Cronometer in short
The free plan includes the barcode scanner and custom micronutrient targets. The downside: free reports and charts are limited to 7 days, and ad-free use, the fasting timer and the recipe importer need Gold.
MacroFactor in short
Calorie and macro targets adjust from weekly check-ins, with no ads. The downside: no free tier, and strength logging lives in a separate paid app.
Free tier and price
Cronometer free tier: basic: food, exercise and biometrics logging, up to 84 nutrients, custom targets and a barcode scanner; reports limited to 7 days. Paid: gold: $10.99/mo or $59.99/yr.
MacroFactor free tier: none; 7-day free trial. Paid: $11.99/mo, $47.99 per 6 months or $71.99/yr; $89.99/yr bundled with the Workouts app.
Prices are the US App Store listings as of the check date, and some listings show several entries without labelling the billing period, so confirm in the store before paying.
Switching between Cronometer and MacroFactor
Moving your data. Cronometer: Exports CSV; whether Gold is required was not verified. MacroFactor: The Workouts app offers export; the format is not named.
Watch support. Cronometer: Not verified. MacroFactor: Not verified.
Ads. Cronometer: Gold is marketed as ad-free. MacroFactor: None.
If a game is what you are missing
Neither app has a game layer. We make GYM RPG, which logs the same sets, reps and weight and adds XP, a skill tree and a party boss. It is not a drop-in for either app, because we have no import tool and you would start fresh.