Clairop vs other gut health apps
Honest, sourced comparisons with the apps people with IBS, Crohn's and colitis actually use, including where each of them beats us.
- Clairop vs AidyAidy is a free Crohn's and colitis companion with biologic reminders and AI chat. Clairop adds delayed-trigger statistics, FODMAP scanning and PRO-2.
- Clairop vs BearableBearable tracks almost anything, free, on iPhone and Android. Clairop is gut-specific: food-to-symptom analysis up to three days later, FODMAPs and IBD scores.
- Clairop vs BowelleBowelle is a fast, private IBS diary on iPhone and Android with a free tier. Clairop adds automatic delayed-trigger analysis, FODMAP data and IBD scores.
- Clairop vs Cara CareCara Care's English tracker was last updated in 2020; its German prescription version has a trial. Clairop finds delayed triggers and scores IBD activity.
- Clairop vs FlareCareFlareCare is a feature-rich IBS and IBD tracker on iPhone and Android. Clairop adds a 3-day trigger analysis, cited FODMAP data and Crohn's and UC scores.
- Clairop vs Monash FODMAPThe Monash app is the lab-tested FODMAP reference, for a one-time price. Clairop is a tracker that finds your own delayed triggers. Many people use both.
- Clairop vs mySymptomsmySymptoms is a long-running food and symptom diary on iPhone and Android. Clairop adds FODMAP subgroups, false-trigger correction and Crohn's and UC scores.
- Clairop vs TriggerbitesBoth apps test food against reactions up to 72 hours later. Triggerbites covers more trigger types; Clairop discloses its statistics and adds IBD scores.
All apps side by side
| App | Platforms | Delayed trigger analysis | Guards against false triggers | FODMAP data | Crohn's and colitis activity scores | Doctor report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clairop | iPhone (iOS) only | Three windows: under 6 hours, 6 to 24 hours, 1 to 3 days | Yes: false discovery correction, effect sizes, and nothing shown before 5 meals with and 5 without a food | Values from published food-composition papers, each cited; unknown ingredients shown as no data, never as low | Harvey-Bradshaw Index (Crohn's) and PRO-2 (ulcerative colitis) | One-page GI visit report |
| Aidy | iPhone; also usable by text message on any US phone | Food and symptom correlations over time; delay window not documented | Not described publicly | Educational articles only; no FODMAP data feature documented | Modified Harvey-Bradshaw Index (Crohn's) and SCCAI (ulcerative colitis) | Doctor-ready report to send to your GI |
| Bearable | iPhone, Mac and Android | General correlations over a few days; users report food is not analysed as a factor | Not described publicly | None | None | Reports and share or export |
| Bowelle | iPhone and Android (Android listing is newer, with 100+ downloads) | No automatic analysis; charts and overlaid graphs you read yourself | Not applicable (no automatic trigger analysis) | None | None | PDF report by email, print or AirDrop |
| Cara Care | iPhone and Android (the prescription version is German stores only) | Best days versus worst days dashboard; no stated delay window | None described | Low FODMAP recipes and food lists in the paid programme; no FODMAP database or scan breakdown | None | Share data with your doctor; the prescription version exports CSV and printable PDF |
| FlareCare | iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android | Shows what you logged in the 24 hours after a food ("what followed") | AI-generated insights and a composite Gut Score; method not described publicly | AI-generated green, yellow or red FODMAP flags described as general reference; no cited source or subgroup breakdown documented | None found; a proprietary Gut Score instead | PDF doctor report with stats, symptoms, medication, labs and a summary (subscription) |
| Monash FODMAP | iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android | None; the diary and reintroduction guide are for you to interpret | Not applicable (no automatic trigger analysis) | Lab-measured serving sizes from Monash University, shown as traffic lights, plus certified branded products | None | Diary can be shared, per users; format not confirmed |
| mySymptoms | iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android | One window per symptom, set from 1 to 72 hours (default 24) | Proprietary method; shows a confidence level; not otherwise described | None | None | PDF report and a clinician web portal |
| Triggerbites | iPhone and iPad only | Several windows, up to 72 hours | Not described publicly | Tags FODMAP ingredients among 40+ criteria; defers to Monash for FODMAP reference data; no per-subgroup load described | None found | Doctor-ready PDF |
Each comparison page lists its sources and the date its facts were checked. Clairop is not affiliated with any app on this page. For a broader roundup, see the best apps for tracking IBS symptoms.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best app for tracking IBS, Crohn's or ulcerative colitis symptoms?
- Clairop is built for finding delayed food triggers: it tests every logged food against three delay windows, up to three days, corrects for false discoveries and calculates the Harvey-Bradshaw Index or PRO-2. It is iPhone only and needs a subscription, so on Android, FlareCare, mySymptoms or Bowelle are the closer fits.
- What is the best app for Crohn's disease?
- Clairop, if finding food triggers matters to you: it calculates the Harvey-Bradshaw Index and tests foods against reactions up to three days later with false-trigger correction. Aidy is the best free option, with a modified Harvey-Bradshaw Index and biologic reminders. FlareCare suits Android users who want lab tracking.
- What is the best app for ulcerative colitis?
- Clairop calculates PRO-2, the two-item stool frequency and bleeding score, logs blood, mucus, urgency and night-time movements, and puts the trend on a one-page GI report. Aidy is a free alternative that calculates the SCCAI instead. Blood in the stool or a sudden change always needs a doctor promptly.
- What is the best app for IBS?
- For finding IBS food triggers, Clairop: it looks up to three days back, corrects for false triggers and breaks scanned foods into six FODMAP subgroups. For a simple free diary, Bowelle. For lab-tested FODMAP serving sizes, the Monash FODMAP app. For gut-directed hypnotherapy, a programme such as Nerva rather than a tracker.
- What is the best food diary app for finding trigger foods?
- Clairop and Triggerbites are the two apps built around delayed reactions, both looking up to three days back. Clairop publishes its method, reports effect sizes and applies false discovery correction. mySymptoms lets you set one analysis window from 1 to 72 hours and has run on iPhone and Android since 2010.
- What is the best app for the low FODMAP diet?
- For looking up lab-tested FODMAP servings, the Monash University FODMAP Diet app is the reference, because Monash measured the foods itself. For working out which foods you personally react to, and when, a tracker such as Clairop does a different job. Many people use a reference app and a tracker together.
- What is the best free app for IBS or IBD?
- Aidy is free with no subscription and suits Crohn's and colitis, especially on a biologic. Bowelle has a free tier for a quick, private IBS diary on iPhone and Android, and Bearable has a free tier for broad symptom tracking. Clairop is free to download and set up but needs a Clairop Pro subscription to use.
- What is the best IBS app for Android?
- Clairop is iPhone only, so on Android look at FlareCare for an all-in-one IBS and IBD tracker, mySymptoms for food and symptom analysis with a window you set, Bowelle for a simple free diary, Bearable for broad tracking, and the Monash FODMAP app for lab-tested food data.
- Which apps calculate a Crohn's or colitis activity score?
- Clairop calculates the Harvey-Bradshaw Index for Crohn's and PRO-2 for ulcerative colitis. Aidy calculates a modified Harvey-Bradshaw Index and the SCCAI. FlareCare, mySymptoms, Bowelle, Bearable, Cara Care, Triggerbites and the Monash app do not calculate a clinical activity index.
- Are these comparisons written by Clairop?
- Yes. We make Clairop, so read these pages knowing that. Each one lists where the other app wins, links its sources, and says the date its facts were checked. If something about another app is out of date, email us and we will correct it.
- Can any symptom tracker tell me for certain what food triggers my symptoms?
- No. A tracker finds associations in what you log, and an association is not proof. The reliable way to confirm a trigger is a planned challenge: remove the food, reintroduce it in measured amounts, and watch what happens, ideally with a dietitian.
- Why does false discovery correction matter in a trigger app?
- Because testing many foods at once guarantees false alarms. Test 200 foods across three delay windows and roughly 30 will look like triggers by chance. Without correction, each becomes a food you are told to avoid. Clairop corrects for this and documents it; most other trackers do not describe their method.
- Is there a free app for tracking IBD or IBS symptoms?
- Yes. Aidy is free, Bowelle and Bearable both have free tiers, and mySymptoms and FlareCare offer free trials. Clairop is free to download and set up but needs a Clairop Pro subscription to use, with the price shown on the App Store.
- How do I switch from another tracker to Clairop?
- Export your history from the old app first, as a CSV or PDF if it offers one, and keep it for your clinician. Clairop does not import other apps' data, so you start a fresh log. It needs at least five meals with a food and five without before it reports anything about that food.
Clairop logs meals, symptoms and stool in seconds, then looks for the foods your gut reacts to, including reactions that land days later.