Are you tracking your cycle? If you have a period, you should be. And not just so you know when to avoid wearing white pants. Keeping tabs on the ways your hormones are fluctuating throughout the month can give you invaluable information about your energy levels, your moods, your sex drive, your fertility, and your overall health.
The good news is that there are a ton of period tracker apps out there. So many, in fact, that it can be hard to cut through the noise to find out which one to choose.
So today we’re breaking down five of the most popular, and giving you a little insight into which one might be right for your unique cycle.
Related: These 7 Foods Can Help to Naturally Balance Your Hormones
Eve by Glow
Eve by Glow is a popular choice in period tracker apps due to its ease of use and fun emoji-based format. It allows you to track your cycle as well as your sexual encounters, your use of protection, your sex drive, your moods, your period symptoms, and your fertility.
Keeping track of all of these things helps you to recognize physical patterns that can recur from month to month, which will in turn help you to plan for future cycles. For example, the app will help you to forecast when certain symptoms might appear, like mood swings, breakouts, or breast tenderness.
Eve is free to download, but there are subscription options that will give you access to even more features.
MyFLOW
MyFLOW is my personal all-time favorite cycle-tracking app. It’s an especially good choice if you suffer from any sort of hormonal imbalances, irregular periods, PCOS, cysts, fibroids, or endometriosis.
MyFLOW helps you track and identify symptoms you’re experiencing, and analyze what the health implications might be.
What I really love about this app is that for each phase of your cycle (menstrual, follicular, ovulatory, and luteal) you’ll receive tips on how best to support your body through diet, exercise, supplements, and mindfulness.
You’ll also be able to track your symptoms, and then predict how likely they are to appear in the future based on the phase you’re in.
It’s got an intuitive, easy-to-use interface, and costs a one-time fee of $1.99. If you’re looking for even more support, you can check out creator Alisa Vitti’s books or monthly FLO Living program.
Clue
If you’re someone who’s on hormonal birth control, you might not feel like this whole tracking thing is something you shouldn’t have to worry about.
After all, you know exactly when your period will start, and isn’t that the main point? Well, first, it’s always a good thing to know what’s going on inside your body, so tracking can’t hurt.
But there are also cycle tracking apps that work in tandem with the pill, like Clue.
Clue gives you the option to set reminders to take your pill, and also tell you what to do if you accidentally miss or forget to take one (or two).
This app is also great for navigating the adjustment period (haha) you’ll go through if you decide to go off of birth control for whatever reason. It will train you to recognize your body’s natural signals and symptoms of fluctuating hormones.
Clue costs around $1 a month, or $10 for the year.
Glow
If you’re a data geek, then Glow might be the app for you. It goes a step further from the symptom tracking of the other apps on our list, gathering more than 40 different data points that include things like insomnia, body aches, nausea, bloating, and stress levels.
The longer you use it, the more accurate it becomes at predicting your daily energy levels and other physical symptoms. It also shows you where your data falls in comparison to other people in your age group, which could help you identify if things are abnormal and if you need to speak to your doctor about specific concerns.
All of that extra data adds up though, with this app costing about $48/year.
Cycles
Cycles is a period tracker built with couples in mind. At first glance that might seem a bit odd. But anyone who’s ever had a romantic partner who’s desperately tried to keep up with period math knows it could be a good thing.
Whether you’re tracking your cycle to take advantage of — or avoid — your most fertile days, being on the same page as your significant other is just one more element of open communication in your relationship.
Cycles helps you track common symptoms, most fertile days, ovulation, and general health. It also helps you predict future cycles, which could be useful when planning events or vacations (remember those?)
It’s got a sleek, modern design and an intuitive interface. It’s also free, with a premium option ringing in at around $30/year.
And so concludes our introduction into the wild world of period tracking apps. Remember, these five are literally just a drop in the bucket of what’s out there. So please, do your own research to find out what best suits your needs. Happy cycling!
