Historically, a ‘period tracker’ meant writing everything down in a paper calendar to calculate when your period would show up, or to track your ovulation days. Now there are several menstrual cycle tracking apps available to help you calendar your cycle, calculate your period, track ovulation, and more––so much more! Of course, using an online period tracker will save you time, but we also think it gives you powerful information about your body that can redefine your month.

Ever feel like you’re in a reactive state to your hormones and moods? The truth is, you might be. Your hormone cycle has four phases over a 28(ish)-day period, which means that your body functions differently every week of the month. The stress of being reactive to your hormones will raise your cortisol levels and likely disrupt your ovulation, insulin (fat-producing hormone), estrogen or even increase your PMS and period symptoms. Getting in sync with your menstrual cycle, won’t just make you healthier, it will allow you to live optimally and manage your energy levels and sleep cycles better. With customized period tracking apps at your fingertips to help you document your personal health data, you’ll have a roadmap for the month and more control over your well-being than ever before––putting you in the driver’s seat and on the proactive side of things.

Tracking your period can be helpful to note patterns or symptoms—such as headaches, period fatigue, energy boosts, or sex drive—that your body experiences at specific phases in your menstrual cycle. In addition, using a period tracking app can tell you when something may not be right with your menstrual health and notifying you to see a doctor. If you’re considering alternative healthcare methods, by tracking your fertility and reproductive health on your own, you’ll be able to determine when you’re the most fertile, so you can either avoid pregnancy or try to get pregnant. Think of a period tracking app as a menstrual cycle calendar or period calculator to know how many days between periods, when you’ve missed a period, and to help you track ovulation.

Here are 8 of the best period and fertility tracking apps to try:

Clue

This data-based app collaborates with scientists and universities to keep its offerings and information up to date. With clue, you can track your menstrual cycles, PMS symptoms, as well as your fertile windows. You can scout general patterns with your body with a bird’s eye view of data and patterns you’ve tracked, or get really granular with 30+ tracking options for things like cramps, skin, hair, sleep and more. 

With continued use, this app uses your recorded data to become smarter regarding your body’s patterns and provides you with deeper insights into your cycles. We love this app for its community feel that creates a sense of empowerment. It acts like a social media platform, making it is easy to talk about periods and sex with your partner and friends. You can even see their health stages and period cycles on the app, as well.

That being said, it’s important to note that Clue—co-founded by Ida Tin, whose stated goal was to take female reproductive health “out of taboo land” and to start “a reproductive health revolution”—vouches to keep your data safe and never sell it or use it to show you personalized ads. Why is this important? Well, you’re logging a lot of personal health information that should never be public knowledge without your consent. We’ve seen other period apps that have not upheld this standard at the detriment of its users. 

Flo

Flo, also science-based, is a great app for tracking your reproductive and menstrual health. It provides comprehensive guidance about each of the phases of your cycle, a journal to record your thoughts and feelings so you can keep your mental health and moods in check,  and helps you adapt to the changes that occur in the hormonal cycle so that you can live to the fullest. You can learn from their expert videos to boost your mindfulness and well-being.

Flo’s key features include over 70 symptoms and activities to get AI-based period and ovulation predictions; daily health insights through articles, quizzes and surveys; a health assistant to engage in health topics that will help you better understand your body; pregnancy and post-pregnancy modes to follow your baby’s development; and, secret chats that allow you to ask questions anonymously to a supportive worldwide community. 

MyFlo

Designed by Alisa Vitti, a renowned nutritionist and reproductive health and hormone expert (aka Hormone Whisperer), and author of WomanCode. This app offers solid advice on how to ease or alleviate period symptoms, rather than just suffer through them. MyFlo offers valuable science-based information and functional medicine based support to help you resolve symptoms in real-time and restore your hormonal balance quickly and naturally.

MyFlo app heavily factors your ‘hormonal clock’ so you can revolutionize your time management and know how to plan your month. It even breaks down when it’s best for your body and brain to do the following activities:

• Going out vs. staying in

• Eating raw food vs. cooked food

• Bootcamp vs. yoga

• Giving a presentation vs. brainstorming and researching

• Mommy time vs. playing with the kids

• Making out vs. a quickie

• Socializing with friends vs. a romantic date night

Spot On

This is your go-to inclusive app for those who are so-over pink, flowered periods (because that’s a real thing). According to Planned Parenthood—it’s developer—Spot On “doesn’t make any assumptions about your gender, sexual orientation, or reproductive goals.” This inclusive app tracks your cycle, mood, physical symptoms, and preferred birth control method, giving you a deeper understanding of your menstrual health and overall wellness. 

Aunt Flo

This interesting app has been designed by two female founders who wanted to help others track their periods and sex life in an enjoyable (and entertaining) manner. With its “best friend” feel, it offers open discussion and honest realities about your cycle and sex life.  It displays adorable, and down-right hilarious notifications throughout your cycle so  you can keep it real and track your period in a fun way. While the features may be minimal, it gets the job done (and makes you laugh out loud). Aunt Flo donates a portion of their proceeds to providing menstrual products to those in need. That’s a win in our book.

Ovia

Ovia app may not be for everyone. It predominantly targets cis women looking to build a family and manage their reproductive health. The app has a beautiful background story—it was created by a husband who wanted a tool to track the journey of trying to get pregnant, along with his wife. This app provides an excellent support system for women and their families for all the health phases from preconception, pregnancy, the stages of postpartum to parenthood.  This app is a gateway to broader efforts that are aimed at improving the accessibility of healthcare services, such as through partnering with employers to provide maternity benefits and building family-friendly tools which are also easily affordable.

Cycles

For a no-frills, password-protected period tracking app, Cycles may fit the bill. It’s a simple period and fertility tracker that automatically adjusts your cycle length once you input the first day of your period. The app’s scientifically backed fertility tracking apparently has an accuracy of up to 95%. You can also add your partner to the app, to keep them in the know for when your most fertile days are, or to cue them for emotional support when PMS symptoms are hitting hard. Having your partner involved can help them be more empathetic and in tune with your body, while also making planning ahead for special occasions, calendared events, and vacations easier with your cycle in mind.

Period Calendar

Like other period tracking apps, Period Calendar will help you track and predict your period, ovulation, mood and PMS symptoms. It can also be used to record birth control, cervical mucus, mood, sex, body temperature and weight. You can even set a birth control pill notification so you don’t miss a day. 

You have an app to stay connected with friends, listen to music, and track your finances—why not for period tracking or cycle syncing? As with all other aspects of our lives today, technology has revolutionized the way we see and understand our bodies, and how we care for them. Make the most of these useful modern tools by trying out one or more of these apps to better understand and manage your natural menstrual cycle, and maintain optimal physical and mental health!

Do you use any period tracking or menstrual cycle syncing apps? Or, have tried any of the apps that we have recommended? Let us know about your experience in the comments below!