Soba
Comparison · as of 5 November 2026
Soba and mySugr compared
Pick mySugr if you want a full diabetes logbook with meter import, estimated HbA1c and PDF or Excel reports. mySugr also fits if you want an app that is a Class IIa medical device. Pick Soba if you want a carb estimate from a photo or a typed description, GI and GL for each food, and no account. The two apps do different jobs: mySugr logs the carbs you type in, and Soba estimates them.
The facts side by side
| Fact | mySugr | Soba | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Made by | mySugr GmbH, Vienna, Austria. Part of Roche since 2017. | Maksim Danilchenko, Limassol, Cyprus. | mySugr: German App StoremySugr: aboutSoba: German App Store |
| Platforms | iOS 26.2 or later, Android 12 or later. | iOS 17.0 or later. The Android app is unreleased. | mySugr: App StoremySugr: manualSoba: App Store |
| Price | mySugr PRO: $4.99 per month or $39.99 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. | mySugr: App StoreSoba: App Store |
| Free use | The Basic logbook is free. PRO activates automatically while a connected Accu-Chek meter sends values. After more than 30 days without a sync the app returns to Basic. | One photo or text scan per device per calendar month. Barcode lookup, manual entry, history, daily totals and Apple Health work without a subscription. | mySugr: PRO with Accu-ChekSoba: App Store |
| Photo recognition | The manual describes no automatic recognition. PRO stores meal photos with an entry, and you type the carbs. | Yes, from one photo or a typed description. Soba Pro has daily usage limits. | mySugr: manualmySugr: Google PlaySoba: App Store |
| Net or total carbs | Not found. You type the amount yourself. | Net carbs: total carbs minus fiber. Fiber is shown separately. | mySugr: manualSoba: carb tableSoba: App Store |
| Carb units | Grams, BE, KE and exchanges. | Grams and bread units of 10, 11, 12 or 15 g of carbs. At 15 g the unit is the carb exchange. | mySugr: unitsmySugr: setupSoba: 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. | mySugr: manualSoba: App StoreSoba: fact sheet |
| Weight range or uncertainty | Does not apply: you enter the carbs yourself. | Yes, when the weight is an estimate. On 200 weighed plates the real weight fell inside the range in 97 cases, about half. | mySugr: manualSoba: accuracy test |
| CGM, Apple Health, Nightscout | Accu-Chek meters (Guide, Instant, Aviva Connect, Performa Connect) and, in selected markets, the Accu-Chek SmartGuide sensor. Apple Health. Dexcom through Apple Health on iOS with a 3-hour delay, Eversense through Apple Health. FreeStyle Libre and Medtronic: no. 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. | mySugr: US App StoremySugr: CGM importmySugr: LibreSoba: App Store |
| Published accuracy data | mySugr publishes no accuracy data. The app does not estimate carbs. | 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. | mySugr: manualSoba: accuracy test |
| Languages | 32 (App Store list). | 12 (App Store list). | mySugr: App StoreSoba: App Store |
| Medical device | Yes. “The mySugr Logbook is a Class IIa medical device” under EU regulations. Google Play also labels it a medical device. | No. “Soba is not a medical device.” | mySugr: websitemySugr: Google PlaySoba: App Store |
| Account | Needed. Your mySugr ID is your e-mail address. | Not needed. Saved meals stay on your iPhone. | mySugr: mySugr IDSoba: website |
| App Store ratings | 4.68 from 33,568 ratings (US). | The App Store shows no rating yet. | mySugr: 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 mySugr offers that Soba does not
- A full logbook for glucose, meals, activity and medication, with graphs and an estimated HbA1c. (mySugr: Google Play)
- Automatic import from Accu-Chek meters. PRO activates automatically while a connected meter sends values. (mySugr: PRO with Accu-Chek)
- PDF and Excel reports you can save or print for your doctor (PRO). (mySugr: Google Play)
- Medical device status: mySugr says the Logbook is a Class IIa medical device under EU regulations. (mySugr: website)
- A randomized trial in a journal. 424 people in Germany used mySugr PRO or no app for 12 weeks. Diabetes distress fell more with the app (P = .0182). (PubMed: Ehrmann 2024)
- An Android app and 32 languages. (mySugr: Google Play, mySugr: App Store)
- A long record: on the App Store since 2013 in the US, with 33,568 ratings there. (mySugr: App Store)
- A lower price in the US App Store: $4.99 against $6.99 per month, $39.99 against $44.99 per year. (mySugr: App Store, Soba: App Store)
What Soba does differently
- Soba estimates carbs from a photo or a description. In mySugr you type the carbs, and PRO can store a meal photo with the entry. (Soba: App Store, mySugr: manual)
- GI and GL for each food and for the whole meal. The model estimates these values. We did not find GI or GL in mySugr’s manual. (Soba: App Store, mySugr: manual)
- 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. mySugr uses your e-mail address as your mySugr ID. (Soba: website, mySugr: mySugr ID)
- It runs on iOS 17. The current mySugr version needs iOS 26.2. (Soba: App Store, mySugr: App Store)
Questions
Does mySugr calculate carbs from a photo?
Its manual describes no automatic recognition. With PRO you can store photos with an entry, and you type the carbs yourself. (mySugr: manual)
Can I use Soba and mySugr together?
Yes. Soba writes nutrients to Apple Health, and mySugr syncs with Apple Health on iOS. mySugr’s help says that it temporarily turned off data from some third-party apps, so carbs from Soba may not arrive in mySugr. We did not test this. If they do not arrive, type them in by hand. (Soba: App Store, mySugr: Apple Health)
Try Soba
One photo or text scan per month is free. Barcode lookup, manual entry and history work without a subscription.