Your cycle is private. Here's which apps actually treat it that way.
Period tracking apps hold some of the most sensitive health data you can generate — your cycle dates, pregnancy status, fertility intentions, symptoms, and sexual activity. After the FTC's action against Flo and the ongoing debate about reproductive health data post-Roe, many women are asking: which period trackers actually protect my data?
Here's the honest answer, based on each app's actual privacy policy and documented practices.
| App | Sells Data | Shares with Advertisers | Employer Sharing | FTC/Legal Issues |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WomensPal Safest | Never | Never | No | None |
| Drip (Mozilla) | Never | Never | No | None |
| Euki | Never | Never | No | None |
| Clue | No | No | No | None |
| Natural Cycles | No | Limited | No | None |
| Flo (Premium) | Improved | Anonymous Mode | No | FTC 2021 |
| Flo (Free) | Historical | Yes (free tier) | No | FTC 2021 |
| Ovia | Aggregate | Via sponsors | Yes | Employer concerns |
In 2019, the Wall Street Journal revealed that Flo was sharing users' intimate health data — including when they were menstruating and whether they were pregnant or trying to conceive — with Facebook's Analytics for Apps service. Flo's privacy policy had explicitly stated it would not share this data.
The FTC opened an investigation and in January 2021, Flo settled the complaint. Flo was required to notify affected users and obtain their consent before sharing health data in the future. Flo has since introduced Anonymous Mode and updated its privacy practices.
However, Flo's free tier still uses advertising partners and the data you generate in the app is governed by a complex privacy policy. If you use Flo, activate Anonymous Mode and consider the Premium tier if data privacy matters to you.
Ovia is a fertility and pregnancy app that offers employer partnership programs. Through these programs, employers can purchase aggregate data about their employees' reproductive health — including pregnancy rates, fertility treatment usage, and cycle health metrics. Ovia says this data is anonymised and aggregated, but researchers have raised concerns about re-identification risk, particularly in small companies.
If your employer offers Ovia as a benefit, understand that your reproductive health data may inform HR decisions, insurance actuarial models, or workplace wellness programs before you start logging.
WomensPal encrypts your health data at the row level and has never sold or shared it with advertisers, data brokers, or employers. It's a full-featured period, fertility, and pregnancy tracker — not just a basic logging tool.
Drip stores all data locally on your device. Nothing ever goes to a server. It's open-source (you can verify what it does) and completely free. The tradeoff: basic features only, no sync, no pregnancy mode.
Euki is built specifically with reproductive privacy in mind — it has a passcode lock and a decoy mode that shows a different interface if someone forces you to open the app. It also stores data locally only. Feature set is limited but very private.
Clue is German, GDPR-compliant, and stores data on European servers. It has no documented history of selling health data and its privacy policy is relatively transparent. Some data does leave your device and go to Clue's servers, which makes it less private than on-device options.
No data selling. No employer sharing. No FTC settlements. Your cycle data stays yours — and the app is completely free.
Start free — no subscription →WomensPal, Clue, Drip, and Euki do not sell user data. Flo settled with the FTC in 2021 for sharing health data with Facebook and Google. Ovia has employer data-sharing partnerships.
Some do. Flo had a documented case of sharing data with Facebook and Google. Ovia shares aggregate data with employers and insurers. Always read an app's privacy policy and check for third-party data-sharing clauses.
Potentially if you use Ovia through an employer benefits program. Ovia sells aggregate health data to employers. Review any period tracker's data-sharing terms before using it through an employer benefit.
For on-device-only storage: Drip or Euki. For a full-featured private app: WomensPal — encrypted, never sold, no ads.