Medisafe alternatives: 8 reminder apps to switch to in 2026

Medisafe stopped being free outside the US. Its help centre says that from January 1, 2026, users outside the United States need a monthly or yearly subscription. New users get a 14-day trial; after that, the app locks until you upgrade. Premium costs $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year and includes unlimited medications, Medfriends and dependents, health trackers and all reminder sounds.

In the US, it is still free to use. Medisafe's Google Play listing says the app is free to download and use there, with Premium as an optional subscription. Its drug interaction checker works only in the US and with the app set to English.

Medisafe also works for drug companies. Its home page describes Medisafe as a patient engagement platform for pharmaceutical brands, with the patient app as one part. Its help centre says the app is and will stay ad-free and that it never sells or shares your personal information; its privacy policy also describes sharing with pharmaceutical manufacturers and disclosing aggregated data to partners.

If you're in the US and Medisafe works for you, there may be no reason to switch. If you're elsewhere, or you only need reminders that reach you every time, the apps below do that for less.

We used the same checklist as our guide on how to choose a medication reminder app:

1. Reliability: reminders that arrive when the app is closed.
2. Family view: someone you trust can be told when a dose is missed, like Medfriend.
3. Refills: a reminder before you run out.
4. Privacy: what the app says it does with your health data.
5. Cost: what stays free, and what a paid plan costs.
6. Languages and phones: whether it works in your language and on the phone you already have.

Because most people leave Medisafe over the price, free apps come first. We didn't score star ratings or download counts, and we left out apps whose websites were down or parked when we checked.

1. MyTherapy: the best free all-rounder

MyTherapy, made by smartpatient, says it will always remain free to use, and its App Store listing shows 32 languages. It reminds you about each dose, logs it as taken or skipped, reminds you before a refill, and tracks measurements like blood pressure and blood sugar, with a report you can share with your doctor.

Missing: we found no way for family to hear about a missed dose. Best for: most people leaving Medisafe because of the price.

2. Apple Health Medications: free on every iPhone

The Medications section of Apple's Health app reminds you at each dose time and can send a follow-up if a dose isn't logged 30 minutes after it was due. Critical Alerts can sound even when the phone is muted. In the US, it also shows drug interaction information.

Missing: no alert to family, and Apple notes some features aren't available in every country. Best for: iPhone users who want something simple, private and free.

3. Samsung Health Medications: free on Galaxy phones

Samsung Health keeps a medicine list with reminders, a dashboard of your progress and warnings about drug and food interactions, and it works with Galaxy watches.

Missing: Samsung's page doesn't say which countries get it or whether family can see missed doses. Best for: Galaxy owners who want reminders next to their other health data.

4. CareClinic: the closest to Medfriend

CareClinic has refill alerts, persistent reminders, a timeline of taken and missed doses, interaction alerts, and caregiver alerts that email someone when a dose is missed. It says it shows no ads and doesn't sell your data, and it runs on iPhone, Android and the web.

Watch for: it's free to start, but many features need in-app purchases. Best for: families who want missed-dose alerts and more tracking.

5. Saluvo: reminders on WhatsApp

Saluvo sends a WhatsApp message at each dose time with Taken and Skip buttons, plus reminders for doctor visits and lab tests. There's no new app to install, and a family connection can hear about a missed dose if you turn that on.

Missing: no refill reminders or interaction warnings, messages in English for now, and each message costs 1 credit (3 in a few countries). Best for: families who already live in WhatsApp. There's more below.

6. TakeYourPills: simple and free on Android

TakeYourPills is a free Android reminder and dose log, with profiles for the whole family and a warning to help you avoid taking too much. On Google Play, its developer declares that no data is shared with third parties.

Watch for: ads and in-app purchases, and we found no refill or caregiver alerts. Best for: a basic free reminder on Android.

7. EveryDose: for US users who want interaction alerts

EveryDose logs doses as taken, skipped or snoozed, alerts you when your medicines interact, and lets you share your medicine list with loved ones. EveryDose Plus costs $9.99 a month or $69.99 a year and adds automatic refill reminders and a family hub for up to 5 profiles.

Missing: it's only for people in the US, where Medisafe is still free. Best for: US adults who prefer it to Medisafe's free version.

8. Hero Health: a dispenser for complex routines

Hero is a smart pill dispenser with an app: it alerts you at pill time, dispenses the pills, sends low-pill alerts and lets a caregiver link to your account. Plans start at $39.99 a month on a 12-month prepaid plan.

Watch for: the cost. Best for: someone on many medicines a day, with a caregiver who wants a closer eye.

The free fallback: a daily phone alarm or calendar event costs nothing and shares no health data, but it keeps no record and can't tell anyone if you miss a dose.

Medfriend is the feature many families miss most: a person you choose is notified when you miss a dose. Three alternatives come close:

• CareClinic can email a caregiver when a dose is missed.
• Saluvo can tell a family connection about a missed dose if you turn that on. You can also keep a parent as a profile in your account, so their reminders come to your WhatsApp.
• Hero Health lets a caregiver link to the dispenser's account.

We found no missed-dose alert to other people in MyTherapy, Apple Health, TakeYourPills or EveryDose; EveryDose lets you share your medicine list instead.

1. Export your history first. In Medisafe, open Support and data management and choose Export data to download a report of your history. Medisafe says you can do this even after the trial has locked the app.
2. List every medicine. From that report, write down each medicine, dose and time, including as-needed medicines, vitamins and supplements.
3. Set up the new app. Add the same medicines and times, then set one test reminder, close the app, lock the phone and check that it arrives.
4. Overlap if you can. If Medisafe still works for you, keep it on for a few days until the new reminders have reached you every time.
5. Move your Medfriend. Tell the person who got your Medfriend alerts, and set up family alerts in the new app if it has them.
6. Cancel and delete. If you paid for Premium, cancel it in Google Play under Subscriptions, or on iPhone in Settings, App Store, your Apple ID, then Subscriptions, as Medisafe's help describes. In Support and data management you can also choose Delete account; Medisafe says deleted data can't be restored, so export first.

Don't change any dose or time while you switch. If something in your new schedule doesn't match the label, check with your pharmacist before you take it.

Saluvo isn't a full medication manager. It's an AI health assistant whose WhatsApp medicine reminders send a message at each dose time with Taken and Skip buttons. Your tap is saved to that dose, so you can see what was taken and what was missed. Because it's a WhatsApp message, it arrives whether or not Saluvo is open.

• Family: keep up to 8 family profiles in one account. Every reminder for the account goes to one WhatsApp number, which suits a parent who needs a nudge from you.
• Cost: 1 credit per message, 3 in a few countries. You get 30 free credits, to use within 30 days, when you confirm your email; plans start at $9 a month for 350 credits. Three doses a day is about 90 messages a month.
• What it doesn't do: no refill reminders and no interaction warnings in the reminders, and messages are sent in English for now.
• What else it does: explains lab reports, identifies a medicine from a photo and answers health questions in 80+ languages, with no ads and no selling of your data.