Pensum
Pensum vs Cronometer
Cronometer has the deepest, best-sourced micronutrient data in the category. If that is what you came for, it earns its reputation. If you keep hitting ads on the free tier, buried generic foods, or slow entry, Pensum is the leaner, ad-free alternative built on European food data.
Download for AndroidEarly build, Android only. An honest comparison; where Cronometer is better, we say so.
Side by side
Facts as of 2026. Subscription prices change and vary by region, so treat any figure as approximate and check the app store for the current number.
| Pensum | Cronometer | |
|---|---|---|
| Ads on the free tier | None, on any tier | Yes, removed only with paid Gold |
| Free tier | Full-featured core, free | Yes, unlimited time, with ads |
| Micronutrient depth | Key vitamins and minerals, each flagged verified, partial or estimated | Deep, lab-sourced, more nutrients tracked |
| Generic-food ranking | Generic whole foods ranked above branded products by default | Large database; branded and community entries surface heavily in search |
| European (DACH) data | German BLS, Swiss, USDA built in | Global database, less DACH-generic focus |
| Logging speed | Weigh, search, two taps | Thorough, more screens per entry |
| AI meal-photo scan | Free during early access; optional Pro later | Photo logging in Gold |
| Account required | No, local-first | Yes, cloud account |
| Platforms | Android (early); Health Connect sync | iOS, Android, web |
Where Cronometer is stronger: nutrient depth, sourcing, and a mature product across more platforms. That is a genuine advantage.
What actually differs
The three differences that actually matter.
No ads, on any tier
Cronometer's free tier runs indefinitely, but it shows ads until you pay for Gold. Pensum shows no ads anywhere, and the core tracker stays free and ad-free. A Pro tier arrives later for advanced AI features like meal-photo scanning; those extras are free for everyone during early access right now, and Pro will never be about removing ads, because there are none.
Generic foods first, and European
Cronometer's strength is depth, but in a global, community-fed database a search often surfaces branded and user-submitted entries first. Pensum ranks clean generic whole foods above branded products, on data from the German Bundeslebensmittelschluessel, the Swiss Food Composition Database and USDA. Search Broetchen or Quark and the plain food comes up first, ahead of the packaged versions.
Honest micros, clearly flagged
Cronometer genuinely leads here. It tracks more micronutrients from carefully sourced data, and for meticulous nutrient work few apps match it. Pensum tracks a narrower set, the key vitamins and minerals, and flags each value as verified, partial or estimated, so you never mistake a rough number for a measured one. The goals differ: pick nutrient depth, or pick faster logging on numbers you can trust.
Who should switch, and who should not
If you live in Cronometer for its nutrient depth, stay; it is the better tool for that. If your daily friction is ads, branded-food noise, or the number of taps to log a meal, and your foods are European, Pensum will feel faster and cleaner.
Questions
Is Pensum a good Cronometer alternative?
If your friction with Cronometer is ads on the free tier, buried generic foods, or slow logging, Pensum is built to fix exactly that: no ads on any tier, generic foods ranked above branded products, and two-tap entry. Cronometer still leads on the depth and sourcing of its micronutrient data, so the honest answer depends on whether you optimise for nutrient depth or for speed and an ad-free core.
Does Cronometer show ads on the free version?
Yes. Cronometer's free tier is usable for an unlimited time but displays ads; removing them requires the paid Gold subscription. Pensum shows no ads on any tier, including the free core.
Which tracks micronutrients better, Pensum or Cronometer?
Cronometer tracks more micronutrients and is known for deep, lab-sourced nutrient data. Pensum tracks calories, macros and key vitamins and minerals, and flags each value as verified, partial or estimated so you know how much to trust it. If exhaustive micronutrient depth is your priority, Cronometer wins; if you want honest core micros without ads and faster logging, Pensum fits.
Is Pensum better for German, Swiss and Austrian foods?
For DACH generic foods, usually yes. Pensum is built on the German BLS, the Swiss Food Composition Database and USDA data, and ranks clean generic foods above branded products, so searching Broetchen or Quark returns the actual food rather than packaged versions.
Is Pensum free?
Right now everything in Pensum is free with no ads: the full diary, the European food database, saved meals, recipes, trends, targets, weigh-ins, Health Connect sync, and AI meal-photo scanning. The core tracker stays free and ad-free. The advanced AI features are free during early access and become an optional paid Pro upgrade later on.
Compare Pensum with others
A faster, ad-free tracker on food data built for Europe.
Download for Android