Note: This article is general information to help you choose an app. It is not medical advice. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for advice specific to your medications.
For most people, Pillo is the strongest free pick on Android. It is free for unlimited medications, includes six built-in safety checkers, and has a persistent alarm you can set to keep escalating until you take action. Medisafe, by contrast, now limits medications and shows ads on its free tier.
How we compared these apps
We looked at the current free versions on the Google Play Store in May 2026, on Android only. For each app we checked five things: whether it is truly free with no cap on the number of medications, what reminder and alarm options it offers, what safety or interaction checks are built in, how flexible its scheduling is, and what health measurements it can track. Features change often, so confirm the current details on each app's Play Store page before you decide.
App finder
Find your free Android medication reminder app
Answer 3 quick questions. We will point you to the app that fits how you actually take your meds.
Question 1 of 4
How many medications do you keep track of?
Do you sleep through or swipe away normal alarms?
Is your medication schedule complex, with multiple times a day, specific days, or as-needed doses?
Do you want to check your meds for interactions, food conflicts, or side effects?
Compare the free apps
Tap a need to filter the list.
| App | Free, no med limit | Safety checkers | Persistent alarm | Schedule coverage | Health trackers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pillo | Yes | 6 types | Yes | Advanced | Yes |
| MyTherapy | Yes | None | No | Basic | Yes |
| MedTimer | Yes | None | Yes | Flexible intervals | No |
| Medisafe | Capped on free | 1 type | No | Standard | Premium |
| TakeYourPills | Yes | None | No | Basic | No |
Features change. Last checked May 2026. Confirm current details on each app's Google Play page. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for advice specific to your medications.
Quick comparison
| App | Free, no med limit | Safety checkers | Persistent alarm | Schedule coverage | Health trackers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pillo | Yes | 6 types | Yes | Advanced | Yes |
| MyTherapy | Yes | None | No | Basic | Yes |
| MedTimer | Yes | None | Yes | Flexible intervals | No |
| Medisafe | Capped on free | 1 type | No | Standard | Premium |
| TakeYourPills | Yes | None | No | Basic | No |
The free apps, app by app
Pillo: best free option overall
Pillo is free for an unlimited number of medications, with no premium tier gating the basics. Two things set it apart. First, its alarm is built to be persistent: you choose how insistent it gets, and it keeps escalating until you actually respond, so a missed dose is hard to sleep through. Second, it bundles six safety checkers most reminder apps do not have at all: drug-to-drug interactions, drug-to-food interactions, drug-to-condition interactions, drug-induced nutrient depletion, side effects, and allergens.
Pillo also handles complicated schedules that trip up other apps. You can set an as-needed medication that then triggers a follow-up schedule, such as every six hours for three doses. You can anchor your day to your own wake time, which helps if you get up at a different hour each day. And you can build fully custom daily schedules on top of the usual cycling options. It tracks health measurements too, including blood pressure, weight, and blood sugar. Pillo runs on Android and shows ads in the free version.
MyTherapy: solid free tracker
MyTherapy is free and pairs reminders with a strong health journal. You can log weight, blood pressure, blood oxygen, blood sugar, mood, and a pain diary, and it produces monthly reports. Its reminders are reliable but standard, so they behave like normal notifications rather than a persistent alarm. It has no built-in interaction checkers. A good pick if health tracking matters more to you than alarm persistence.
MedTimer: best for privacy
MedTimer is open source, collects no data, and works offline with no account. It manages unlimited medications and offers genuinely flexible scheduling, including interval based reminders with start and end windows and reminders for specific days. It has a persistent alarm too, with repeat reminders and an alarm that fires even in silent mode. Pillo adds configurable intensity levels and a smart snooze on top. There are no health trackers and no interaction checks. The strongest choice if data privacy is your top priority.
Medisafe: powerful, but the free tier shrank
Medisafe is a well known, full featured app with a drug-to-drug interaction checker and broad health tracking. The catch is its free tier. Medisafe now puts unlimited medications, an ad free experience, and its full health management tools behind a paid Medisafe Premium subscription. If you only track a couple of medications and do not mind ads, the free version still works. If you want everything free, look elsewhere.
TakeYourPills: simple and anonymous
TakeYourPills is a free, no account medication reminder with a basic logbook. It is straightforward and private, but it has no interaction checkers, no health trackers, and only basic scheduling. Fine for a simple once or twice daily routine.
Why a persistent alarm matters
Most reminder apps send a normal notification. You can swipe it away, or sleep through it, and the app assumes you took your dose. That is the single biggest reason reminders fail. A persistent alarm works differently. With Pillo you set how persistent the reminder gets, and it keeps escalating until you confirm you took the dose or chose to snooze, the way a pill reminder that does not stop until you respond should. If you are the kind of person who silences notifications without thinking, this one design choice does more for adherence than any other feature on this list. Among the free apps here, Pillo and MedTimer are the two with a real persistent alarm. Pillo goes further with configurable intensity levels and a smart snooze that re-alerts when you get home. To see everything the app does, visit the Pillo medication reminder app overview.
How to set up reminders that actually stick
A few habits make any of these apps work better:
- Enter every medication, including vitamins and as needed ones, so the app has the full picture.
- Match the reminder time to a daily anchor you never skip, like your morning coffee or brushing your teeth. If your wake time moves around, which is common for people with ADHD, choose an app like Pillo that lets you anchor the schedule to when your day actually starts.
- Turn the reminder persistence up if you tend to miss doses. A gentle ping is easy to ignore.
- Set refill reminders so you do not run out mid week.
- For complex regimens, such as an as needed dose that then repeats every few hours, pick an app that supports that pattern directly instead of forcing it into a daily slot.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a truly free medication reminder app for Android?
Yes. Pillo, MyTherapy, MedTimer, and TakeYourPills are all free to use with no cap on the number of medications. Medisafe is free to download, but its free tier now limits medications and shows ads.
What is the best free app if I sleep through alarms?
Pillo, because you can set how persistent its alarm gets and it keeps escalating until you respond. MedTimer can also repeat reminders and alarm in silent mode, though with fewer options.
Which free app has no limit on the number of medications?
Pillo, MyTherapy, MedTimer, and TakeYourPills all support unlimited medications for free. Medisafe puts unlimited medications behind its paid plan.
Is Medisafe still free in 2026?
It is free to download, but unlimited medications, an ad free experience, and the full health tools now require a paid Medisafe Premium subscription. The free version is more limited than it used to be.
What is the best Medisafe alternative now that the free plan is limited?
Pillo is the closest free alternative with more built-in safety checkers, or MedTimer if you want open source with no account.
Do these apps work without an account?
MedTimer and TakeYourPills work with no account. Medisafe does not require registration. Pillo and MyTherapy can be used with an account that is optional for basic reminders.
Can a reminder app handle an as needed dose that then repeats every few hours?
Pillo supports this directly: you can start a medication as needed and have it trigger a follow up schedule, such as every six hours for a set number of doses. Most reminder apps only support fixed daily times.
The bottom line
If you want one free Android app that covers the most ground, Pillo is the best choice in 2026: unlimited medications at no cost, six safety checkers, advanced scheduling, and a persistent alarm built to stop missed doses. Choose MedTimer if open source privacy comes first, or MyTherapy if a rich health journal is your priority.
Written by the Pillo Editorial Team. Last updated May 2026.
