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Healthcare · head to head

DHIS2 vs Flo

DHIS2 logo

DHIS2

Healthcare

Open source health information platform run from the University of Oslo and used by national ministries

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Flo logo

Flo

Healthcare

Period and cycle tracking app that settled with the US FTC in 2021 over sharing health data with third parties despite promising not to

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: DHIS2 the licence is free and the implementation is not; national rollouts routinely cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in configuration, hosting, training and support, and budgets built on the word free fail immediately.; Flo flo Health settled with the US FTC in 2021 over allegations it shared sensitive health data, including pregnancy and menstruation details, with Facebook, Google and other third parties despite telling users the data would stay private, a fact directly relevant to how much a user should trust current privacy claims without independently checking the published policy.
  • They diverge on capability: DHIS2 covers Aggregate data reporting, Flo covers Cycle and ovulation tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DHIS2 and Flo actually diverge.

Attributes where DHIS2 and Flo differ
AttributeDHIS2Flo
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeFree with a Premium subscription
PlatformsWeb, Android, Self-hosted, CloudiOS, Android, Web

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Healthcare).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in DHIS2

  • Aggregate data reporting
  • Tracker
  • Android capture app
  • Dashboards and analytics
  • Metadata packages
  • Data quality tools
  • GIS mapping
  • Interoperability

Only in Flo

  • Cycle and ovulation tracking
  • Pregnancy mode
  • Anonymous Mode
  • Symptom and mood logging
  • Expert content library
  • Community and forums

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

DHIS2

  • A ministry of health replacing paper monthly reporting from thousands of facilities with a national routine systemnot Flo
  • A donor-funded HIV or tuberculosis programme that must report standard indicators across several districtsnot Flo
  • A disease surveillance unit needing weekly case reporting with outbreak alerting and mappingnot Flo
  • An NGO running individual patient follow-up in a programme where facilities are frequently offlinenot Flo

Flo

  • Someone tracking cycle and ovulation who wants to weigh app convenience against the sensitivity of the data being loggednot DHIS2
  • A user in a jurisdiction with legal risk around reproductive health data who wants to check Anonymous Mode and current data sharing policy before logging pregnancy or fertility attemptsnot DHIS2
  • A buyer wanting to compare Flo directly against Clue on published data practices before choosing which app to trust with this informationnot DHIS2
  • Someone who wants pregnancy tracking content alongside cycle tracking in one app rather than switching apps mid-pregnancynot DHIS2

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

DHIS2

  • The licence is free and the implementation is not; national rollouts routinely cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in configuration, hosting, training and support, and budgets built on the word free fail immediately.
  • HISP UiO introduced a Shared Services Fee in 2025, so organisations that depend on DHIS2 are now being asked for an annual contribution that did not previously exist in their plans.
  • Development funding comes from a small set of donors including Norad, the Global Fund and the Gates Foundation, which concentrates the platform's long-term direction in the priorities of those funders.
  • Implementation capability is concentrated in regional HISP groups, so a country whose local HISP group is overstretched has few alternative suppliers with equivalent expertise.
  • Analytics performance depends heavily on how metadata was designed at the outset, and a poorly structured initial configuration produces slow dashboards and bad indicator definitions that are painful to correct years later.

Flo

  • Flo Health settled with the US FTC in 2021 over allegations it shared sensitive health data, including pregnancy and menstruation details, with Facebook, Google and other third parties despite telling users the data would stay private, a fact directly relevant to how much a user should trust current privacy claims without independently checking the published policy.
  • Reproductive health data, including logged periods, fertility attempts and pregnancy status, has been the subject of law enforcement data requests in some jurisdictions following changes to reproductive rights law, and cloud-stored logs are a real category of exposure regardless of a vendors intentions.
  • Anonymous Mode, the privacy feature introduced after the settlement, is a setting that must be checked and understood rather than assumed, and its exact scope and default status should be verified in the current privacy policy rather than taken from marketing copy.
  • Free tier predictions rely on self-reported symptom data and general population models, so accuracy for irregular cycles or specific medical conditions is limited compared with clinical tracking.
  • The subscription auto-renews and, like most mobile subscriptions, must be cancelled through app store account settings rather than inside the app itself.

Pricing, plan by plan

DHIS2

Free
  • DHIS2 softwareFree
    • BSD licence
    • All modules including Tracker
    • No user or facility limits
  • Shared Services Fee$undefined/year
    • Voluntary annual contribution introduced by HISP UiO
    • Funds shared global infrastructure and platform sustainability
    • Amount agreed with the HISP Centre
  • Implementation and support$undefined/year
    • Delivered by regional HISP groups or private implementers
    • Configuration, metadata design, hosting, training and support
    • Quoted per programme, commonly the dominant cost

Flo

Free
  • Flo Premium$11.99/month
    • Free tier covers core cycle tracking, predictions and symptom logging
    • Premium adds deeper personalised insights and expert content, around $11.99 a month
    • Annual and lifetime purchase options typically offered at a lower effective rate

Which should you pick?

Choose DHIS2 if

  • You need aggregate data reporting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Android, Self-hosted, Cloud.
  • You also want tracker.
DHIS2 review

Choose Flo if

  • You need cycle and ovulation tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want pregnancy mode.
Flo review

Questions people ask

Is DHIS2 or Flo better?
Neither clearly leads. DHIS2 starts at Free and Flo at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DHIS2 or Flo?
DHIS2 starts at Free and Flo at Free.
Does DHIS2 or Flo run on more platforms?
DHIS2 runs on Web, Android, Self-hosted, Cloud. Flo runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use DHIS2 for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is DHIS2 best used for?
DHIS2 is most often used for a ministry of health replacing paper monthly reporting from thousands of facilities with a national routine system, a donor-funded hiv or tuberculosis programme that must report standard indicators across several districts, a disease surveillance unit needing weekly case reporting with outbreak alerting and mapping, an ngo running individual patient follow-up in a programme where facilities are frequently offline. Of those, a ministry of health replacing paper monthly reporting from thousands of facilities with a national routine system and a donor-funded hiv or tuberculosis programme that must report standard indicators across several districts are not what Flo is typically brought in for.
What can DHIS2 do that Flo cannot?
DHIS2 covers Aggregate data reporting, Tracker, Android capture app, Dashboards and analytics. Flo covers Cycle and ovulation tracking, Pregnancy mode, Anonymous Mode, Symptom and mood logging.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

DHIS2: Who owns and develops DHIS2?

The HISP Centre at the University of Oslo, funded by donors including Norad, the Global Fund, the Gates Foundation and Wellcome.

Flo: What happened with the FTC in 2021?

The US FTC alleged Flo Health shared sensitive health data, including pregnancy and menstruation details, with third parties like Facebook and Google despite promising to keep it private. Flo settled without admitting liability, agreeing to obtain consent for future sharing and to an independent privacy review.

DHIS2: Is DHIS2 free?

The software is free under a BSD licence. Implementation, hosting, training and support are not, and are the dominant cost.

Flo: What is Anonymous Mode?

A privacy setting Flo states disconnects entered health data from an identifiable profile. Check the current app and privacy policy for whether it is on by default or must be turned on manually, since this affects what data is linked to your identity.

DHIS2: What is the Shared Services Fee?

A voluntary annual contribution introduced by HISP UiO in 2025 to fund shared global infrastructure and long-term platform sustainability.

Flo: Is Flo free?

Core cycle tracking and predictions are free. Deeper personalised insights and expert content require Flo Premium.

DHIS2: Can I buy commercial support?

Yes, from regional HISP groups or private implementers such as Devotta, which is contracted by HISP UiO for core platform development and also works independently.

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