Soba
Comparison · as of 5 November 2026
Soba and SNAQ compared
Pick SNAQ if you wear a glucose sensor and want meals and readings on one timeline. SNAQ also fits if you want an AI nutritionist, use Android, or want published studies of the app. Pick Soba if you count in BE or KE, want GI and GL for each food, or want a weight range next to an estimate. Soba also needs no account.
The facts side by side
| Fact | SNAQ | Soba | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Made by | SNAQ AG, Bern, Switzerland. | Maksim Danilchenko, Limassol, Cyprus. | SNAQ: legal noticeSoba: German App Store |
| Platforms | iOS 15.5 or later, Android. | iOS 17.0 or later. The Android app is unreleased. | SNAQ: App StoreSNAQ: Google PlaySoba: App Store |
| Price | Premium Monthly $7.99, 3-month plans $23.99 to $34.99, other plans $47.99 to $88 (US App Store; the listing does not state their term). On the web: $27 per 3 months, $60 per year, $96 per 3 years. | Soba Pro: $6.99 per month or $44.99 per year (US App Store). The app shows any trial offer before purchase. | SNAQ: App StoreSNAQ: PremiumSoba: App Store |
| Free use | Free to download, with a 7-day free trial. Premium unlocks unlimited photo logging. The photo limit without Premium: not found. | One photo or text scan per device per calendar month. Barcode lookup, manual entry, history, daily totals and Apple Health work without a subscription. | SNAQ: how it worksSNAQ: product referenceSoba: App Store |
| Photo recognition | Yes. On iPhone Pro models LiDAR measures the portion in 3D. Barcode, nutrition label and voice logging are also available. | Yes, from one photo or a typed description. Soba Pro has daily usage limits. | SNAQ: App StoreSNAQ: how it worksSoba: App Store |
| Net or total carbs | “Total carbs, protein, fat, and fibre” (SNAQ’s wording). Net carbs: not found. | Net carbs: total carbs minus fiber. Fiber is shown separately. | SNAQ: carb countingSoba: 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. | SNAQ: carb countingSNAQ: App StoreSoba: App Store |
| GI and 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. | SNAQ: food trackingSNAQ: product referenceSoba: App StoreSoba: fact sheet |
| Weight range or uncertainty | Not found. You can edit each result. | Yes, when the weight is an estimate. On 200 weighed plates the real weight fell inside the range in 97 cases, about half. | SNAQ: how it worksSoba: accuracy test |
| CGM, Apple Health, Nightscout | Dexcom G6, G7 and Stelo, FreeStyle Libre 2 and 3, Abbott Lingo and Eversense (iOS). They connect through each maker’s cloud or through Apple Health, Health Connect, Glooko or Nightscout. Also Accu-Chek, Contour and OneTouch meters. | 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. | SNAQ: integrationsSoba: App Store |
| Published accuracy data | Published in journals. 5.5 g mean absolute carb error on 48 meals (JMIR mHealth 2020, preclinical). 13.1 g (44.3%) on cooked meals, against 21 g (71%) for 53 people with type 1 diabetes who estimated themselves (J Diabetes Sci Technol 2024). | 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. | PubMed: Herzig 2020PubMed: Baumgartner 2024Soba: accuracy test |
| Languages | App Store list: English. The German store and Google Play texts are in German. | 12 (App Store list). | SNAQ: App StoreSNAQ: Google PlaySoba: App Store |
| Medical device | No. The EULA says “SNAQ is not a medical device”. | No. “Soba is not a medical device.” | SNAQ: EULASoba: App Store |
| Account | Needed: “Create your account in 30 seconds.” | Not needed. Saved meals stay on your iPhone. | SNAQ: integrationsSoba: website |
| App Store ratings | 4.62 from 3,153 ratings (US). | The App Store shows no rating yet. | SNAQ: 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 SNAQ offers that Soba does not
- A link to glucose sensors through each maker’s cloud: Dexcom G6, G7 and Stelo, FreeStyle Libre 2 and 3, and on iOS Abbott Lingo and Eversense. Soba reads only what Apple Health holds. (SNAQ: integrations)
- More data sources: Nightscout, Glooko and Health Connect, plus Accu-Chek, Contour and OneTouch meters. (SNAQ: integrations)
- An AI nutritionist. It suggests what to eat at the next meal and flags patterns across your week. (SNAQ: website)
- A randomized trial in a journal. 44 adults with type 1 diabetes and an automated delivery system either used SNAQ or kept their usual routine for three weeks. Time in range was 6.6 points higher with SNAQ (95% CI 2.9 to 10.3). (PubMed: Piazza 2025)
- An Android app. (SNAQ: Google Play)
- Voice logging. (SNAQ: how it works)
- An MCP server that lets AI assistants such as ChatGPT or Claude work with your SNAQ data. (SNAQ: MCP server)
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 on SNAQ’s site or in its store text. (Soba: App Store)
- GI and GL for each food and for the whole meal. The model estimates these values. We did not find GI or GL at SNAQ. (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)
- No account. Saved meals stay on your iPhone. (Soba: website)
- A stated free allowance: one photo or text scan per month, with barcode lookup, manual entry and history free. (Soba: 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
Does Soba connect to Dexcom or FreeStyle Libre?
Only through Apple Health. If your sensor app writes to Apple Health, Soba reads the glucose values and shows them around a meal when enough readings exist. SNAQ connects through each maker’s cloud. (Soba: App Store, SNAQ: integrations)
Does SNAQ count in BE or KE?
We did not find BE, KE or exchanges on SNAQ’s site or in its store text. Its carb counting page names grams. In Soba you choose 10, 11, 12 or 15 g of carbs per unit. (SNAQ: carb counting, SNAQ: App Store, Soba: App Store)
Try Soba
One photo or text scan per month is free. Barcode lookup, manual entry and history work without a subscription.