Protocol vs PeptIQ

Privacy architecture

PeptIQ requires an account. Your email address is linked to your protocol data, which lives on their cloud servers. The privacy policy says they do not sell health data. That is worth reading carefully: "do not sell" does not mean "cannot be subpoenaed," "cannot be breached," or "cannot change policy with the next terms update."

Protocol requires nothing. No account, no email, no username. Every vial, every compound, every injection log is written to a SQLite database on your device. The data has no path to any server because there is no server. This is not a marketing claim — it is an architectural constraint. There is no cloud infrastructure to breach.

PeptIQ also uses AI vial label scanning. That feature sends camera images to an external server for processing. Each scan is a data transfer of medical context to a third-party system. Protocol's AI stack analysis processes compound data on-device.

The reconstitution calculator

Both apps calculate how many syringe units to draw for a given dose. That is the standard direction: vial size plus BAC water volume plus target dose equals draw units.

Protocol adds a reverse calculator. If you have already drawn a specific number of units — or you are working backward from a syringe you pre-loaded — you can enter the units and get the dose. PeptIQ does not have this. The reverse direction matters when you are calibrating against actual syringe marks rather than theoretical volumes.

Protocol's calculator covers 81 compounds with preset dose options and a concentration slider. The free web version at protocolapp.health/tools/reconstitution-calculator is available with no app download required.

Injection site tracking

PeptIQ uses a 2D map. You tap a flat graphic to log a site. The history is recorded as a list.

Protocol uses a 3D anatomical model with simultaneous front and back views. Sites are color-coded by tissue rest status: green (fully rested), orange (used recently), red (used today). The model actively suggests the next injection site based on your logged history across eight body zones.

Lipodystrophy — scar tissue from repeated injections in the same area — is a real clinical concern on long protocols. A 3D spatial model that tracks rest status prevents the kind of rotational error a flat image log cannot catch.

Inventory and cost tracking

Protocol tracks vials by batch number, remaining volume, vendor, expiration date, purchase cost, and cost per dose. You know exactly what your protocol costs you per injection and when to reorder. PeptIQ offers inventory tracking with AI vial scanning — you scan the label and it populates the fields. Convenient, but the scan goes to a server.

For users who source compounds and track costs carefully, the cost-per-dose calculation is the feature most overlooked in competitor apps. Protocol surfaces it on every vial detail screen.

Platform availability and app size

Protocol is 51 MB on both iOS and Android. That is one of the smallest footprints in the category, which is notable given the feature set — PK curve modeling, a 3D body map, and an 81-compound research library are not lightweight features by default.

Where PeptIQ has an edge

The AI vial scanner is genuinely useful if you manage large inventories and want to photograph labels rather than type. That is a real convenience that Protocol does not offer as an image-based scan. Protocol's inventory entry is manual.

Cross-device web access is also a PeptIQ advantage for users who want to log from a desktop. Protocol is mobile-only, by design — the on-device architecture does not support server sync. If logging from multiple devices is a requirement, PeptIQ accommodates that. The tradeoff is your health data leaving the device.

Frequently asked questions