Comparison

Luteal vs Pause

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

Head to head
About

Luteal

This app helps manage intense emotions and mood swings that occur before a menstrual period. It offers guided exercises and tools to pause, de-escalate, and regain emotional regulation during sensitive times. Track your cycle patterns and create personal notes for support.

Highlights
  • Map sensitive premenstrual windows
  • Guided "I'm spiraling" intervention flow
  • Personalized coping tools (breathing, grounding)
  • Daily mood check-ins
  • Cycle pattern analysis
  • Personalized notes for future support
Features
Read full description

Luteal is a pause button for the days before your period. If the week before your period turns the volume up on every emotion, and you've sent the text, started the fight, or spiraled before you could stop yourself, Luteal is built for that exact moment. It helps you notice escalation early, put space between the feeling and the action, and come back to your regulated self. HOW IT WORKS • Map your sensitive window. Add your last period and Luteal shows the days emotions may run hotter, before they do. • Tap "I'm spiraling" anytime. A calm, guided flow meets you where you are: rate the intensity, then choose what actually helps right now. • Reach for the right tool. Breathe, ground yourself by naming what's around you, wait out the urge, read a note from a calmer you, or follow a short protocol. • Tune in in 20 seconds. A quick daily moment adjusts the app to how you feel today. • See your pattern. Pattern Proof compares your cycles so you can finally see what repeats, and trust it's the cycle, not you. • Leave notes for future you. Write or record messages to read when a spiral hits, exactly when you need them. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your entries, notes, and cycle data stay on your device. No account required. Luteal isn't therapy or a medical device. It's a gentle companion for the hardest days of your cycle, so the spiral has somewhere to go besides the people you love. Luteal requires a subscription with a free trial. Terms (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Pause

Read full description

When your days feel different, it helps to have somewhere to keep track. Pause brings your menopause and perimenopause journal together: symptoms, sleep, mood, meals and daily routines. KEEP A RECORD OF YOUR DAYS Log how you feel, record hot flashes, and keep notes you can return to later. REMEMBER YOUR MEALS Save a meal photo and a short description. Add how you felt afterwards to build your own record over time. MAKE ROUTINES EASIER TO FOLLOW Create, edit and remove routines that fit your day. See what you recorded alongside them without assuming one caused the other. SEE PATTERNS IN YOUR ENTRIES Explore recorded trends and comparisons. Prepare questions for your healthcare professional. Your journal cannot diagnose a condition or prove what caused a symptom. KEEP YOUR JOURNAL ON YOUR DEVICE No Pause account is required. Journal records stay on your device, without a Pause server database or automatic syncing between devices. Export a copy when you want to keep or share it. OPTIONAL APPLE HEALTH CONNECTION Choose whether to allow read access in Apple Health. Keep tracking manually without connecting. ON-DEVICE AI, WHEN AVAILABLE Optional AI chat and summaries use Apple's on-device model on supported devices with iOS 26 or later and Apple Intelligence available. Availability depends on hardware, settings and model readiness. Core tracking, calculated insights and guides work without AI. AI can be wrong and does not replace professional advice. SUBSCRIPTIONS Pause Premium requires a subscription. Eligible new subscribers receive a 14-day free trial. Available plans, prices, trial eligibility and renewal terms are shown before purchase. Payment is handled by Apple. A trial converts to a paid subscription unless cancelled at least 24 hours before it ends. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage or cancel in your Apple Account subscription settings. Deleting Pause does not cancel your subscription. Pause is a wellness journal, not a medical device. It does not diagnose, treat or prevent any condition. Speak with a qualified healthcare professional about symptoms and treatment decisions. Privacy policy: https://pausemenopause.co/pages/pause-app-privacy-policy Terms of use: https://pausemenopause.co/pages/pause-app-terms-of-use

Screenshots

Luteal4 screens
Pause4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Pause at none against Luteal's shown. On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. Luteal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month and Pause sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Luteal versus Pause: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLutealPause
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 days—
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size85 MB128 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperEric AmilhatPause Botanica Inc.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Luteal

Subscriptions2
  • Luteal Premium1 Month trial$8.991 Month
  • Luteal Premium Annual1 Month trial$49.991 Year
2 purchases

Pause

Subscriptions2
  • Pause Premium Monthly14 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Pause Premium Yearly14 Days trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Luteal free?
Luteal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pause free?
Pause is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Luteal or Pause have ads?
Luteal shows ads; Pause does not.

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