Cadence vs Medisafe (2026): An Honest Comparison

If you are choosing between Cadence and Medisafe in 2026, the decision changed in January, when Medisafe moved most of its core features behind a mandatory subscription and capped its free tier at two medications. That makes the pricing and privacy differences between the two apps more important than ever.

Full disclosure: we built Cadence, so weigh this accordingly. We have tried to be fair about where Medisafe is genuinely the better choice, because for some people it is.

The short answer

Choose Medisafe if you need Android support or automatic caregiver alerts, and you are comfortable with a subscription and a cloud account.

Choose Cadence if you are on iPhone, want a one-time purchase instead of a recurring fee, prefer your data to stay on your device, and want to see how your adherence connects to your health.

The rest of this article explains why.

Pricing: subscription vs one-time

This is the starkest difference between the two apps.

Medisafe Premium costs $4.99 per month or $39.99 per year. As of January 2026, premium is no longer optional for most people: the free tier is limited to two medications, and most of the features that made Medisafe useful now sit behind the subscription.

Cadence is free for unlimited medications with no account and no ads. The optional Cadence Pro upgrade is $9.99 as a one-time purchase, not a recurring fee.

The gap compounds over the years you actually take medication:

If you manage a chronic condition, you are likely on medication for years or decades. The pricing model you pick today is the one you keep paying.

The free tier, after January 2026

The free-tier change matters even if you never intend to pay. Medisafe's free version now caps you at two medications, which rules it out for anyone managing several. Historically the free tier has also shown ads, which many people find uncomfortable in a health app.

Cadence's free tier has no medication limit and no ads. You can track your whole regimen without paying anything, and the Pro upgrade only adds deeper features like Apple Health correlations and PDF reports. See our roundup of medication apps without a subscription for the wider picture.

Privacy: account and cloud vs on-device

Medisafe requires you to create an account, and your medication data is stored on its servers. That enables some of its sharing features, but it also means your health information lives in a company's cloud.

Cadence stores everything on your device. There is no account and no sign-up. Your data syncs through your own private iCloud to your other Apple devices and never passes through our servers. This is an architectural choice, not a setting you toggle.

If keeping health data off third-party servers matters to you, this is the deciding factor.

Where Medisafe is genuinely better

An honest comparison has to name where the other app wins.

• Cross-platform. Medisafe runs on both iPhone and Android. Cadence is iPhone and Apple Watch only. If you or a family member uses Android, Medisafe is the practical choice.
• Automatic caregiver alerts. Medisafe's "Medfriend" system can automatically alert a caregiver when a dose is missed. Cadence can also keep a caregiver in the loop, but differently: you send a privacy-safe daily summary yourself (dose count and adherence, no medication names), rather than the caregiver getting automatic alerts. For hands-off remote monitoring, Medisafe's automatic alerts have the edge. If this is your situation, see our guide on tracking medications for elderly parents.
• Maturity. Medisafe has a decade of development and a very large user base behind it.

Where Cadence is better

• One-time price. $9.99 once, versus $39.99 every year.
• No account, on-device data. Nothing to sign up for, nothing stored on our servers.
• Health correlations. Cadence Pro connects to Apple Health and shows how your adherence lines up with metrics like resting heart rate, blood pressure and sleep. Medisafe does not do this.
• Dose windows. Cadence treats a dose taken slightly late as on time, within a window you set, rather than marking you overdue the moment the clock ticks past. Read why dose windows match how medication actually works.
• Supply and refill tracking, label scanning, and smart timing are all included, the last of which learns when you actually take a dose and nudges the reminder to match.

Feature comparison

The bottom line

Medisafe is a capable, mature app, and if you need Android or automatic caregiver alerts it is the right pick. But its January 2026 move to a mandatory subscription, with a two-medication free cap, makes it a harder sell for iPhone users who simply want a reliable reminder and tracker without a recurring bill.

Cadence covers the same core ground, adds health correlations and dose windows, keeps your data on your device, and asks for $9.99 once instead of $39.99 a year. For a wider view of the category, see our best medication tracker apps for iPhone guide, or our roundup of Medisafe alternatives.

Frequently asked questions

Is Medisafe still free in 2026?

Medisafe has a free tier, but as of January 2026 it is limited to two medications, and most core features now require Premium at $4.99 per month or $39.99 per year. Cadence is free for unlimited medications with no account.

How much does Cadence cost compared to Medisafe?

Cadence is free for unlimited medications, with an optional one-time Cadence Pro upgrade at $9.99. Medisafe Premium is $39.99 per year, so over five years Medisafe costs roughly $200 versus Cadence Pro's single $9.99.

Does Cadence work on Android like Medisafe?

No. Cadence is available for iPhone and Apple Watch only. Medisafe supports both iPhone and Android, so if you need Android, Medisafe is the better fit.

Does Cadence require an account like Medisafe?

No. Cadence requires no account and stores your data on your device, syncing through your own iCloud. Medisafe requires an account and stores your medication data on its servers.

Does Cadence offer caregiver sharing like Medisafe?

Both do, in different ways. Medisafe's Medfriend can automatically alert a caregiver when a dose is missed. Cadence lets you send a caregiver a privacy-safe daily summary yourself (dose count and adherence, no medication names). For hands-off automatic monitoring Medisafe has the edge; for a simple private update, Cadence covers it.

Cadence is a free medication reminder app for iPhone with unlimited medications and no account required. Cadence Pro is $9.99 as a one-time purchase.