Comparison

Glutamate Guard vs AvoidAdditives Food Scanner

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

Head to head
About

Glutamate Guard

Quickly identify hidden monosodium glutamate (MSG) and other glutamate triggers in your food by scanning ingredient lists. This offline tool provides clear results, helping you make informed choices for dietary sensitivities or clean eating.

Highlights
  • Offline MSG and glutamate scanning
  • On-device OCR for ingredient lists
  • Clear 'Safe' or flagged item results
  • Works on packaged food labels
  • Private and lightweight operation
  • No internet or data collection required
Features
Read full description

Glutamate Guard — Offline MSG & Glutamate Scanner Tired of guessing what's hidden in your food? Glutamate Guard helps you quickly identify monosodium glutamate (MSG), free glutamates, yeast extract, hydrolyzed proteins, and other common triggers right from the grocery store. How it works Open the app and snap a clear photo of any food product's ingredients list. Our on-device OCR instantly reads the text (powered by Apple's Vision framework). The app checks against a focused list of glutamate-related terms and gives you a clean, easy-to-read summary. Key Features - 100% offline — no internet, no data collection, no subscriptions - Simple results: "Safe" or lists any flagged items with short explanations - Works on any packaged food with a readable label - Private and lightweight — everything happens on your iPhone - Built for people avoiding glutamates due to sensitivity or clean eating goals Perfect for anyone following a low-glutamate diet, managing sensitivities, or just wanting more transparency in their food choices. No barcodes required, no cloud uploads, no ads. Important notes This app flags common added and free glutamate sources using keyword matching. It is not a medical tool and does not replace professional dietary advice. Accuracy depends on label clarity and lighting. Some natural glutamates in whole foods are not flagged. Download Glutamate Guard today and shop with more confidence — completely free and fully private.

About

AvoidAdditives Food Scanner

Features
Read full description

Do you really know what's in your food? AvoidAdditives helps you read labels, identify additives and make informed choices in seconds. TWO WAYS TO SCAN - Barcode scanner: check a product in our database. - Photo ingredient scanner: snap the label and detect additives, preservatives, colorings, sweeteners and flavor enhancers. No more fine print. A CLEAR VERDICT See whether a product fits your profile, which alerts are triggered and the reason behind each one. Your scan history is always one tap away. PERSONAL PROFILE & ALERTS - Vegan, vegetarian or mindful profiles. - Custom alerts by E number or keyword: palm oil, MSG, sweeteners, colorings and more. The app doesn't decide for you — it gives you clear information so you can choose. ADDITIVES & E NUMBERS ENCYCLOPEDIA Look up any additive by name, E number or category. Discover what it is, what it's used for and its indicative attention level. Not all additives are harmful — many play an important role in food safety and preservation. FRUITS & VEGETABLES IN SEASON Discover what's in season in your area, with nutrients, benefits, tips to choose and store, and even the environmental footprint of each food. WEEKLY HEALTH TIPS Get fresh food and wellbeing tips every week to keep learning and eating better. WHO IS IT FOR? - Anyone who wants to understand food labels. - Vegan, vegetarian or plant-based users. - Families cutting down on processed food. - Anyone avoiding specific ingredients or curious about E numbers. AvoidAdditives does not diagnose or replace professional medical or nutritional advice, and it isn't meant to cause fear. Its goal is to help you read better, compare better and decide better. Stop guessing what you eat. Scan, learn and transform the way you shop with AvoidAdditives. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Glutamate Guard4 screens
AvoidAdditives Food Scanner4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Glutamate Guard at none against AvoidAdditives Food Scanner's 2. Glutamate Guard also leads on ads (none vs shown). AvoidAdditives Food Scanner's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs monthly) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 26.4). On price 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. AvoidAdditives Food Scanner sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Glutamate Guard asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Glutamate Guard ships an update monthly, AvoidAdditives Food Scanner every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
Glutamate Guard versus AvoidAdditives Food Scanner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGlutamate GuardAvoidAdditives Food Scanner
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS26.415.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB86 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJosiah WilsonMostafa Abasslama

In-app purchases

None

Glutamate Guard

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

AvoidAdditives Food Scanner

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Subscription Yearly$44.991 Year

Questions

Is Glutamate Guard free?
Glutamate Guard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is AvoidAdditives Food Scanner free?
AvoidAdditives Food Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Glutamate Guard or AvoidAdditives Food Scanner have ads?
AvoidAdditives Food Scanner shows ads; Glutamate Guard does not.
Which is updated more often, Glutamate Guard or AvoidAdditives Food Scanner?
Glutamate Guard ships an update monthly, and AvoidAdditives Food Scanner every 3 days. Most recently, Glutamate Guard was updated on October 31, 2026 and AvoidAdditives Food Scanner on November 5, 2026.

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