I’ve downloaded more habit trackers than I’ve built actual habits.

Streaks. Habitica. Habitify. Done. Productive. Loop. Atoms.

Download. Use for a week. Delete. Repeat.

Finally figured out why.

The Problem With Habit Trackers

They’re designed to feel good, not to build habits.

Pretty animations. Gamification. Social features. Badges. Points. Levels.

Dopamine hits that have nothing to do with your actual habits.

Habits are built one way: consistent repetition with minimal friction.

Most apps add friction. Not remove it.

What Actually Works

  • One-tap check-in
  • Visual streak you don’t want to break
  • Works offline
  • Doesn’t punish you for missing a day

That’s it.

The Apps

Streaks (iOS)

Beautiful. Native. Limited to 12 habits (actually smart — forces focus).

$5 upfront. iOS only.

Verdict: Best iOS option. Worth the $5.

Loop Habit Tracker (Android)

Free. Open source. No ads.

Ugly as hell. But it works.

Verdict: Best free Android option if you can handle the UI.

Habitica

RPG gamification. Level up. Fight monsters.

Fun for a week. Then the game becomes more important than the habits.

Verdict: Entertainment disguised as productivity.

Habitify

Cross-platform. Clean design.

Premium is expensive. Some features buried.

Verdict: Solid if you need iOS + Android + Web.

Why They All Miss The Point

More features ≠ better habits.

The best habit tracker is the one you actually use. Consistently. Without thinking.

Most apps are too pretty, too complex, or too gamified.

Open. Tap. Close. That’s all it should be.

SimpleStreaks

That’s what I built.

Open the app. Tap the habits you did today. Close the app.

No badges. No points. No “how did that make you feel?” prompts.

Just a streak that grows when you show up.

Join the waitlist — launching soon.

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— Dolce