuy Nguyen

In-app purchases

3 purchases

BulkMode

Subscriptions3
  • Premium (1 Month)$19.991 Month
  • Premium (1 Year)7 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Premium (1 Year)1 Month trial$59.991 Year
None

Surplus

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BulkMode free?
BulkMode is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Surplus free?
Surplus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do BulkMode or Surplus have ads?
Neither BulkMode nor Surplus shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BulkMode or Surplus?
BulkMode ships an update every 8 days, and Surplus fortnightly. Most recently, BulkMode was updated on November 9, 2026 and Surplus on November 5, 2026.

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