Comparison

CycleFasting vs Red Diary

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

CycleFasting

Features
Read full description

Women run on a 28–32 day hormonal cycle, unlike men who run on a 24 hour cycle. That is why the female body is not designed to eat or fast the same way every day. CycleFasting is the first fasting app designed specifically for women's biology. You were never meant to eat and fast the same way every day. CycleFasting adapts to your menstrual cycle so you fast when your body is ready and nourish when it needs support. Your cycle has four phases, and each one changes how your body responds to fasting, nutrition, and energy. CycleFasting follows your rhythm so your eating window, fasting targets, nutrition guidance, and meal recommendations work for your hormones. During your Fasting Phases, your body is naturally more insulin sensitive and primed for fat burning. The app guides you through optimized fasting windows while helping you keep net carbs low for maximum metabolic benefit. During your Estrogen Dominant Phase, energy begins to rise and your body can tolerate moderate fasting. The app adjusts your eating window and opens your nutrition targets accordingly. During your Progesterone Dominant Phase, fasting can increase cortisol and work against your body. CycleFasting shifts into nourishment mode and guides you toward magnesium rich foods, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates your body may naturally crave. Connect your wearables: Apple Health, Health Connect. CycleFasting can detect when your period begins using skin temperature data and predict your next cycle. Features: - AI Food Scanner with phase aware nutrition feedback - Smart eating window that adapts to your cycle phase - Extended fasting protocols such as 17h, 36h, 48h and 72h available during Fasting Phases - Temperature based period detection via wearables - Cravings Translator that helps you understand what your body may need - Nourishment mode during the Progesterone phase - Daily symptom check in and prediction engine - Net carb and protein tracking without calorie counting - Phase specific recipe library - AI Nutrition Coach personalized to your cycle day - Apple Health, Health Connect Your biology is not a limitation. It is your advantage. Download free. Premium unlocks extended fasting tools, the full recipe library, AI coaching, and more. Terms of Use: https://cyclefasting.lovable.app/terms-of-service

About

Red Diary

This app analyzes your symptoms, mood, energy, sleep, and activity to provide personalized insights and daily guidance tailored to your cycle phases. It offers a body weather forecast and smart recommendations for exercise, nutrition, and self-care.

Highlights
  • Personalized cycle insights
  • Smart daily guidance
  • Body weather forecast
  • Cycle tracking modes (fertility, pregnancy, birth control)
  • Symptom and mood logging
  • HealthKit integration
  • Apple Watch companion app
Features
Read full description

A period and cycle tracker that keeps your data on your phone. No account. No cloud. No tracking. No ads. Most period apps send your most private information to their servers. Red Diary doesn't have servers. Free to track your cycle, log symptoms, and get predictions — no trial, no card, no expiry. Premium unlocks the fertility, pregnancy, and insight modes. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your cycle history, symptoms, and intimate details never leave your device. There is no account to create, no server to breach, and no company reading your data. Export anytime for a doctor's visit or your own backup — it's your information. BUILT FOR REAL CYCLES, NOT AVERAGE ONES Most trackers assume a textbook 28 days and get confused when yours doesn't cooperate. Red Diary reads each cycle on its own terms, so irregular, long, short, and changing cycles are understood instead of flagged as wrong. BODY WEATHER Your own forecast, built from your own logs. Red Diary looks for patterns across your history and tells you what today has tended to look like for you — sunny, clear, mixed, overcast, or stormy. If it doesn't have enough history to say something true, it tells you that instead of guessing. WHAT SHOULD I DO TODAY? Every time you open the app, you get an answer. Phase-aware guidance for movement, food, and rest that shifts as your body does. FOUR MODES Track My Cycle — phase-by-phase analytics and predictions Trying to Conceive — fertile window, peak day, cycle health, and support through the two-week wait Avoid Pregnancy — honest fertility status, including the days it can't be certain about I'm Pregnant — 40 weeks of content, kick counter, appointments, and trimester insights Switch whenever life changes. The app changes with you. A CALENDAR THAT ACTUALLY WORKS Start and end your period with one tap, right from the calendar. Backdate cycles you missed. Log intercourse. See period, predicted, fertile, and logged days at a glance — with moon phases, if you like tracking alongside them. WHY YOU FEEL LIKE THIS Log symptoms, mood, sleep, temperature, and more. Red Diary finds what repeats across your cycles and explains what's behind it, instead of just recording it. SHARE HOW YOU FEEL Send a phase-aware note to a partner, a friend, or your birth control buddy through iMessage, WhatsApp, or anywhere else. No accounts, on either end. ON YOUR WRIST Cycle day, phase, and progress ring on your watch face in phase-matched colors. Start or end your period, log your mood, and get guidance without reaching for your phone. APPLE HEALTH Steps, calories, exercise, and sleep flow in automatically. See how your energy and activity really shift across your cycle — no extra logging. BIRTH CONTROL REMINDERS Pill, patch, ring, shot, IUD, or implant. On-time reminders, streak tracking, and insights that adapt to your method. WHAT'S PREMIUM Trying to Conceive, Avoid Pregnancy, and Pregnancy modes, Body Weather, full cycle insights, fertility analytics, and mood sharing. Cycle tracking, logging, predictions, calendar, and birth control reminders are free and stay free. Privacy Policy: https://dormeusapps.com/reddiary-privacy.html Terms of Use: https://dormeusapps.com/reddiary-terms.html

Screenshots

CycleFasting4 screens
Red Diary4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: CycleFasting at 15.0 against Red Diary's 17.6. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. CycleFasting sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Red Diary sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
CycleFasting versus Red Diary: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCycleFastingRed Diary
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (9 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—9 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 daysEvery 3 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB8 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperZorana RaicicRUBINS DORMEUS

In-app purchases

3 purchases

CycleFasting

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly$7.991 Month
  • 6 Months$39.996 Months
  • Yearly$64.991 Year
2 purchases

Red Diary

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly7 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Premium Annual$4.991 Year

Questions

Is CycleFasting free?
CycleFasting is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Red Diary free?
Red Diary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do CycleFasting or Red Diary have ads?
Neither CycleFasting nor Red Diary shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CycleFasting or Red Diary?
CycleFasting ships an update every 3 days, and Red Diary every 3 days. Most recently, CycleFasting was updated on October 24, 2026 and Red Diary on October 16, 2026.

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