No. There is a free trial, but no permanent free tier, so the app stops working when the trial ends unless you subscribe. Pricing is $11.99/mo, $47.99 for 6 months, or $71.99/yr.

Does MacroFactor track workouts?

Yes, since January 2026, through a separate app called MacroFactor Workouts. It builds programs around your equipment and experience and applies rule-based progressive overload. It is a separate subscription at the same price, or $89.99/yr bundled with the nutrition app.

Do the MacroFactor nutrition and workout apps talk to each other?

Only partly. They share body metrics, scale weight, progress photos and some habits. MacroFactor’s own FAQ states there are no shared coaching features and no automatic program adjustments between the two apps. In MuscleBuddy training and nutrition live in one system and one dashboard: a logged flare can cut that week’s training volume automatically (and during contest prep, propose a diet break you accept or decline), while a Pro recovery trend adjusts training only.

Does MacroFactor have a health or recovery module?

No. MacroFactor is a nutrition app plus a separate workouts app; there is no bloodwork trending, no daily recovery score, and no wearable-driven readiness. That health module is the third piece MuscleBuddy adds: a logged flare can cut that week’s training volume automatically (and during contest prep, propose a diet break you accept or decline), while a Pro recovery trend adjusts training only.

Is MacroFactor better than MuscleBuddy for nutrition?

On calories alone, probably yes: their expenditure model uses your logged intake as well as your weight, and it is excellent. MuscleBuddy adjusts macros off your rolling weigh-in trend and explains each change. The reason to pick us is that training, recovery and bloodwork live in the same app as your macros.

Can a coach manage clients through MacroFactor?

No. MacroFactor is built for the individual user. There is no client roster, no program hand-off and no coach billing.

Does MacroFactor work offline?

It is a native iOS and Android app, so it caches locally, but there is no web or installable PWA version. MuscleBuddy’s web app logs offline in any browser, and there is an Android app on Google Play as well.

MuscleBuddy vs MacroFactor: which is better in 2026?

A research-driven adaptive nutrition app from Stronger by Science, now paired with a separate Workouts app.

MuscleBuddy (musclebuddy.net) is a training and nutrition app for the web and Android. It builds your workout program, raises or holds your weights from the sets you log, and moves your macro targets with your weigh-in trend, showing the rule behind every change. It is free to start. Pro is $9.99 a month. The Coach tier is $29.99 a month for up to 20 active clients: the coach manages each client's program, reviews their check-ins, and can override any automatic change.

MuscleBuddy compared with MacroFactor on features and lowest paid tier.
Feature	MuscleBuddy	MacroFactor
Smart progression (auto-adjust load/reps)	Yes	Yes
Nutrition tracking with auto-adjusting macros	Yes	Yes
Health module (recovery, wearables, bloodwork)	Yes	No
Coach/client management (in the main app)	Yes	No
Web app to plan from, not only a phone app	Yes	Not verified
AI-powered check-in analysis	Yes	No
Custom programming templates	Yes	Yes
Medication dose and side-effect log beside the day's food (GLP-1)	Yes	Not verified
Free tier	Yes	No
Lowest paid tier	$9.99/mo	$11.99/mo

No permanent free tier. MacroFactor is $11.99/mo, $47.99 for 6 months, or $71.99/yr after a free trial. MacroFactor Workouts, launched January 2026, is a separate app at the same price; the two bundle at $89.99/yr. Subscribers from before January 1, 2026 get Workouts free through January 12, 2027.

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When to choose MacroFactor

MacroFactor is, in our view, the strongest adaptive nutrition app available, and you should choose it if food is the part you want handled properly. Its diet coach recalculates your calorie and macro targets every week from your logged intake and your weight trend, and the expenditure model behind it is excellent: it infers your TDEE from your own data rather than from an equation, and one bad week does not throw it off.

Food logging is fast, the database is clean, and there are no ads anywhere in the product. It comes out of the Stronger by Science team, so the methodology is published and defensible rather than marketing.

If your training is already handled, by a coach or by a program you trust, and you want a dedicated tool for the nutrition half, MacroFactor is an easy recommendation.

When MuscleBuddy is the better fit

MuscleBuddy wins on the two modules beyond training and nutrition, and on how the modules talk. MacroFactor now ships a Workouts app alongside its excellent nutrition app, so on training and nutrition alone we overlap more than we used to, and their expenditure model is excellent. Three things still separate us.

First, their own FAQ states the nutrition and workout apps share no coaching features and make no automatic program adjustments between each other; in MuscleBuddy they are one system, so a stalled bench and a flat weight trend sit on the same dashboard rather than two separate apps, and a flare or a recovery dip can scale back that week's training automatically. Second, MuscleBuddy has a whole health module MacroFactor has no equivalent for: it trends bloodwork and vitals, computes a daily recovery score from real HRV and resting heart rate off Whoop, Oura or Withings, and lets that recovery inform your training readiness.

Third, upkeep tracks medications, appointments and fasting windows on their own clock, and an appointment shows how recovery and mood looked around it, for context rather than a verdict on adherence.

On price: MacroFactor has no free tier, runs $11.99 a month, and is $89.99 a year for both apps. MuscleBuddy is free with no time limit for logging, auto-progression, macros, ranks and social, and Pro is $9.99 a month with meal planning, carb cycling and advanced bloodwork markers; the Coach tier is $29.99 a month for up to 20 active clients.

Frequently asked

What is MuscleBuddy?: MuscleBuddy (musclebuddy.net) is a training and nutrition app for the web and Android. It builds your workout program, raises or holds your weights from the sets you log, and moves your macro targets with your weigh-in trend, showing the rule behind every change. It is free to start. Pro is $9.99 a month. The Coach tier is $29.99 a month for up to 20 active clients: the coach manages each client's program, reviews their check-ins, and can override any automatic change.
Is MacroFactor free?: No. There is a free trial, but no permanent free tier, so the app stops working when the trial ends unless you subscribe. Pricing is $11.99/mo, $47.99 for 6 months, or $71.99/yr.
Does MacroFactor track workouts?: Yes, since January 2026, through a separate app called MacroFactor Workouts. It builds programs around your equipment and experience and applies rule-based progressive overload. It is a separate subscription at the same price, or $89.99/yr bundled with the nutrition app.
Do the MacroFactor nutrition and workout apps talk to each other?: Only partly. They share body metrics, scale weight, progress photos and some habits. MacroFactor’s own FAQ states there are no shared coaching features and no automatic program adjustments between the two apps. In MuscleBuddy training and nutrition live in one system and one dashboard: a logged flare can cut that week’s training volume automatically (and during contest prep, propose a diet break you accept or decline), while a Pro recovery trend adjusts training only.
Does MacroFactor have a health or recovery module?: No. MacroFactor is a nutrition app plus a separate workouts app; there is no bloodwork trending, no daily recovery score, and no wearable-driven readiness. That health module is the third piece MuscleBuddy adds: a logged flare can cut that week’s training volume automatically (and during contest prep, propose a diet break you accept or decline), while a Pro recovery trend adjusts training only.
Is MacroFactor better than MuscleBuddy for nutrition?: On calories alone, probably yes: their expenditure model uses your logged intake as well as your weight, and it is excellent. MuscleBuddy adjusts macros off your rolling weigh-in trend and explains each change. The reason to pick us is that training, recovery and bloodwork live in the same app as your macros.
Can a coach manage clients through MacroFactor?: No. MacroFactor is built for the individual user. There is no client roster, no program hand-off and no coach billing.
Does MacroFactor work offline?: It is a native iOS and Android app, so it caches locally, but there is no web or installable PWA version. MuscleBuddy’s web app logs offline in any browser, and there is an Android app on Google Play as well.

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All product names, logos, trademarks, and brands are the property of their respective owners and are used here for identification and comparison only. MuscleBuddy is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any company named on this page. This is an independent comparison; competitor pricing and features were last reviewed on September 1, 2026 and may have changed since, so check each provider's own site for current details.