6 Migraine Management Apps That May Help You

Although I’ve lived with chronic migraine for nearly half my life, I still frequently find myself discovering new things about my life with migraine. Sometimes, I stumble upon these discoveries at random, while other times I connect the dots and think to myself, “It took you that long to figure that out?”

When I make these discoveries, I sometimes think, “Man, I wish there was a way to track my symptoms so I could figure this stuff out sooner!” Well, it turns out there are ways to do this, and I’ve just been living in the dark ages of migraine management without any knowledge of the dozens of smartphone apps out there specifically designed to help people like me track migraine symptoms and management.

So, I decided to do a deep dive into migraine apps to decide which ones offer the most benefits and are the most user-friendly. The end result is this list of six migraine apps I feel offer the best features for folks who live with migraine.

1. Migraine Buddy (Android | iOS)

If you participate in any type of migraine support groups or online forums about migraine, then chances are you’ve heard of Migraine Buddy (Android | iOS). It’s by far one of the most popular migraine apps on the market, with over 3 million users.

With Migraine Buddy, you can track daily triggers, log migraine attacks with detailed entries, set medication reminders, record your sleep, and more. Additionally, the app provides you with a wide variety of reports, keeps up with the pressure variation forecast, and even gives you the option to share data with your health care providers. After using this for about two weeks, I can absolutely see why it’s so popular, and I 100 percent see the benefits of the premium version.

The app is available for free, but offers premium features for $9.99 per month, or $69.99 annually.

2. Manage My Pain (Android | iOS)

Manage My Pain (Android | iOS) was designed for people who live with any type of chronic pain. However, it does include tracking for headache and migraine, not to mention it’s a great tool for someone who lives with other types of chronic pain in addition to migraine.

The app has you complete daily reflections to track your symptoms and your ability to complete desired tasks or activities, and it uses these daily reflections to provide data. Additionally, you can add in pain records at any time, which allows you to record the type of pain you’re experiencing (eg. migraine attack) and other important information.

While this app is fairly basic, it’s also free to use, which means it’s a good migraine tracker if you don’t have the money for a paid app.

3. Migraine Monitor (Android | iOS)

Migraine Monitor (Android | iOS) is more than just another migraine symptom tracker. The app not only lets you track the severity, duration, and frequency of your migraine attacks, but also provides ways to connect with your doctor and receive support from the anonymous community of fellow app users. You also have access to reports, migraine news, and other helpful information.

While the recording features in Migraine Monitor are similar to other apps on this list, one thing that is particularly handy is the ability to adjust your pain scale in real time so you can see how your pain level changes during an attack and how relief items help (or don’t). The availability of resources is also a nice perk, especially for those who are just getting started on their journey with migraine treatment.

Migraine Monitor is completely free and backed by neurologists who helped facilitate the design.

4. N1-Headache (Android | iOS)

If you’re looking for a highly thorough migraine tracker (Android | iOS), you may want to check out N1-Headache. It’s specifically designed to help users determine exactly what factors increase or decrease their migraine symptoms and keeps tabs on your migraine on a daily basis, not just during an attack.

When you open N1-Headache, you’ll be asked to keep a daily diary for both days with an attack and days without. Although some users complained about the amount of data you need to input, I personally liked the number of questions the app asks to help you determine possible triggers. In fact, I especially liked that there are optional items you can add to your tracking, like emotional factors and dietary considerations.

Like Migraine Buddy, N-1 Headache offers a free version as well as a more detailed premium version, which costs $49.99 annually.

5. Branch Health (Android | iOS)

Branch Health (Android | iOS), formerly known as Ouchie, is another app that allows individuals to track various types of chronic pain, including migraine. However, it also combines the benefit of connection alongside its tracking features, which can be very helpful for some folks.

Within the Branch app, you can track your symptoms, pain levels, medication usage, sleep patterns, and more. You can also connect with doctors, board-certified health coaches, fellow patients, and beneficial resources all in one place. Furthermore, Branch offers the unique opportunity to set targeted goals and work towards them, and track progress along the way.

Like many of the other apps on this list, Branch Health is completely free to use.

6. Migraine Mentor (Android | iOS)

Migraine Mentor (Android | iOS) is yet another popular migraine and headache tracker. It was developed by a combination of board-certified headache specialists and migraine patients.

Migraine Mentor works with daily check-ins in three minutes or less so the app can keep tabs on your migraine symptoms, eating habits, sleep schedule, and more. It also tracks possible triggers and migraine aids, so you can eventually see what makes your migraine symptoms worse and what helps with them. Furthermore, this app works for other types of headache pain as well, like tension and cluster headaches.

Migraine Mentor is completely free, which is great for individuals who want a decent app but are on a tight budget.

Honestly, I could have kept this list going for quite some time because there are literally dozens of apps I never knew about for migraine tracking. That being said, I do feel like these six are some of the better options out there, especially for people who experience frequent migraine attacks and people who enjoy seeing data about their health.

Regardless, I hope this list can help other people out there who live with migraine because, when it’s all said and done, my pain feels like it serves more of a purpose when I use the knowledge I’ve gained from it to help others.