Carby vs MacroFactor: grocery cap or adaptive TDEE?
MacroFactor changes your calorie target from your weight trend. Carby changes your dinners from a grocery budget. MacroFactor has a 7-day trial and no free forever tier. Carby does not coach macros.
Side by side
| Criterion | Carby | MacroFactor |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Weekly dinners built around a named US grocery store and a budget you type first, with estimated ingredient costs and one aisle-grouped list. | A paid macro tracker and nutrition coach. It estimates energy expenditure from what you log and your weight trend, then updates calorie and macro targets. Barcode scan and a verified food database. No free forever tier. |
| Starter price | $39.99/year after a 3-day trial on web yearly checkout | $11.99 a month, $47.99 per half year, or $71.99 a year, US prices on the App Store listing. |
| Cost if you stay a year | $39.99 if you stay on the web yearly plan after the 3-day trial | $71.99 on the yearly nutrition plan. $143.88 if you stay on monthly at $11.99. Nutrition + Workouts bundle $89.99 a year for new users on or after January 1, 2026, per MacroFactor help. |
| Trial | 3-day trial on the web yearly offer visitors actually see. Monthly ($9.99) and weekly ($4.99) plans also exist. Read the checkout. | 7-day trial of the premium ad-free app. No free subscription tier. |
| Refunds | Web Stripe charges: email within 30 days of the charge for a refund. App Store charges go through Apple. Cancel during the trial and you are not charged. | Auto-renews unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the period ends. Manage from Apple or Google account settings. App Store purchases follow Apple. |
| Grocery list | One shopping list for the week, grouped by aisle. You shop it yourself. | No family grocery-budget list. The log is a timeline of foods you track toward adaptive macro targets. |
| Store cost estimates | Yes | No |
| Food diary / calorie log | No. Carby does not log calories, carbs or photos of food you already ate. | A paid macro tracker and nutrition coach. It estimates energy expenditure from what you log and your weight trend, then updates calorie and macro targets. Barcode scan and a verified food database. No free forever tier. |
| App Store rating | 4.0 from 29 ratings (small sample) | 4.8 from 23,330 ratings |
Cost if you actually stay
Carby: $39.99 if you stay on the web yearly plan after the 3-day trial
MacroFactor: $71.99 on the yearly nutrition plan. $143.88 if you stay on monthly at $11.99. Nutrition + Workouts bundle $89.99 a year for new users on or after January 1, 2026, per MacroFactor help.
MacroFactor facts are from its public site and US iTunes Lookup, checked October 20, 2026. Missing dollar amounts were omitted, not guessed. Carby web yearly is $39.99 after a 3-day trial, with a 30-day web refund. Grocery purchases are extra on both sides. Carby does not replace a food diary.
Where they win
- Expenditure estimate and weekly target updates from your log and weight.
- Verified database and barcode scan in an ad-free paid app.
- No red-number shaming when you go over targets, per their App Store copy.
Where we win
- Family dinners and one list around a store you name.
- A cheaper web yearly plan if all you needed was shopping, not coaching ($39.99 vs $71.99).
- You can start without logging every bite.
Choose us if / pick them if
Choose Carby if: Choose Carby if Adaptive TDEE is jargon you did not ask for, and dinner is what you asked for.
Pick MacroFactor if: Pick MacroFactor if you want a serious paid macro coach and you will log food and weight. There is no free forever plan.
MacroFactor alternatives by jobFrequently asked questions
Does MacroFactor plan family dinners?
No. It is a macro tracker and nutrition coach. It does not build a store-budget grocery week.
Is there a free MacroFactor?
No free subscription tier. 7-day trial, then $11.99 a month, $47.99 per half year, or $71.99 a year in the US.
Can I use both?
Yes. Log food in MacroFactor. Plan household dinners in Carby. They do not share accounts.
Sources checked October 20, 2026: App Store listing · iTunes Lookup id 6779585429 · Carby billing policy · Carby refund help · MacroFactor site · MacroFactor App Store listing · MacroFactor subscriptions help · iTunes Lookup id 1553503471. Competitor facts come from those public pages and US iTunes Lookup. Missing cells were omitted, not guessed.