Storey App01 / HOW WE PICKED
What counts as a gamified habit tracker?
“Gamified” covers a lot of ground. The apps on this list use at least five different kinds of game mechanic:
- A virtual pet that grows when you look after yourself (Finch).
- A role-playing game with XP, gold, health points and party quests (Habitica).
- A city or skyline, either built with resources you earn (Kubbo) or drawn directly from your check-ins (Storey, Habit Skyline).
- A challenge framework with quests, power-ups and allies (SuperBetter).
- Streaks, trophies and progression layered over a coaching program (Fabulous), or over a focus timer rather than a habit list (Forest).
The mechanic matters less than how it treats you on a bad day. Some apps add stakes: miss a task and your character takes damage. Others protect a streak, or keep what you built no matter what happens next. That difference is often what decides whether you are still using an app in month three, so we gave it its own column.
Every app here was live and updated in 2026 when we checked. We left out apps that looked abandoned or too small to judge. Habit Rabbit, for example, had not been updated on either store since November 2025.
The order below is not a ranking. Each app gets the slot it is genuinely best at.
02 / SUMMARY TABLE
The eight apps at a glance
8 apps, 6 criteria Scroll to compare on smaller screens →
| App | Best for | Game mechanic | Miss a day | Free tier | Paid (US, Oct 2026) | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finch | Self-care with a companion | Virtual pet that grows and explores | Gentle: streak repairs and Pause Mode | Core self-care experience | Finch Plus purchases listed from $5.99 to $69.99 | iPhone, iPad, Android |
| Habitica | RPG fans and group accountability | XP, gold, gear, HP, party quests | Missed Dailies cost HP; can damage your party | The full game | Optional: $4.99/mo to $47.99/yr | Web, iPhone, iPad, Android, Wear OS |
| Kubbo | City-building with XP and gold | Earn resources to build a medieval city | Game consequences, with ways to recover | Free download with in-app purchases | From $5.99/week; $99.99 lifetime | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android |
| Storey | A forgiving visual record of weekly consistency | Each habit is a tower; good weeks add storeys | Window stays dark; nothing built is removed | Up to 5 habits | $5.99/mo or $59.99/yr (iPhone) | iPhone, Android |
| Habit Skyline | Free, no-account browser tracking | 3D skyline plus a heatmap | Shown as a gap, not a failure | Everything | Free | Any browser |
| Fabulous | Guided routines and coaching | Streaks, trophies, Journey progress | Streak Freeze can protect a streak | Selection of Journeys and activities | Premium purchases listed from $16.99 to $59.99 | iPhone, Apple Watch, Android |
| SuperBetter | Working through a personal challenge | Quests, power-ups, “bad guys”, allies | Framed as part of the challenge | Player account for Squad Play | Hero Plan $24.99/yr | iPhone (iOS 26+), Android, web |
| Forest | Focus sessions (a timer, not a habit tracker) | Grow a tree per focus session | No days to miss; quitting a session early withers the tree | Timer and basic app blocking | Forest Plus $5.99/mo or $32.49–$35.99/yr | iPhone, iPad, Android, browser extensions |
US App Store prices as of October 2026. Last checked: October 5, 2026. Where a listing does not label billing periods, we show the range rather than guess. Prices vary by region and change often; the app’s own purchase screen is the final word.
03 / BEST FOR SELF-CARE
Finch: best for self-care with a companion
Finch is a self-care app built around a virtual bird. Complete your goals and your birb gets Energy, heads off on adventures and grows. Goals also earn Rainbow Stones you can spend on outfits and furniture. Alongside recurring goals, Finch includes reflections, breathing exercises and focus timers, so it is broader than a habit tracker.
- Mechanic: virtual pet. Your progress shows up as a companion that grows and explores.
- If you miss a day: gentle. Finch’s user guide describes streak repairs, free repair savers earned through adventures, and a Pause Mode for planned breaks.
- Free tier: the core self-care experience is free. Finch Plus is optional.
- Price (US, October 2026): the App Store lists Finch Plus purchases from $5.99 to $69.99. The listing does not label the billing periods, so check the price in the app.
- Platforms: iPhone (iOS 15.6 or later), iPad, Apple Vision and Android.
- Ratings (October 5, 2026): 4.9 on the App Store from 759K ratings; 4.9 on Google Play from 628K ratings, with 10M+ downloads.
- Best for: people who want encouragement and self-care tools as much as a tracker.
- Watch out for: there is a lot to explore, from adventures and quests to a shop and seasonal events. If you only want to tick off habits, that can be more app than you need. Its main streak counts check-ins to the app rather than individual habits.
Finch on the App Store · Finch on Google Play · Our head-to-head: Storey vs Finch
04 / BEST RPG
Habitica: best RPG habit tracker
Habitica turns your to-do list into a role-playing game. You keep three kinds of tasks: Habits you can tick as positive or negative, Dailies, and To-Dos. Completing them earns XP, gold and items for your character. Join a party and you fight quest bosses together. It is open source and has a full web app as well as phone apps.
- Mechanic: classic RPG, with XP, gold, gear, health points, parties and quest bosses.
- If you miss a day: missed Dailies cost your character HP. In a party, one member’s missed Dailies damage the whole party.
- Free tier: Habitica says it can be fully enjoyed for free, and sync across devices is included.
- Price (US, October 2026): an optional subscription at $4.99 a month, $14.99 every 3 months, $29.99 every 6 months or $47.99 a year. Gems are sold separately, from 4 for $0.99.
- Platforms: web, iPhone and iPad (iOS 17.6 or later), Android, and a Wear OS app.
- Ratings (October 5, 2026): 4.3 on the App Store from 3,464 ratings; 4.7 on Google Play from about 75.7K ratings, with 5M+ downloads.
- Best for: people who enjoy RPGs and are motivated by real stakes, especially alongside friends.
- Watch out for: HP loss and party damage can feel punishing after a rough week. “X times per week” Dailies are not natively supported, as far as we could verify. Recent App Store reviews mention widgets not updating and crashes after an early-2026 redesign. Guilds and the Tavern were removed in August 2023, and the Google Play listing notes that the app contains ads.
Habitica on the App Store · Habitica on Google Play · Our head-to-head: Storey vs Habitica
05 / BEST CITY-BUILDER WITH XP AND GOLD
Kubbo: best city-builder with XP and gold
Kubbo is a productivity game. Completing habits and tasks earns XP, gold and other resources, which you spend developing a medieval city. The city is a reward you manage, rather than a direct picture of each habit, which gives Kubbo more of a strategy-game feel than most trackers.
- Mechanic: resource-based city builder.
- If you miss a day: game-like consequences. Kubbo’s feature guide describes mechanics around maintaining your city and recovering from missed activity.
- Free tier: a free download with in-app purchases. We did not find the free tier’s limits spelled out on the listings we checked.
- Price (US, October 2026): App Store purchases include $5.99 a week, $6.99 a month, $29.99 or $49.99 a year, $99.99 lifetime, and a $2.99 seven-day trial.
- Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Apple-silicon Mac, Apple Vision and Android.
- Ratings (October 5, 2026): 4.8 on the App Store from only 80 ratings; 4.4 on Google Play from 1.8K ratings, with 10K+ downloads.
- Best for: people who want a fuller game layer across both habits and tasks.
- Watch out for: a small number of App Store ratings so far, and many plan options, including weekly billing. Its App Store privacy label includes a “Data Used to Track You” section.
Kubbo on the App Store · Kubbo on Google Play · Our head-to-head: Storey vs Kubbo
06 / BEST FOR WEEKLY CONSISTENCY
Storey: best for a forgiving visual record of weekly consistency
This is our app, so weigh this entry accordingly. Storey gives each habit its own tower. Every completed day lights a window, and every week you meet your goal, such as 4 of 7 days, adds a permanent storey. Over months, the city becomes a record of the habits you actually kept.
- Mechanic: accumulation. There is no XP, currency or pet; the building is the habit.
- If you miss a day: that day’s window stays dark. Miss the weekly goal and no storey is added that week. Nothing you have already built is taken away.
- Free tier: up to 5 habits, with city growth, streaks and reminders included.
- Price (US, October 2026): Storey Pro is $5.99 a month with a 7-day free trial, or $59.99 a year on iPhone. The Google Play listing shows the monthly plan.
- Platforms: iPhone (iOS 17 or later) and Android. An account is required, and your data syncs.
- Ratings (October 5, 2026): 5.0 on the App Store from only 10 ratings, which is too few to mean much. Google Play shows no rating yet.
- Best for: people who want flexible weekly goals and a record that survives a bad week.
- Watch out for: it is less of a game than most apps here, with no XP, quests, pet or rewards to spend. There is no Apple Watch, iPad-native or web app, and no focus timer, journaling or app blocking. It is also a young app with few ratings.
Storey on the App Store · Storey on Google Play · How Storey works
07 / BEST FREE BROWSER OPTION
Habit Skyline: best free browser option
Habit Skyline is a free, browser-based tracker that turns daily check-ins into an isometric 3D skyline, with a year-long heatmap alongside it. Each habit becomes a building, and there are four visual styles to choose from. There are no ads and no account.
- Mechanic: a visual skyline and heatmap, with no rewards to spend.
- If you miss a day: its own description treats a skipped day as a gap rather than a failure. Earlier progress stays visible.
- Free tier: everything. It is free.
- Price: free.
- Platforms: a web browser on phones, tablets and desktops. It is not in either app store.
- Ratings: none, because it is not listed in the App Store or Google Play.
- Best for: people who want a visual tracker without installing anything or creating an account.
- Watch out for: your data is stored locally in your browser, so it stays on that one browser unless you use the export and import options. There is no native app, and it is a small, new project.
habitskyline.com · Our head-to-head: Storey vs Habit Skyline
08 / BEST FOR GUIDED ROUTINES
Fabulous: best for guided routines
Fabulous is a routine coach first and a game second. It groups habits into routines and walks you through multiweek Journeys with coaching, challenges and self-care activities. The gamified parts are streaks, daily trophies and your progress through each Journey.
- Mechanic: light gamification: streaks, trophies and Journey progression.
- If you miss a day: Streak Freeze protects your streak through a missed day when a freeze is active.
- Free tier: an ongoing free version with a selection of Journeys, Challenges and Guided Activities. Custom habit creation unlocks progressively, with limits on the free plan.
- Price (US, October 2026): the App Store lists Premium purchases from $16.99 to $59.99, with mixed billing periods. Check the exact offer in the app.
- Platforms: iPhone, with an Apple Watch app, and Android.
- Ratings (October 5, 2026): 4.4 on the App Store from 89K ratings; 3.9 on Google Play from 590K ratings, with 10M+ downloads.
- Best for: people who would rather be guided through what to do next than design their own system.
- Watch out for: it is only lightly gamified, and it has the lowest Google Play rating on this list. Its App Store privacy label includes a “Data Used to Track You” section.
Fabulous on the App Store · Fabulous on Google Play · Our head-to-head: Storey vs Fabulous
09 / BEST FOR A PERSONAL CHALLENGE
SuperBetter: best for working through a personal challenge
SuperBetter is a resilience app that borrows the language of games. You take on challenges using quests, power-ups, obstacles it calls “bad guys”, and allies who support you. It is built around getting through something specific rather than around a daily habit list.
- Mechanic: a challenge framework with quests and power-ups.
- If you miss a day: setbacks are framed as part of the challenge. Its documentation emphasizes trying different strategies and working with allies.
- Free tier: a free Player account for Squad Play. The paid Hero account adds Solo Play, more than forty solo challenges and custom challenges.
- Price (US, October 2026): the Hero Plan is $24.99 a year.
- Platforms: iPhone (the current version requires iOS 26), Android and web.
- Ratings (October 5, 2026): 4.7 on the App Store from 7,881 ratings; 4.0 on Google Play from 6.5K ratings, with 100K+ downloads.
- Best for: someone facing a particular goal or hard stretch who wants structure and support.
- Watch out for: it is not a pure habit tracker. The iPhone app needs iOS 26, and its last iOS update was on March 31, 2026.
SuperBetter on the App Store · SuperBetter on Google Play · Our head-to-head: Storey vs SuperBetter
10 / BEST FOR FOCUS
Forest: best for focus (it is a timer, not a habit tracker)
Forest is on this list with a clear label: it is a focus timer, not a habit tracker. Start a focus session and a virtual tree grows; leave the app early and it withers. Finished sessions earn coins that unlock new tree species, and Forest says it has funded over 2 million real trees through Trees for the Future. There are no habit check-ins, weekly goals or habit list.
- Mechanic: grow a tree for each focus session, and build a forest over time.
- If you miss a day: there are no days to miss. Quitting a session early withers that tree.
- Free tier: the timer, Deep Focus app blocking, Time Guard for one app or site, Plant Together and a basic Mindful Space.
- Price (US, October 2026): Forest Plus on the App Store is $5.99 a month or $32.49 to $35.99 a year, with both plans labelled “Early Bird”. We could not confirm the exact Android price.
- Platforms: iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision (iOS 16 or later), Android, and Chrome and Firefox browser extensions.
- Ratings (October 5, 2026): 4.8 on the App Store from 49,514 ratings; 4.3 on Google Play from about 814K ratings, with 10M+ downloads.
- Best for: staying off your phone while you study or work. Pair it with a habit tracker if you also want to track habits.
- Watch out for: recent App Store reviews are sharply negative. Of the 150 most recent we read, 104 (posted September 8 to October 4, 2026) gave 1 or 2 stars, mostly about a redesign that adds taps and long animations. Its App Store privacy label includes a “Data Used to Track You” section, and the Google Play listing notes that it contains ads.
Forest on the App Store · Forest on Google Play · Our head-to-head: Storey vs Forest
11 / ALSO CONSIDERED
Good apps that did not make the eight
These are worth knowing about, but each is either barely gamified or covers ground already on the list.
- Streaks is a polished Apple-only tracker: a $5.99 one-time purchase covering iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch, with up to 24 tasks. It is rated 4.8 on the App Store from 27,348 ratings and is an Editors’ Choice. Its only game element is the streak itself, and there is no Android version. See Storey vs Streaks.
- Habitify is an analytics-first tracker with charts, integrations and a web app. It has challenges with leaderboards, but it is not really a game. The free plan covers 3 habits. See Storey vs Habitify.
- Focus Friend is a focus timer with a pet, so it overlaps with Forest rather than with habit trackers.
- LifeUp is a deeply customizable RPG for Android only, sold as a $4.99 one-time purchase. We found no iOS version.
If you would rather not use an app at all, our printable habit tracker generator makes a paper version you can fill in by hand.
12 / HOW TO CHOOSE
How to choose the right gamified habit tracker
Start with how you react to a bad week, then pick the mechanic.
Do stakes motivate you, or make you quit?
If losing something gets you moving, Habitica’s HP and party damage, or Kubbo’s game consequences, give you real stakes. If a single slip tends to make you abandon an app, look at the gentler options: Storey and Habit Skyline keep earlier progress standing, while Finch and Fabulous offer ways to protect a streak. Our guide to starting again after breaking a habit streak covers the return itself.
Do you want a reward, a companion, or a record?
Kubbo and Habitica pay you in XP and gold to spend. Finch gives you a companion to care for. Storey and Habit Skyline give you a picture of what you actually did, with nothing to spend. None of these is better in general; they suit different people.
Do you need guidance or just tracking?
If you are unsure which habits to build, Fabulous and SuperBetter provide structure. If you already know your habits, a tracker is usually enough, and fewer habits tracked well tends to beat a long list. See how many habits to track at once.
Is the real problem your phone?
If distraction is what stops you, Forest’s app blocking addresses that directly. It does not track habits, so many people use it alongside a habit tracker.
Check the practical details
Android users can rule out Streaks. Anyone who wants a web app should look at Habitica, Habit Skyline or SuperBetter. Apple Watch owners should check each listing: Fabulous has a Watch app, and Storey does not.
13 / THE VERDICT
Which gamified habit tracker should you use?
There is no single best gamified habit tracker. There is a best match for how you are motivated.
Choose Finch for a gentle companion and self-care tools. Choose Habitica if you want a real RPG with friends and stakes. Choose Kubbo if you want a strategy game layered over habits and tasks. Choose Habit Skyline if you want something free in the browser with no account. Choose Fabulous or SuperBetter if you want guidance as much as tracking. Use Forest for focus, next to whichever tracker you pick.
Choose Storey if you want flexible weekly goals and a city that keeps everything you built, even after a bad week.
Whatever you pick, the best gamified habit tracker is the one you still open in month three.
14 / FAQS
Frequently asked questions
What is the best gamified habit tracker app?
It depends on the mechanic that motivates you. Finch is the strongest pick for self-care with a virtual pet, Habitica for a full RPG with parties, Kubbo for city-building with XP and gold, and Storey for a forgiving visual record of weekly consistency. Fabulous and SuperBetter suit people who want guidance, and Forest is a focus timer rather than a habit tracker.
What is the best free gamified habit tracker?
Habitica is the most complete free option: the whole game, including sync across devices, is free, with an optional subscription. Habit Skyline is completely free in the browser with no account. Finch’s core self-care experience is free, and Storey’s free plan covers up to 5 habits.
Is gamification good for building habits?
It can help some people by making an app more inviting to open, but it is not a guarantee. Rewards can become the point instead of the habit, and penalties motivate some people while pushing others to quit. The most useful question is which mechanic fits how you respond to a missed day.
Which gamified habit tracker does not punish missed days?
Storey and Habit Skyline keep earlier progress when you miss a day: in Storey, the window stays dark but nothing built is removed. Finch offers streak repairs and a Pause Mode, and Fabulous offers Streak Freeze. Habitica is the opposite: missed Dailies cost HP and can damage your party.
Is Forest a habit tracker?
No. Forest is a focus timer: a virtual tree grows during a focus session and withers if you leave the app early. It has no habit check-ins or weekly goals, so many people use it alongside a habit tracker.
Which gamified habit trackers work on Android?
Storey, Finch, Habitica, Kubbo, Fabulous, SuperBetter and Forest all have Android apps. Habit Skyline runs in any browser, including on Android phones. Streaks, which we mention but did not include, is Apple-only.
Is there a habit tracker where you build a city?
Yes, three on this list. In Storey, each habit is its own tower that grows with successful weeks. In Kubbo, habits and tasks earn XP and gold that you spend building a medieval city. Habit Skyline turns check-ins into a 3D skyline in your browser.
15 / SOURCES
Sources and review notes
This roundup was written by the Storey team from public app listings and official documentation, all checked on October 5, 2026, plus product details from our earlier head-to-head comparisons. It is not a hands-on test of habit-building outcomes. Ratings and prices are from the US App Store and Google Play, and review themes are paraphrased from recent US App Store reviews.
Finch: App Store, Google Play, and Finch’s new user guide.
Habitica: App Store, Google Play, and the GitHub request for “X times per week” Dailies.
Kubbo: App Store, Google Play and kubbo.app.
Storey: App Store and Google Play.
Habit Skyline: habitskyline.com.
Fabulous: App Store and Google Play.
SuperBetter: App Store and Google Play.
Forest: App Store, Google Play and forestapp.cc.
Also considered: Streaks on the App Store, Habitify on the App Store, Focus Friend on the App Store and LifeUp on Google Play.