Palmful vs PortionPal
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Palmful
This app helps you track your daily nutrition using a hand-portion method, eliminating the need for calorie counting or barcode scanning. It visualizes your intake at a glance and adjusts targets for different activity levels, all while keeping your data private on your device.
- Hand-portion nutrition tracking
- No calorie counting
- Visual daily intake summary
- Adjustable targets for activity days
- Weekly eating pattern overview
- Private local data storage
- No streaks or nagging reminders
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You are already carrying a better instrument. Palmful is a daily nutrition journal built on the hand-portion method — no calorie counting, no barcode scanning, no hand-entering every ingredient in the meal you just cooked. Your hand is the ruler: • Palm = a serving of protein (about 4 oz, or 2 eggs) • Cupped hand = a measure of carbs (about ½ cup of rice, or a slice of bread) • Fist = a portion of vegetables (about a cooked cupful) • Thumb = a thumb of fat (a tablespoon of oil, or an ounce of cheese) The ruler scales with you. Bigger hands, bigger portions — the measure is the body itself. WHY THE NUMBERS FAIL Log a home-cooked meal in a calorie app and you're typing in every ingredient by hand. The more you vary what you eat, the more tedious it gets — so the app quietly nudges you back toward the same safe, packaged meals. But you cook. And the precision was never real anyway; the labels are estimates. Palmful drops the false precision and keeps the part that works: a simple, repeatable portion you can eyeball anywhere, with any meal, in any kitchen. TODAY, AT A GLANCE Open Palmful and see what you've still got room for — two palms of protein short, a fist of veg to go. It answers the only question you actually have at six in the evening: what should I eat next? A few taps to log, then get on with your day. TARGETS THAT MOVE WITH YOUR DAY Training days aren't all the same, so your targets aren't either. Palmful shifts your protein, carb, veg, and fat goals for Hard, Easy, and Rest days — more fuel when you're working, less when you're recovering. And if you already know your numbers, set them yourself: any portion, on any day type. Anything you don't touch keeps following your profile. THE WEEK, AS ONE PAGE Each day is a row; the week is a page you can read at a glance. See the shape of how you've been eating without digging through a feed. QUIET ON PURPOSE No streaks. No "good job!" No red numbers shaming you at midnight. Palmful is the tool a good coach hands you so you can stop obsessing — log a few taps, then put it down. Miss a week and nothing breaks. Nothing resets, nothing nags. Come back when you want to. SETUP IS OPTIONAL Open the app and start logging. Sex, activity level, weight, and goals can all be left blank — tap Skip for now to jump straight in with general targets, and personalize anytime in Settings if you want targets tuned to you. YOUR FOOD LOG STAYS ON YOUR PHONE Everything you log — every portion, every day — stays on your device, in a local database on your iPhone. No account, no sign-up. No server ever sees your food. To make Palmful better, the app sends anonymous, aggregate usage analytics — which screens you open and a few basic actions, nothing more. It never includes your journal entries and is never tied to your identity. If you choose to send feedback from Settings, your message — and a reply address, if you add one — goes to us so we can write back. Nothing else you enter ever leaves the phone. See our privacy policy for exactly what is and isn't collected. Made for iPhone. — Palmful is a tracking journal, not medical advice. Portion estimates are general guidance. Talk to a qualified professional about your own nutrition and health needs. Questions, bugs, or feedback: support@nsquaredlabs.com
PortionPal
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Palmful at none against PortionPal's 5. Palmful also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads 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
Both are free to download. PortionPal sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Palmful asks for nothing beyond the download.
Palmful ships an update fortnightly, PortionPal monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Palmful | PortionPal |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 22 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nishal Narechania | Heinz Meier |
In-app purchases
Palmful
No in-app purchases
PortionPal
- Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
- Pro Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
- 25 AI Credits$1.99
- 100 AI Credits$4.99
- Lifetime$29.99
Questions
Is Palmful free?
Is PortionPal free?
Do Palmful or PortionPal have ads?
Which is updated more often, Palmful or PortionPal?
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