PinkyBloom vs Clue: On-Device AI vs Cloud Storage

Clue deserves credit for being one of the more privacy-conscious period trackers on the market. Based in Berlin, BioWink GmbH operates under GDPR and stores data on European servers. They've publicly committed to not selling user data, and they haven't been involved in any major privacy scandals.

That said, cloud storage is cloud storage. Your menstrual data, symptoms, sexual activity logs, and health notes are transmitted to and stored on Clue's servers. An email account is required, which ties your health data to your identity. GDPR provides strong protections, but it doesn't make data requests from EU law enforcement impossible — it just regulates them.

PinkyBloom takes a fundamentally different approach. Your data never leaves your iPhone. There are no servers, no accounts, no email addresses. The zero-knowledge architecture means that even if someone compromised PinkyBloom's infrastructure (which doesn't exist), there would be nothing to find. For users who want mathematical privacy guarantees rather than policy-based ones, PinkyBloom is the clear choice.

Clue's strength has historically been its science-backed prediction algorithms, developed in collaboration with researchers. The Analysis tab provides useful pattern recognition, and Clue's cycle predictions are well-regarded in the industry. However, Clue does not offer an AI assistant, and its insights are limited to statistical pattern matching.

PinkyBloom goes significantly further with on-device AI powered by Apple's Core ML. Beyond cycle predictions, PinkyBloom offers conversational AI that understands natural language, voice logging for hands-free symptom tracking, and AI mood forecasts that predict emotional patterns days in advance. The doctor visit report generator creates professional health summaries — something no period tracker, including Clue, currently offers.

Clue's custom tags and tracking categories are flexible, but they require manual input for everything. PinkyBloom's voice logging means you can say "I had cramps this morning and felt anxious" and the AI extracts and logs multiple symptoms automatically. It's a fundamentally more intelligent approach to health tracking.

Switching from Clue to PinkyBloom is straightforward. Open Clue's calendar view, take a screenshot of your cycle history, and use PinkyBloom's Screenshot Import feature. The OCR engine extracts your period dates, ovulation markers, and cycle data automatically.

If you've been using Clue's custom tags extensively, those specific custom categories won't transfer — but PinkyBloom's AI can track the same symptoms and more through natural language voice logging. Instead of tapping through tag menus, you describe how you feel and the AI handles categorization.

PinkyBloom also imports data from Apple Health, so if Clue has been syncing with HealthKit, some of your historical data may already be available. Once you've imported your history, you can delete your Clue account and remove your data from their EU servers entirely.

Clue Plus costs $39.99 per year and locks key features like advanced predictions, Conceive mode, and the Analysis tab behind the paywall. The free version is functional but limited. Over five years, Clue Plus costs approximately $200.

PinkyBloom is completely free with no premium tier. Every feature — including capabilities that go far beyond what Clue Plus offers — is available to every user. AI assistant, voice logging, mood forecasts, doctor reports, encrypted partner sharing, home screen widgets, and health vault are all included.

Clue is a good app with ethical intentions, but the combination of cloud storage, required accounts, and a subscription model means it can't match PinkyBloom's proposition: better features, stronger privacy, and zero cost. If you're currently paying for Clue Plus, switching saves you money while upgrading your experience.