Honest Comparison

OxalateGuard vs Oxalate Counts

Oxalate Counts was a pioneering oxalate reference app that helped many kidney stone formers find food data quickly. Here's what a full tracking platform adds to the experience.

What Oxalate Counts Does Well

Credit where it's due. Oxalate Counts was built by a solo developer and provided a simple, effective reference for Android users.

Works Offline

All data stored locally on your device. No internet connection needed to look up foods.

No Account Needed

Open the app and start searching. No signup, no email, no friction.

Completely Free

No premium tier, no ads (at launch), no in-app purchases. Just a reference tool.

U.S. Measurements

Serving sizes listed in familiar cups and tablespoons alongside metric values.

Simple Interface

Clean list view organized by food category. Easy to scroll and search.

Where OxalateGuard Goes Further

Oxalate Counts is a reference list. OxalateGuard is a complete kidney stone prevention platform. Here's what that means in practice.

2x the Foods, 5x the Sources

2,549 foods from 15+ peer-reviewed sources vs ~1,100 foods from 3 sources. When studies disagree, our consensus algorithm identifies statistical outliers and computes reliable values.

Track Your Daily Intake

Oxalate Counts shows you data. OxalateGuard tracks what you actually eat, shows your daily total, and helps you stay under your target. That is the difference between information and prevention.

Scan, Snap, Convert

Barcode scanning for packaged foods, photo analysis for restaurant menus, and recipe URL conversion. Three ways to get oxalate data that a static list cannot provide.

50+ Restaurant Guides

Pre-analyzed menus from chain restaurants with risk-coded dishes, ingredient breakdowns, and server questions to ask. Dining out safely, not guessing.

Works on Every Device

Oxalate Counts is Android-only. OxalateGuard works on iPhone, Android, iPad, and desktop. Add it to your home screen for an app-like experience.

Actively Maintained

Weekly updates with new foods, features, and data refinements. Oxalate Counts has not been updated since early 2022.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

An honest side-by-side look at both tools.

Feature
OxalateGuardFree / $3.33/mo
Oxalate CountsFree
Oxalate food lookup
Number of foods2,500+~1,100
Peer-reviewed sources15+3
Consensus algorithm
Daily intake tracking
Barcode scanning
Menu photo analysis
Recipe URL converter
Restaurant menu guides
Low-oxalate swap suggestions
Works on iPhone
Works offlinePartial
No account required
Community contributions
Active development

Oxalate Counts is a solo developer project that helped many people. We respect the work that went into it.

The Bottom Line

Oxalate Counts is a useful reference app for Android users who need a quick oxalate lookup. If all you need is a simple list, it does the job. But if you want to actually track your daily intake, scan packaged foods, analyze restaurant menus, and convert recipes with data from 15+ peer-reviewed sources, OxalateGuard is the next step.

And unlike Oxalate Counts, it works on every device and is actively maintained with weekly updates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Oxalate Counts app still being updated?
Oxalate Counts appears to have last been updated around February 2022 on the Google Play Store. It does not appear to be actively maintained. OxalateGuard receives weekly updates with new foods, features, and data refinements.
Does Oxalate Counts work on iPhone?
No, Oxalate Counts is Android-only. OxalateGuard is a web app that works on any device with a browser, including iPhone, Android, iPad, and desktop computers. You can add it to your home screen for an app-like experience.
How many foods does Oxalate Counts have compared to OxalateGuard?
Oxalate Counts lists approximately 1,100 foods from 3 sources (Harvard, UPMC, UChicago). OxalateGuard has 2,500+ foods from 15+ peer-reviewed sources, with a consensus algorithm that resolves conflicting measurements between studies.
Can I switch from Oxalate Counts to OxalateGuard?
Yes, and it is free to get started. OxalateGuard includes everything Oxalate Counts offers (food lookup by oxalate level) plus daily tracking, barcode scanning, menu photo analysis, recipe conversion, restaurant guides, and more. No data migration is needed since Oxalate Counts does not store personal tracking data.

More Ways to Stay Safe

Ready to Go Beyond a Food List?