Customer Reviews (500)

AppSucks8 • 2025-03-27T15:07:13-07:00

Great app but no reason I should require an internet connection just to track calories ….

Doc dave 2 • 2025-03-27T10:59:45-07:00

Some great features. Flexibility. Love that you can drag a food to a new location (category). Detailed breakdown of nutrition. There is a challenge when selecting units for how much of a food is consumed. It would be real nice if users could type in the measurement they use and the app would convert it. It would also be great if users could scan product bar codes instead of having to type everything in by hand.

the bigger cheese • 2025-03-25T19:38:51-07:00

Great app. Great features. Premium is useful, but not mandatory. It’s like this app was made by people who got frustrated with MyFitnessPal. Great

Summary of Key Insights

Cronometer is a well-regarded health and fitness app, particularly praised for its detailed nutritional tracking and extensive food database. Users appreciate the free features, especially the barcode scanner, which sets it apart from competitors like MyFitnessPal. However, there are recurring complaints about the app's user interface, occasional bugs, and limitations in its food database, particularly regarding ethnic cuisines and restaurant items. The overall sentiment is positive, with many users finding it superior to other calorie-tracking apps and essential for achieving their health and fitness goals.

Quantitative Metrics:

  • Overall Rating (based on score distribution): High (Significant skew towards positive reviews)
  • 5-star reviews: 73.6% (368/500)
  • 4-star reviews: 7.6% (38/500)
  • 3-star reviews: 8.2% (41/500)
  • 2-star reviews: 2.8% (14/500)
  • 1-star reviews: 7.8% (39/500)

Key Strengths:

  • Detailed nutritional information (macros and micros)
  • Extensive food database
  • Free barcode scanner
  • Customizable features and recipe creation
  • Integration with fitness trackers

Key Weaknesses:

  • UI/UX issues (slowness, clunkiness, difficulty navigating, particularly with new updates)
  • Incomplete food database (especially ethnic cuisines and restaurant items)
  • Occasional bugs and syncing problems
  • Some users find the level of detail overwhelming
  • Ads in free version can be intrusive

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 500 reviews
  • Time Frame: Not explicitly stated, but the reviews suggest a period spanning from late 2023 to early 2025.
  • Analysis Methods:
    • Sentiment analysis (manual assessment based on review text)
    • Keyword extraction (identifying frequently used terms and phrases)
    • Thematic analysis (grouping reviews by common themes and issues)
    • Quantitative analysis (calculating star rating distribution)

Key User Pain Points

  • Incomplete Food Database: Many users, especially those with specific dietary needs (e.g., Asian, vegan, or those who frequently eat at restaurants), struggle to find accurate entries for their meals. This forces them to manually create custom entries, which is time-consuming and unsustainable.
    • Impact: Frustration, reduced app usability, and decreased user engagement.
  • UI/UX Issues: Several users find the app's interface clunky, slow, and difficult to navigate, particularly after updates. Specific complaints include:
    • Difficulty sorting foods by time
    • Finding frequently used foods
    • Slow loading times
    • Confusing goal-setting
    • Annoying "undo" banners blocking the "add food" button.
    • Half-visible UI on apple watch.
    • Pop-up ads in the middle of the dashboard.
    • Inability to quickly add calories, instead of adding component nutrients.
    • "Optimize" feature changing goal weight to current weight.
    • Cumbersome new layout.
    • Inability to choose right serving sizes.
    • Widgets on Mac are unusable.
    • App logs out user frequently.
    • Settings changes are ignored.
    • Worst settings menu.
    • Cannot save recipes.
    • Charts take a long time to load.
    • Slow when opening.
    • Difficult to close pop-ups.
    • Difficult to determine leftover calories.
    • Difficult to see macro totals for each meal.
    • Impact: Reduced user satisfaction, increased frustration, and potential abandonment of the app.
  • Bugs and Syncing Problems: Users report occasional bugs, including data loss after updates, inaccurate ketogenic score, and issues syncing with Apple Health and other fitness trackers.
    • Impact: Data integrity concerns, reduced reliability, and decreased user trust.
  • Intrusive Ads: Users of the free version find the ads intrusive, particularly the video ads that interrupt their workflow.
    • Impact: Reduced user experience and potential migration to competitor apps.
  • Customer Support: Some users report slow or unhelpful responses from customer support.
    • Impact: Frustration and reduced confidence in the app's long-term viability.

Frequently Requested Features

  • Improved Food Database: More comprehensive coverage of ethnic cuisines, restaurant items, and generic/homemade recipes.
  • Enhanced Meal Planning: Ability to see macro breakdowns for individual meals, not just the entire day.
  • Recipe Sharing: A feature to easily share custom recipes with friends and family.
  • Voice Input: The ability to verbally log food intake.
  • Improved Apple Watch Integration: Better syncing and a more functional Apple Watch app, including accurate calorie counts.
  • AI-Powered Features: AI suggestions for meals and insights based on tracked data.
  • Glycemic Load Tracking: Specific tracking of Glycemic Load for managing blood sugar levels.
  • More Granular Serving Sizes: More options for serving sizes (e.g., tablespoons, teaspoons, pieces).
  • Oxalate Tracking: Tracking of oxalate content in foods.
  • One-Time Payment Option: A "lifetime" premium option instead of subscription-based pricing.
  • Improved Exercise Database: More exercises, especially for legs (squats, leg press, etc.).
  • Integration with other apps: Integration with Training Peaks and Strava.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Detailed Nutritional Information: Users consistently praise the app's comprehensive tracking of macros and micronutrients. This level of detail is particularly valuable for users with specific dietary needs or health goals.
  • Extensive Food Database: While some users report gaps in the database, many others find it to be extensive and accurate, especially compared to competitors.
  • Free Barcode Scanner: The free barcode scanner is a major selling point and a key differentiator from apps like MyFitnessPal, which require a premium subscription for this feature.
  • Customizable Features: Users appreciate the ability to customize their goals, create custom recipes, and track various metrics.
  • User-Friendly Interface: Many users find the app easy to use and navigate, particularly compared to other calorie-tracking apps.
  • Integration with Fitness Trackers: The app's integration with fitness trackers like Apple Health and Garmin is seen as a valuable feature.
  • Customer Service: Some users have positive experiences with customer support, noting their responsiveness and helpfulness.
  • Value for Money: Many users feel that the free version provides significant value, and the premium subscription is reasonably priced.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Improve UI/UX: Address the most frequently reported usability issues, such as slow loading times, difficult navigation, and confusing goal-setting. Focus on streamlining the user experience and making the app more intuitive.
  • Expand Food Database: Prioritize adding missing entries for ethnic cuisines, restaurant items, and generic/homemade recipes. Consider crowdsourcing data from users or partnering with food databases.
  • Fix Bugs and Syncing Issues: Address the reported bugs and syncing problems to improve the app's reliability and data integrity. Implement thorough testing procedures to prevent future issues.

Medium Priority:

  • Optimize Ad Placement: Re-evaluate the placement and frequency of ads in the free version to minimize disruption to the user experience.
  • Enhance Customer Support: Improve customer support response times and provide more helpful and personalized assistance.
  • Enhance Apple Watch Integration: Improve syncing and functionality of the Apple Watch app.

Low Priority:

  • Explore New Features: Consider adding some of the frequently requested features, such as voice input and a recipe-sharing function, but prioritize addressing the core issues first.
  • One-Time Payment Option: Evaluate the feasibility of offering a one-time payment option for users who prefer it.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • AI-Powered Personalized Nutrition: A platform that uses AI to analyze user data (food logs, activity levels, biometrics) and provide personalized nutrition recommendations, meal plans, and insights.
  • Crowdsourced Food Database: A platform that allows users to contribute and verify food data, creating a more comprehensive and accurate database than existing solutions.
  • Ethnic Cuisine-Focused Nutrition Tracker: A nutrition tracker specifically designed for ethnic cuisines, with a database of authentic recipes and ingredients.
  • Recipe Sharing Marketplace: A platform where users can buy and sell custom recipes with detailed nutritional information.

Trends and Observations

  • Comparison to MyFitnessPal: Many users are switching from MyFitnessPal to Cronometer, primarily due to the free barcode scanner and more detailed nutritional information.
  • Emphasis on Micronutrients: Users are increasingly interested in tracking micronutrients, reflecting a growing awareness of the importance of holistic nutrition.
  • Demand for Customization: Users want the ability to customize their goals, track various metrics, and create personalized meal plans.
  • Importance of User Experience: A smooth and intuitive user experience is crucial for user satisfaction and retention.
  • Shifting to holistic health: Users are tracking more than just calories (sleep, water intake) to gain a better understanding of their bodies.

Conclusion

Cronometer is a powerful and versatile nutrition tracker with a strong reputation for its detailed information and free features. However, addressing the UI/UX issues, expanding the food database, and improving reliability are essential for maintaining its competitive edge and attracting new users. By focusing on these key areas, Cronometer can solidify its position as the leading nutrition tracker in the market.

Overall Recommendation: Prioritize improving the user experience and expanding the food database to address the most pressing user pain points.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/calorie-counter-cronometer/id1145935738?uo=2