# MyFitnessPal vs Cronometer data export: what transfers?

> Compare MyFitnessPal and Cronometer data exports, free and paid access, food rows, daily totals, unit conversions and the limits of diary migration.

Published: 2026-10-12
Author: kcalm editorial team
Category: guides
Canonical: https://kcalm.app/blog/myfitnesspal-cronometer-data-export-comparison/

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MyFitnessPal and Cronometer both let you take nutrition records out of the app, but their exports differ in cost and detail. MyFitnessPal reserves its CSV export for Premium and Premium+; Cronometer includes raw-data export with its free account [1][4]. A downloadable file gives you an archive to inspect. It does not, by itself, establish that another tracker can rebuild your food diary.

## What does MyFitnessPal vs Cronometer data export include?

MyFitnessPal data export contains meal-level nutrition, progress and exercise files. Cronometer data export offers separate choices for diary entries, exercise, biometrics, notes and nutrition summaries [2][3]. The useful comparison is both what you can download and what each row represents.

**Documentation checked: 12 October 2026.** This is a review of public vendor instructions, supported by research on dietary records. We did not export private accounts, purchase subscriptions or test a transfer. Where the documentation does not specify a field or compatibility rule, the table says unknown. Search results included conflicting migration claims, so this comparison relies on vendor pages for product capabilities.

| Export question | MyFitnessPal | Cronometer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscription gate | Premium or Premium+ [1] | Raw export included in Basic/free [4] |
| File format | Three CSV files in an emailed ZIP [2] | CSV, selected by export type [3] |
| Nutrition detail | Nutrients summarised by meal, with timestamps and food notes [2] | Daily totals; optional diary-group nutrition rows [3] |
| Food-level records | Individual food rows not promised in this export guide [2] | Diary-entry export documented; exact nutrient columns per entry unknown [3] |
| Other records | Measurements and exercise history [2] | Biometrics, exercises and notes [3] |
| Date selection | Selectable range; maximum span unspecified [2] | Selectable range; maximum span unspecified [3] |
| Complete transfer to the other app | Not established by the reviewed export documentation | Not established by the reviewed export documentation |

That final row matters if your goal is to change apps. Think of three separate outcomes: keeping your history, analysing it in a spreadsheet, and recreating it inside a new diary. You may achieve the first two while leaving the third unresolved.

If you are also comparing the underlying nutrient estimates, our [food-database accuracy research review](/blog/myfitnesspal-vs-cronometer-accuracy-research-review) covers that separate question. Export detail alone cannot establish food-database accuracy.

## How can you download your records?

You can start MyFitnessPal exports from its Nutrition screen or website Reports page, while Cronometer documents CSV export under Account Data [2][3]. Begin with a short, recognisable period so you can compare the downloaded records with the original diary.

For MyFitnessPal on iOS, open More or your profile icon, choose Nutrition, then Export. Select the dates and submit the request. The website route is Reports, then Export. The vendor advises downloading and unzipping the emailed files on a computer [2].

For Cronometer, use its web Account settings, locate Account Data, select Export Data and choose your period and data type [3]. Its mobile Account guide does not describe the export control, so the web instructions are the clearer documented starting point [8].

If you use free MyFitnessPal, its website offers a printable report through Food, then View Full Report (Printable). You can select dates and print or save a PDF where your computer supports that option. Diary sharing is another route, but the recipient needs a MyFitnessPal account [1].

My suggestion is to try a three-day sample containing a familiar breakfast, a recipe and a measurement if you have one. This is a practical spot-check, not a scientifically validated audit duration. Save the original download separately from any working spreadsheet so you can revisit the untouched data.

![Two people using laptops at a shared table](/images/blog/myfitnesspal-cronometer-data-export-comparison-content-1.webp)

## How do you compare food rows, meal totals and daily totals?

Food rows identify individual entries, meal totals combine entries from an eating occasion, and daily totals combine the day. Comparing exports works best when both sides use the same level of detail. A meal total cannot reveal the individual foods that produced it.

Imagine a hypothetical breakfast of yoghurt, oats and berries. In an itemised record, you would look for three entries and their amounts. A breakfast summary could contain the same energy total without enough information to recreate those entries. Many combinations of ingredients can add up to the same number.

Make a small field map before combining files. The labels below are suggested columns for your own spreadsheet, rather than verified column names from either app.

| Your comparison field | What to preserve or check | Example handling |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Original date | Source date text and any time-zone information | Keep the source value beside a normalised date |
| Row level | Food, meal, day or measurement | Compare daily totals with daily totals |
| Energy and unit | Whether the value is kcal or kJ | Convert only when the source unit is known |
| Body weight and unit | Whether the measurement is kg or lb | Store the original and converted value |
| Food quantity | Number plus serving unit, if present | Keep “1 serving” distinct from “100 g” |
| Nutrient completeness | Missing, zero or explicitly unavailable | Leave unknown values marked as unknown |
| Origin | App, export type and download date | Keep a simple note beside the file |

For a hypothetical day with breakfast at 400 kcal, lunch at 600 kcal and dinner at 700 kcal, the sum is 1,700 kcal. If a separate daily-total row also says 1,700 kcal, adding every row would produce 3,400 kcal. That is an illustration of double-counting, not a measured defect in either app.

Choose either the component rows or the summary rows for your calculation. The same principle applies to a weekly sheet: a summary is a useful check against its ingredients, rather than an extra contribution to add.

## How do you normalise kcal, kilojoules, kilograms and pounds?

Normalise energy and body weight by keeping the original unit and adding a converted column. Using NIST conversion factors, 1 kcal equals 4.184 kJ, and 1 lb is approximately 0.4535924 kg [5]. These conversions change the unit, not the quantity being described.

For your working sheet, multiply kcal by 4.184 to obtain kJ, or divide kJ by 4.184 to obtain kcal. Multiply pounds by approximately 0.4535924 to obtain kilograms; divide kilograms by that factor to obtain pounds [5].

Here are calculated examples, not app-export measurements:

| Original value | Converted value, rounded for display |
| --- | --- |
| 500 kcal | 2,092 kJ |
| 2,000 kcal | 8,368 kJ |
| 80 kg | 176.37 lb |
| 150 lb | 68.04 kg |

Retain additional decimal places in your working calculations if needed, then round the displayed result. If a column is labelled only “energy”, check its meaning before converting it. A plausible-looking number is not enough to identify a unit.

For example, a hypothetical export value of 8,368 means something very different when interpreted as kcal instead of kJ. Writing the unit in the column heading makes that ambiguity visible immediately. The same habit helps when you compare a weight chart across apps using different regional settings.

## Does a detailed export make your nutrition record accurate?

A detailed export preserves recorded information, but it does not validate the portions or food matches behind it. Dietary research distinguishes the quality of the original record from the calculations applied to that record [6][7]. More columns give you more material to inspect, not proof that every value is correct.

In a 2020 MyFitnessPal validation study, 50 participants completed two four-day records. Researchers removed 2.8% of values from the second dataset during cleaning. The cleaned energy estimates correlated strongly with the Belgian reference database, at r = 0.96, while sodium agreement was weaker, with a correlation of 0.53 [6].

These findings concern that study's database comparison and cleaning method. A correlation is not a percentage accuracy score, and this study does not establish a 2026 export winner. It illustrates why a tidy file and trustworthy nutrient estimates are different questions.

The US National Cancer Institute describes useful food-record details such as brands, preparation methods and portion amounts. Its guidance also explains that calculating total nutrient intake requires supplement data when supplements are consumed [7]. For your archive, preserving such context may matter more than creating an impressive-looking chart.

You can note uncertain portions without treating them as a personal failure. If an old meal was estimated, keep that qualification alongside the record. Our [portion-measurement guide](/blog/food-scale-vs-measuring-cups-portion-error) explores that uncertainty, while our [calorie counting without anxiety guide](/blog/calorie-counting-without-anxiety) offers a gentler approach to using numbers.

![Striped notebook and pen on a yellow surface](/images/blog/myfitnesspal-cronometer-data-export-comparison-content-2.webp)

## Can you migrate your entire diary between the apps?

A complete MyFitnessPal-to-Cronometer or Cronometer-to-MyFitnessPal migration is unverified in this review. The reviewed export guides explain downloading records, without documenting a reciprocal importer [2][3]. Treat a successful transfer as something to demonstrate with a small sample before relying on it.

Cronometer does document a specific web importer for previously saved MyPlate JSON files [9]. That is evidence of one supported source and format. It does not establish support for a MyFitnessPal CSV, or for a CSV you have edited to look similar.

Here is a practical sequence you can use when evaluating any destination tracker, including kcalm:

1. **Define the history you want.** List whether you need food entries, recipes, daily energy, measurements or simply an archive.
2. **Keep an original copy.** Give the folder an app name and export date, and work on a duplicate.
3. **Check a sample.** Compare recognisable days, units and missing fields against the original diary.
4. **Confirm the receiving format.** Look for current instructions naming the source app, accepted file and supported record types.
5. **Verify any trial import.** Compare dates, quantities and totals, and look for duplicate entries before transferring more.
6. **Retain the archive.** Consider keeping old records separately if the new app cannot recreate the history you need.

You do not need to rebuild years of meals merely to start a new routine. One reasonable approach is to preserve your past records and choose a clear start date for future logging. Another is to postpone a switch until a particular historical field can transfer. Your preferred outcome determines which limitation matters.

## Frequently Asked Questions

These frequently asked questions distinguish export access, file contents and migration confidence. The answers reflect the documentation reviewed on 12 October 2026; a sample download remains useful for checking the fields available in your account.

### Is MyFitnessPal data export free?

Its CSV export requires Premium or Premium+. Free users can use the website's printable report or diary sharing instead [1]. Choose the format according to whether you want a readable record or data to analyse.

### Do you need Cronometer Gold to export data?

Cronometer lists raw-data export among Basic/free features. Its subscription guide lists printed reports and additional charting among Gold features [4]. A reporting upgrade and access to your raw records are separate capabilities.

### Does Cronometer export every nutrient for each food?

The reviewed Account Settings page documents diary-entry and nutrition-summary exports, but does not provide a complete per-food column specification [3]. Per-food nutrient coverage is therefore unknown here. Inspect a sample if that detail determines your choice.

### Can a spreadsheet recover foods from a daily calorie total?

A total alone cannot identify the original ingredients or portions. For example, two different hypothetical meals could each add up to 500 kcal. Reconstructing food entries requires information beyond that shared total.

### Which app is better if portability matters most?

For obtaining raw files without a paid subscription, Cronometer has the clearer documented advantage [4]. For your own decision, also check whether the exported detail answers your question and whether your destination accepts it. This review does not establish a complete migration winner.

## Sources

These sources include the vendor documentation used for the feature comparison, a peer-reviewed validation study and government references for food records and unit conversions. All were retrieved for this review on 12 October 2026.

1. [MyFitnessPal: Export your data or share your diary](https://support.myfitnesspal.com/hc/en-us/articles/360032623371-Export-your-data-or-share-your-diary-with-a-Trainer-Doctor-or-Nutritionist)
2. [MyFitnessPal: Export your nutrition, progress and exercise data](https://support.myfitnesspal.com/hc/en-us/articles/360032273352-Export-your-nutrition-progress-and-exercise-data)
3. [Cronometer: Account Settings](https://support.cronometer.com/hc/en-us/articles/360018760151-Account-Settings)
4. [Cronometer: Subscription Types](https://support.cronometer.com/hc/en-us/articles/360028026971-Subscription-Types)
5. [NIST: SI conversion factors](https://www.nist.gov/pml/special-publication-811/nist-guide-si-appendix-b-conversion-factors/nist-guide-si-appendix-b8)
6. [Evenepoel and colleagues: Accuracy of Nutrient Calculations Using MyFitnessPal](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33084583/)
7. [National Cancer Institute: Food Record at a Glance](https://epi.grants.cancer.gov/dietary-assessment-primer/profiles/record/)
8. [Cronometer: Mobile Account](https://support.cronometer.com/hc/en-us/articles/360019870072-Mobile-Account)
9. [Cronometer: MyPlate Data Import](https://cronometer.com/myplate/)