We all know the drill – new year, new you. But with all the obligations of day-to-day life, it’s difficult to keep track of our resolutions.
Introducing habit tracker apps. There are apps for tracking water intake, gym progress, dog walking, and anything else you can imagine. And some apps even have built-in community features, so you can share your progress with friends and make new ones!
Without a decent tracking app, even the best-laid plans unravel. To kickstart your next journey, we’ve brought together the best habit tracker apps for iOS. Grab a coffee, scroll through, and find something that works for you.
best habit tracker app overall: streaks
Price: $5.99, one-off purchase
Clocking in at number one, we have Streaks. As the name suggests, this app is all about creating streaks for your habits. You can track up to 24 tasks each day, and there is no limit on the types of habits. You can start streaks for walking your dog, running, or even brushing your teeth.
Users agree it’s one of the best habit tracker apps out there: it has 4.8/5 stars on the App Store, and it’s even won the Apple Design Award.
I love the statistics feature. Tap on the star icon in the bottom right-hand corner, and you’ll see an overview of all your streaks as well as how often you’ve completed your tasks. For more specific statistics, just press the individual icons.
Streaks even has a note-taking feature, allowing you to track your thoughts. For example, if I can’t meet my running goal tonight, I might write: “Heavy rain tonight, staying in.”
You can download Streaks from the App Store for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro. Your habits sync between devices via iCloud, seamlessly integrating into your Apple ecosystem.
Pros
- Affordable: As far as habit tracker apps go, Streaks is super affordable. Most habit apps require monthly subscriptions, and one-off purchases of as little as $5.99 are almost unheard of.
- Cross-device compatibility: Streaks syncs across devices, making it easy to track your progress no matter where you are.
Cons
- User interface: Streaks uses a lot of icons and bright colors, so the user interface might not appeal to some.
No matter which habit tracker app you choose, you can use iOS features to create a more personalized experience. Check out our article on the best new iPadOS 18 features.
best habit tracker app for integration: habitify
Price: $4.99 per month
Habitify is another strong contender for the best habit tracker app for iOS. The best thing about Habitify is the integrations. It can sync data with Apple Health, Google Fit, and thousands of other apps that use Zapier. This feature allows you to automatically tick off items on your to-do list, making habit tracking a seamless part of your day.
You can attach an Action List to each habit, which comes in handy when two habits cross over. For instance, you might want to remind yourself to drink X amount of water while completing your gym habit.
Then there’s the Challenges tab. It’s flooded with physical challenges, but you can create one for whichever habit you like. You can also join preexisting Challenges. Who knows? The community element might encourage you to stick to your new habit.
Like any good habit tracker app, Habitify has a Progress tab that gives you insights into general and specific tracking data.
Pros
- Community. Habitify has a built-in community, ideal for competitive people who like external encouragement.
- Integration feature: Few apps for habit tracking can boast the same level of integration as Habitify.
Cons
- Subscription. Some habit-tracking apps offer one-off purchases, but not Habitify. Instead, you’ve got to commit to a monthly subscription.
best habit tracker app for gamification: habitica
Price: $4.99 per month
Habitica leverages the power of gamification to make routines feel fun. Our brains are hardwired to seek dopamine, which is why gamification is so effective, especially for habit tracker apps.
Your tasks and goals become part of a role-playing game (RPG), and you can even team up with friends and start quests together. It’s another layer of accountability and transparency, effectively incentivizing habit-building.
As part of the RPG style, there are rewards and penalties, social features such as guilds, and customizable tasks. You can even customize your own avatar to reflect your style.
Habitica operates on a subscription model but offers discounts to people who sign up for three, six, or twelve months. And if you sign up for one of these offers you get extra gems for more in-game fun.
It’s worth mentioning that Habitica can feel overwhelming, especially for people who aren’t accustomed to RPG game apps. It’s definitely not a standard app for habit tracking, but that’s the appeal.
Pros
- Community: Not only does Habitica make routines feel fun, it also encourages you to build habits with friends.
- Gamified: You’re sure to get a dopamine boost when you complete your tasks.
Cons
- User interface: Some think the user interface is cluttered and difficult to navigate.
- Overwhelming: Those seeking simple apps for tracking their habits might be overwhelmed by just how gamified Habitica is.
best habit tracking app for loss aversion: stickk
Price: Free for basic access
StickK is something a little bit different. Developed by behavioral economists at Yale, this app makes you sign a contract – you read that right, a contract – to create a new goal. As part of your Commitment Contract, you need to pledge money to meet specific objectives. You can create tasks for health, fitness, financial, and personal development goals.
It’s all based on loss aversion, a psychological phenomenon where a real or potential loss is perceived as more severe than the equivalent gain. So, if you want to hit the gym three times a week but just can’t motivate yourself, StickK could be the psychological hack you’re looking for.
You have to designate a referee to monitor your progress and hold you accountable. Together with the Commitment Contract, this makes StickK one of the more serious apps for tracking habits. However, some of the App Store reviews are less than complimentary, with some users saying customer service is nonexistent.
Another downside is the price, which is on top of whatever you pledge to your Commitment Contracts. The basic version of StickK is free, but if you want to create a group commitment, you need to upgrade. The next step up, called All-Access, costs $19 per month (or $17 per month when billed annually) and allows you to add 100 users per commitment. The final option is the Pro subscription, which costs $99 per month (or $90 per month when billed annually) and allows you to add up to 250 users per commitment.
StickK also has some pretty complex fees that vary based on where your money goes when you fail to meet a Commitment Contract. But the fees come out of the money you’ve already pledged, so they aren’t necessarily a cause for concern.
Pros
- Psychological backing: StickK uses the power of psychological phenomena to help you stay on track.
Cons
- Complex: People who want a simple, straightforward habit-tracking app should steer clear of StickK.
- Referee system: Your success hinges on your referee.
best habit tracking app for visuals: everyday
Price: Free for basic access
Most of us absorb visual information quicker than the auditory or written alternative. In fact, neuroscientists at MIT found that humans can recognize a single image in just 13 milliseconds.
Everyday is no stranger to this concept; it gives users a quick overview of their goals and streaks in a single visually appealing board. Block colors represent your progress. With a glance, you can see whether your goals are green or red. It’s a clear, crisp way to show your progression over time.
You can also read about the science of habits and redesign your life using tried and tested psychological hacks. For a more community focus, explore the built-in forum and chat feature to meet like-minded people.
Technically, Everyday is free. However, free users can only track three habits per day. The Premium subscription costs $7.49 per month or $29.99 when billed annually and comes with unlimited habits, dark mode on mobile, syncing across devices, archive habits, habit insights, and priority support. There’s also a Lifetime option that costs a one-off fee of $99 and gives you access to absolutely everything.
Pros
- Built-in community: You can connect with people who have similar goals via the built-in chat feature.
- Free option available: If you can’t justify the cost of a Premium subscription, you can focus on your top three habits for free.
- Visual approach: With just a glance, you can see how much further you have to go to reach your goals.
Cons
- Potentially discouraging: Breaking a streak can feel disheartening, especially when it’s represented so visually.
final thoughts
Habit tracker apps serve as springboards for people who want to set goals and track their progress. And with one of the best habit tracker apps by your side, there is no end to how productive you can be.
Rock Paper Pencil: A Pen-On-Paper Experience for iPad
Get the most out of journaling or note-taking on your iPad without sacrificing the satisfying feeling of pen on paper. Try Rock Paper Pencil for that authentic paper feel, and build better habits on the go!
Designed to create the most realistic pen-on-paper feel for iPad – Rock Paper Pencil includes a reusable, paper-feel iPad screen protector and two ballpoint Apple Pencil tips.
Built with nano-texture technology, Rock Paper Pencil adds subtle friction between your screen and Pencil, giving you more control while drawing or writing.
- NanoCling Screen Protector: Securely bond your screen protector to your iPad using static cling. Easy application, non-adhesive, removable and reusable.
- Matte Texture: Subtle friction mimics the feel of paper (no more slippery glass!)
- Precision Apple Pencil Tips: Smoother, more controlled strokes
