Cronometer Gold

Log user-entered nutrition and show transparent nutrient totals without diagnosis

KINDA · partial replacement
price $10.99/mo per seatsubscription / year $131.88estimated build time multi-dayreplaced by 0 people

The core loop is buildable, but a dependable replacement becomes a real weekend or multi-day project. For Cronometer Gold, log user-entered nutrition and show transparent nutrient totals without diagnosis. The hard boundary is curated food database, barcode data, device integrations, reports, and mobile apps, plus hardware data, content, coaching, and trust.

Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability

What you give up

  • curated food database, barcode data, device integrations, reports, and mobile apps
  • wearable hardware data
  • coach network
  • clinical validation
  • large content library and social network

Why people still pay

People still pay for Cronometer Gold because people pay for polished mobile capture, trusted content, hardware integration, and coaching rather than the basic logbook. The recurring cost buys sensor permissions, data quality, notifications, safety language, accessibility, sync, privacy, content review, and support, not just the visible interface.

Your build guide

The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.

Before you start

  • A supported Node release, a writable local data directory and a separate backup location. Bind to localhost; remote use requires authentication and HTTPS first.
  • Implementation components: Node.js, TypeScript and Express with server-rendered HTML and small browser modules. SQLite through better-sqlite3 with migrations, prepared statements and a single background worker.
  • Scope boundary: Medical nutrition advice, precise personal requirements and guaranteed food-database accuracy are outside scope.
01
Node.js, TypeScript and Express with server-rendered HTML and small browser modules.
02
SQLite through better-sqlite3 with migrations, prepared statements and a single background worker.
03
Domain model: food-source records, serving units, diary entries, recipe ingredients and dated nutrient totals
engineering roadmap

Implementation plan

1

Phase 1

Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Import a permitted nutrient dataset or enter foods manually, log servings and aggregate transparent nutrient totals. Build recipes from measured ingredients and show neutral trends with source and missing-value indicators. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: Medical nutrition advice, precise personal requirements and guaranteed food-database accuracy are outside scope.

2

Phase 2

Durable model. Model food-source records, serving units, diary entries, recipe ingredients and dated nutrient totals Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: Missing nutrient values are unknown rather than zero; unit conversion must be explicit and no diagnostic or restrictive goal is generated.

3

Phase 3

Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Use short SQLite transactions and persist job state before starting work. Give retries stable operation IDs; report incomplete or unknown results instead of silently repeating them.

4

Phase 4

Permissions and integration failure. Reject unexpected origins and unbounded request bodies even on localhost. Keep credentials outside the database export and redact sensitive text from logs. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results.

5

Phase 5

Portable handoff. Use a consistent SQLite backup and an attachment manifest. Export portable JSON/CSV, then restore to a new directory without overwriting the original data. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README.

6

Phase 6

Acceptance scenarios. Log half a recipe serving and reproduce the sum of scaled ingredients; a food missing sodium displays incomplete totals rather than an apparent zero. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder.

the pro prompt
download AGENTS.md
WORKING SLICE
Import a permitted nutrient dataset or enter foods manually, log servings and aggregate transparent nutrient totals. Build recipes from measured ingredients and show neutral trends with source and missing-value indicators.

Build this scoped Cronometer Gold-inspired workflow with a documented data model and visible failure states.

Architecture
- Node.js, TypeScript and Express with server-rendered HTML and small browser modules.
- SQLite through better-sqlite3 with migrations, prepared statements and a single background worker.

Prerequisites and limits
A supported Node release, a writable local data directory and a separate backup location. Bind to localhost; remote use requires authentication and HTTPS first.
Outside this release: Medical nutrition advice, precise personal requirements and guaranteed food-database accuracy are outside scope.

Data model and correctness
food-source records, serving units, diary entries, recipe ingredients and dated nutrient totals
Invariant: Missing nutrient values are unknown rather than zero; unit conversion must be explicit and no diagnostic or restrictive goal is generated.
Use short SQLite transactions and persist job state before starting work. Give retries stable operation IDs; report incomplete or unknown results instead of silently repeating them.

Security and privacy
Reject unexpected origins and unbounded request bodies even on localhost. Keep credentials outside the database export and redact sensitive text from logs.

Recovery and export
Use a consistent SQLite backup and an attachment manifest. Export portable JSON/CSV, then restore to a new directory without overwriting the original data.

Implementation order
1. Phase 1 — Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Import a permitted nutrient dataset or enter foods manually, log servings and aggregate transparent nutrient totals. Build recipes from measured ingredients and show neutral trends with source and missing-value indicators. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: Medical nutrition advice, precise personal requirements and guaranteed food-database accuracy are outside scope.
2. Phase 2 — Durable model. Model food-source records, serving units, diary entries, recipe ingredients and dated nutrient totals Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: Missing nutrient values are unknown rather than zero; unit conversion must be explicit and no diagnostic or restrictive goal is generated.
3. Phase 3 — Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Use short SQLite transactions and persist job state before starting work. Give retries stable operation IDs; report incomplete or unknown results instead of silently repeating them.
4. Phase 4 — Permissions and integration failure. Reject unexpected origins and unbounded request bodies even on localhost. Keep credentials outside the database export and redact sensitive text from logs. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results.
5. Phase 5 — Portable handoff. Use a consistent SQLite backup and an attachment manifest. Export portable JSON/CSV, then restore to a new directory without overwriting the original data. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README.
6. Phase 6 — Acceptance scenarios. Log half a recipe serving and reproduce the sum of scaled ingredients; a food missing sodium displays incomplete totals rather than an apparent zero. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder.

Acceptance
Log half a recipe serving and reproduce the sum of scaled ingredients; a food missing sodium displays incomplete totals rather than an apparent zero.
Use real source data or clearly labeled fixtures. Explain unsupported input and provider failures; do not fabricate analytics, delivery receipts, accuracy claims or security guarantees.

Optional agent guidance
Optional external skill: [web-design-guidelines](https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-skills/blob/main/skills/web-design-guidelines/SKILL.md) — Review web interfaces for accessibility, keyboard focus, forms, navigation and interaction quality. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Optional external skill: [sharp-edges](https://github.com/trailofbits/skills/blob/main/plugins/sharp-edges/skills/sharp-edges/SKILL.md) — Review security-sensitive APIs and configuration for dangerous defaults and easy-to-misuse interfaces. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Project rule — data model: food-source records, serving units, diary entries, recipe ingredients and dated nutrient totals
Project rule — preserve this invariant: Missing nutrient values are unknown rather than zero; unit conversion must be explicit and no diagnostic or restrictive goal is generated.
Project rule — acceptance evidence: Log half a recipe serving and reproduce the sum of scaled ingredients; a food missing sodium displays incomplete totals rather than an apparent zero.

$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy or download AGENTS.md

share on X ↗

Alternatives to building your own

wgerMeals, workouts and trend charts in one open-source bunker; polish is not the main feature.6.6kaug 2026open source↗OOpenNutriTrackerCalories, macros and micronutrients stay on your phone; the app declines to become your diet coach.2.3kaug 2026open source↗WaistlineA plain Android calorie diary that keeps its data local and its opinions to itself.714jul 2026open source↗

all 4 free alternatives to Cronometer Gold →· no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real

Cronometer Gold pricing

planmonthlyannual (per mo)what you get
basic$0/user$0/userTrack foods, exercise, biometrics, and notes; up to 84 nutrients; charts/reports limited to a 7-day window
gold$10.99/user$5/userUp to 95 nutrients, long-range charts/reports, fasting timer, recipe importer, and no ads$59.99 billed annually.
pro$39.99/workspace—10 client seats included; professional dashboard and client management; 30-day trialExtra client seats cost $2.50 per client per month; an annual Pro rate was not publicly verified.

free tierBasic plan: up to 84 tracked nutrients and a 7-day chart/report window; no published food-diary entry cap.

billingGold monthly + annual; Pro monthly with a 30-day trial; subscriptions auto-renew and are paid in advance

hidden costsCronometer Pro includes only 10 client seats; each additional client costs $2.50/month.

pricing sources checked 2026-08-14 · pricing source ↗

Questions about Cronometer Gold

Can you build your own Cronometer Gold with AI?

Partly. The core loop is buildable, but a dependable replacement becomes a real weekend or multi-day project. For Cronometer Gold, log user-entered nutrition and show transparent nutrient totals without diagnosis. The hard boundary is curated food database, barcode data, device integrations, reports, and mobile apps, plus hardware data, content, coaching, and trust.

What does the Cronometer Gold build prompt cover?

The prompt starts with this scope: Import a permitted nutrient dataset or enter foods manually, log servings and aggregate transparent nutrient totals. Build recipes from measured ingredients and show neutral trends with source and missing-value indicators. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: curated food database, barcode data, device integrations, reports, and mobile apps; wearable hardware data; coach network. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.

How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?

Start with the Cronometer Gold prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.

How long will this Cronometer Gold project take?

The catalogue estimate is multi-day for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.

What would I give up by replacing Cronometer Gold?

curated food database, barcode data, device integrations, reports, and mobile apps; wearable hardware data; coach network; clinical validation; large content library and social network. People still pay for Cronometer Gold because people pay for polished mobile capture, trusted content, hardware integration, and coaching rather than the basic logbook. The recurring cost buys sensor permissions, data quality, notifications, safety language, accessibility, sync, privacy, content review, and support, not just the visible interface.

What price is this guide comparing against?

The recorded Gold plan is $10.99/mo per seat (monthly per user), checked 2026-08-14. Check the linked pricing source before buying. Building your own also has hosting, API and maintenance costs; the recorded amount is not a guaranteed saving.

What can I use instead of building Cronometer Gold?

wger: Meals, workouts and trend charts in one open-source bunker; polish is not the main feature. OpenNutriTracker: Calories, macros and micronutrients stay on your phone; the app declines to become your diet coach. Waistline: A plain Android calorie diary that keeps its data local and its opinions to itself. Compare all listed options at https://howtovibecodeit.dev/cronometer-gold/alternatives. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.

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