Cudly vs HeraBEAT: phone-only journaling vs $200 smart doppler
HeraBEAT is the polished, medical-grade end of the home doppler market. Cudly is the opposite end of the same problem: no hardware, no $200 price tag, no "is this a real heartbeat?" anxiety — just a beautiful pregnancy journal that also captures sounds through your phone.
- ✓Free to download — no $200 hardware purchase
- ✓Works in 30 seconds — nothing to ship, no batteries
- ✓Full pregnancy journal, week-by-week tracker, photo timeline included
- ✓Available on iOS and Android
- ✓FDA 510(k) cleared medical device — more reliable for picking up heartbeat sounds
- ✓Noise-cancellation algorithm distinguishes maternal vs fetal heart rate
- ✓Bluetooth recording with companion app
- ✓30-day money-back, 24-month warranty
The honest matrix.
| Feature | Cudly | HeraBEAT |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware required | None | Yes ($200+) |
| Available on iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Available on Android | Yes | Yes |
| Price | Free + optional Pro | $199–$299 |
| Time to use | Instant download | 5–7 day shipping |
| Heartbeat recording | Yes | Yes |
| Pregnancy journal | Yes | No |
| Week-by-week tracker | Yes | No |
| Photo timeline | Yes | No |
| Kick counter | Yes | No |
| Contraction timer | Yes | No |
| Partner sharing | Yes | Limited |
| Pregnancy-after-loss mode | Yes | No |
| Medical device classification | No (keepsake) | FDA 510(k) cleared |
| Ad-free / no data sales | Yes | Yes |
The full picture.
Cudly
- ✓Free to download — no $200 hardware purchase
- ✓Works in 30 seconds — nothing to ship, no batteries
- ✓Full pregnancy journal, week-by-week tracker, photo timeline included
- ✓Available on iOS and Android
- ✓Explicitly not a medical device — no false diagnostic reassurance
- ✓Private partner sharing built in
- ·Phone microphone is less reliable than a dedicated ultrasound probe — especially before 18-20 weeks
- ·No medical certification (intentional — we're a keepsake, not a diagnostic tool)
HeraBEAT
- ✓FDA 510(k) cleared medical device — more reliable for picking up heartbeat sounds
- ✓Noise-cancellation algorithm distinguishes maternal vs fetal heart rate
- ✓Bluetooth recording with companion app
- ✓30-day money-back, 24-month warranty
- ·$200+ upfront cost with shipping wait
- ·Looks and feels like a medical device — adds anxiety for many users
- ·No pregnancy journal, week-by-week tracker, or photo timeline
- ·Single-purpose hardware that ends up in a drawer after birth
- ·Doctors and Reddit users repeatedly warn home dopplers can mask real problems with false reassurance
Which one should you actually pick?
If you want a clinical-grade home doppler and you have $200 to spend, HeraBEAT is the best in the category. If you want a beautiful pregnancy journal that *also* captures heartbeat sounds — without the price, the shipping wait, or the anxiety of "is this a real reading?" — that's Cudly. They solve fundamentally different problems.
Is Cudly less accurate than HeraBEAT?
Yes — and on purpose. HeraBEAT uses ultrasound. Cudly uses your phone's microphone passively. We don't claim diagnostic accuracy because we aren't a diagnostic tool. We're a keepsake.
Could I use both?
Plenty of users do. They'll buy a HeraBEAT or Sonoline B for sound capture and use Cudly for the journal, weekly tracker, and family sharing. The two aren't mutually exclusive — they overlap on only one feature.
Why does HeraBEAT recommend itself as 'medical-grade'?
Because it's a real ultrasound device with FDA 510(k) clearance. We don't compete on that — we don't want to. Most pregnant women don't need a medical-grade tool at home; they need a place to keep the memories.
Compare Cudly to:
Start your pregnancy story today.
Record your baby's heartbeat, write down the day, watch your weeks unfold. Free to download — no doppler, no ads, no data selling.