# Malama vs First Fork

The clearest difference is update cadence: First Fork at every 5 days against Malama's monthly. First Fork also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Malama's advantage is ratings volume (232 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Malama sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and First Fork sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

First Fork holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Malama has 232 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Malama ships an update monthly, First Fork every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Malama | First Fork |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (232 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/malama-gestational-diabetes/id1626320933/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-fork-gdm-tracker/id6810401121/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **232** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 93.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 35 MB | 40 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [MALAMA HEALTH, INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1626315885) | [Chufeng Huang](https://appshunter.io/developer/1291405938) |

## What reviewers say

### Malama

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/malama-gestational-diabetes/id1626320933)

Easily track blood sugar levels by syncing with a Bluetooth glucose meter or manually logging. Integrate health and fitness data, tag meals with photos and notes, and receive AI-powered insights into food triggers for high glucose. Connect with specialized prenatal nutritionists.

**Highlights:** Bluetooth glucose meter sync, Manual glucose logging, HealthKit integration, Meal tagging with photos and notes, AI-powered food trigger identification, Connect with prenatal nutritionists

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Donation | $0.99 | one-time |
| Donation | $4.99 | one-time |
| Donation | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 📸 Photo-based food logging with AI recognition
- 📱 User-friendly and intuitive interface
- 🔔 Helpful text reminders for glucose testing
- 📊 Clear charts and visual data tracking
- 💾 Easy report export for healthcare providers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes and fails to load
- 💾 Data not saving properly
- 🔐 Login and verification code issues
- ⏳ Slow syncing and upload times
- 🌐 Network error messages

**Reported bugs**

- App won't load or becomes unresponsive
- Data entries fail to save
- Verification code screen freezes during login
- White screen prevents adding logs
- App stuck on analyzing screen

**Requested features**

- Water intake tracker
- Fitness and workout logging
- Integration with MyFitnessPal or similar apps
- More detailed macro tracking (carbs, fiber, fat, protein breakdown)
- Support for additional glucose monitors (Freestyle Libre)


### First Fork

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-fork-gdm-tracker/id6810401121)

Easily log gestational diabetes readings with photo recognition or manual entry. Track your post-meal countdown directly from your lock screen or Apple Watch. Generate printable reports for your clinic appointments.

**Highlights:** Photo glucose reading, Manual glucose entry, Lock screen countdown, Apple Watch complication, Printable/shareable clinic grid, No ads or cloud storage

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Lifetime | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Malama free?

Malama is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is First Fork free?

First Fork is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Malama or First Fork?

First Fork is rated higher. Malama averages 4.8 out of 5 from 232 ratings, while First Fork averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Malama or First Fork have ads?

Neither Malama nor First Fork shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Malama or First Fork?

Malama ships an update monthly, and First Fork every 5 days. Most recently, Malama was updated on October 25, 2026 and First Fork on October 24, 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.*