The HabitLab Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about HabitLab in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
HabitLab
The Insider’s Guide
Free browser extension that cuts time on distracting sites
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among habit trackers, read from HabitLab’s own pages.
Made by Stanford HCI Group · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from HabitLab’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on HabitLab’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.2
GPA, above 61 of the 64 other habit trackers we grade
HabitLab is an open-source project from the Stanford HCI group. You pick the sites you want to spend less time on, and it tries different interventions on each visit, such as hiding feeds or blocking videos. It then reports which ones worked best for you.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about HabitLab, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It's about browsing time, not a daily habit list, and the main download is for Chrome.
- 1
Best for cutting time on distracting sites
HabitLab is a free open-source Stanford project that tries different interventions on sites you pick and reports which ones worked for you.
- 2
It is free
HabitLab has no paid plan at all. Free; the site lists no paid plans.
- 3
It runs on Android
Android, with a browser extension too.
- 4
Over 20 interventions
Includes hiding feeds, removing clickbait and blocking videos, rotated between visits to see what works.
- 5
Sites you choose
Supports Facebook, YouTube and any other site you pick as one you want to use less.
- 6
Usage tracking
Tracks your online time so you can see where it goes.
- 7
A 3.2 GPA, above 61 of 64
That is against the other habit trackers we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
HabitLab is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
HabitLab at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Android, Browser extension
- Made by
- Stanford HCI Group
- Category
- Habit Trackers
- Our grade
- 3.2 GPA, very good
The report card
Best for cutting time on distracting sites
HabitLab is a free open-source Stanford project that tries different interventions on sites you pick and reports which ones worked for you. It's about browsing time, not a daily habit list, and the main download is for Chrome.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Free with no paid plans listed, and anyone can install it. Nothing in the category costs less. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Free outright: a browser extension and an Android app, with no plan to hit a cap on. |
| Features | C | Over 20 interventions, usage tracking and results on what helped. It does that job fully, but it's a smaller job than habit tracking. |
| Ease of use | B | No store rating on record. Install the extension, pick your sites, and it runs by itself. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | A browser extension and an Android app. The home page mentions Chrome only, and there's no iPhone app. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who HabitLab is for
- Fits if you lose hours to a few websites and want something to nudge you
- Works for people who want a free tool and don't mind that it's a research project
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want a daily habit checklist, because it only works on browsing
- Not for you if you're on Safari or iPhone, as the site mentions Chrome and Android
- Watch out: some anonymized data is sent to Stanford for research
- Watch out: it's a research project, and the site shows no company behind it
Good to know
Good for
- Cutting time on social media and video sites
- People who want to try different nudges and see data on which one works
Worth knowing
- The site's main download is for Chrome; other browsers are not mentioned on the home page.
- Some anonymized data is sent to Stanford for research purposes, according to the site.
- It targets browsing time and is not a daily habit checklist.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
HabitLab is free to use.
Free with no paid plans listed, and anyone can install it.
HabitLab
$0
Free browser extension and Android app; the site lists no paid plans.
The free plan
Free; the site lists no paid plans.
Read from habitlab.github.io on Nov 13, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
2
Places it runs: Android and Browser extension
Free browser extension that cuts time on distracting sites. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, site & app blocker, time tracking, habit tracking.
It does that job fully, but it's a smaller job than habit tracking.
- Over 20 interventions
- Includes hiding feeds, removing clickbait and blocking videos, rotated between visits to see what works.
- Sites you choose
- Supports Facebook, YouTube and any other site you pick as one you want to use less.
- Usage tracking
- Tracks your online time so you can see where it goes.
- Analytics on what helped
- Shows which interventions reduced your time the most.
- Android app
- The site also offers HabitLab for Android alongside the Chrome extension.
Where it runs
- Android
- Browser extension
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
HabitLab is made by Stanford HCI Group.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
61/64
Other habit trackers it is graded above
HabitLab's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 61 of the 64 other habit trackers we grade, and level with 1.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 52 of 64) and worst on features (C, above 0).
HabitLab has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 65 habit trackers we grade, cut by the letter each got. HabitLab’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 47 of 64
- AFree plan and trialAbove 52 of 64
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 64
- BEase of useAbove 22 of 64
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 46 of 64
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 44 habit trackers. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. HabitLab is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
HabitLab is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.2 is higher than 61 of the 64 other habit trackers we grade.
What you could make
- Habit tracking and time tracking: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Blocking that reaches every browser and app and is hard to switch off.
- A real app for Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
What this rests on. HabitLab’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Habitica, Streaks, Habitify and Beeminder
The 4 tools HabitLab is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.4GPA
Habitica
Free plan · from $4.99/mo
Habit and task tracker that works like a role-playing game.
- Only HabitLab lists a browser extension.
- Only Habitica lists a web app.
- Only Habitica lists an iOS app.
- 2.4GPA
Streaks
From $5.99 one-time
Habit tracker for Apple devices built around daily streaks.
- HabitLab has a free plan. Streaks does not.
- Only HabitLab lists an Android app.
- Only HabitLab lists a browser extension.
- 2.8GPA
Habitify
Free plan · from $29.99/yr
Cross-platform habit tracker with health-data sync and an API.
- Only HabitLab lists a browser extension.
- Only Habitify lists a web app.
- Only Habitify lists macOS and iOS apps.
- 2.4GPA
Beeminder
Free plan · from $8/mo
Goal tracker that charges you money when you fall behind.
- Only HabitLab lists a browser extension.
- Only Beeminder lists a web app.
- Only Beeminder lists an iOS app.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
11
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is HabitLab free?
Yes. HabitLab is free to use.
How much does HabitLab cost?
HabitLab lists one plan. HabitLab: $0.
What platforms does HabitLab work on?
HabitLab is available on Android. It also has a browser extension.
Does HabitLab have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. HabitLab is listed for Android.
Does HabitLab have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. HabitLab is listed for Android.
Is HabitLab open source?
Yes. HabitLab is open source, according to its own site.
Who makes HabitLab?
HabitLab is made by Stanford HCI Group.
What are the alternatives to HabitLab?
The closest alternatives to HabitLab in our directory are Habitica, Streaks, Habitify and Beeminder.
How does HabitLab compare with other habit trackers?
HabitLab's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 61 of the 64 other habit trackers we grade, and level with 1.
Is HabitLab good value for money?
ToolGPA grades HabitLab A for value for money. HabitLab has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of HabitLab?
HabitLab is free, so making your own would save you nothing. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.2 is higher than 61 of the 64 other habit trackers we grade.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from HabitLab’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from HabitLab's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Stanford HCI Group. Prices change, so check habitlab.github.io before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- HabitLab, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/habitlab
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "HabitLab: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/habitlab
Know someone choosing between habit trackers?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/habitlab/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded habit trackers after HabitLab, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Habit Trackers Insider's GuideEvery one of the 65 habit trackers we grade, compared
- Finch Insider's GuideSelf-care app that ties daily goals to a virtual pet bird3.4 GPA
- Habitica Insider's GuideHabit and task tracker that works like a role-playing game3.4 GPA
- Habit Star Insider's GuideHabit and routine app for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what HabitLab’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. HabitLab is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Stanford HCI Group. Prices and plans change: check habitlab.github.io before you buy.