A handful of apps now send your timing to a partner or doula in real time, and that is a genuinely good shift. They differ on who can see it and how private it stays. HiDoula's edge is the intersection: live, with your whole care team, encrypted so even we can't read it.
Families never pay. Doulas start free for a month, then $20 a month.
The newer timers deserve credit: they solved live sharing that older apps left to email and screenshots. Here is how the field lines up, including where each one is genuinely strong.
| Feature | HiDoula | Full Term | BirthFlow | Bump Pulse | ContractionTimer.io |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real-time sharing during labor | Strong. Live as you tap | Partial. After the fact | Strong. Real-time partner share | Strong. Real-time share | Strong. Live link share |
| Shares with the whole care team | Strong. Doula, partner, team you invite | Not built for this. Personal record | Partial. Mostly partner-oriented | Partial. Mostly partner-oriented | Partial. Whoever has the link |
| End-to-end encrypted | Strong. On your device | Partial. No disclosure | Partial. Not stated | Partial. Not stated | Partial. Not stated |
| Birth plan and appointments included | Strong. Plan, calendar, messaging | Not built for this. Timer only | Partial. Some planning tools | Not built for this. Timer focused | Not built for this. Timer only |
| Built around the doula relationship | Strong. Doula and family, together | Partial. Doula-recommended | Partial. Partner-first | Partial. Partner-first | Not built for this. General timer |
| Cost model | Strong. Doula monthly; families free | Strong. Free | Partial. Freemium | Partial. Freemium | Strong. Free / web |
Comparison reflects each product's publicly described features as of 2026. Smaller entrants iterate quickly; details may change. Where a privacy posture is not publicly stated, we mark it as not stated rather than assume the worst.
One honest line on what each tool is best for.
Best for simple, trusted timing
The contraction timer doulas recommend most. Clean and free. Sharing is after the fact by email or screenshot rather than live.
Best for partner-side real-time view
A newer entrant that genuinely added real-time sharing and some planning tools. Oriented mostly around the birthing person and a partner.
Best for a quick live partner share
A focused timer with real-time sharing, mostly partner-to-partner. Light on a published privacy posture and on the wider birth toolkit.
Best for a no-install web timer
A web-first timer with a shareable live link, so anyone with the link can follow along. Simple and accessible; general-purpose rather than doula-built.
Best for private live sharing with your whole care team
The one that combines all three: a live timing log shared with your doula and care team, encrypted on your device so even we cannot read it, and a peaceful doula-billed monthly model where families never pay.
Pre-register free as a family, or start your doula practice free for a month.