Best Habit Tracking Apps 2025: A Brutally Honest Comparison
Habitica, Streaks, Fabulous, Loop, and Habitify — we put the most popular habit apps under a microscope. Spoiler: they're all lying to you.
Let's cut the crap. You've probably tried at least 3 habit apps in the last year. Downloaded them with hope, used them for 2 weeks, then watched them collect digital dust until you shamefully deleted them.
Sound familiar? Yeah, we've been there too.
But here's what nobody's telling you: the problem isn't you — it's the apps. Most habit trackers are designed to make you feel good about doing nothing meaningful.
So let's do a proper, brutally honest comparison of the most popular habit tracking apps in 2025.
The Contenders
We're comparing these heavy-hitters:
- Habitica — The gamification king
- Streaks — Apple's darling
- Fabulous — The "science-based" one
- Loop Habit Tracker — The open-source favorite
- Habitify — The pretty one
- RawHabit.ai — The punishment-first approach (yeah, that's us)
Habitica: When Gaming Your Habits Doesn't Work
What it promises: Turn your habits into an RPG! Level up! Get virtual pets!
What actually happens: You spend more time managing your pixel avatar than actually doing your habits.
As r/habitica users have noted, the gamification can become the focus rather than the actual habits.
I spent over 500 days trying productivity apps so that you don't have to. I tried a grand total of 36 apps and services.
The problem: Gamification works great... for games. For real life? The dopamine hit from leveling up is completely disconnected from actually doing the thing. Your brain learns to crave the check mark, not the habit.
Brutality score: 1/10 — Couldn't hurt your feelings if it tried
Streaks: Minimalist Lying
What it promises: Simple, clean habit tracking. Just keep your streaks alive.
What actually happens: You lie once, feel guilty, then lie again to protect your fake streak.
The problem: Streaks are the biggest lie in habit tracking. The psychology is well-documented: once you've built a streak, breaking it feels worse than just checking the box — even if you didn't actually do the habit. A 100-day "meditation" streak where you only actually meditated 10 days is still a 100-day streak to the app.
No verification. No proof. Just your word — and we all know how trustworthy that is at 11 PM when you "forgot" to work out.
Brutality score: 2/10 — Pretty design, zero accountability
Fabulous: Science Wrapped in Manipulation
What it promises: "Science-based" routines! Morning rituals! Transform your life!
What actually happens: You pay for a subscription to feel productive while doing nothing.
The problem: Fabulous is essentially a motivational podcast disguised as an app. It tells you nice things. It celebrates small wins. It never tells you that you're making excuses.
As someone diagnosed with ADHD, I tend to plan more for basically everything in my life which has gave me so much more mental space. For people with executive dysfunction we require special needs.
Brutality score: 1/10 — Will hold your hand while you walk nowhere
Loop Habit Tracker: The Honest Free Option
What it promises: Open-source, no-frills habit tracking with great data visualization.
What actually happens: You get beautiful graphs of your inconsistency.
The problem: Loop is actually pretty solid for what it is. It's free, respects privacy, and shows you honest stats. But it still relies on self-reporting with zero verification.
The good: At least it shows you real data about your failures. That graph of your declining completion rate? Chef's kiss.
Brutality score: 5/10 — Honest about your dishonesty
Habitify: Instagram for Your Habits
What it promises: Beautiful design! Cross-platform sync! Premium analytics!
What actually happens: Your habits look aesthetic while not being done.
The problem: Great UI, zero teeth. Like having a personal trainer who just keeps saying "you're doing amazing sweetie" while you sit on the couch.
Brutality score: 2/10 — Too pretty to punch
RawHabit.ai: The One That Actually Hurts
What it promises: Accountability through punishment. Photo proof. AI that calls out your BS. Friends who see when you fail.
What actually happens: You either do your habits or face consequences.
Why it's different:
- Photo Proof — Say you went to the gym? Prove it. AI verifies your photos.
- Punishment First — Miss a habit? You'll explain why. And the AI doesn't buy "I was tired."
- Social Accountability — Your friends see your failures. Nothing motivates like embarrassment.
- Financial Stakes — Put real money on the line. Miss habits? You lose it.
The concept of requiring photo proof and having accountability partners has proven effective:
Less productivity-ing, more doing. This is the digital slap in the face many of us need.
Brutality score: 9/10 — Will hurt your feelings but save your life
The Bottom Line
Here's the uncomfortable truth: most habit apps are designed to make you feel good, not be good.
They want you to keep opening the app, seeing pretty animations, and feeling like you're making progress. That's how they keep you subscribed.
RawHabit takes the opposite approach. It's designed to be uncomfortable because real change is uncomfortable.
If you want an app that:
- Lets you lie to yourself ✓ Try any of the others
- Actually holds you accountable ✓ Try RawHabit
No judgment either way. But if you've tried everything else and nothing stuck... maybe it's time to try honesty.
Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | Habitica | Streaks | Fabulous | Loop | Habitify | RawHabit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photo Proof | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| AI Verification | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Excuse Challenging | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Social Accountability | Guilds | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Financial Stakes | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Free Tier | ✅ | ❌ | Limited | ✅ | Limited | ✅ |
Tired of apps that let you off easy? Try RawHabit.ai free — no credit card required. Just you, your habits, and brutal honesty.