Side by side
| App | Made by | Price (per listing) | Report for your doctor | Where your data lives (per listing) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Migraine Buddy | Voluntis | Free, in-app purchases (MBplus) | Diary export and MIR export | Not stated in the description |
| Migra | Alejandro Portilo Guerrero | Free, in-app purchases. Migra Pro needed for full access | PDF reports for your GP or neurologist | On your device, no account |
| Cephalo | Iterica B.V. | Free, in-app purchases (Cephalo Plus, or a 14-day report unlock) | PDF report with Plus or the report unlock. CSV with Plus | On your device, optional iCloud sync |
| N1-Headache | Curelator Inc. | Free, in-app purchases | Personal Analytical Report (PDF) | Not stated in the description |
| Bearable | Bearable Ltd | Free, in-app purchases | Export your data | Encrypted on Bearable's servers |
| Easing | Ankit Aglawe | Coming soon. Logging and a basic PDF free, Easing Pro optional | PDF (basic free, detailed with Pro) | On your iPhone and your own private iCloud, no account |
Migraine Buddy
From the Migraine Buddy App Store listing:
- Customisable attack recording: triggers, symptoms, medication and relief methods.
- A diary export and an MIR export to share with your doctor or neurologist.
- A 7-day weather forecast, automatic sleep recording and optional Apple Health integration.
- An in-app community where users chat and share experiences.
- Premium tier called MBplus. Available in English and 8 more languages.
Good fit if you want a community and an app with a long track record. There's a longer side-by-side in Migraine Buddy alternative.
Migra
From the Migraine Tracker - Migra App Store listing (vendor site getmigra.com). A few other App Store apps also use the name Migra. This is the one by Alejandro Portilo Guerrero.
- One-tap attack logging and a "Migraine Mode" with an ultra-dim screen and large buttons.
- An Apple Watch app for logging from your wrist.
- Barometric pressure change alerts, a caffeine tracker, and widgets.
- PDF reports for your GP or neurologist, plus MIDAS and HIT-6 questionnaires.
- No account. The listing says your health data never leaves your device.
- Migra Pro subscription required for full access.
Good fit if you want an Apple Watch app or one-tap logging.
Cephalo
From the Cephalo - Headache Diary App Store listing:
- Logs start and end, intensity, symptoms such as aura, medication and possible triggers.
- The free tier doesn't cap your history, and you can back up to a JSON file.
- Cephalo Plus (monthly, yearly or lifetime) adds a doctor-ready PDF, pattern views, weather and pressure views, MIDAS trends and CSV export.
- If you only need a report for one visit, a one-time purchase unlocks the PDF for 14 days.
- Local-first, with optional iCloud sync.
Good fit if you want an unlimited free diary and a one-off report without a subscription.
N1-Headache
From the N1-Headache App Store listing (vendor site n1-headache.com):
- A daily diary of about five minutes, on days with and without headache.
- Optional and custom factors, so you choose what to track.
- A Personal Analytical Report in PDF to share with your healthcare provider.
- Medication tracking, a headache calendar and a menstruation diary.
- Premium "Individual Maps" that the listing says are built from 90 days of tracking.
- English and German. The listing shows version 3.0.2, last updated January 2023.
Good fit if you're happy to fill in a short diary every single day.
Bearable
From the Bearable App Store listing (vendor site bearable.app):
- A general health and mood tracker. Migraine is one of many conditions people use it for.
- Tracks mood, symptoms, sleep, energy, medication, habits, diet and your cycle.
- Syncs with Apple Health, sets reminders and exports your data.
- The listing says data is encrypted on Bearable's servers.
Good fit if you track more than migraine and want it all in one app.
Easing (coming soon)
Easing is my app. It's a migraine and headache diary for iPhone and it's coming soon to the App Store, so you can't download it yet.
- Log an episode in a few taps: pain level, where it hurts on a head map, symptoms, aura, medication and possible triggers.
- A dark, quiet screen while an attack runs, with big buttons.
- A calendar coloured by how bad each day was.
- No account, no ads, no analytics. Logs stay on your iPhone and sync through your own private iCloud.
- Reads sleep and cycle from Apple Health if you allow it. Never writes to Health.
- Logging, the calendar, insights and a basic PDF report are free. Easing Pro adds the detailed doctor report, pattern alerts and a daily outlook.
- English only. iPhone only.
More on the migraine diary app page.
How to choose
- Can you use it mid-attack? Try logging with the screen dim and your eyes half shut. If it's fiddly, you'll stop.
- What does your doctor want? Check whether the doctor report is free or paid, and what it includes.
- Where does your data go? Some apps keep it on your phone, others on their servers. Read the App Store privacy label.
- How is it paid for? Subscription, one-off purchase, or free with limits.
- Do you need an app at all? Paper works fine. Try the printable headache diary template.
Whatever you pick, a tracker records what happened. It doesn't tell you what caused it. Read how to track migraine triggers for more on that.
Questions
What is the best migraine tracker app?
There isn't one best app. Pick the one you'll actually open during an attack, that makes a report your doctor can read, and that stores your data where you're comfortable with it.
Are migraine tracker apps free?
All five apps on this page are free to download and offer in-app purchases, according to their App Store listings. What you get for free differs a lot, so check each listing.
Can a migraine app tell me what causes my migraines?
A tracker shows what you logged before your attacks. That isn't proof of a cause. Several of these apps say in their own listings that they don't give medical advice. Go through your diary with your doctor.
Is Easing available?
Not yet. Easing is coming soon to the App Store for iPhone.
