# Paternal vs Tide

Paternal and Tide both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 86% of Paternal's written reviews are positive against 52% of Tide's. Paternal also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). Tide's advantage is ratings volume (332 vs 7). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Paternal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Tide sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Paternal against 4.9 for Tide. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tide has 332 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of Paternal's written reviews are positive against 52% of Tide's.

Paternal ships an update every 5 days, Tide every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Paternal | Tide |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paternal-dad-pregnancy-app/id6777693472/reviews)** | [4.9 (332 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tide-contraction-timer/id6795967947/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 7 | **332** |
| Positive reviews | **85.7% of reviews** | 52.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 72 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Podly App Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1820391559) | [B Gilmore, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/915478595) |

## What reviewers say

### Paternal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paternal-dad-pregnancy-app/id6777693472)

This app provides expectant fathers with weekly pregnancy updates, daily tips, and practical advice to help them support their partners and prepare for their baby's arrival. It offers guidance on pregnancy, labor, birth, and newborn care, empowering dads to feel confident throughout the journey.

**Highlights:** Weekly pregnancy development updates, Daily tips and advice for dads, Guidance on supporting partners, Information on labor, birth, and newborn care, Milestone tracking, Contraction timer (Pro)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Paternal Pro: Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| Paternal Pro: Yearly | $39.99 | per year |


### Tide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tide-contraction-timer/id6795967947)

This app simplifies tracking labor contractions with a single tap. It allows real-time sharing of progress with a private link and creates a lasting birth story. Designed for calm and presence during labor, it offers hands-free updates and an Apple Watch app.

**Highlights:** Single-tap contraction timing, Real-time progress sharing, Hands-free voice dictation, Birth story journal, Apple Watch app, Home Screen widget

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tiny Voices Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Tide Contractions and Labor Pro | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Paternal free?

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

### Is Tide free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Paternal or Tide?

Paternal is rated higher. Paternal averages 5.0 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Tide averages 4.9 from 332 ratings.

### Do Paternal or Tide have ads?

Neither Paternal nor Tide shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Paternal or Tide?

Paternal ships an update every 5 days, and Tide every 2 weeks. Most recently, Paternal was updated on October 28, 2026 and Tide on October 29, 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.*