Cara Care Alternatives in 2026: IBS Apps That Are Still Updated
Short answer: The English-language Cara Care app was last updated in October 2020, according to its App Store and Google Play listings, and the company now focuses on a prescription IBS app in Germany. Actively updated alternatives include Gutsy for finding trigger foods, Monash FODMAP for low FODMAP guidance, mySymptoms or Bowelle for diaries, and Nerva for gut-brain support.
| Feature | Cara Care | Gutsy | mySymptoms | Monash FODMAP | Bowelle | Nerva |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | IBS tracker with a 12-week low FODMAP program (per its 2020 listing) | AI IBS trigger finder | Food diary and symptom tracker with pattern analysis | FODMAP reference guide and diary from the team that developed the diet | Simple food and symptom diary with charts | Gut-directed hypnotherapy and gut-brain program |
| Platforms | iPhone and Android↗ | iPhone (iOS 18+) | iPhone and Android↗ | iPhone and Android↗ | iPhone and Android↗ | iPhone and Android↗ |
| Price (US) | Free download. Premium in-app purchase $89.99; 2-week trial | Free download. Premium: 7-day free trial, then $149.99/year or $19.99/month | 7-day free trial, then $9.99/month, $39.99/6 months or $59.99/year | $7.99 one-time purchase (iOS) | Free download. Premium in-app purchases listed from $2.49 to $17.99 | 7-day free trial. Plans listed at $99/month, $149/3 months and $199 full access |
| Last app update | October 2020 | October 2026 | October 2026 | October 2026 | October 2026 | October 2026 |
| App Store rating | 4.8 (4,669 ratings) | 5.0 (22 ratings) | 4.6 (4,053 ratings) | 4.2 (2,588 ratings) | 4.7 (2,248 ratings) | 4.7 (15,150 ratings) |
| Food & symptom diary | Yes: food, poop, symptoms, stress, medication and more | Yes: meals, symptoms, stool, water, supplements, stress, mood | Yes: food, drinks, medication, supplements, sleep, stress and more | Yes: food, IBS symptoms, bowel habits, stress | Yes: how you feel, food, water, stress, bowel movements, custom fields | Not its focus |
| Meal photo logging | Yes (photos of meals) | Yes, with AI ingredient and FODMAP analysis | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Barcode scanning | Not listed | Yes | Yes, plus a database of over 1 million foods | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Stool / bowel tracking | Yes | Yes (Bristol types 1-7) | Yes (Bristol scale) | Yes (bowel habits) | Yes (bowel movements) | Not listed |
| Automatic trigger analysis | Dashboard of foods on your best and worst days | Yes: likely triggers with confidence levels | Yes: ingredient-level insights with confidence levels, after about 28 days of logging | Not listed | Charts and averages; you look for the patterns | Not listed |
| Links symptoms to earlier meals using your transit time | Not listed | Yes: learns your transit time, 48-hour symptom window | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| FODMAP food guide | Yes: 12-week low FODMAP program and recipes | Yes: 100+ ingredients across all 5 FODMAP groups | Not listed | Yes: hundreds of foods with a traffic-light system, plus certified products | Not listed | Not listed |
| Guided FODMAP reintroduction | Part of the 12-week program | Yes: 3-day challenges with graduated portions | Not listed | Yes: the diary guides you through reintroduction | Not listed | Not listed |
| Share or export for your doctor | Yes: share data with your doctor | Yes: doctor-ready PDF, plus CSV/JSON export | Yes: share with a clinician, or export PDF/CSV | Not listed | Yes: export by email | Not listed |
| Apple Health | Yes (steps) | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Yes: sleep, steps, water, weight | Not listed |
| Human dietitian support | Yes: text chat with a dietitian (per its 2020 listing) | No (AI chat assistant) | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Gut-brain (hypnotherapy) program | Not listed | No | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Yes: daily sessions, adapted to your symptoms |
From each app's own App Store or Google Play listing (column headers link to them), checked November 1, 2026. "Not listed" means the maker's listing doesn't mention it, not that the app can't do it. Prices are US prices and can change.
Cara Care
IBS tracker with a 12-week low FODMAP program (per its 2020 listing)
Best for: People in Germany, where the company now offers a prescription IBS app. The English app has not been updated since 2020.
- Price
- Free download. Premium in-app purchase $89.99; 2-week trial
- Platforms
- iPhone and Android
Gutsy
AI IBS trigger finder
Best for: People who want an app to find their personal trigger foods for them, accounting for delayed symptoms.
- Price
- Free download. Premium: 7-day free trial, then $149.99/year or $19.99/month
- Platforms
- iPhone (iOS 18+)
mySymptoms
Food diary and symptom tracker with pattern analysis
Best for: People with symptoms beyond IBS who want a detailed food diary with automatic pattern analysis, on iPhone or Android.
- Price
- 7-day free trial, then $9.99/month, $39.99/6 months or $59.99/year
- Platforms
- iPhone and Android
Monash FODMAP
FODMAP reference guide and diary from the team that developed the diet
Best for: Anyone following a low FODMAP diet who needs the reference source for what is in a food.
- Price
- $7.99 one-time purchase (iOS)
- Platforms
- iPhone and Android
Bowelle
Simple food and symptom diary with charts
Best for: People who want a quick, simple IBS diary and prefer to spot patterns themselves from charts.
- Price
- Free download. Premium in-app purchases listed from $2.49 to $17.99
- Platforms
- iPhone and Android
Nerva
Gut-directed hypnotherapy and gut-brain program
Best for: People whose symptoms are driven by gut-brain sensitivity and stress rather than mainly by food.
- Price
- 7-day free trial. Plans listed at $99/month, $149/3 months and $199 full access
- Platforms
- iPhone and Android
Gutsy is our app, so read this with that in mind. The facts in the table come from each app's own store listing, linked in the sources.
What happened to Cara Care?
Cara Care was a popular IBS tracker with a 12-week low FODMAP program and dietitian chat. Its English-language app is still listed on the App Store and Google Play, but both listings show the last update in October 2020. The company's website now presents a prescription IBS app for Germany. An app that hasn't been updated in years may not work well on current phones and won't get new features.
Which Cara Care alternative is right for me?
It depends on which part of Cara Care you relied on:
- The tracker and best/worst-day dashboard: Gutsy analyzes your logs and links symptoms to earlier meals using your transit time. mySymptoms also analyzes your diary, on iPhone and Android.
- The low FODMAP program: Monash FODMAP is the reference guide from the team that developed the diet, and its diary guides you through reintroduction. Gutsy adds FODMAP classification and 3-day reintroduction challenges.
- A simple diary: Bowelle is quick to use and shows charts you can review yourself.
- Support beyond food: Nerva is a gut-directed hypnotherapy program for gut-brain symptoms.
Cara Care's dietitian chat has no direct equivalent in these apps. If you want human support, ask your doctor for a referral to a dietitian experienced in IBS, and use an app to bring them good data.
FAQ
Is Cara Care still available?
The English-language Cara Care app is still listed on the App Store and Google Play, but both listings show it was last updated in October 2020. The company's current app is a prescription IBS app for Germany.
What is the closest alternative to Cara Care?
For tracking with analysis, Gutsy (iPhone) and mySymptoms (iPhone and Android) are the closest. For the low FODMAP program, Monash FODMAP is the standard reference. None of these include dietitian chat.
Can I move my data from Cara Care to another app?
Cara Care's listing says you can share your app data with your doctor. There is no import from Cara Care into Gutsy or the other apps here, so most people start a fresh diary.