HabitNow vs SmartHabits (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, HabitNow grades higher than SmartHabits: 2.8 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
HabitNow grades higher on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use. They get the same grade on platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
HabitNow
Android habit tracker and to-do list with a one-time upgrade
Free plan · from $0.99 one-time
SmartHabits
Blocks distracting apps until you hit fitness, learning or sleep goals
Free plan
Which one is for you
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
Pick SmartHabits if
- Fits if you want a phone lock-out on social media until you've walked
- Works for people who'd rather set their own rules for earning screen time
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use an iPhone, as the App Store link was dead
- Watch out: no prices are shown and the site asks visitors to be beta testers
- Watch out: the footer carries a 2023 copyright date, so keep-up is unclear
- Too light for a general habit tracker, since it only blocks and rewards
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAHabitNowGood | 1.8GPASmartHabitsWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CNo price on the site, and Google Play lists only a $3.99 to $49.99 range for in-app items with no plan names. |
| Free plan and 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. | CListed as a free download with in-app purchases, but the site doesn't say what's free. |
| Features | 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. | CApp blocking, earning time through good apps, and step and sleep goals. A narrow job, and what each purchase unlocks isn't shown. |
| Ease of use | 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. | CNo store rating on record. You mark your good and bad apps and set the rules yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | DAndroid only. The App Store link on the site returned a not-found page from the US store. |
| Best for | habits and to-dos together on Android, paid once | earning access to blocked apps |
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: HabitNow and SmartHabits. How we grade
Where they differ
- HabitNow can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- HabitNow also covers tasks.
- SmartHabits also covers site & app blocker and goals.
In commonAndroidHabit tracking
At a glance
| HabitNow | SmartHabits | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $0.99 to $11.99 one-time (Google Play in-app purchase range) | Not published |
| Free plan | 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. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Android | ||
| Made by | HabitNow Apps | SmartHabits |
| Price read from | play.google.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
SmartHabits
- The pricing could not be confirmed: the site shows no prices, and the Google Play listing shows only a range of $3.99 to $49.99 per in-app item with no plan names.
- The site asks visitors to join as a beta tester for lifetime discounts, and its footer carries a 2023 copyright date.
- The site links an App Store listing, but that listing returned a not-found page from the US store, so only Android is listed here.
Key features
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.
SmartHabits
- Block distracting apps
- Pick the apps to block, such as TikTok, Twitter or YouTube, or cap the time you spend on them directly in the app.
- Earn time on blocked apps
- Spend time on apps you choose as good, such as Duolingo, Kindle or Headspace, to earn temporary access; the site gives 15 minutes for 15 minutes as an example.
- Step goals
- Access to blocked apps can be tied to a step count, for example 10,000 steps.
- Sleep goals
- The app reads sleep from the phone's health app and blocks apps if you slept less than the minimum you set.
Plans
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.
SmartHabits
Pricing could not be confirmed. See smarthabits.app.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, HabitNow or SmartHabits?
As of Nov 13, 2026, HabitNow starts at $0.99 to $11.99 one-time (Google Play in-app purchase range), and SmartHabits has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, HabitNow or SmartHabits?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only HabitNow has a free plan. SmartHabits does not.
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.