Soba
Comparison · as of 5 November 2026
Soba and Carbetic compared
Pick Carbetic if you are happy to take three photos of a meal for a 3D scan, or want recipe scans and voice input. Carbetic also fits if you want absorption time and fat-protein units, a button that opens Loop or Trio, or Android. Pick Soba if you want an estimate from one photo, GI and GL, or a weight range next to an estimate. Soba also fits if you want barcode lookup and manual entry with no subscription. Carbetic’s clinical studies are in progress, and Soba has published its own test.
The facts side by side
| Fact | Carbetic | Soba | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Made by | Diego Szekely, sole trader, Perchtoldsdorf, Austria. | Maksim Danilchenko, Limassol, Cyprus. | Carbetic: legal noticeSoba: German App Store |
| Platforms | iPhone with iOS 17.6 or later, Android. | iOS 17.0 or later. The Android app is unreleased. | Carbetic: App StoreCarbetic: Google PlaySoba: App Store |
| Price | Standard $4.99 per month or $49.90 per year, capped at 10 analyses per day. Unlimited $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year (US App Store). | Soba Pro: $6.99 per month or $44.99 per year (US App Store). The app shows any trial offer before purchase. | Carbetic: App StoreSoba: App Store |
| Free use | All features need a subscription. “You can try Carbetic for free.” Free with a note from a doctor for people who cannot afford it, and free for verified healthcare professionals. | One photo or text scan per device per calendar month. Barcode lookup, manual entry, history, daily totals and Apple Health work without a subscription. | Carbetic: App StoreCarbetic: websiteSoba: App Store |
| Photo recognition | Yes, a 3D scan from three photos: from above, at 45 degrees and from the side. LiDAR on selected devices. Also recipe scan, recipe link, voice and text. | Yes, from one photo or a typed description. Soba Pro has daily usage limits. | Carbetic: websiteCarbetic: App StoreSoba: App Store |
| Net or total carbs | Total and net. Also starch and sugar alcohols. | Net carbs: total carbs minus fiber. Fiber is shown separately. | Carbetic: websiteCarbetic: German App StoreSoba: carb tableSoba: App Store |
| Carb units | Grams, BE, KE and ounces. | Grams and bread units of 10, 11, 12 or 15 g of carbs. At 15 g the unit is the carb exchange. | Carbetic: German 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. | Carbetic: websiteCarbetic: App StoreSoba: App StoreSoba: fact sheet |
| Weight range or uncertainty | Not found. The breakdown per ingredient is editable. | Yes, when the weight is an estimate. On 200 weighed plates the real weight fell inside the range in 97 cases, about half. | Carbetic: websiteSoba: accuracy test |
| CGM, Apple Health, Nightscout | Apple Health and Health Connect: Carbetic adds meals and never reads. A button in the result opens Loop or Trio. 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. | Carbetic: privacyCarbetic: German App StoreSoba: App Store |
| Published accuracy data | Carbetic publishes no accuracy data yet. Two clinical studies are in progress at the Medical University of Vienna and Klinik Landstraße. “Official results are not yet available.” | 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. | Carbetic: websiteSoba: accuracy test |
| Languages | 36 (App Store list). | 12 (App Store list). | Carbetic: App StoreSoba: App Store |
| Medical device | No. “Carbetic is not a medical device.” | No. “Soba is not a medical device.” | Carbetic: websiteSoba: App Store |
| Account | “No account required to start.” | Not needed. Saved meals stay on your iPhone. | Carbetic: App StoreSoba: website |
| App Store ratings | 5.0 from 8 ratings (US). | The App Store shows no rating yet. | Carbetic: 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 Carbetic offers that Soba does not
- A 3D scan from three photos at different angles, with LiDAR on selected devices. Soba estimates from one photo, and uses a distance measurement on iPhones with LiDAR or two or more rear cameras. (Carbetic: website, Soba: accuracy test)
- Recipes: photograph a printed recipe or paste a link, and get carbs per serving. (Carbetic: App Store)
- Voice input. (Carbetic: App Store)
- Absorption time and fat-protein units in the result. (Carbetic: website)
- Total and net carbs side by side, plus starch and sugar alcohols. (Carbetic: website, Carbetic: German App Store)
- A button in the result that opens Loop or Trio. (Carbetic: German App Store)
- Carbetic Follow: a free web dashboard for care teams and families. (Carbetic: for professionals)
- Free access with a note from a doctor for people who cannot afford it, and for verified healthcare professionals. (Carbetic: website)
- Clinical studies on accuracy that are in progress in Vienna. Results are not out yet. (Carbetic: website)
- A lower monthly price for Standard ($4.99 against $6.99, capped at 10 analyses per day), and a plan called Unlimited at $9.99. (Carbetic: App Store, Soba: App Store)
- An Android app, and 36 languages. (Carbetic: Google Play, Carbetic: App Store)
What Soba does differently
- One photo or a typed description is enough for an estimate. Carbetic’s 3D scan takes three photos, and it also accepts voice and text. (Soba: App Store, Carbetic: 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 Carbetic. (Soba: App Store, Carbetic: 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)
- Free use with no subscription: barcode lookup, manual entry, history, daily totals, and one photo or text scan per month. Carbetic’s store text says all features need a subscription. (Soba: App Store, Carbetic: 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)
- Glucose around a meal from Apple Health. Carbetic’s privacy policy says it adds meals to Apple Health and never reads from it. (Soba: App Store, Carbetic: privacy)
Questions
Is there a free version of Carbetic?
The store text says all features need a subscription, and the site says you can try the app for free. People who cannot afford it get free access with a note from a doctor, and verified healthcare professionals use it for free. (Carbetic: App Store, Carbetic: website)
Has Carbetic published accuracy results?
Not yet. Two clinical studies are in progress in Vienna, and a third is in preparation. Carbetic says: “Official results are not yet available.” (Carbetic: website)
Try Soba
One photo or text scan per month is free. Barcode lookup, manual entry and history work without a subscription.