Flo alternatives: private, mood-first and free options compared
Good Flo alternatives depend on why you're leaving. For a free, built-in option on iPhone, try Apple's Cycle Tracking. For science-led content under EU privacy law, Clue. For mood patterns with no account, Lulu. For hormone-free contraception, Natural Cycles, which is cleared by the FDA. For fun and astrology, Stardust.
Why people look for a Flo alternative
Flo is one of the biggest period apps in the world, with a deep content library, pregnancy tracking and partner sharing. People usually look elsewhere for one of three reasons:
- Privacy worries. The FTC's 2021 order against Flo over sharing health data with companies including Facebook and Google, and a 2025 jury verdict against Meta over data collected from Flo users, made many people rethink where their cycle data lives.
- Paywall fatigue. Many of Flo's richer insights sit behind Flo Premium.
- Wanting something simpler or more specific: fewer articles, more focus on mood, or a free app already on the phone.
To be fair to Flo: it settled with the FTC, added an Anonymous Mode, and remains strong on content and pregnancy. If those matter most to you, staying may be right.
Flo alternatives compared
Facts from each company's App Store listing, website or regulator records, checked October 2026.
| App | Best known for | Privacy model | Price model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Cycle Tracking | Built into Health and Apple Watch; retrospective ovulation estimates from wrist temperature | Health data on device; Apple says iCloud Health data is encrypted so it can't read it (with two-factor authentication) | Free |
| Clue | Science partnerships, 200+ trackable symptoms, symptom forecasts, perimenopause and conceive modes | Account; Berlin company under GDPR; says it never sells health data | Free tier plus Clue Plus subscription |
| Lulu | Mood forecast by cycle phase, partner sync, doctor-ready PMS chart | No account; cycle data stays on your iPhone; no Lulu server holds it | 3-day free trial, then a yearly subscription |
| Natural Cycles | Hormone-free birth control cleared by the FDA; temperature-based | Account; subscription-funded | Paid subscription |
| Stardust | Moon, astrology, friend and partner syncing | Account; Mozilla's 2026 research found symptom data shared with an analytics firm | Free plus in-app subscription |
Which Flo alternative fits you
You want free and simple: Apple Cycle Tracking
Already on your iPhone, free, and with Apple Watch Series 8 or later it estimates when you likely ovulated from wrist temperature. It also flags possible cycle deviations. It doesn't forecast mood or offer a partner view. More in Lulu vs Apple Cycle Tracking.
You want science and depth: Clue
Clue's strength is its science-first approach and research partnerships with universities, plus a large encyclopedia. It's account-based and EU-regulated. See Lulu vs Clue.
You care most about mood: Lulu
Lulu learns how you usually feel in each phase from a one-tap daily check-in and gives a heads-up before harder days. It also predicts your period, fertile window and ovulation day, imports Apple Watch wrist temperature, and has perimenopause mode, widgets and 9 languages. No account, and cycle data never leaves your iPhone except the small partner status you choose to share.
You need contraception: Natural Cycles
Natural Cycles is the one app here regulators have cleared as a method of contraception. None of the others, Lulu included, should be used to avoid pregnancy.
You want fun: Stardust
Stardust is playful, with moon phases, astrology and friend syncing. Read about its privacy history before you choose it. See Stardust alternative.
Before you switch: a quick checklist
- Write down or export your last few period start dates so a new app can learn your cycle faster.
- Check the new app's App Store privacy label, especially "Data Used to Track You".
- Decide whether you need pregnancy, contraception or perimenopause features.
- Delete your old account inside the app if you no longer want the company to keep your data, not just the app from your phone.
With account-based apps, removing the app from your phone leaves your data on the company's servers. Look for a "delete account" or "delete my data" option in settings first.
Frequently asked questions
What app is better than Flo?
It depends on what you need. Clue for science-led content, Apple Cycle Tracking for free and built in, Lulu for mood patterns and on-device privacy, Natural Cycles for contraception.
Is there a period tracker that doesn't share data?
Some apps are built so the company never receives your cycle data. Lulu keeps cycle data on your iPhone with no account. See our private period tracker guide.
Is Flo still sharing data with Facebook?
The FTC's 2021 order requires Flo to get consent before sharing health data. Check Flo's current privacy policy and App Store label for today's practices.
How do I delete my Flo data?
Use the account or privacy settings inside Flo to request deletion before removing the app. Deleting the app alone doesn't delete your account.
Sources
- FTC: FTC Finalizes Order with Flo Health (June 2021)
- TechCrunch: Jury rules Meta violated California privacy laws by collecting menstrual health data from Flo (Aug 2025)
- Apple Support: Track your period with Cycle Tracking
- Clue Period & Cycle Tracker on the App Store (US)
- STAT: FDA clears Natural Cycles app as contraception (Aug 2018)
This page is for information only and isn鈥檛 medical advice. If something worries you, please talk to a doctor.
Keep reading
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