Soba
Comparison · as of 5 November 2026
Soba and CarbCam compared
This page covers CarbCam by 10BE Software GmbH. Pick CarbCam if you use Nightscout, AndroidAPS, iAPS or xDrip+, want fat-protein units, or use Android. CarbCam also fits if you want to choose the AI provider or bring your own API key. Pick Soba if you count in BE or KE, want GL as well as GI, or want a weight range next to an estimate. Soba also fits if you want to read a published accuracy test.
The facts side by side
| Fact | CarbCam | Soba | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Made by | 10BE Software GmbH, Überlingen, Germany. | Maksim Danilchenko, Limassol, Cyprus. | CarbCam: legal noticeSoba: German App Store |
| Platforms | iOS 18.0 or later, Android. | iOS 17.0 or later. The Android app is unreleased. | CarbCam: App StoreCarbCam: Google PlaySoba: App Store |
| Price | Monthly scan packs: 50 scans $3.49, 150 $5.19, 250 $6.95, 400 $9.29, 650 $13.49, 900 $17.49 (US App Store). One-time bonus credits: 50 for $8.99. 3-day trial. | Soba Pro: $6.99 per month or $44.99 per year (US App Store). The app shows any trial offer before purchase. | CarbCam: App StoreCarbCam: pricingSoba: App Store |
| Free use | Free plan with 5 AI analyses per month. With your own API key, analyses do not count against the quota. | One photo or text scan per device per calendar month. Barcode lookup, manual entry, history, daily totals and Apple Health work without a subscription. | CarbCam: App StoreSoba: App Store |
| Photo recognition | Yes. You can mark a die, coin or AR marker as a size reference and choose the AI provider. Barcodes are checked against Open Food Facts and USDA. | Yes, from one photo or a typed description. Soba Pro has daily usage limits. | CarbCam: tourCarbCam: websiteSoba: App Store |
| Net or total carbs | Not found. | Net carbs: total carbs minus fiber. Fiber is shown separately. | CarbCam: websiteCarbCam: FAQSoba: carb tableSoba: App Store |
| Carb units | Grams, plus fat-protein units (FPU). 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. | CarbCam: websiteCarbCam: App StoreSoba: App Store |
| GI and GL | GI per item. GL: 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. | CarbCam: websiteSoba: App StoreSoba: fact sheet |
| Weight range or uncertainty | No range per scan found. The site states typical deviations: see the row on accuracy data. | Yes, when the weight is an estimate. On 200 weighed plates the real weight fell inside the range in 97 cases, about half. | CarbCam: how it worksSoba: accuracy test |
| CGM, Apple Health, Nightscout | Nightscout: glucose curve below each meal and meal sync. Passes carbs on the device to AndroidAPS, iAPS or xDrip+. Optional export to Apple Health or Health Connect. | 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. | CarbCam: FAQCarbCam: privacySoba: App Store |
| Published accuracy data | CarbCam publishes no accuracy data from a test. It states typical deviations: ±20% for clear portions, ±30% for complex meals, ±40% or more for unusual dishes, ±5% for barcode products. | 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. | CarbCam: how it worksCarbCam: disclaimerSoba: accuracy test |
| Languages | 42 in the App Store list. The store text names 7 fully translated languages. | 12 (App Store list). | CarbCam: App StoreSoba: App Store |
| Medical device | No. “CarbCam is not a medical device” under the EU Medical Devices Regulation. | No. “Soba is not a medical device.” | CarbCam: disclaimerCarbCam: App StoreSoba: App Store |
| Account | Not needed: anonymous install ID. | Not needed. Saved meals stay on your iPhone. | CarbCam: App StoreSoba: website |
| App Store ratings | No US ratings yet. | The App Store shows no rating yet. | CarbCam: 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 CarbCam offers that Soba does not
- A Nightscout connection: a glucose curve below each meal, and meals sync as treatments. (CarbCam: FAQ)
- Local transfer of carbs on the device to AndroidAPS, iAPS or xDrip+. (CarbCam: FAQ)
- Fat-protein units (FPU) for each scan. (CarbCam: website)
- A choice of AI provider, and analyses with your own API key that do not count against the quota. (CarbCam: website, CarbCam: App Store)
- A larger free plan: 5 AI analyses per month against one scan per month in Soba. (CarbCam: App Store, Soba: App Store)
- Scan packs with a monthly quota, from $3.49 for 50 scans to $17.49 for 900. (CarbCam: App Store)
- A size reference: mark a die, a coin or an AR marker in the photo. (CarbCam: tour)
- An Android app, and 42 languages in the App Store list. (CarbCam: Google Play, CarbCam: 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. CarbCam’s pages state grams and FPU, and we did not find BE or KE there. (Soba: App Store, CarbCam: website)
- GL as well as GI, for each food and for the whole meal. The model estimates these values. CarbCam shows GI per item, and we did not find GL. (Soba: App Store, CarbCam: website)
- 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)
- 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)
- Glucose around a meal from Apple Health, with no Nightscout server. In CarbCam the curve below a meal comes from Nightscout. (Soba: App Store, CarbCam: FAQ)
- It runs on iOS 17. CarbCam needs iOS 18. (Soba: App Store, CarbCam: App Store)
Questions
Which CarbCam does this page cover?
Two apps carry this name. This page covers CarbCam by 10BE Software GmbH, with the bundle ID de.be10.carbcam and Nightscout support. The other app comes from a different developer and has no data on this page. (CarbCam: App Store)
Do I need Nightscout for CarbCam?
No. CarbCam’s FAQ says the app works on its own. With Nightscout you also get glucose curves below meals and treatment sync. (CarbCam: FAQ)
Try Soba
One photo or text scan per month is free. Barcode lookup, manual entry and history work without a subscription.