LifeUp vs WaterDo
We give LifeUp a 2.6 GPA and WaterDo a 2.8, out of 4.0. LifeUp grades higher on value for money and features. WaterDo grades higher on the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
LifeUp
Gamified to-do list and habit tracker for Android
WaterDo
Gamified to-do list where tasks become water balls to pop
How we grade them
| 2.6GPALifeUpGood | 2.8GPAWaterDoGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$4.99 once on Google Play for every feature, with no ads, no subscription and nothing sold inside the app. That's about what a typical to-do app charges for a single month. It's also included with Google Play Pass. | BMembership is $0.99 a month, $9.99 a year or $14.99 once for life, all far under what to-do apps usually charge. So why not an A? Neither store listing nor Seekrtech's site says what the membership adds, so there's nothing to weigh the price against. |
| Free plan and trial | CThere's no free version on Google Play. The way to try it first is a 7-day trial of a standalone build from GitHub, and that needs a Google or Facebook login. | BFree to download, and the store listings say there are free features alongside the premium version. But they don't say which features need a membership, so we can't promise you'd stay free. There's a free trial of premium too, with no length stated. |
| Features | ATasks and habits that pay out experience and coins, skills you define, a shop, loot boxes, crafting and achievements. Miss a deadline and it can cost you coins. There's a Pomodoro timer too, and backups to Google Drive, Dropbox or WebDAV. | BTasks as water balls, with one picked as the ball of the day. A calendar you drag tasks onto, reminders you can snooze, notes and a five-minute Daily Review. Chests and islands are the reward. Solid basics with a game on top. But both store listings show the last update as November 2025. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating is on record for us to go by, and its own documentation warns that all the customising means setup and learning take some time. On some phones, reminders and the timer need extra background settings too. | B4.5 from about 1,200 App Store ratings, which is a B on our scale. The whole list sits on one screen as water balls, and finishing a task means popping one. |
| Platforms and integrations | DAndroid only. There's no web, desktop or iPhone version, and the makers point iPhone users to a separate app that's bought separately. It does have a documented API for automation. | CiPhone and Android phones, and that's it. The App Store marks it as only for iPhone, the site links to no web or desktop app, and no integrations are on record. |
| Best for | turning your to-do list into an RPG on Android | a to-do list that plays like a game |
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: LifeUp and WaterDo. How we grade
Where they differ
- LifeUp starts at $4.99 one-time purchase on Google Play. WaterDo starts at $0.99 per month, $9.99 per year or $14.99 lifetime (US App Store).
- WaterDo has a free plan. LifeUp does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only WaterDo lists an iOS app.
- LifeUp also covers Pomodoro timer and habit tracking.
- WaterDo also covers notes and calendar.
At a glance
| LifeUp | WaterDo | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $4.99 one-time purchase on Google Play | $0.99 per month, $9.99 per year or $14.99 lifetime (US App Store) |
| Free plan | None | Free to download. The store listings say the app offers free features alongside a premium version, but do not state which features need a membership. |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial of the standalone version from GitHub; a Google or Facebook login is required | Free trial of the premium version; the store listings do not state its length |
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | LifeUp Teams | Seekrtech Co., Ltd. |
| Price read from | play.google.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
LifeUp
- Android users who want a to-do list with RPG-style rewards
- People who want to design their own reward system
- Buyers who prefer a one-time purchase to a subscription
- Tinkerers who want an API and local data exports
WaterDo
- People who are motivated by game-style rewards for finishing tasks
- Users of Forest who want a to-do list from the same team
- Phone-first planning with a calendar and reminders
- Buyers who prefer a one-time lifetime purchase to a subscription
Worth knowing
LifeUp
- Android only: there is no web, desktop or iOS version. The makers point iOS users to a separate app, ulives, which is bought separately.
- It is a paid download on Google Play. The 7-day trial is a standalone APK from GitHub that needs a Google or Facebook login.
- The documentation warns that the depth of customization means initial setup and learning take some time.
- Reminders and the Pomodoro timer may need extra background-running settings on some phones.
WaterDo
- Neither the store listings nor the vendor's site say which features need a membership. Prices here are from the US App Store.
- Phones only: the App Store marks it as only for iPhone, and the site links to the App Store, Google Play and Coolapk with no web or desktop app.
- Both store listings show the most recent update in November 2025, version 3.9.5.
- The free trial of the premium version is mentioned without a stated length.
Key features
LifeUp
- Tasks and habits with rewards
- One-off to-dos and repeating habits earn experience points and coins when completed, and a missed deadline can cost experience or coins at a rate you set.
- Custom attributes and skills
- You define your own skills, such as fitness or writing, attach tasks to them and level them up as experience accumulates.
- Shop, loot boxes and crafting
- Coins buy rewards you define in a personal shop, such as a 30-minute break. Items can be set up as loot boxes with random rewards or combined through crafting recipes.
- Achievements
- Dozens of built-in achievements are joined by custom ones that track task completions, levels and item usage counts automatically.
- Pomodoro timer
- A built-in Pomodoro timer hands out a virtual tomato after each session, which can be exchanged for experience, coins or other items.
- Offline storage, backups and API
- Data stays on the device and the app works offline. Backups go to exported files, WebDAV, Google Drive or Dropbox, and a documented API supports automation.
WaterDo
- Tasks as water balls
- Every to-do is drawn as a water ball on the main screen, so the whole list is visible at once, and a ball is popped when its task is completed.
- Quick add and calendar scheduling
- Tasks are added quickly and then dragged onto dates in a calendar to schedule them.
- Water ball of the day
- One task can be marked as the water ball of the day to single out the most important thing to finish.
- Daily Review
- A review of about five minutes a day walks through the list so that the status of every task is brought up to date.
- Reminders, snooze and notes
- Tasks can carry reminders that can be snoozed, and notes can be added at any time. On iOS 16 and later a widget can sit on the lock screen.
- Treasure chests and islands
- Completing tasks unlocks treasure chests, and there are themed islands to explore and develop. A picture of an island can be shared with friends.
Plans
LifeUp
LifeUp Pro$4.99
one-time purchase
Lifetime access to every feature with no ads and no subscription. The vendor says no features are sold as in-app purchases.
WaterDo
Free$0
The free features of the iPhone and Android apps. The listings do not itemize what is held back for members.
WaterDo Monthly Membership$0.99
per month, US App Store in-app purchase
The premium version billed monthly. Neither store listing nor the vendor's site lists what the membership adds.
WaterDo Annual Membership$9.99
per year, US App Store in-app purchase
The same membership billed once a year.
WaterDo Lifetime Membership$14.99
one-time purchase, US App Store
A single payment for the membership with no renewal. Google Play's US listing shows in-app items from $0.99 to $14.99.
Ways to pay less
LifeUp
- Other savings
Included with Google Play Pass
Google Play Pass subscribers can download LifeUp at no extra cost and use every feature for as long as the subscription is active.
WaterDo
- Lifetime license
Lifetime Membership for $14.99
The US App Store lists a WaterDo Lifetime Membership at $14.99, a one-time purchase that costs about as much as 18 months of the annual plan.
- Annual discount
Annual membership is about 16% cheaper
The US App Store lists the membership at $0.99 monthly and $9.99 annually. Twelve monthly payments come to $11.88, so the annual plan costs about 16% less.
