Comparison

Simple Macro vs PortionPal

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

Head to head
About

Simple Macro

Effortlessly log meals and track your daily calorie, protein, carb, and fat intake. Build custom recipes, monitor hydration, and gain insights into your nutrition trends. Prioritizes user privacy with no account required and on-device AI insights.

Highlights
  • Effortless meal logging
  • Custom recipe creation
  • Complete macro tracking
  • Built-in water tracking
  • On-device AI insights
  • Apple Health sync
  • Privacy-first design
Features
Read full description

Track your nutrition the simple way. Simple Macro makes logging meals fast and frictionless so you can focus on reaching your health goals, not fighting your tracking app. EFFORTLESS MEAL LOGGING Log meals in seconds with multiple entry options. Build a personal food library of your favorites, then quick-log them with a single tap. Create recipes from multiple ingredients and log the whole meal at once. Names auto-capitalize as you type, so there's one less thing to fix. Simple Macro stays out of your way. RECIPES Combine ingredients into reusable recipes with full nutrition totals. Adjust servings on the fly and log with one tap. No retyping every component. COMPLETE MACRO TRACKING Track calories, protein, carbs, and fat with beautiful progress bars that show exactly where you stand each day. See your remaining calorie budget at a glance. Set personalized goals, adjust your over-goal buffer, and watch your progress in real time. WATER TRACKING BUILT IN Stay hydrated with simple +/- controls to log your water intake in ounces or milliliters. See your daily progress and get a satisfying celebration when you hit your goal. INSIGHTS THAT MATTER View your nutrition trends across weeks, months, or the entire year. See your averages, spot patterns, and celebrate streaks of consistent logging. On supported devices, get AI-powered daily insights generated entirely on-device. No data ever leaves your phone. STAY ON TRACK Smart notifications remind you to log at times you choose. Streak protection alerts help you maintain your logging habit before the day ends. HOME SCREEN WIDGET See today's progress without opening the app. The widget displays your calorie ring and macro progress right on your home screen. APPLE HEALTH SYNC Automatically sync your logged meals and water to Apple Health, keeping all your nutrition data in one place. PRIVACY FIRST No account required. No tracking. Your nutrition data stays on your device, encrypted and private. Pro users sync via their own iCloud, so we never see your data. SIMPLE MACRO PRO Unlock premium features with a one-time purchase, not a subscription: - Barcode Scanning: Scan product barcodes to instantly fill nutrition data from millions of products - Label Scanning (Beta): Photograph a nutrition label and Apple Intelligence fills in your calories and macros, all on-device - iCloud Sync: Keep your meals, foods, recipes, and goals in sync across all your devices

About

PortionPal

Features
Read full description

PortionPal helps you build healthier meal portions without complicated logging. Use simple portion guidance for everyday meals, weight loss, protein goals, balanced plates, and healthier eating habits. It is made for people who want a practical meal portion planner instead of another overwhelming diet app. WHAT PORTIONPAL HELPS WITH - Build balanced plates for breakfast, lunch, and dinner - Plan portion sizes for protein, carbs, vegetables, and fats - Support weight loss and healthier eating routines - Learn simple serving-size guidance - Keep meal planning easier and more consistent SIMPLE PORTION CONTROL PortionPal focuses on practical portion control. Use it when preparing meals, planning groceries, or checking whether a plate feels balanced. FOR HEALTHIER HABITS Small changes are easier to repeat. PortionPal helps you make better food choices without turning every meal into a spreadsheet. Use PortionPal as a simple meal portion guide for everyday nutrition, balanced plates, and long-term healthy eating. Purchase note: Some Pro features, subscriptions, or lifetime unlocks require a separate in-app purchase. Free features remain available without purchase. Terms of Use (Apple Standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Simple Macro4 screens
PortionPal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Simple Macro at every 3 days against PortionPal's monthly. PortionPal's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.1). 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. Simple Macro sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and PortionPal sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simple Macro ships an update every 3 days, PortionPal monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Simple Macro versus PortionPal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimple MacroPortionPal
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS26.117.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDarius SumpterHeinz Meier

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Simple Macro

One-time1
  • Simple Macro Pro$2.99
5 purchases

PortionPal

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time3
  • 25 AI Credits$1.99
  • 100 AI Credits$4.99
  • Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is Simple Macro free?
Simple Macro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PortionPal free?
PortionPal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Simple Macro or PortionPal have ads?
Neither Simple Macro nor PortionPal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Simple Macro or PortionPal?
Simple Macro ships an update every 3 days, and PortionPal monthly. Most recently, Simple Macro was updated on September 18, 2026 and PortionPal on September 17, 2026.

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