Comparison

RackMath vs Kalova

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

Head to head
About

RackMath

This app removes the guesswork from loading a barbell, providing color-coded diagrams for precise plate loading. It offers alternative weight options when exact matches aren't possible and allows for real-time bar monitoring as plates are added or removed.

Highlights
  • Color-coded plate diagrams
  • Nearest weight alternatives
  • Customizable plate inventory
  • Real-time bar weight monitoring
  • Multiple barbell setup organization
  • Efficient weight transitions
Features
Read full description

Stop doing plate math between sets. Type the weight you want on the bar and Rack Math shows exactly which plates to load per side, based on your plates, your bar, and your gym. Build a list of weights, and it tells you precisely what to ADD and REMOVE to get from each set to the next, so you spend your rest resting. FREE, FOREVER • Instant plate math for any weight, in lb or kg • Your plate inventory: only weights you can actually make • Bar diagrams that match what’s on the bar • Build-on-bar: enter what’s loaded right now and work from there RACK MATH COACH Turn the calculator into a training partner. Try the Coach free for your first 10 workouts. No account. Nothing to cancel. Keep it with a subscription or a one-time Lifetime purchase. • A daily plan built around your lifts: Rack Math schedules what to train next and adapts as you recover • Freshest: an extra generated session for off days. Lifts picked from whatever your recovery says is most rested, with the day’s plan built around them • Cardio-aware recovery: with Apple Health, your runs, rides, and swims count toward what’s fresh, tracked as one total across activities, so swapping a walk for a run never reads as slacking • Unlimited weights in your stack • Warmup ramps in one tap: straight sets, top set + backoff, or 5/3/1 • Follow mode: the current set lights up, DONE advances, the next plate change is always right in front of you • Lock Screen Live Activity: your rest countdown, next set, and exact plate change. Log your set, skip rest, or load the next exercise without unlocking your phone • Apple Watch: follow along from your wrist with displays for weight, per-side plates, a rest timer that taps you when it’s up, and one-tap DONE, synced from your iPhone • Automatic progression: Rack Math suggests your next weights and reps • Strength tracking: your estimated 1-rep max over time, and personal records • Gyms: save plate setups for home, work, or travel and switch in two taps • Workout timer with per-exercise split times • Apple Health: finished workouts logged as strength training (optional) • Workout history: what you lifted, how long it took, your top weight, and the ability to reload any past stack onto the bar • Fewer-swaps optimizer: re-arranges the whole workout’s plate layouts to minimize how many plates you touch • Save and reload your stacks Choose your plan: Monthly, Annual (best value), or pay once for Lifetime. The plate calculator stays free either way. No ads. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Rack Math has no accounts and no ads. Your training lives on your device and, if you use iCloud, syncs privately through your own iCloud account; we never see it. We use one privacy-first analytics tool that collects no personal data and can’t identify you. Writing to Apple Health is entirely opt-in. See our privacy policy: https://keithjeffery.org/rack-math-privacy

About

Kalova

This app uses AI to identify foods from photos and calculate their calorie and macronutrient content using USDA data. It also provides a metabolic health score and allows for manual logging and barcode scanning. Premium features include unlimited AI scans and CGM glucose insights.

Highlights
  • AI food scanner from photos
  • USDA FoodData Central integration
  • Metabolic Health Score
  • Barcode and Nutrition Facts label scanner
  • Personalized meal plan
  • CGM glucose insights (Premium)
Features
Read full description

Kalova is an AI calorie counter: snap, speak or scan your meals. Snap a photo of any meal, say what you ate, or scan a barcode. AI identifies each food and estimates the portion; when a food matches USDA FoodData Central, calories and macros are calculated from USDA values, and anything without a match is marked as an estimate. You get a per-item breakdown you can edit in a tap. AI CALORIE COUNTING, BUILT FOR ACCURACY • AI food scanner: point your camera at any plate and get every item with an estimated portion • USDA-sourced nutrient values, with a "USDA-sourced" stamp on meals matched to FoodData Central • See the per-item breakdown and remove anything the AI got wrong; totals recompute instantly • Scan any Nutrition Facts label for the package's own numbers — read on your iPhone, never uses an AI scan • Barcode scanner and 1M-food search • Describe a meal by typing — or just say it: dictation runs on your iPhone, audio is never uploaded FIBER, SODIUM AND YOUR OWN BLOOD PRESSURE • Fiber and sodium from the same USDA records — shown only when the record has them, never guessed • Fiber target set from your own calorie goal, with your median tracked against it • Protein timing: see how many of your meals reach the per-meal threshold • Log blood pressure and salt, and Kalova compares your own higher-sodium days against your lower ones. A pattern in your own readings — never a prescription, never a diagnosis. METABOLIC HEALTH SCORE — EAT BETTER, NOT JUST LESS One number, 0–100, that rises as your diet improves. It is based on the food quality, fiber and protein of what you log. Educational only, not medical advice. BUILT FOR TRAINING, TOO • Fuel timing that reads your workouts from Apple Health — what to eat before a session and after it • Sport-aware targets for runners, cyclists, swimmers and triathletes • Exercise burn shown as a range; your budget uses the conservative end PRIVACY No account. No ads. No third-party analytics or ad trackers. Your food log, goals and Apple Health data stay on your iPhone. When you run an AI photo or describe scan, the photo or text is sent to Kalova's server and processed by a third-party AI provider (OpenAI, Google Gemini or Cloudflare Workers AI) to estimate nutrition. Our server does not store your meal photos. Kalova asks your permission before your first AI scan. EVERYTHING ELSE YOU'D EXPECT • CGM glucose insights: if you use a CGM that syncs to Apple Health, see how your glucose changed in the 2 hours after each logged meal (Premium). Educational only, not medical advice. • Nutri-Score (A–E) and ultra-processed (NOVA) flags on packaged foods • Personalized plan with an adaptive calorie budget that adjusts to your weight trend • Fasting timer, streaks, water, weight trend, meal reminders, Siri Shortcuts, Apple Health sync • Home-screen widgets, Apple Watch app, a weekly Sunday Report, and a shareable Nutrition Receipt for every scan • Available in 11 languages FREE Barcode scanner, label scanner, food search, quick add, plan, dashboard, water, weight, streaks, reminders and Apple Health sync, plus a daily allowance of free AI scans. PREMIUM Unlimited AI photo and describe scans and full CGM glucose insights. Prices are shown in the app before you buy. Subscriptions auto-renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the period ends; manage or cancel in Apple ID → Subscriptions. A free trial, when offered, converts to the paid plan if not cancelled before it ends. DISCLAIMER Calorie, macro and glucose information in Kalova is educational, not a clinical measurement or medical advice. Kalova is not a medical device and is not for diagnosing, treating or managing any condition, including diabetes. If you need medical-grade tracking, use the tools your care team prescribed. Privacy Policy: https://caloriecountglobal.pages.dev/privacy Terms of Use: https://caloriecountglobal.pages.dev/terms Support: https://caloriecountglobal.pages.dev/support

Screenshots

RackMath4 screens
Kalova4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Kalova at 5.0 against RackMath's 3.0. RackMath's advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium) and ratings volume (4 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads 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. RackMath sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Kalova sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Kalova holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RackMath ships an update weekly, Kalova every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
RackMath versus Kalova: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRackMathKalova
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (4 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better1
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKeith JefferyDaler Soliev

Customer experience

RackMath

All ratings4 ratings
Positive25.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative33.3%

Kalova

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

RackMath

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Access to Coach$9.991 Month
  • Annual Access to Coach$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Full Access$99.99
3 purchases

Kalova

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Premium$0.991 Month
  • Premium Annual$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium Lifetime$79.99

Questions

Is RackMath free?
RackMath is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Kalova free?
Kalova is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, RackMath or Kalova?
Kalova is rated higher. RackMath averages 3.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Kalova averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do RackMath or Kalova have ads?
Neither RackMath nor Kalova shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RackMath or Kalova?
RackMath ships an update weekly, and Kalova every 5 days. Most recently, RackMath was updated on October 19, 2026 and Kalova on October 10, 2026.

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