Ruva vs Natural Cycles
Ruva gives you free period, symptom and pregnancy tracking, with no ads or account needed. Natural Cycles offers FDA-cleared birth control. Ruva is a tracker and diary, not contraception or a medical device, and its dates are estimates.
Natural Cycles is FDA-cleared software for contraception, intended for women aged 18 and older. It requires a basal thermometer or a compatible wearable. Its birth control and plan pregnancy modes are CE-marked medical device software in the EU.1,2,3
Ruva brings your periods, symptoms, temperature readings and notes together, with every feature free. Choose a mode for your cycle, trying to conceive, pregnancy, the months after a birth or perimenopause. Start today in any browser or on Android, with no account needed. Apps for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch are on the way. Ruva’s fertile window is an estimate for tracking, never a method of contraception.
At a glance
- The FDA classifies Natural Cycles as Class II software for contraception, intended for women aged 18 and older.2
- Natural Cycles reports 93% effectiveness with typical use, and 98% if you never have unprotected sex on its red days.1
- You need an account, an active subscription and a basal thermometer or compatible wearable.4,1
- Five modes cover birth control, planning pregnancy, pregnancy, postpartum and perimenopause.5
- Natural Cycles does not protect against sexually transmitted infections.1
Side by side
| Feature | Ruva | Natural Cycles |
|---|---|---|
| Price and free tier | Every feature free You get every Ruva feature for free, with no paywall or premium tier. That includes every mode, the doctor summary and the library of guides. | Paid subscription You need an active subscription, with the US App Store listing $21.99 monthly or $149.99 annually. A basal thermometer or compatible wearable is also required. 4,6,1 |
| Ads | No ads No ads anywhere in Ruva, and no advertising ID. Ruva uses Google Analytics for Firebase with advertising switched off to see how the app is used, and counts health-related screens itself so they never reach Google. You can switch it off in Settings › Privacy settings. | Contact info used for ads Its policy excludes fertility, period, sexual activity, medical condition, symptom and pregnancy data from sale or sharing for targeted advertising. Its App Store label lists contact info for tracking and third-party advertising. 7,6 |
| Account needed | No account needed Start tracking without an account. Linking Google, Apple or an email account is optional, needed only to join the Community or restore a cloud backup on a new device. | Account required You need an account with an active subscription to use Natural Cycles. 4 |
| Where your data is kept | On your device Your entries stay on your device, in your browser when you use Ruva on the web. They leave only if you make a cloud backup, share with a partner or post in the Community. | Stored on its servers Sensitive data is stored on its servers, within the EEA where possible, with encrypted storage and pseudonymisation. It also offers a privacy option that separates your identity from your fertility data. 8,7,9 |
| Selling and sharing data, per their policy | No data sales Ruva doesn’t sell your data, and your cycle data isn’t shared with Google or Apple if you link an account. You choose whether to make a cloud backup, share with a partner or post in the Community. | Identifiers may be sold Its notice says identifiers and metadata may be sold. It says fertility, period, sexual activity, medical condition, symptom and pregnancy data are not sold or shared. 7 |
| Export your data | Download everything Download everything as one file you can restore into Ruva on another device without an account. You can also get a CSV copy for spreadsheets. | Export on request You can request a data export. NC° Perimenopause also offers a PDF overview of your last six cycles. 8,7,10 |
| Delete your data | Delete inside the app You can delete everything from inside Ruva. | Delete in the app Open the top menu, then My account and Delete account. This permanently deletes your account and logged data. 11 |
| Languages | Eight languages Use Ruva in English, Spanish, French, German, Brazilian Portuguese, Arabic, Simplified Chinese or Hindi. Arabic has a right-to-left layout. | 4 listed on US App Store The US App Store lists English, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish. 6,12 |
| Platforms | Browser and Android Use Ruva in any browser, or get the Android and Wear OS apps on Google Play. Apps for iPhone and iPad are on the way, along with Mac (as the iPad app) and Apple Watch. | iPhone and Android Natural Cycles has iPhone and Android apps and an Apple Watch app that cannot add data. Its listed devices include the NC° Band, Oura Ring, Apple Watch, Garmin wearables and WHOOP. 6,13,14,1 |
| Pregnancy, after a birth, perimenopause | Yes, each has its own mode Choose cycle tracking, trying to conceive, pregnancy, after a birth or perimenopause. You can switch modes without losing what you’ve logged. | Three wellness modes NC° Follow Pregnancy, NC° Postpartum and NC° Perimenopause cover these life stages. The FDA describes them as general wellness functions. 5 |
| Contraception | Not contraception Ruva helps you track your cycle, with dates that are estimates based on what you’ve logged. It isn’t contraception or a medical device. | FDA-cleared birth control Natural Cycles is authorised as birth control in the US, Canada, the UK, the EU/EEA, Australia, Singapore, Brazil and South Korea, and elsewhere it is intended for fertility monitoring only. Ruva is a tracker with estimated dates, not contraception or a medical device. 2,6,3 |
| Offline use | Log offline Your entries save on your device, so you can log without a connection once Ruva has loaded in your browser. | Offline logging You can log data offline. Calculating your fertility status requires an internet connection. 15,1 |
Use Ruva free in your browser or in the Android and Wear OS apps from Google Play, with no account needed. Apps for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch are on the way. The feature availability table shows which features come with the phone apps, and the privacy policy explains your data choices.
Features compared
| Feature | Ruva | Natural Cycles |
|---|---|---|
| Hormone chart | Typical hormone curves See how FSH, LH, oestrogen and progesterone typically change across a cycle, drawn to your cycle length with today marked. It’s a typical cycle, not your own levels. | Not stated |
| Patterns from your logs | From your own logs Recorded patterns count what you log before and during your periods. They show patterns, not causes, and there are no scores. | With a subscription Cycle Insights shows statistics and trends from your own cycles. Natural Cycles needs an active subscription. 16,4 |
| Temperature and LH chart by cycle | One cycle at a time Your basal temperature by cycle day, with your LH test results and period days. It never marks fertile days. | With a subscription The Graph shows your temperature one cycle at a time, with ovulation test results marked. 17,4 |
| Report for your doctor | Free PDF A summary of your cycle lengths, periods, symptoms and patterns for your doctor, saved as a PDF. | With a subscription Cycle Insights includes a PDF Cycle Report of your last six cycles to share with a healthcare provider. 16,4 |
| Partner sharing | Free Share a view of your cycle with a partner and choose what they see. | With a subscription NC° Partner View shares your fertility data, and optionally other data, with a partner. 18,19,4 |
| Community | Anonymous communities Join topic communities without showing your name. Joining needs a linked Google, Apple or email account; tracking never does. | Not stated |
| Choose what you log | Hide and reorder Choose which sections and trackers appear when you log, and put them in your own order. | With a subscription You can turn trackers on or off and choose which appear when you add data. 20,4 |
| Your own tags | Your own tags Add tags for what matters to you, like a supplement or a trigger, and see them counted in your patterns. | With a subscription You can create your own custom trackers within a category. 20,4 |
| Automatic deletion | By section and age Choose sections and an age, and older entries in them are deleted automatically. Period days stay, because your estimates need them. | By hand only Natural Cycles deletes an account after more than three years without use. Otherwise older data is removed by hand, day by day. 11,21 |
| New-phase reminder | Opt-in reminder A reminder on the first day of each new phase, with discreet wording if you prefer. In a browser, reminders arrive while Ruva is open in a tab. | Not stated |
| Import from other apps | From Flo, Clue and more Import a data export from Flo, Clue, Natural Cycles, Apple Health, drip. or Mensinator, or a CSV file. Ruva reads it on your device and shows a preview first. | Apple Health, iPhone only On iPhone, Natural Cycles can import fertility data from Apple Health. This isn’t available on Android. 22,4 |
What Natural Cycles offers
- FDA-cleared, non-hormonal birth control.2,6
- Uses personal temperature trends to detect ovulation.6
- Works with a basal thermometer, NC° Band, Oura Ring, Apple Watch, Garmin wearables or WHOOP.1
- An option that separates your identity from your fertility data, plus Face ID login on iOS.9
- Natural Cycles reports 30 published studies.23
- NC° Partner View lets you share fertility data and optional information with your partner.18
Where Ruva goes further
- Ruva’s period and fertile-window estimates come with a confidence chip, so you can see how much logged history they rest on. They help you follow your cycle. An estimate can’t show days when pregnancy is impossible, and Ruva is not contraception.
- Every Ruva feature is free, from daily logging to the pregnancy and perimenopause modes, with no paywall or premium tier. There is nothing to buy either: you don’t need a thermometer or a wearable, and you choose what to record.
- Start tracking in Ruva without an account or ads. Your entries stay on your device, in your browser for the web app, unless you make a cloud backup, share with a partner or post in the Community.
- Use Ruva in eight languages, including Arabic, Simplified Chinese and Hindi. The library of sourced guides is available in all eight too.
- Download everything from Ruva in one file and restore it on another device without an account. You also get a CSV for spreadsheets and the option to delete everything.
Choose Ruva for everyday tracking
If you’re considering an app for contraception
Natural Cycles is FDA-cleared for contraception. Ruva gives you free cycle and symptom tracking with estimated dates, not contraception or a medical device.2
If you want to log temperature while trying to conceive
Natural Cycles has a plan pregnancy mode and uses temperature trends to detect ovulation. Ruva keeps your basal temperature, ovulation tests and pregnancy tests together for free, and when your logged temperature rises and stays up it can mark a likely past ovulation. Ruva’s fertile window is an estimate with a confidence chip, and you log all of this without a subscription or a wearable.5,6
If you want a free diary that fits your day
Open Ruva in your browser and log what you choose, from a period day to a symptom or personal note. Every feature is free, with no account needed and no pressure to fill in every category.
If you want tracking in Arabic, Chinese or Hindi
Natural Cycles’ US App Store listing names English, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish. Ruva gives you eight languages, including Arabic, Simplified Chinese and Hindi, across tracking and its library of guides.6
Moving your history to Ruva
Ruva can import the Daily Entries.csv file from a Natural Cycles data export, temperatures and notes included. It reads the file on your device and shows a preview of what it found before saving anything, and you can undo the import. Settings and anything Ruva has no match for are left out.
Questions
Is Ruva a free alternative to Natural Cycles?
Yes, for tracking your cycle, symptoms or pregnancy. Natural Cycles is FDA-cleared software for contraception. Ruva is a tracker and diary with estimated dates, not contraception or a medical device. Every Ruva feature is free, and you can start in your browser without an account.2
How effective is Natural Cycles?
Natural Cycles reports 93% effectiveness with typical use, meaning 7 women out of 100 get pregnant during a year of use, and 98% if you never have unprotected sex on its red days. It does not protect against sexually transmitted infections. Ruva offers free cycle and symptom tracking with estimated dates and must not be used as contraception.1
Do I need a thermometer for Natural Cycles?
You need a basal thermometer or compatible wearable. Natural Cycles lists an oral basal thermometer, NC° Band, Oura Ring, Apple Watch, Garmin wearables and WHOOP. With Ruva, you choose what to log, including periods, symptoms and optional basal temperature readings, with every feature free.1
Can I get my data out of Natural Cycles?
You can ask Natural Cycles to export or delete your data, and you can permanently delete your account in the app. Ruva can read a Natural Cycles export on your device, with a preview of matching entries before you save and an option to undo the import. Ruva also lets you download everything and restore it without an account.8,11
Sources
Every statement about Natural Cycles on this page comes from the pages below, read on the date shown. We quote the wording we relied on.
- Natural Cycles instructions for use (US) (Natural Cycles)
Natural Cycles is 93% effective under typical use, which means that 7 women out of 100 get pregnant during 1 year of use.
if you never have unprotected intercourse on red days, Natural Cycles is 98% effective, which means that 2 women out of 100 get pregnant during 1 year of use.
2. A thermometer, an NC° Band, an Oura Ring, an Apple Watch, a Garmin Wearable, or a WHOOP
Natural Cycles does not protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
To get started you will need an oral basal thermometer.
You can still log data while offline, but the app cannot calculate your fertility status.
- De Novo DEN170052: Natural Cycles (decision letter) (US Food and Drug Administration)
Natural Cycles is a stand-alone software application, intended for women 18 years and older, to monitor their fertility. Natural Cycles can be used for preventing a pregnancy (contraception) or planning a pregnancy (conception).
Regulation Name: Software application for contraception Regulatory Class: Class II Product Code: PYT
Re: DEN170052 Trade/Device Name: Natural Cycles
- Natural Cycles instructions for use (EU) (Natural Cycles)
We declare that this product meets all applicable requirements of the Regulation (EU) 2017/745 for medical devices (MDR) and bears the mark CE0123.
NC° Birth Control and NC° Plan Pregnancy are Medical Device Software modes under Regulation (EU) 2017/745 for medical devices (MDR).
- What do I need to use Natural Cycles? (Natural Cycles Help Center)
To use Natural Cycles, you need an account with an active subscription.
- 510(k) K253694: Natural Cycles (US Food and Drug Administration)
Natural Cycles is available in five modes: Contraception (NC° Birth Control), Conception (NC° Plan Pregnancy), Pregnancy (NC° Follow Pregnancy), Postpartum (NC° Postpartum), and Perimenopause (NC° Perimenopause).
NC° Follow Pregnancy, NC° Postpartum, and N C° Perimenopause are general wellness functions.
- Natural Cycles: Birth Control, US App Store listing (Apple App Store)
In-App Purchases Yes Monthly $21.99 Annual $149.99
The following data may be used to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies: Contact Info
Third-Party Advertising Contact Info Email Address
Languages English and 3 more English, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish
Requires iOS 16.7 or later.
Natural Cycles is authorized for use as birth control in the US, Canada, the UK, the EU/EEA, Australia, Singapore, Brazil, and South Korea. Outside these regions, the app is intended for fertility monitoring only.
NC° Birth Control is a non-hormonal contraception with no side effects.
Unlike period trackers, our algorithm uses personalized temperature trends data to detect ovulation.
- Natural Cycles privacy policy (Natural Cycles)
We do not sell or share any of the following for the purpose of targeted advertising (such as Custom and Lookalike Audiences): any fertility status data, period data, sexual activity data, medical condition data, or logged symptom or pregnancy data.
such as firewalls, encrypted storage, pseudonymization, regular software updates, security scans, access control, audit logging and review of admin actions as well as external penetration tests
Natural Cycles never sells your Personal Data
NOTICE: We may sell your sensitive personal data.
Consumer Health Data that may be Sold are identifiers and metadata (such as commercial information concerning your interest in Natural Cycles, geolocation data, as well as internet or other similar network activity).
For clarity, we do not Sell or Share any fertility status data, period data, sexual activity data, medical condition data, or logged symptom or pregnancy data.
request a copy of your Personal Data in a structured, commonly used and machine readable format and that we transfer your personal data to another controller.
- How does Natural Cycles protect my data? (Natural Cycles Help Center)
Sensitive data provided by you is stored on our servers.
We choose to store sensitive data within the EEA (European Economic Area) as much as possible. However, data can be transferred outside of the EEA
you may ask us to delete your data at any time in accordance with our Privacy Policy or export it for you.
- NC° Secure (Natural Cycles)
It separates your identity from your fertility data, so no one, not even us at Natural Cycles, can link your NC° data to you.
you can turn on Face ID when logging in to the app on an iOS device
- How NC° Perimenopause works (Natural Cycles Help Center)
an exportable PDF that provides a comprehensive overview of your cycle health for your last six cycles.
- How to delete your Natural Cycles account (Natural Cycles Help Center)
opening your Natural Cycles app and clicking on the top menu > My account > Delete account .
Deleting your account is permanent. Your account and any logged data cannot be restored once it has been deleted.
If you decide to take a break from the app, keep in mind that due to GDPR regulations, your account will be automatically deleted if it is inactive for longer than three years, and it will not be possible to restore it.
- Instructions for use (Natural Cycles Help Center)
App languages English (US) - User manual English (EU, CA, AUS, SG) - User manual Svenska - Användarmanual
- Natural Cycles, Google Play listing (US) (Google Play)
Natural Cycles - Birth Control NaturalCycles AG
- How to use the NC° Apple Watch app (Natural Cycles Help Center)
Please note that at the moment, it’s not possible to add any data through the NC° Apple Watch app.
- Can I use the app offline? (Natural Cycles Help Center)
You can add data to the Natural Cycles app while your device does not have an internet connection (offline).
- What are the features of the Cycle Insights tab? (Natural Cycles Help Center)
The Cycle Insights page is your central hub for exploring your cycle patterns, tracking trends over time, and viewing summary statistics of your logged data.
Toggle Trackers on to reveal an overview of all logged symptoms and pain across cycles to spot monthly patterns.
The Cycle Insights Report includes an exportable PDF that provides a comprehensive overview of your cycle health for your last six cycles.
This report is designed to facilitate productive conversations with your healthcare provider.
- What is the graph and how can I use it? (Natural Cycles Help Center)
In the Natural Cycles app, you can view your cycle data in your graph.
You can view one cycle at a time and also pinch and zoom with your fingers or use the + and - buttons at the bottom of the graph view to compare several cycles.
With each new temperature you log, you will be able to see how your temperature curve looks and develops during your cycle.
At the top of the graph, you will see all the other algorithm-related data that you have logged — ovulation test results and reasons for excluded temperatures.
- How to share your fertility status using the Partner View (Natural Cycles Help Center)
NC° Partner View is a feature that gives you the power to share your fertility data – and other optional information – with your partner
- Natural Cycles: Fertility App, US App Store listing (Apple App Store)
Subscribe to our monthly or annual plan to unlock core features.
NC° partner view lets you choose to allow your partner to follow your pregnancy planning journey.
Natural Cycles connects with Apple Health to read and write your health data, including medications, body temperature and cycle information.
- How to log data (Natural Cycles Help Center)
You can activate, deactivate, and customize your visible trackers at any time directly from your Add Data page by tapping the tracker settings icon.
You can easily add custom trackers to log your unique symptoms!
Simply find the relevant category and tap “Create new” to build your personalized tracker.
- Can I reset my data? (Natural Cycles Help Center)
It is not possible to automatically reset your data.
If you’d like to delete older data, this needs to be done manually by editing each day individually (as we do not perform this from our end).
- How to sync with Apple Health (Natural Cycles Help Center)
Our integration with Apple Health enables you to import fertility data into Natural Cycles from the Apple Health app, in case you were tracking your fertility before in a different app and don’t want to start from scratch with Natural Cycles.
This functionality is only supported on iOS devices and not on Android.
- Natural Cycles home page (Natural Cycles)
30 studies published