mySymptoms and Clairop both start from the same premise: log what you eat and how you feel, and let the app look for the foods that line up with worse symptoms. mySymptoms has been doing it since 2010 and has more than a million users. Clairop is newer and narrower, built specifically for IBS, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The question is which approach fits your condition. Our full mySymptoms review goes deeper on its research and limits.
It runs nearly everywhere. iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android. Clairop is iPhone only.
You control the window. mySymptoms lets you set the analysis window per symptom from 1 to 72 hours. If you already know your reactions land around, say, 30 hours, you can tune it.
It has research behind it. Two peer-reviewed studies were built on diaries from the app: a 2019 study of 163 users (Clevers 2019) and a 2024 analysis of 9,710 diaries that found coffee, alcohol and artificial sweeteners had timed associations with symptoms (Clevers 2024). Neither is a trial showing the app improves symptoms, and company staff co-authored both, but it is a real body of work.
It tracks broadly and connects to clinicians. Sleep, mood, energy, exercise, stress, periods and custom symptoms, plus a clinician web portal and family sharing.
Clairop logs meals, symptoms and stool in seconds, then looks for the foods your gut reacts to, including reactions that land days later.
Three windows at once, not one. Rather than asking you to pick a window, Clairop tests every food in three: under six hours, six to twenty-four hours, and one to three days. A food that bothers you within hours and another that hits the next morning both show up, each labelled with its window.
Built-in protection against false triggers. With many foods and several windows, chance alone produces results that look real. Clairop applies false discovery correction, reports effect sizes, and shows nothing about a food until it has at least five meals with it and five without. mySymptoms shows a confidence level but does not publish its method. See Clairop's method page.
FODMAP subgroups. mySymptoms has no FODMAP data. Clairop's barcode scanner breaks a product's FODMAP load into all six subgroups, because tolerance is per group (Varney 2017), cites the source for each value, and shows unknown ingredients as "no data", never as low.
Crohn's and colitis scores. Clairop calculates the Harvey-Bradshaw Index and PRO-2 from what you log, records blood, mucus, urgency and night-time movements, and produces a one-page GI visit report. mySymptoms lists IBD as a use case but has no activity scores.
Results in plain language. People in r/ibs, including paying users, have said mySymptoms' results screen was hard to interpret. mySymptoms launched a new analysis engine in 2026 that may help. Clairop reports each result as a food, a window, an effect size and a meal count.
Both apps log the Bristol scale, symptoms with intensity, and medication. mySymptoms searches a database of more than a million foods and scans barcodes, though r/ibs posters outside the US have found its product coverage thin. Clairop logs by tap, voice, a typed sentence or a meal photo that lists ingredients for you.
If you use Android or a Mac, want to tune the analysis window yourself, or value a long track record, mySymptoms is a solid choice. If you are doing low FODMAP, have Crohn's or colitis, or want results protected against false triggers and explained plainly, Clairop is built for you. A tracker shows associations, not proof; confirm a suspected trigger with a planned challenge, ideally with a dietitian, and see a doctor promptly for red-flag symptoms like blood in the stool or unexplained weight loss.
Clairop logs meals, symptoms and stool in seconds, then looks for the foods your gut reacts to, including reactions that land days later.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best mySymptoms alternative?
- For low FODMAP or IBD, Clairop is the closest alternative with more depth: it shows FODMAP load by all six subgroups, tests foods in three delay windows with false discovery correction, and calculates Crohn's and colitis activity scores. It is iPhone only and needs a subscription. On Android, Bowelle is a simpler alternative and Bearable a broader one.
- How much does mySymptoms cost?
- On the US App Store, mySymptoms has a 7-day free trial and then a subscription, listed at the time of writing at 9.99 dollars a month, 39.99 dollars for six months or 59.99 dollars a year. Google Play describes logging as free with the analysis as premium. Prices vary by country, so check your store.
- Does mySymptoms find delayed food reactions?
- Yes, within limits. Its user guide says the analysis window can be set from 1 to 72 hours per symptom, with a default of 24 hours, so you choose one window. Clairop tests every food against three windows at once (under 6 hours, 6 to 24 hours, 1 to 3 days) and reports which one a reaction falls in.
- Does mySymptoms have FODMAP information?
- No. mySymptoms tracks the foods you eat and looks for associations, but does not show FODMAP content or portion thresholds. Clairop's barcode scanner breaks a product's FODMAP load into all six subgroups, citing the published source for each value, and shows unknown ingredients as no data rather than low.
- Is mySymptoms good for Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis?
- It can log the symptoms, and its Bristol stool logging is useful, but it calculates no IBD activity score. Clairop calculates the Harvey-Bradshaw Index for Crohn's disease and PRO-2 for ulcerative colitis from what you log, and puts the trend on a one-page report for your gastroenterologist.
- Why are mySymptoms results hard to read?
- People in r/ibs have said exactly this, including paying users who found it hard to interpret the results screen. mySymptoms released a new analysis engine and Insights Timeline in 2026, which may help. Clairop reports each result as a food, a delay window, an effect size and a count of meals, and says when there is not enough data yet.
- Does mySymptoms take portion size into account?
- Its analysis is built on whether and when you ate a food, not how much, and Play Store reviewers have raised this. Portion matters for FODMAPs, because many foods are fine in small amounts. For portion questions, a lab-tested serving guide and a structured reintroduction with a dietitian are the right tools.
- What is the best food diary app for IBS?
- Clairop is the best fit if you want FODMAP detail and plain-language results: it shows six FODMAP subgroups, tests three delay windows at once and corrects for false triggers. mySymptoms is the best long-standing option on Android and Mac, with a window you set from 1 to 72 hours.
- What is the best app for finding delayed food reactions?
- Clairop tests every food against three windows at once, up to three days, so a fast and a slow reaction both show up and are labelled. mySymptoms checks one window per symptom that you set yourself. Triggerbites also looks up to 72 hours across several windows.
- How long does mySymptoms take to find triggers?
- mySymptoms suggests logging for about 28 days before its analysis has enough data. Clairop waits until it has at least five meals with a food and five without, which for a food you eat often can be sooner and for a rare food much later.
- Does mySymptoms work for low FODMAP?
- It can log what you eat on a low FODMAP diet, but it has no FODMAP data and does not consider portion size. Clairop's barcode scanner shows each product's FODMAP load by subgroup with cited sources, which helps during reintroduction.
- Can I share mySymptoms or Clairop data with my doctor?
- Yes, both. mySymptoms exports PDF and CSV and has a clinician web portal. Clairop produces a one-page GI visit report with your score trend, bowel pattern against your own baseline, days with blood and confirmed triggers, labelled as patient-entered data.
Clairop is a general wellness app for people living with a diagnosed digestive condition. It does not replace professional medical care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always follow your healthcare provider's advice.
