Intermittent vs MealMerlin
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Intermittent
This app tracks your fasting progress, mapping your hours to distinct biological phases like lipolysis, ketosis, and autophagy. It provides science-backed explanations for each phase and supports various fasting protocols. Track your weight, hydration, and progress privately.
- Phase-aware fasting timer
- Supports multiple fasting protocols
- Free fasting science library
- Adaptive hydration target
- Weight and progress tracking
- Private sharing and reflection
- Home screen widget and cross-device sync
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The intermittent fasting timer that shows which fasting phase you have likely reached, from fat burning lipolysis to ketosis and autophagy, based on how long you have fasted. Ad free. No account required. Most fasting apps give you a countdown clock and a streak to protect. Intermittent does something different. It maps your hours fasted to the phases research describes, and explains the science behind each one with cited primary sources, not marketing copy. If you have ever wondered how to track fasting properly, or what is likely happening during a fast, this is the fasting tracker built for that question. WHY FASTING WORKS Intermittent fasting works because of what happens between meals, not just the absence of food. As your fast progresses, your body moves through distinct phases: burning through glucose reserves, shifting into fat burning lipolysis, entering ketosis, and eventually triggering autophagy, the cellular repair process linked to longevity and metabolic health. Understanding these transitions is what separates intentional fasting from guesswork. Intermittent maps every stage so your goals are grounded in biology, not motivation. KEY FEATURES PHASE AWARE FASTING TIMER A live timer that maps your fast to six phases: Fed, Early Fasting, Lipolysis, Ketosis, Autophagy, and Deep Fast. Each phase links to a free science article with primary sources cited. EVERY FASTING PROTOCOL, ONE APP Supports 12:12, 14:10, 16:8, 18:6, 20:4, OMAD (One Meal A Day), 36 hour, 48 hour, and 72 hour fasts. FREE FASTING SCIENCE LIBRARY A full library of fasting articles covering intermittent fasting, ketosis, autophagy, insulin response, and more. No subscription. No account. No paywall. SMART HYDRATION TARGET A science backed hydration goal that adapts to your weight, sex, age, and fasting duration. WEIGHT AND PROGRESS TRACKING Log your weight after each fast and track trends over time. Includes streak heatmap, phase reach history, and estimated fat vs glucose energy usage. PRIVATE CIRCLE AND END OF FAST REFLECTION Share your fast with a small private group. Applause only responses. No comparison. No gamification. HOME SCREEN WIDGET AND CROSS DEVICE SYNC Keep your fasting timer visible with a home screen widget. Your data syncs across devices privately without third party trackers. EATING WINDOW, REMINDERS AND RECAPS See your eating window after each fast, with an optional heads-up before it closes. Set your usual start time for a gentle reminder. Look back on each month and year with a recap you can share. WHO IT IS FOR Intermittent is built for adults who want to understand fasting, not be coached through it. If you follow research on metabolic health, read about longevity, or want a fasting routine grounded in biology rather than points or streaks, this app is for you. Suitable for both beginners and experienced fasters. HOW IT WORKS Choose your fasting protocol, from 12:12 to extended fasts Start your timer and see which phase you have likely reached Tap any phase to read the science and log your reflection at the end No account required to start. No subscription required to access the library.
MealMerlin
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MealMerlin is an AI-powered nutrition coach and calorie tracker designed to make food logging fast, visual, and practical. SNAP AND LOG MEALS Take a photo of your meal and review estimated calories, protein, carbohydrates, and fat before adding it to your daily log. TRACK FOOD YOUR WAY Scan packaged-food barcodes Search for foods and create custom entries Log meals using your voice Save meals for quicker logging later Track water and daily nutrition targets UNDERSTAND YOUR PATTERNS MealMerlin turns your food history into useful insights. Review daily progress, weight trends, achievements, and a weekly nutrition debrief built from your logged meals. PERSONALISED GUIDANCE Set goals, activity level, dietary preferences, calorie targets, and macro targets. MealMerlin uses this context to provide practical AI-generated suggestions and coaching. OPTIONAL APPLE HEALTH SYNC With your permission, MealMerlin can read selected activity and body metrics and write logged nutrition and water data to Apple Health. MEALMERLIN PRO Upgrade to MealMerlin Pro for features including voice logging, AI meal suggestions, progress photos, weekly analysis, smart reminders, and the AI nutrition coach. MealMerlin provides educational nutrition information and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Nutrition estimates and AI-generated guidance may not always be accurate. Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel subscriptions in your Apple ID subscription settings. Privacy Policy: https://api-production-4642.up.railway.app/legal/privacy Terms of Use: https://api-production-4642.up.railway.app/legal/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Intermittent at none against MealMerlin's 3. On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. MealMerlin sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Intermittent asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | Intermittent | MealMerlin |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (48 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 48 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 47 MB | 31 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Rohit Kumar | pasito tola |
In-app purchases
Intermittent
No in-app purchases
MealMerlin
- MealMerlin Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
- MealMerlin Pro Annual$39.991 Year
- Metabolic Audit$9.99









