# GentleBirth Contraction Timer vs Expecting and Empowered

The clearest difference is ads: Expecting and Empowered at none against GentleBirth Contraction Timer's shown. Expecting and Empowered also leads on ratings volume (444 vs 91). GentleBirth Contraction Timer's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. GentleBirth Contraction Timer sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Expecting and Empowered sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for GentleBirth Contraction Timer against 4.8 for Expecting and Empowered. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 91 and 444 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 95% of GentleBirth Contraction Timer's written reviews are positive against 91% of Expecting and Empowered's.

GentleBirth Contraction Timer ships an update every 9 days, Expecting and Empowered every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | GentleBirth Contraction Timer | Expecting and Empowered |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (91 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gentlebirth-contraction-timer/id1543780051/reviews) | **[4.8 (444 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expecting-and-empowered/id1594936110/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 91 | **444** |
| Positive reviews | **94.8% of reviews** | 91.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 78 MB | 94 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Positive Birth App Development](https://appshunter.io/developer/1499302191) | [Expecting and Empowered LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1594936112) |

## What reviewers say

### GentleBirth Contraction Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gentlebirth-contraction-timer/id1543780051)

This app helps track labor contractions with real-time monitoring, editing, and manual entry. It offers individualized audio labor coaching, background sound options, and visual charts to analyze trends. The app also provides notifications for when to go to the hospital or contact a care provider.

**Highlights:** Real-time contraction tracking, Manual contraction editing and addition, Individualized audio labor coaching, Customizable background sounds, Labor trend charts and statistics, Email surge history to care providers, Hospital arrival and care provider contact notifications

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Contraction Timer Premium | $0.99 | one-time |
| Premium - One Time Offer | $0.99 | one-time |
| Premium - Discount Offer | $0.99 | one-time |
| Contraction Timer - Email Data | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and efficient
- 🧘‍♀️ Guided meditation for contractions
- 😌 Calming voice and narration
- ⏱️ Easy contraction timing
- 📊 Helpful data tracking

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😵 Insane amount of pop-ups
- 😵‍💫 Pop-ups persist after submission
- 🖱️ Poorly designed interface
- 🖱️ Unresponsive buttons
- 😵‍💫 Clunky app experience

**Reported bugs**

- Pop-ups won't close without submission
- Pop-ups reappear after submission
- Buttons on bottom bar unresponsive or hard to hit
- Text doesn't fit screen
- Audio pauses when screen times out or app switches

**Requested features**

- Dark mode feature
- Option to live share with someone
- More varied coaching after 16 hours


### Expecting and Empowered

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expecting-and-empowered/id1594936110)

This app offers expertly designed at-home workouts for pregnant and postpartum mothers. It provides safe, effective, and manageable fitness plans tailored to each week of your journey, requiring minimal equipment and time.

**Highlights:** Pregnancy strength training, Postpartum strength training (vaginal & C-section), Return to running programs, Core strengthening series, Prenatal and postpartum yoga, Workout scheduling, Community support

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $19.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $19.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $19.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $149.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $149.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💪 Effective workouts
- 🤰 Tailored for pregnancy/postpartum
- 🧠 Helpful guidance and education
- 🕰️ Manageable workout lengths
- 🏃‍♀️ Great return to running program

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional app glitches and bugs
- 🔊 Audio/video quality issues
- 🕰️ Workouts can feel rushed
- 🤔 Some exercises not suitable for all
- 🔑 Repeated sign-in required

**Reported bugs**

- Workouts skipping or getting stuck in loops
- Inability to preview upcoming exercises
- Automated log out issues

**Requested features**

- Add ability to log weights used
- Improve scheduling and workout tracking
- Allow listening to own music during workouts
- Provide more modifications for exercises


## Frequently asked questions

### Is GentleBirth Contraction Timer free?

GentleBirth Contraction Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Expecting and Empowered free?

Expecting and Empowered is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, GentleBirth Contraction Timer or Expecting and Empowered?

Expecting and Empowered is rated higher. GentleBirth Contraction Timer averages 4.7 out of 5 from 91 ratings, while Expecting and Empowered averages 4.8 from 444 ratings.

### Do GentleBirth Contraction Timer or Expecting and Empowered have ads?

GentleBirth Contraction Timer shows ads; Expecting and Empowered does not.

### Which is updated more often, GentleBirth Contraction Timer or Expecting and Empowered?

GentleBirth Contraction Timer ships an update every 9 days, and Expecting and Empowered every 3 weeks. Most recently, GentleBirth Contraction Timer was updated on September 21, 2026 and Expecting and Empowered on September 2, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*