Comparison

BulkUp vs BulkMate

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

Head to head
About

BulkUp

Features
Read full description

BulkUp is the protein tracker built for people trying to gain weight and build muscle, not fat. Every other nutrition app was designed for weight loss. The defaults are wrong. The language is wrong. The success states are wrong. If you're a hardgainer, someone in a bulk phase, or just someone trying to eat more and build muscle, you've been using the wrong app. BulkUp is built for you. TRACK YOUR BULK, NOT YOUR DIET Set your daily calorie surplus and protein goal based on your body stats and gain rate. Log meals in one tap using your personal preset library. Watch your dual progress rings fill up: one for calories, one for protein, and know instantly whether you're on track to gain today. No calorie deficits. No weight loss streaks. Just: did you eat enough to grow? KNOW EXACTLY WHEN YOU'LL GET THERE BulkUp forecasts your goal weight date dynamically. As you log real weigh-ins, the app recalculates your actual gain rate and updates your estimated arrival date automatically. Whether you're on pace, ahead, or behind โ€” you'll always know where you stand. Compare all three bulk modes side by side: Lean, Balanced, and Aggressive โ€” with estimated dates and fat gain risk for each. BUILT AROUND HOW YOU ACTUALLY EAT No food database to search. No barcode scanner to fumble with. Just a personal library of meals you actually eat, organised by your own meal timings. Tap once to log. Done. Add manual meals when needed with calories, protein, carbs and fat (the macros). TRACK WHAT MATTERS WHEN BULKING - Calorie surplus vs. your personalised calorie target - Daily protein goal - Weekly weight trend with various charts and analytics - Measure body fat percentage with multiple methods - Muscle vs. fat gain - body composition chart over time - Macro breakdown: protein, carbs, and fat percentages - Creatine streak - never miss a day CONNECTS TO APPLE HEALTH Link Apple Health to replace estimated calorie burn with your real active and resting energy data. Your calorie target updates daily based on what you actually burned, not a static formula. PREMIUM Upgrade to premium for unlimited preset meals, full weight trend charts, dynamic goal forecasting, body composition tracking, macro breakdown charts, Apple Health sync, and a home screen widget. $3.99/month, $29.99/year, or $59.99 for lifetime. BulkUp is built by an indie developer who lifts. No subscriptions you don't need. No weight loss defaults. Just a focused tool to help you eat more, gain well, and hit your goal weight. Download BulkUp. Start your bulk today. View privacy policy and terms and conditions: https://vybuilds.com/apps/bulkup/terms-and-conditions/ https://vybuilds.com/apps/bulkup/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

BulkMate

Features
Read full description

BulkMate is the calorie tracker built for one goal: gaining weight. Set your surplus, hit your protein target every day, and watch the scale climb. Muscle, not fat. Most calorie counters are designed for people who want to eat less. BulkMate is for the other half of the gym: skinny guys who struggle to gain, lifters on a lean bulk, hardgainers who have tried everything, and athletes who need to eat big without guessing. LOG BIG MEALS IN SECONDS The hardest part of bulking is eating enough, so logging should be the easy part. Snap a photo and AI fills in your calories and macros instantly. Scan a barcode. Search over 300,000 foods with real portion sizes. It even works offline, so you can log at the gym or anywhere else. BUILT AROUND PROTEIN Protein is the difference between gaining weight and gaining muscle. BulkMate keeps your daily protein target front and center, so you always know how many grams you still need before the day ends. STAY IN A SURPLUS BulkMate works out the calorie surplus you need to gain at the right pace. Too slow and you stall. Too fast and you add fat instead of muscle. Weekly check-ins adjust your targets as your body changes, and your weight trend smooths out the daily noise so you can see real progress. SEE THE BODY YOU ARE BUILDING Add a photo and BulkMate generates a realistic preview of your target physique. Keep your goal in front of you on the days when eating big feels like a chore. IT LEARNS HOW YOU EAT Bulk meals repeat. BulkMate notices your patterns and suggests your usual meals so you can log a whole lunch in one tap. WHAT BULKMATE IS NOT No calorie restriction. No fasting timers. No guilt. If you are looking for a weight loss app, this is not it. Whether this is your first bulk or your tenth, BulkMate gives you the two numbers that actually build muscle, calories and protein, and gets out of your way. Download BulkMate and start gaining. Privacy Policy: https://bulkmate.app/privacy Terms of service: https://bulkmate.app/terms EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

BulkUp4 screens
BulkMate4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: BulkUp at daily against BulkMate's every 8 days. BulkMate's advantage is iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. BulkUp sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and BulkMate sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BulkUp ships an update daily, BulkMate every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
BulkUp versus BulkMate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBulkUpBulkMate
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyDaily โ€” betterEvery 8 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.616.4 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size32 MB69 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperVyshnav Thaniyil ChangattuWayfinity Ltd

In-app purchases

3 purchases

BulkUp

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Yearly Premium$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime premium$59.99
4 purchases

BulkMate

Subscriptions4
  • Premium Monthly$12.991 Month
  • Premium Annual Saver3 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Premium Annual3 Days trial$59.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Premium Annual7 Days trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is BulkUp free?
BulkUp is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is BulkMate free?
BulkMate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do BulkUp or BulkMate have ads?
Neither BulkUp nor BulkMate shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BulkUp or BulkMate?
BulkUp ships an update daily, and BulkMate every 8 days. Most recently, BulkUp was updated on September 22, 2026 and BulkMate on September 9, 2026.

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