8 Period Tracking Apps Even Women Who Hate Tracking Will Appreciate

Period trackers are awesome—they help you keep tabs on your downstairs business so you can go about your busy lady life worry-free. But lately, the number of available cycle planners has become overwhelming. There are apps for women trying to get pregnant, women trying not to get pregnant, women with PMS issues, and women who are having a lot more sex than me. 

So to navigate this red sea (I'm sorry), I’ve downloaded a bunch of the most popular period-tracking apps and reviewed them based on user experience and chief tracking concern. BONUS: Scroll down to see which app takes the cake! Mmm...cake.

This was the first period tracker I ever downloaded and I used it for over two years. It's super simple to navigate and I like the layout of the monthly calendar, which is color-coded for "safe," "unsafe," and "fertile" days. It doesn't offer much in the way of special features, but the history section is helpful for tracking regularity. I recommend this app if you're looking for something more detailed than a simple calendar, but don't want to get bogged down by lots of extra elements.

I love Clue's clean, stylish design that's not overly girly. I don't need a giant flower to remind me I'm a woman. This sophisticated app can track most of your pertinent period info: moods, sleep, flow, cramps, skin condition, energy level, sexual activity, and birth control use. There are a lot of features, which means it can take some time to learn the ins and outs of the app. Fortunately, you can customize your home screen by toggling on features you care about and toggling off things that don't concern you. Pro tip: Clue can send you a lot of prompts, so turn off notifications if you don't want your phone blowing up.

Kindara is serious about fertility. The app's tag line—"You'll know exactly what's going on with your body"—is no joke. In addition to regular period-tracking functionalities, this app prompts you to enter your basal temperature, ovulation tests, and sexual activity, as well as the volume and consistency of your cervical fluid. Kindara keeps all your fertility info organized and generates detailed charts and graphs made just for you. Your doctor will love that you did your homework. There's also a community feature where you can compare notes with other women who are trying to conceive. 

MyPill is the most in-depth birth-control-tracking app out there, keeping tabs on your hormonal birth control so you don't have to. Select your method of contraception—pill, patch, or ring—and myPill will send you reminders when it's time to take it, buy new packs, and call the doctor for refills or checkups. You can also track your symptoms and predict the start date of your next period. 

Period Tracker Lite's easy-to-use interface is less focused on fertility and more focused on how you're feeling. By monitoring things like acne, cramps, and body aches, this app is ideal for young girls who are still figuring out what a normal period feels like for them. Tracking the consistency of these symptoms can help girls figure out if something is out of the ordinary and requires attention. The cute and girly look could make periods a little more fun and a little less intimidating for first-timers.

The app "for women who want to take control of their sex lives," Eve understands the many facets of sexual health. In addition to cycle tracking, Eve helps you keep tabs on your birth control, fertility, sex life, and enjoyment of sex(!). Instead of simply entering whether or not you got busy on a given date, Eve prompts you to record whether the encounter was protected, unprotected, with a man, with a woman, or solo. Eve also cares if the experience is "mind blowing," "pretty good," or "ehh," recognizing an aspect of sexual health overlooked by other apps (and people). There's even a pretty stellar community board where users can discuss everything from periods to relationship issues.

If you're chill with the rhythm method—avoiding conception by only having sex when you're least likely to be ovulating—then NaturalCycles is for you. Developed by a couple of Swedish scientists who were sick of using hormonal birth control, NaturalCycles uses an algorithm to calculate your likelihood of getting pregnant based on your daily body temperatures and cycle dates. Days that are safest for unprotected sex are marked green and days that are risky are marked red. Take this app with a grain of salt, as this method does not protect you against STDs and improper use could leave you at greater risk of pregnancy.

Spot On—from the sexual health experts at Planned Parenthood—combines all my favorite aspects of the previously mentioned apps. It tracks your cycle, symptoms, mood, and birth control as well as your sexual activity, sleep, diet, and exercise, all with a stylish, gender-neutral design. Best of all, it's super informative. Spot On has resources for FAQs about periods and birth control as well as a helpful glossary of words to know. I love that PP is making sure everyone from newbies to sexperts are on the same page when it comes to reproductive health. There's even a handy link to find your nearest PP location. I'd say Spot On is a slam dunk.