5 popular free fertility apps
There was a good article this week in The Independent about how more women are using fertility appsas a de facto form of contraception. It's apparently not working too well, leading to numerous unwanted pregnancies.
That's not a good thing. But the fact remains that apps to track a woman's menstrual cycle are probably as popular as they've ever been. A glance at the section of the App Store devoted to Health and Fitness bears this out, as among the fitness trackers and weight loss aids are plenty of fertility apps.
Which ones are the most popular? Let's take a look at five commonly downloaded free apps in this unique area of the health market.
Period Tracker by GP Apps
FREE!
Not only does Period Tracker Lite claim to be the simplest app in its niche to use, it also claims to be the cutest. I'm not even making that up. It backs it up by using flowers that appear on the home screen to represent the eight-day stretch of maximum fertility based on previous history and data that the user inputs. Plus it's discreet since the icon just says 'P Tracker,' though we're not 100 percent sure the alternatives for that are much better.
Life - Period Tracker Calendar
FREE!
This app has one of the longer "official" names we've seen, coming in at 13 words. At least there's very little mistaking what Life is all about with so much descriptiveness. Features include an ovulation calculator, a "simple but beautiful" period tracker, and a mood tracker. Life also has a paid, premium option that turns it into more of an all-around health app, keeping tabs on things like nutrition, sleep, and medications.
Clue Period, Ovulation Tracker
FREE!
Finally, a fertility app with no images of flowers involved. Jokes aside, Clue opps for more of a minimalist design, albeit with bright colors that make it easy to read and understand. It touts Apple Watch integration, the Clue Cycle Report that can be shared with doctors, and fast data entry. And since it guarantees "no flowers, butterflies, euphemisms or pink," that obviously wasn't something we just imagined.
Period Tracker - Eve
FREE!
Maybe leading with the word "sex" instead of "period" makes an app seem a little more attractive to download, no? Formerly known as Ruby, Eve really does focus on the sex part of fertility first, emphasizing the tracking of sex, moods, and symptoms, along with a number of other health parameters. it does also help get a handle on fertility cycles like the other entrants on our list, and it has a paid upgrade option to allow comparisons to baseline data gleaned from millions of other users.
Period Diary Ovulation Tracker
FREE!
We're back to straightforward names and yes, flowers, with this app. Period Diary offers discrete visuals, automatic predictions, three integrated skins and a social forum in order to compare notes with other users. Its UI is bright and full of pastel colors, with a calendar that looks simple to use and comprehend. Like its competitors, it also suggests its the most accurate app in its category, though we have no way of determining if that's actually the case.