Glucose Buddy vs GoCoCo: a diabetes log or a food scanner?
Glucose Buddy is a diabetes log: blood sugar, carbs, medication and insulin, with a Dexcom connection and a 12-week plan. Its listing shows no food scanner, and the free version carries advertising. To choose what to eat and buy with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, GoCoCo is the better fit: it scores the product in your hand out of 10, flags refined grains and high added sugar once you declare diabetes in your profile, keeps glucose readings next to your meals, and gives you product lists for your supermarket.
We make GoCoCo, so read this knowing that. Facts about Glucose Buddy come from its own public pages, linked in the footer of this page, and were checked on 2026-11-06. Prices and features change, so check the store before you pay. This comparison is based on those pages, not on a clinical test.
| What we looked at | Glucose Buddy | GoCoCo |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Tracking blood sugar and managing diabetes | People with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes |
| Glucose log | Full blood sugar log, with Dexcom and AgaMatrix connections (AgaMatrix in the US only) | Log glucose next to your meals |
| Insulin and medication | Logged | Not designed around insulin dosing |
| Barcode scan on the free plan | Not listed | Yes, 5 a week, plus 1 meal photo |
| Carb tracking | Tracks carbs through a food database, with "Meal IQ" insights | A meal photo gives estimated calories and carbohydrates. The product sheet lists carbohydrates, sugars and fibre |
| Food quality score | Not listed | Out of 10: WHO nutrient profile, NOVA processing level, warning labels |
| Ultra-processed food flag | Not listed | Yes, through the NOVA classification |
| Diabetes alert on products | Not listed | If you declare diabetes in your profile, it flags refined grains, high added sugar, juice and dates, and caps those products at 8 out of 10. No paid plan needed |
| Supermarket product lists | Not listed | Lists by food category and supermarket. Top picks on the free plan, the rest with Plus |
| Paid plan (US App Store) | Free with advertising. Premium listed from $14.99 to $59.99 | $9.99 a month. Yearly plans listed from $24.99 to $79.99, depending on the offer |
| Medical device | No, it states it is not a medical device | No. GoCoCo is a nutrition app, not a medical device |
| App Store rating (US) | 4.8 from 25K ratings | 4.7 from 13K ratings |
| Languages | English and 30 more | English and Spanish |
Where Glucose Buddy is the better pick
- You want a full log of blood sugar, medication and insulin in one place.
- You use Dexcom and want your readings to arrive by themselves.
- You want a structured 12-week plan, or one-on-one coaching from its website.
Where GoCoCo is the better pick
- You are at the shelf and want to know which product to pick. Glucose Buddy's listing shows no food scanner.
- You want a score out of 10 on nutrient profile and processing.
- You want refined grains, high added sugar and ultra-processing flagged on the product.
- You want a list of products to buy at your supermarket before you get there.
- You want your readings next to your meals, in an app that starts from the food.
How to choose
Start with what you want to do today. If it is recording your numbers and your medication, Glucose Buddy is built for that log. If it is deciding what to buy and eat with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, GoCoCo is the better fit, because that is the moment it is built for. Neither app is a medical device, and neither replaces your healthcare team.
What people ask
Does Glucose Buddy scan food?
Its current App Store description mentions tracking carbs through a food database and "Meal IQ" insights, but no barcode scan and no product score. GoCoCo scans barcodes and gives each product a score out of 10.
Which is better for type 2 diabetes?
It depends on the job. To log blood sugar, medication and insulin, Glucose Buddy goes further. To choose what to buy and eat, GoCoCo is the better fit: a score for the product, alerts once you declare diabetes in your profile, and supermarket lists.
Does GoCoCo log blood sugar?
Yes, you can log glucose next to your meals. It will not tell you what a food will do to your blood sugar: your response depends on the portion, the rest of the meal and you. Talk to your healthcare team about your own targets.