Habit Star vs HabitNow (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Habit Star grades higher than HabitNow: 3.2 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Habit Star grades higher on the free plan and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, features and ease of use.
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
HabitNow
Android habit tracker and to-do list with a one-time upgrade
Free plan · from $0.99 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 HabitNow if
- Fits if you're on Android and want habits and a to-do list in one app
- Works for timed habits, with a stopwatch, a countdown and an interval timer built in
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you have an iPhone or want a web or desktop version, as it's Android only
- Not for you if you want cloud backup for free, since that's a premium feature you switch on yourself
- Tight if you'd share the upgrade, because the license is tied to one Google account and can't be transferred
- Watch out: Play shows in-app items from $0.99 to $11.99 and doesn't name the premium price
- Watch out: the vendor doesn't publish where the free version stops
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAHabit StarVery good | 2.8GPAHabitNowGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | AA one-time upgrade, and even the top of Google Play's $0.99 to $11.99 range is less than four months of this category's middle subscription. Play doesn't name which item is the premium unlock, so the exact price only shows at the upgrade screen. |
| 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. | BFree to download, with the habit tracker, to-do list, timers, reminders, streaks and charts on one phone. Cloud backup is the paid part on record, and the vendor never publishes where else free stops. |
| 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. | BHabits, recurring tasks and one-off to-dos in categories and lists with priorities, daily, weekly or monthly goals, an in-app calendar, stopwatch, countdown and interval timers, alarms, streaks, charts, daily notes, widgets and an app lock. It connects to nothing. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. No account to make, so you install it and start. | BNo store rating on record, but there's nothing to set up: install it from Play and start adding habits, with no account and no sync to configure. The widget shows the day's progress without opening the app. |
| Platforms and integrations | CiPhone, iPad and Apple Watch with Apple Health and iCloud. No Android or web version. | DOne operating system. Android, through Google Play, and the vendor's pages mention nothing else: no iPhone, no web, no desktop, nothing it connects to, and the premium licence is tied to a single Google account. |
| Best for | habits by time of day on iPhone | habits and to-dos together on Android, paid once |
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 HabitNow. How we grade
Where they differ
- HabitNow can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Habit Star also covers daily notes, goals and reports.
- HabitNow also covers tasks.
In commonFree planLocal-firstHabit tracking
At a glance
| Habit Star | HabitNow | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $9.99 once for Pro | $0.99 to $11.99 one-time (Google Play in-app purchase range) |
| Free plan | Unlimited habits and reminders, areas, streak shield, stars, goals, widgets, Siri, Shortcuts and 18 themes, with no account or ads. | Free to download and use, with data stored only on the device. The vendor's pages do not list the limits of the free version. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of Pro, nothing charged and nothing renews | None listed |
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Habit Star | HabitNow Apps |
| Price read from | habitstar.app | play.google.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 5, 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.
HabitNow
- The vendor's pages mention only Google Play; no iOS, web or desktop version is listed.
- Google Play shows in-app purchases from $0.99 to $11.99 per item and does not name the exact price of the premium upgrade.
- Without premium, data is stored only on the device; cloud backups are a premium feature that has to be switched on manually.
- The premium license is tied to one Google account and cannot be transferred or shared.
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.
HabitNow
- Habits and to-dos together
- Habits, recurring tasks and one-off to-dos live in one app, organized into categories and lists with priorities.
- Flexible scheduling
- Each habit or task can be given a daily, weekly or monthly goal, and the schedule can be reviewed in an in-app calendar.
- Timers
- A stopwatch, a countdown timer and an interval timer track timed activities, including alternating work and break intervals.
- Reminders and alarms
- A customizable reminder system with alarms notifies you about scheduled habits and tasks.
- Streaks, charts and daily notes
- Success streaks, charts and statistics show progress on every habit, and daily notes can be added alongside them.
- Widgets, app lock and backups
- Home screen widgets show daily progress, a lock screen protects the app, and backups can be exported to another device.
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.
HabitNow
Free$0
The habit tracker and to-do list with data kept only on the device. The limits of the free version are not published.
Premium$0.99 to $11.99
one-time purchase; Google Play shows only a price range
A one-time upgrade tied to a Google account that unlocks additional features and optional cloud backups.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Habit Star or HabitNow?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Habit Star starts at $9.99 once for Pro, and HabitNow starts at $0.99 to $11.99 one-time (Google Play in-app purchase range).
Which has a free plan, Habit Star or HabitNow?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Habit Star and HabitNow have a free plan.
Which platforms do Habit Star and HabitNow run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Habit Star lists an iOS app and only HabitNow lists an Android app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.