A MacroFactor alternative that fits food to your training and sleep, and tells you why
Some reviewers describe MacroFactor holding a low calorie target for weeks without a word about why. PULS3 plans your food alongside your training and sleep, gives the reason for every change, and applies nothing until you say yes.
PULS3 is an iPhone app with a head coach and nine specialists, for sleep, nutrition, exercise, stress, mood, lab results, women's health, menopause and men's health, who work to one plan.
Free until 31 October 2026. Nothing to pay until then, and nothing renews unless you choose to subscribe.
Last checked: 24 September 2026
Why people look for a MacroFactor alternative
We read the 50 most recent US App Store reviews of MacroFactor, written between 26 July and 22 September 2026. 15 gave one star.
A target that drops and stays there
Two detailed reviews, one four-star and one three-star, describe the targets holding a deep calorie deficit for weeks without saying why. Another says the targets read water weight before a period as real weight gain. PULS3 gives the reason for each item in your plan, its women's health specialist works alongside the nutrition specialist, and nothing changes without your yes.
Food in one app, training in another
When MacroFactor Workouts launched in January 2026, MacroFactor said the two apps share no coaching and do not adjust each other's plans. PULS3 keeps food and training with the same coach, so a hard training block changes dinner and a rough night changes the session.
Paying up front
6 of the 15 one-star reviews complain about the price or about having to pay up front, and 4 object to a recent redesign. MacroFactor has no free version; it costs A$17.49 a month on the Australian App Store. PULS3 is free until 31 October 2026, then A$9.99 a month, and nothing renews unless you choose to subscribe.
What you get with PULS3
Food that fits the week you have
Each morning PULS3 reads last night's sleep and your recent training from Apple Health and sets the day: meals, movement and recovery, with the reason for each.
Dinner for everyone at your table
Tell PULS3 who you cook for, with their allergies and goals. It plans a week of dinners that fit your training and checks each meal against each person's allergies. Log a meal by photo and correct what it saw.
Specialists for women's health and menopause
They work inside the same plan as your food and training, and each keeps its own memory of what you've told it, so the plan knows where your body is at.
Your lab results in the same picture
Import a PDF or photo of a blood test you already have. A cloud AI reads it, you check the values, and your coach uses them. PULS3 does not order tests.
Free until 31 October 2026. Nothing to pay until then, and nothing renews unless you choose to subscribe.
MacroFactor and PULS3 side by side
Swipe to see every column.
| MacroFactor iPhone, Android, Mac | PULS3 iPhone | |
|---|---|---|
| Built around | A weekly algorithm that sets calorie and macro targets from your logged food and weight | A head coach and nine specialists working to one daily plan |
| Keeps a plan and changes it | Yes. Rewrites calorie and macro targets each week. The separate Workouts app adjusts lifting load with fixed rules | Yes. A new plan each morning from last night's sleep and recent training, with the reason for each item. Changes are offered, never applied without your yes |
| Areas covered | Nutrition, plus training in the separate Workouts app | Sleep, nutrition, exercise, stress, mood, lab results, women's health, menopause, men's health |
| Specialists for women's health, menopause and men's health | No. One reviewer says the period tracker does not feed the targets | Yes, all three, inside the same plan as your food and training |
| Price in Australia | A$17.49 a month or A$103.99 a year (US$11.99 or US$71.99 in the US) | Free until 31 October 2026, then A$9.99 a month or A$89.99 a year, or A$19.99 a month for a family |
| What reviewers complain about most | Price and paying up front (6 of 15 one-star reviews), a redesign, and, from two reviewers, targets held low without a reason | What PULS3 does about it: free until 31 October 2026, a reason for every item, and nothing changes without your yes |
MacroFactor facts from its website, App Store listings and reviews, checked 24 September 2026.
Using PULS3 with MacroFactor
- Install PULS3 and say what you want, in your own words. “Eat well without thinking about it all day” is a fine answer.
- Connect Apple Health, or skip it. Apple Watch, Garmin and Oura all write to it. PULS3 has no connection to MacroFactor, so nothing moves over from it.
- Tell it who you cook for. You get today's plan and a week of dinners, each with the reason attached. Keep MacroFactor for macro targets if you like; the two run side by side.
Questions
How much does PULS3 cost?
Free until 31 October 2026. After that, A$9.99 a month or A$89.99 a year for one person, or A$19.99 a month for a family (the same figures in US$ in the US). The App Store shows the price before you pay, and nothing renews unless you choose to subscribe.
Can I use MacroFactor and PULS3 together?
Yes. Keep MacroFactor for calorie and macro targets and use PULS3 for the plan around them: training, sleep and dinners. PULS3 has no direct connection to MacroFactor.
Will PULS3 change my plan without asking?
No. PULS3 offers each change with its reason and waits for your yes. Nothing is applied until you agree.
Food that fits your training, your sleep and your week. Try PULS3.
Free until 31 October 2026. Nothing to pay until then, and nothing renews unless you choose to subscribe.
Sources
- MacroFactor on the US App Store (platforms, reviews)
- MacroFactor on the Australian App Store (A$ prices)
- App Store review feed, US, 50 most recent reviews (26 July to 22 September 2026)
- MacroFactor pricing (nutrition app and Workouts bundle)
- MacroFactor Workouts (no shared coaching with nutrition at launch)
MacroFactor is a trademark of its owner. PULS3 is not affiliated with MacroFactor. PULS3 provides coaching guidance, not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.