Soba
Comparison · as of 5 November 2026
Soba and Carb Manager compared
Pick Carb Manager if you follow a keto or low-carb plan and want recipes, a meal planner or a fasting tracker. Carb Manager also fits if you want a web app or Android. Pick Soba if you count in BE or KE, want a carb estimate from one photo with a weight range, or want GI as well as GL. Soba also fits if you want the app in German.
The facts side by side
| Fact | Carb Manager | Soba | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Made by | Wombat Apps LLC, Redmond, Washington, USA. | Maksim Danilchenko, Limassol, Cyprus. | Carb Manager: German App StoreSoba: German App Store |
| Platforms | iOS 15.6 or later, Android, web app. | iOS 17.0 or later. The Android app is unreleased. | Carb Manager: App StoreCarb Manager: Google PlayCarb Manager: accountSoba: App Store |
| Price | 1 month $8.49, 3 months $16.49, 1 year $39.99 (US App Store). The listing also shows other plans from $19.99 to $59.99. On the web: $8.49 per month, $5.50 per month billed quarterly, $3.33 per month billed annually. | Soba Pro: $6.99 per month or $44.99 per year (US App Store). The app shows any trial offer before purchase. | Carb Manager: App StoreCarb Manager: PremiumSoba: App Store |
| Free use | Basic costs $0 and includes net carb tracking and barcode scans. | One photo or text scan per device per calendar month. Barcode lookup, manual entry, history, daily totals and Apple Health work without a subscription. | Carb Manager: US App StoreCarb Manager: PremiumSoba: App Store |
| Photo recognition | Sources disagree. The homepage and the German store text describe Premium photo logging. The US store text and the Premium help do not mention it. The same company sells a separate photo app, Carbi. | Yes, from one photo or a typed description. Soba Pro has daily usage limits. | Carb Manager: websiteCarb Manager: German App StoreCarb Manager: US App StoreCarb Manager: Premium helpCarbi: App StoreSoba: App Store |
| Net or total carbs | You choose: total, net (default: minus fiber, sugar alcohols and allulose), or one of two diabetes modes (UCSF, ADA). | Net carbs: total carbs minus fiber. Fiber is shown separately. | Carb Manager: carb modesSoba: carb tableSoba: App Store |
| Carb units | Grams. BE, KE and exchanges: not found. | Grams and bread units of 10, 11, 12 or 15 g of carbs. At 15 g the unit is the carb exchange. | Carb Manager: help indexSoba: App Store |
| GI and GL | Glycemic load: yes. GI: not found. | GI and GL for each food and the whole meal. The model estimates the values. The GI and GL explanation in the app links its sources for the zones. | Carb Manager: websiteCarb Manager: Google PlaySoba: App StoreSoba: fact sheet |
| Weight range or uncertainty | Not found. | Yes, when the weight is an estimate. On 200 weighed plates the real weight fell inside the range in 97 cases, about half. | Carb Manager: help indexSoba: accuracy test |
| CGM, Apple Health, Nightscout | Apple Health imports blood glucose, steps, exercise, weight and sleep, and exports nutrition once per day. Sync needs Premium. Also Health Connect, Fitbit, Garmin and Keto Mojo. Direct CGM connection and Nightscout: not found. | Apple Health: Soba writes nutrients and meal times, reads glucose and shows it around a meal when enough readings exist. No direct sensor connection. No Nightscout connection. | Carb Manager: Apple HealthCarb Manager: device syncSoba: App Store |
| Published accuracy data | Carb Manager publishes no accuracy data. | Our own test, not peer reviewed: 68.5% of 400 photos within 10 g of the recorded carbs (95% CI 64.0 to 72.9). Median error: 5.2 g. Meals of 60 g or more: 19.0% within 10 g. | Carb Manager: websiteCarb Manager: help indexSoba: accuracy test |
| Languages | App Store list: English. Spanish in beta since July 2024. | 12 (App Store list). | Carb Manager: App StoreCarb Manager: languagesSoba: App Store |
| Medical device | Status not found. The site says its content is for “informational and educational purposes only”. | No. “Soba is not a medical device.” | Carb Manager: websiteSoba: App Store |
| Account | Not needed in the mobile app. The web app needs an account. | Not needed. Saved meals stay on your iPhone. | Carb Manager: accountSoba: website |
| App Store ratings | 4.82 from 736,656 ratings (US). | The App Store shows no rating yet. | Carb Manager: App StoreSoba: App Store |
As of 5 November 2026. “Not found” means that we searched the linked pages and did not find the fact. The feature may still exist. Accuracy numbers come from different tests with different meals and methods, so you cannot compare them directly. Prices differ by country and can change.
What Carb Manager offers that Soba does not
- Keto and low-carb tools: 5,000+ keto recipes with Premium, a meal planner and carb cycling. (Carb Manager: Google Play)
- A fasting tracker, water and exercise logging, and a community with weekly challenges. (Carb Manager: Google Play)
- A food search across more than 1 million foods. (Carb Manager: Google Play)
- A choice of carb mode: total, net, or two diabetes modes. (Carb Manager: carb modes)
- A web app and an Android app. (Carb Manager: account, Carb Manager: Google Play)
- Sync with Health Connect, Fitbit, Garmin and Keto Mojo (Premium). (Carb Manager: device sync)
- A long record: on the App Store since 2010, with 736,656 ratings in the US. (Carb Manager: US App Store)
- A lower yearly price: $39.99 against $44.99 in the US App Store. (Carb Manager: App Store, Soba: App Store)
What Soba does differently
- Bread units. You choose 10, 11, 12 or 15 g of carbs per unit, so BE, KE and exchanges all work. We did not find these units in Carb Manager’s help pages. (Soba: App Store, Carb Manager: help index)
- Photo and text recognition is the main way to log a meal. One scan per month is free, and Soba Pro has daily usage limits. (Soba: App Store)
- A weight range next to a photo estimate. Treat it as a rough guide: on 200 weighed plates the real weight fell inside it about half the time. If you know the weight, enter it. (Soba: accuracy test)
- GI as well as GL, for each food and for the whole meal. The model estimates these values. We found glycemic load at Carb Manager and did not find GI. (Soba: App Store, Carb Manager: Google Play)
- 12 interface languages, including German. Carb Manager’s App Store list shows English. (Soba: App Store, Carb Manager: App Store)
- A public method for our accuracy test on 400 photos, with results by meal size. Meals of 60 g or more reached 19.0% within 10 g. It is our own test, and no journal reviewed it. (Soba: accuracy test)
Questions
Can Carb Manager log food from a photo?
Its pages disagree. The homepage says: “Our Premium version lets you log food by just snapping a picture!” The US store text and the Premium help do not mention photo logging. The same company sells a separate photo app, Carbi. (Carb Manager: website, Carb Manager: US App Store, Carb Manager: Premium help, Carbi: App Store)
Is Carb Manager available in German?
We did not find a German version. The App Store list shows English, and the help pages add a Spanish beta. Soba’s interface is available in German. (Carb Manager: App Store, Carb Manager: languages, Soba: App Store)
Try Soba
One photo or text scan per month is free. Barcode lookup, manual entry and history work without a subscription.