Habit Star vs HabitBoard (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Habit Star grades higher than HabitBoard: 3.2 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Habit Star grades higher on value for money, the free plan and features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Habit Star
Habit and routine app for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch
Free plan · from $9.99 one-time
Which one is for you
Pick Habit Star if
- Fits if you want your habits sorted into morning, afternoon and evening
- Works for people who'd rather pay once than subscribe
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Android or Windows, as it's Apple devices only
- Tight if you want sync, trends or Apple Watch for free, since they need Pro
- Watch out: data stays on your device, so backups depend on your own iCloud
- Watch out: the browser demo doesn't sync
Pick HabitBoard if
- Fits if you live in the Apple world and want habits on your watch
- Works for people with only a few habits to track
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Android or Windows, as it's Apple only
- Tight if you track more than 3 habits and stay free
- Watch out: overall stats, custom colors, per-habit reminders and the archive need Pro
- Watch out: no Pro price is shown on the pages we read
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAHabit StarVery good | 2.2GPAHabitBoardFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | APro is $9.99 once with no renewal, under a year of the $4.99 middle subscription. The free part covers unlimited habits too. | CPro's price isn't on the pages we read, so it can't be placed against $4.99 for the typical tracker. |
| Free plan and trial | AUnlimited habits and reminders, goals, widgets and Siri, free, with no account or ads. Pro also has a 14-day trial. | CFree for 3 habits with iCloud sync and a daily reminder. Most people pass 3 quickly. |
| Features | BHabits by time of day, break habits, streak shield, widgets, Siri and a Watch app. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the basics, though Health and sync sit in Pro. | CHistory, streaks, weekly goals, skipped days, widgets, Shortcuts and a Watch app. Overall stats, custom colors and per-habit reminders are Pro. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. No account to make, so you install it and start. | BNo store rating figure on record. It's an app you install and start ticking things off. |
| Platforms and integrations | CiPhone, iPad and Apple Watch with Apple Health and iCloud. No Android or web version. | CiPhone, iPad and Apple Watch with Shortcuts and iCloud. No Android or web version. |
| Best for | habits by time of day on iPhone | a habit tracker on Apple devices |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Habit Star and HabitBoard. How we grade
Where they differ
In commonFree planiOSDaily notesHabit trackingGoalsReports
At a glance
| Habit Star | HabitBoard | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $9.99 once for Pro | Not published |
| Free plan | Unlimited habits and reminders, areas, streak shield, stars, goals, widgets, Siri, Shortcuts and 18 themes, with no account or ads. | Free version tracks 3 habits, with iCloud backup and sync and a daily reminder. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of Pro, nothing charged and nothing renews | None listed |
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Habit Star | Florian Heidenreich |
| Price read from | habitstar.app | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Habit Star
- iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch only; the browser demo is for demonstration and does not sync.
- Routines, Apple Watch, Apple Health, iCloud sync and trends all need the Pro purchase.
- Data stays on your device, so sync and backups depend on your own iCloud.
HabitBoard
- The free version is limited to 3 habits; unlimited habits need HabitBoard Pro.
- Overall statistics, custom colors, per-habit reminders and the archive are Pro features.
- It runs on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch only; there is no Android or web version.
- Pro's price is not shown on the pages we could read, so no plan prices are listed.
Key features
Habit Star
- Habits by time of day
- Routines for morning, evening and other parts of the day show one habit at a time with a single reminder.
- Break habits and pauses
- Quit habits with slip counts and daily limits, and pause or skip a habit when sick or traveling.
- Streak shield and stars
- A shield covers a missed day when most of the last two weeks were kept, and stars are earned along the way.
- Apple Health
- Pro checks off habits from Health data such as steps, sleep, workouts and mindful minutes. Access is read-only.
- Widgets, Siri and Watch
- Check off habits from widgets, Siri phrases, Shortcuts, and with Pro the Apple Watch app.
- Trends and journal
- Pro shows when you usually do each habit, a month view, a timeline and a searchable journal.
HabitBoard
- Habit history and streaks
- A calendar-like view of past data with current and longest streaks, completion rate and counts by week, month and year.
- Weekly goals and skipped days
- Set a weekly goal or automatic skipped days for habits that are not planned daily.
- Widgets and Shortcuts
- Lock Screen, interactive and Control Center widgets, plus Mark Habit and Set Note actions for Shortcuts.
- Apple Watch app
- Mark habits from the wrist, synced with the paired iPhone, with watch face complications.
- Notes and archive
- Add notes to individual days and move finished habits to an archive; the archive is a Pro feature.
- iCloud backup and sync
- Syncs habits through iCloud and supports export, import and restore of backups, including in the free version.
Plans
Habit Star
Free$0
Unlimited habits and reminders, areas, goals, widgets, Siri and Shortcuts, and a daily backup to your own iCloud.
Pro$9.99
one-time purchase, no renewal
Adds routines, workouts, timers, Apple Watch, Apple Health, iCloud sync, trends, calendar, journal and extra themes.
HabitBoard
Pricing could not be confirmed. See habitboard.app.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Habit Star or HabitBoard?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Habit Star starts at $9.99 once for Pro, and HabitBoard has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Habit Star or HabitBoard?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Habit Star and HabitBoard have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.