The short answer
Heart Tracker is the better fit for most iPhone users lowering LDL; Cronometer is the better fit if you want maximum nutrient detail or need Android. Cronometer has the most accurate nutrition data of any mainstream tracker, and you can log lipid results in it for free. But charting those results over months, and against your food, needs Gold. Heart Tracker does that part for free, with voice logging and no account.
We make Heart Tracker, so we've tried to be fair here: Cronometer is a genuinely excellent app and the one people most often recommend on Reddit for tracking cholesterol and saturated fat. Every Cronometer detail below was checked against Cronometer's help centre, Gold page and app store listings on 16 October 2026.
Where Cronometer is stronger
- Nutrient accuracy. Cronometer's database is built on more than a million lab-analysed or verified foods, and the free tier tracks up to 95 nutrients and compounds. If you want omega-3s, potassium or a dozen vitamins tracked precisely, it's the best in class.
- Platforms. iPhone, Android and a full web app. Heart Tracker is iPhone and iPad only for now (Android is in beta).
- Other lab markers. Alongside total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglycerides, its built-in biometrics include C-reactive protein, HbA1c, ferritin, vitamin D and more. Gold adds custom biometrics for anything else.
- Custom charts on Gold. You can plot any nutrient against any biometric, for example saturated fat intake against LDL over a year.
Where Heart Tracker is stronger
- Lab results next to food, free. Your lipid panel gets its own tab with trend charts and colour-coded reference ranges, and AI insights look at your results alongside your eating patterns. In Cronometer, the Lipid Panel chart and anything beyond a 7-day window are Gold.
- Built around cholesterol. Enter results in mg/dL or mmol/L, and Heart Tracker calculates non-HDL cholesterol and your total/HDL ratio automatically. You can add notes such as fasting or a new statin, set test reminders and export a PDF report for your doctor.
- Voice entry, free. Say what you ate and it's logged. Cronometer's voice and photo logging are Gold features.
- No account. Open the app and start. Cronometer needs an account.
- 100% free, with no paid tier. Every feature is free, and the app is supported by ads. Cronometer's free tier also has ads; Gold removes them.
Side-by-side comparison
Checked 16 October 2026. Cronometer prices are from the US App Store.
| Feature | Cronometer Free | Cronometer Gold | Heart Tracker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturated fat, fibre, dietary cholesterol | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Nutrients tracked | Up to 95 | Up to 95 | Macros, vitamins and minerals |
| Log total, LDL, HDL, triglycerides | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lipid trend chart over months | No (7-day window) | Yes | Yes, with reference ranges |
| Food compared with lab results | No | Custom charts | AI insights |
| Voice logging | No | Yes | Yes |
| Barcode scanner | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Health sync | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Account required | Yes | Yes | No |
| Platforms | iPhone, Android, web | iPhone, Android, web | iPhone, iPad (Android beta) |
| Price | Free, with ads | $10.99/mo or $59.99/yr | 100% free (ad-supported) |
Which should you choose?
- Choose Cronometer if you want the most detailed micronutrient tracking, you're on Android or prefer the web, or you track several lab markers and are happy to pay for Gold to chart them.
- Choose Heart Tracker if you're on iPhone, your main goal is bringing LDL down, and you want your results charted against your meals without a subscription or an account.
- Use both if you like Cronometer's food logging but want free lipid charts: keep your lipid panel in Heart Tracker.
Lowering cholesterol with either app
- Log your baseline lipid panel and understand it with how to read your cholesterol test results.
- Set a daily saturated fat limit. The American Heart Association suggests about 5–6% of calories for people who need to lower LDL. Our saturated fat calculator gives you the number in grams.
- Add soluble fibre from oats, beans, lentils and fruit.
- Retest when your doctor suggests (often around 3 months after a change) and compare averages, not single days.
Other apps people ask about
- Does MyFitnessPal track cholesterol?
- Does Lose It track cholesterol?
- Does Apple Health track cholesterol?
- The best cholesterol tracking apps for iPhone
Frequently asked questions
Is Cronometer or Heart Tracker better for lowering cholesterol?
If you're on iPhone and want your LDL, HDL and triglyceride results next to your meals without paying, Heart Tracker is the simpler choice. If you want the most detailed nutrient data, need Android or a web app, or track other lab markers too, Cronometer is excellent, but charting lipid results over months needs its Gold tier.
Is Cronometer more accurate than Heart Tracker?
For micronutrients, Cronometer is hard to beat: it tracks up to 95 nutrients and compounds from a database of over a million lab-analysed or verified foods. Both apps track the numbers that matter most for LDL: saturated fat, fibre and dietary cholesterol.
How much does Cronometer Gold cost?
In the US App Store, Cronometer Gold is $10.99 a month or $59.99 a year (checked October 2026). Heart Tracker is 100% free with no paid tier; it’s supported by ads.
Can I use Cronometer and Heart Tracker together?
Yes. Some people log food in Cronometer for micronutrient detail and keep their lipid panel in Heart Tracker for free trend charts and reference ranges. Both connect to Apple Health.
Is there a Heart Tracker app for Android?
Heart Tracker is on iPhone and iPad, with an Android beta open now. Cronometer is available on iPhone, Android and the web.
Try the free way to connect food and LDL
Heart Tracker logs meals by voice or barcode and charts your lipid panel with reference ranges, all free with no account.
Download Heart Tracker FreePhoto by William Hook on Unsplash