21 Apps That Help You Build Positive Daily Habits | Are They Worth It?
These apps provide reminders, analytics, and motivation to stay on track. You can set achievable goals and check progress daily, giving you a sense of accomplishment.
Author:Daniel BarrettJul 10, 20252.2K Shares45.9K Views
You’ve made a decision. Maybe it’s to drink more water, go to the gym regularly, or finally read that book gathering dust on your nightstand. But somehow, days turn into weeks, and that initial motivation fades into the background with all your other good intentions.
Here’s the thing most people don’t realize; willpower alone rarely works. The real secret is having a system, not just motivation. The best system for building lasting habits fits right in your pocket. Modern habit-tracking apps use principles from behavioral psychology that researchers have studied for decades.
Not all habit apps work the same way. The app that works for your friend might not work for you, which is why it’s important to understand your options. Ready to find the right digital companion to support your personal growth? Let’s explore some powerful apps that can help you build positive daily habits.
1. Habitica
Habitica is a habit tracker that transforms goal-setting into a role-playing game, rewarding users with experience points and gold for completing tasks and habits. Players can level up, buy gear, and team up with friends to complete quests or battle monsters, turning daily productivity into a shared adventure. While its RPG mechanics make it more complex than traditional habit trackers, they also enhance motivation through play and social accountability.
Habitica follows a freemium model, offering a free version with optional in-app purchases such as gems ($0.99+) and a 12-month subscription for $47.99. Available for iOS and Android, Habitica appeals most to users who find motivation in gamification and community-driven challenges.
2. StickK
StickK is a behavioral goal-setting platform developed by Yale University economists that uses commitment contracts to help users achieve their goals through the principles of loss aversion and accountability. Users can set personal or team goals, define timelines, and optionally assign a referee and supporters to monitor progress.
The platform offers individual use and team plans, including a free basic plan (up to 25 users), an all-access plan ($17/month billed annually for 100 users), and a pro plan ($90/month billed annually with unlimited campaigns and analytics).
StickK’s unique integration of financial stakes, social accountability, and behavioral incentives makes it one of the most effective tools for sustained goal achievement, illustrating how tech is reshaping healthcareby supporting behavioral change and wellness initiatives.
3. Coach.me
Coach.me is a versatile habit-tracking and goal-setting app that combines self-tracking with community support and optional professional coaching. The platform leverages social motivation by creating a sense of belonging, allowing users to share progress, exchange advice, and encourage each other through its built-in Q&A and community features, positioning it among effective positive psychology apps.
This peer-driven environment helps users stay accountable while building habits collaboratively. For those seeking personalized guidance, Coach.me offers one-on-one habit coaching via private chat for $25 per week or $87 per month, as well as leadership coaching at $249 per month for executive-level support.
Users can also schedule individual phone consultations, with rates varying by coach. The core habit-tracking and community features are completely free on iOS, Android, and Web, making Coach.me a flexible solution for anyone looking to build habits with the option of expert accountability when needed.
4. Atoms (The Official Atomic Habits App)
Atoms is the official habit-tracking app based on James Clear’s Atomic Habits methodology, emphasizing identity-based behavior change. Rather than focusing only on task completion, the app encourages users to build habits aligned with the type of person they want to become. It combines tracking with structured mindset content and daily lessons that reinforce the principles of lasting personal growth.
The free version allows tracking of one habit, while the pro version unlocks unlimited habits, access to mindset lessons, daily coaching content, and an accountability partner feature. Pricing for the pro plan typically ranges around $14.99 per month or $99.99 per year, though regional variations may apply. Atoms is designed primarily for the Apple ecosystem (iOS, Mac, and Apple Watch) and appeals to users seeking a guided, theory-backed approach to habit formation supported by premium educational content.
5. Productive
Productive is a versatile habit tracker designed to help users build and maintain positive routines with ease. It supports daily, weekly, and monthly tracking while offering clear visual summaries of streaks and progress.
The app provides curated habit suggestions, such as improving morning routines, sleep, and productivity, making it especially helpful for beginners. Productive also integrates with Siri on iOS, allowing hands-free check-ins through voice commands.
Available for both iOS and Android, it operates on a freemium model, with a free version supported by in-app purchases. Users can upgrade for $3.99 or choose an annual subscription for $23.99 to unlock premium features. Productive enhances user ability through a comprehensive scheduling system that supports structured planning, including features useful for ADHD management and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
6. Streaks
Streaks is a habit tracker designed to help users build consistency through a simple, task-based approach. Instead of traditional logging, it treats habits as daily to-do list items that increase your streak with each completion. This system leverages the “Don’t Break the Chain” principle, motivating users through visual progress and the desire to maintain an unbroken streak.
Deep integration with Apple Health allows automatic tracking of activities such as steps, exercise, and heart rate, reducing manual input and improving ease of use. Streaks supports up to 24 tasks and is available exclusively for iOS and macOS devices. The app is a one-time purchase of $5.99, making it a streamlined and powerful tool for Apple users focused on long-term habit formation and behavioral consistency.
7. Loop Habit Tracker
Loop Habit Tracker is a free, open-source habit tracking app for Android that emphasizes simplicity, privacy, and long-term consistency. It supports flexible scheduling, allowing users to set habits for daily, weekly, or custom frequencies, and provides detailed analytics with clear graphs, habit strength scores, and historical data.
Unlike strict streak-based trackers, Loop’s unique scoring system softens the impact of missed days, helping users maintain motivation and avoid the “all or nothing” mindset. The app features customizable widgets, smart reminders, and a clean, distraction-free interface.
All data is stored locally, with no account required and full offline functionality, ensuring complete privacy. Loop is entirely free, with no ads or premium tiers, making it an excellent choice for Android users seeking a robust, privacy-focused, and psychologically supportive habit tracking experience.
8. Everyday
Everyday is a beginner-friendly, cross-platform habit tracker that focuses on simplicity and visual motivation. Its clean interface presents progress in an easy-to-understand visual chain, helping users clearly see their growth and stay motivated through consistent feedback. The app supports the “Make it Obvious” and “Make it Satisfying” principles by turning habit tracking into a visually rewarding experience.
The free plan allows up to three habits, unlimited data storage, yearly visualizations, reminders, and access across Web, iOS, and Android, including browser extensions. The premium plan, priced at $2.50 per month (billed annually at $29.99) or $7.49 month-to-month, unlocks unlimited habits, dark mode, device synchronization, detailed insights, and habit archiving.
A lifetime option is also available for a one-time payment of $99, offering all premium features and future updates. Everyday’s clarity, accessibility, and flexibility make it an excellent choice for those beginning their habit-building journey.
9. HabitKit
HabitKit is a minimalist and visually engaging habit tracker designed for users who find motivation in seeing their progress over time. Its GitHub-style grid visualization provides a clear, satisfying overview of habit consistency, making progress both obvious and rewarding. The app supports flexible habit goals, smart reminders, and calendar-based progress management, all within a clean, privacy-focused design that stores data locally without requiring an account.
The free version allows tracking of up to four habits, completely ad-free, while the premium version unlocks unlimited habits, widgets, detailed analytics, and data export options. Premium is available for $1.99 per month, $19.99 per year, or a one-time payment of $41.99 for lifetime access. Available on iOS and Android, HabitKit’s simplicity, customization, and strong visual feedback make it an excellent choice for users who prefer an intuitive and aesthetically rewarding habit-tracking experience.
10. Habitify
Habitify is a structured and intuitive habit-tracking app that helps users organize routines across key life areas such as health, work, and personal growth. This categorization allows for deeper insight into behavioral patterns and how different habits contribute to long-term goals.
The app offers excellent cross-platform functionality on iOS, Android, Web, and Mac, with detailed progress reports that track consistency over time. The free plan supports up to three habits, cross-platform sync, advanced reminders (including habit stacking and location-based prompts), calendar integration, Apple Health connection, and automation through Zapier or IFTTT.
The premium version unlocks unlimited habits and all advanced features for $2.49 per month (billed annually at $29.99 per year) or as a one-time payment of $59.99 for lifetime access. Habitify’s blend of flexibility, data-driven insights, and automation tools makes it an excellent choice for users seeking a well-rounded and long-term habit management solution.
11. Way Of Life
Way of Life is a journal-based habit tracker that focuses on self-awareness and behavioral insight through a simple color-coded system. Each habit can be marked as done, not done, or skipped, with optional notes to capture context or reasons for success and setbacks.
This design encourages reflection and helps users identify patterns and triggers behind their behaviors. The app also features flexible streak tracking through customizable “chains,” allowing users to set realistic goals and take planned breaks without losing progress. Its clear visual feedback makes habits easy to monitor and satisfying to maintain.
Way of Life supports both positive habit building and the reduction of unwanted behaviors. The app is free for tracking up to three habits, while the Premium version, available for a one-time payment of $4.99, offers unlimited habit tracking and cloud backup.
12. HabitNow
HabitNow is a highly rated habit-tracking app for Android that combines effective routine building with simple task management. Its clean interface and flexible scheduling allow users to track daily, weekly, or monthly habits while adding recurring or one-time tasks in one convenient location. This integration enhances the user’s ability to manage routines efficiently by reducing the need to switch between multiple apps.
The free plan supports up to seven habits, which is sufficient for most users, while the Premium version, available for a one-time payment of $11.99 (often discounted), offers unlimited habit tracking, sub-task checklists, and advanced customization.
HabitNow includes detailed statistics such as streaks, completion rates, and long-term progress views, along with home screen widgets for quick tracking. Although its to-do features are basic, its habit tracking capabilities make it one of the best options for Android users focused on consistency and growth.
13. HabitBull
HabitBull is a habit-tracking app with a simple yet powerful interface that displays an entire month at a glance, making it easy to spot when habits are maintained or broken. The app provides detailed graphs and charts to visualize progress, track success rates, and export performance data in CSV format for personal analysis.
Users can customize how often and how many times a habit should be completed, such as exercising twice a week. HabitBull also includes forums for community engagement, supporting a sense of belonging and external motivation.
Designed for users who value data-driven insights, it leverages visual statistics to make progress more satisfying. The app is free to use, with premium features available for $4.99 per month or $19.99 per year, and is available on iOS and Android devices.
14. Focus Bear
Focus Bear is a holistic productivity app that helps users build healthy routines, stay focused at work, and unwind in the evening for better rest and balance. It promotes habit stacking and minimizes digital distractionsthrough structured, guided routines that make positive actions easy to maintain.
The free plan includes 25-minute Pomodoro sessions, limited website blocking, morning and evening routines, micro-breaks, a tab limiter, and a to-do list for free.
The paid plan, priced at $4.99 per month with a 7-day free trial and no credit card required, offers advanced tools such as unlimited and AI-powered blocking, focus modes, music, meeting detection, and customizable strictness levels. Students receive an 85% discount, making Focus Bear an affordable and effective productivity companion.
15. Notion
Notion is a flexible all-in-one productivity platform that allows users to design personalized habit tracking systems alongside notes, tasks, and projects. While it is not a dedicated habit tracker, it excels in customization and integration, enabling users to connect habits directly to broader goals, projects, and dashboards.
With ready-made templates, users can set up daily, weekly, or monthly tracking, visualize progress, and embed charts or automations through linked databases. The main tradeoff is setup time since Notion requires more initial configuration than specialized habit apps, but for productivity enthusiasts, its seamless integration across work and personal systems makes it highly efficient.
Notion operates on a freemium model, with a free plan for individuals and paid tiers starting at $10 per user per month (Plus) and $20 per user per month (Business), with custom Enterprise pricing for larger organizations.
16. Strides
Strides is a comprehensive goal and habit tracker designed for users who want to monitor multiple aspects of their progress in one place. It supports four goal types: habits, averages, milestones, and projects, allowing you to track behaviors, maintain targets, and achieve defined outcomes through a single interface.
The app includes over 150 ready-made trackers and lets users customize their own, making setup quick and flexible. Detailed charts and graphs visualize trends and progress, helping users stay motivated and accountable.
Strides is best suited for those in the Apple ecosystem, with compatibility across iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. It operates on a freemium model, with in-app purchases ranging from $4.99 to $79.99 for a lifetime membership.
17. Awesome Habits
Awesome Habits is a flexible and user-friendly habit tracker designed to help users build consistent routines and achieve personal goals. It features customizable reminders, detailed statistics, and visual progress tracking to keep motivation high.
The app allows users to set and adapt goals to fit their needs, whether they’re focusing on health, productivity, or personal growth. Its clean interface and visual feedback make habit tracking simple and engaging.
Awesome Habits operates on a freemium model, offering a free version with core features and premium options priced at $3.49 per month, $21.49 per year (with a free trial), or a one-time lifetime purchase of $39.99.
18. Habit Eazy
Habit Eazy is an all-in-one habit tracker and task management app designed to help users build positive routines, eliminate bad habits, and stay organized. It combines habit tracking, to-do lists, and scheduling tools within a clean, intuitive interface that supports consistency and productivity.
Users can set custom habits, receive reminders, and visualize progress through detailed statistics and streak tracking. The app also includes features like a schedule planner, progress insights, and Wear OS compatibility for convenient on-the-go monitoring.
Habit Eazy emphasizes simplicity and flexibility, making it suitable for both personal growth and productivity enhancement. It operates on a freemium model, with affordable premium access available for around $2 per month.
19. Habit List
Habit List is a long-standing iOS habit tracker known for its reliability, simplicity, and refined design. It offers flexible scheduling that supports complex routines, allowing users to set habits for specific days, custom intervals, or multiple completions per day. Smart reminders integrate smoothly with iOS notifications, providing timely, non-intrusive prompts that encourage consistency without overwhelming the user.
Ideal for Apple users seeking a stable, no-fuss experience, Habit List’s free version allows tracking of up to three habits, while the premium version unlocks full functionality for a one-time purchase of $4.99 with no subscription required.
20. Todoist
Todoist integrates habit tracking directly into its powerful task management system through the Habit Tracker extension, which records streaks and completion history for recurring tasks. Its biggest advantage is unifying habits and productivity in one place, helping users maintain consistency across work and personal life without juggling multiple apps.
Natural language scheduling makes it easy to set recurring habits, such as typing “every day” or “every 3 days,” to automate reminders. Todoist’s intuitive interface reduces setup effort while retaining flexibility for complex routines.
The app operates on a Freemium model: the free Beginner plan includes up to 5 projects and basic features, while the Pro plan ($5 per month) and Business plan ($8 per user per month) unlock advanced tools like calendar layouts, unlimited activity history, custom reminders, and AI assistance.
21. Routinery
Routinery focuses on structured routine-building rather than tracking isolated habits. Users can design complete sequences like morning or evening routines with customized time limits for each step and guided transitions that maintain flow. The timer-based system, paired with optional voice guidance, keeps users focused and minimizes distractions, making it particularly effective for mornings or task-heavy periods.
Routinery’s adaptability and real-time tracking make it especially useful for individuals with ADHD, offering flexible scheduling, optimized visual and sound cues, and progress insights that support focus and consistency without rigidity. The app operates on a Freemium model, with the free version providing core functionality and premium plans starting at $3.99 per month (about $48 annually) to unlock all advanced features.
FAQs About Habit-Building Apps
Do Habit Building Apps Work?
Habit formation apps are intended to help instigate and maintain new behaviors. Prior research has established that these apps mostly do not support the theoretical 'habit' construct defined in psychology, yet are generally popular and well reviewed in app stores.
How Many Habits Should I Track Simultaneously?
Start with three habits maximum, contrary to apps allowing dozens. Master three habits until they become automatic, then add one or two more. Quality of completion matters far more than quantity of tracking.
Are Free Habit Apps As Effective As Paid Ones?
Effectiveness depends more on feature-fit than price. Start free, upgrade only when you've identified specific limitations blocking your progress.
What's The Ideal Time To Check Off Habits In My Tracker?
Track habits immediately after completion rather than batch-logging later. Immediate tracking provides instant gratification that reinforces the behavior and prevents forgetting.
How Do I Handle Vacations Or Sick Days Without Losing Motivation?
Apps offering "skip" or "pause" features prevent vacation or illness from destroying long-term streaks. Alternatively, adjust habit frequency before trips and change daily habits to "5 times per week" giving flexibility without breaking patterns.
Can I Switch Habit Tracking Apps Without Losing Progress?
Most apps lack easy export/import functionality, making switching frustrating. Before investing months in any app, verify data export options.
Why Do Gamified Apps Work For Some People But Not Others?
Gamification effectiveness correlates with gaming affinity and motivation type. Intrinsically motivated people often find game elements distracting. Extrinsically motivated individuals respond well to points, badges, and levels.
Conclusion
You’ve now seen great habit-building apps, each built on different ideas and designed for different types of people. You’ve learned how digital tools can make habits stick, how to choose the right app, and what mistakes to avoid.
But here’s the real truth; no app will change your life unless you take action. Reading about them feels productive, but real progress starts when you download one, set a few habits, and use it every day.
Pick just one app to start with. Don’t overthink it. Choose a simple free option that works on your device. You can always switch later, but you can’t build habits without starting. That small action is the first step toward lasting change. Keep going, one day at a time, and soon you’ll look back amazed at how far you’ve come.
Jump to
1. Habitica
2. StickK
3. Coach.me
4. Atoms (The Official Atomic Habits App)
5. Productive
6. Streaks
7. Loop Habit Tracker
8. Everyday
9. HabitKit
10. Habitify
11. Way Of Life
12. HabitNow
13. HabitBull
14. Focus Bear
15. Notion
16. Strides
17. Awesome Habits
18. Habit Eazy
19. Habit List
20. Todoist
21. Routinery
FAQs About Habit-Building Apps
Conclusion
Daniel Barrett
Author
Daniel Barrett is a tech writer focusing on IoT, gadgets, software, and cryptocurrencies. With a keen interest in emerging technologies, Daniel offers expert analysis and commentary on industry trends. Follow him for authoritative insights into the latest tech innovations.
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