Tired of Habitica? Try These 3 Cheaper and More Engaging Habitica Alternatives

Once upon a time, a productivity app called Habitica turned the industry of productivity apps upside down. It turned routine tasks that people were bored with doing into a game. And voila! Millions of people found it saving!

I was one of them and have used Habitica for quite some time now. Not to lie, the app really works. But since it was launched, almost 15 years have passed! The industry evolved, and productivity apps are not limited to gamifying habits.

There are thousands of Habitica alternatives, but these 3 work for me like a charm. They’re cheaper, more comprehensive, and nicer to look at.

Why Seek a Replacement for Habitica?

Habitica is a pioneer in the industry of productivity apps. It became successful due to its strong concept. But user experiences on Trustpilot, Reddit, the App Store, and Google Play collectively report several problems with the app:

• Technical issues. There have been no significant updates to the app in years, and hence, many users experience slow loading, and the app simply turns off.
• Rude staff. User feedback on Reddit frequently highlights that moderators within the app are no help, to the point that staff were posting threatening messages. We’ll return to the matter of Habitica’s staff later.
• More distracting than helpful. Yes, tracking habits is important, but what’s more important is actually doing these tasks. Habitica users, including me, found it hard to exist without the app because the gamified interface pushed our dopamine buttons. For me, it meant more screen time and less productivity.
• Subscription issues. Several users reported that Habitica had charged them for a subscription without their consent. Not to mention that premium features are underwhelming, like buying outfits or some gems, in-app currency.

These are all valid reasons to look for Habitica alternatives, but for me, it was simply not enough. Productivity doesn’t depend on consistency or planning alone. Our health or life events significantly impact mood and energy, and it’s okay because we’re all humans. I would like my productivity to be healthy, and healthy productivity is born from being satisfied with your life.

The last straw for me quitting Habitica was their scandal over how they mistreated their employees and volunteers. I want to support businesses that treat their staff with respect (and not delete the best features within the app).

Top 3 Replacements for Habitica

1. Breeze Wellbeing

If Habitica focuses on what you do, Breeze Wellbeing focuses on why you do it. Breeze doesn’t force you to stay consistent through guilt or overworking yourself. It’s a comprehensive app that boosts productivity by improving your mental well-being.

Breeze also includes a habit builder that lets users create customisable tasks and set reminders/frequency. The features of the Breeze app also include:

• Mood tracker and analytics that show your average mood during a week/month/year and what events triggered what emotions.

• Self-discovery tests include an ADHD evaluation, a charisma level test, a love languages test, and 30 more quizzes.
• Guided journaling to process thoughts and behaviors.
• Community and knowledge base features are available only in the US, UK, and Canada (so far).
• Mindfulness exercises to reduce sensory overload and return to the present moment.

I’ve been using Breeze Wellbeing for two months primarily as a habit and mood tracker. It helped me significantly to finally see myself as a person who’s allowed to have bad days and be sad, not a productivity robot who has to keep up with everything. Habitica, in this case, would just erase my streak, and that’s demotivating.

Another advantage is that Breeze feels less distracting. There’s no game layer pulling attention away. This makes it especially useful for people who feel that gamification works short-term but doesn’t address deeper issues.

Breeze is particularly helpful if your challenges with habits are connected to:

• Burnout or low energy
• Anxiety or overthinking
• Difficulty staying consistent
• Confusion about what you should do

In that sense, it’s not just a productivity tool. It’s a behavioral self-discovery system that helps you build habits in a way that adapts to you.

2. Focus Friend by Hank Green

Hank Green’s “Focus Friend” isn’t a different type of productivity app. The concept is built around a virtual companion, Bean. When you set a timer, you and Bean “work” together. While you focus on your tasks, Bean knits socks and scarves, in-app currency that you can use to decorate Bean’s space.

This isn’t necessarily a gamification of planning but a gamification of a process. Shortly put: a timer on steroids.

Hank Green, as TikTok’s favorite science blogger, explains that his app works due to a straightforward reward system. Our brain loves dopamine, and it doesn’t see the difference between earning real or “fake” in-app money. The release of dopamine when you get something for free then motivates you to initiate and proceed with tasks more easily.

Oh, and have I mentioned that the app is completely free? There are no premium versions. It’s a fully free initiative with limited details that don’t distract users from the app’s initial aim.  

However, “Focus Friend” has limitations. Users complain about the app becoming repetitive quite quickly. Once you’ve decorated Bean’s space, the reward system loses its sense. This can reduce long-term engagement.

That said, as a short-term motivation tool, Focus Friend is extremely effective. Plus, it’s actively maintained. Hank Green listens to users and adds new rooms to keep the app relevant.

3. Todoist

Todoist is one of the most well-known productivity tools, and it offers a much more structured alternative to Habitica. Instead of gamification, Todoist focuses on organisation and prioritisation.

Some users call Todoist boring, and it’s valid. But its simplicity makes it highly customisable and accessible. Among the main features of Todoist are:

• Creating tasks
• Setting deadlines
• Organising tasks into projects
• Assigning priorities
• 80+ plugins to personalise your space
• Syncing across devices
• Creating public projects
• Visualisation

However, don’t forget that Todoist isn’t a productivity app. It’s a task manager whose main aim is to focus on what needs to be done. It doesn’t take nuances into consideration: your mental health, motivation, and reward system.

In my case, procrastination was driven by anxiety and overthinking, and lists with perfect structure in Todoist didn’t help me at all. So, this app will work best for people who are motivated but need a clear system to organise and execute tasks efficiently.

Habitica Alternatives in Short Comparison

Don’t have time to analyse which habit tracker is for you? Here’s a quick overview of three main Habitica alternatives: 

What to Consider While Choosing a Habit Tracker App

Choosing a habit tracker isn’t about finding the perfect app. It’s about finding the best fit for your needs. Here are some questions I asked myself before sticking to one productivity app:

• What do I need help with?

Are you trying to build discipline, stay organised, or improve your well-being? It’s okay not to know exactly what you need help with. In this case, I’d start with Breeze Wellbeing as a universal, comprehensive option. Depending on what features felt the most helpful, you can go into more niche directions.

• What motivates me?

Gamification works for some people, but not for everyone. Ask yourself what actually motivates you: rewards, inner feelings of satisfaction, social accountability, etc. For me, the best motivator was crossing off tasks from to-do lists and getting recognised for that. 

• What can I do so that the app sticks?

It’s a frequent experience that users start using productivity apps with the mindset “I’m starting a new life.” But it’s actually a toxic approach because it’s impossible to cram 5 new healthy habits in a day if you previously did nothing (speaking from experience).

Consider whether you can realistically keep using it when motivation drops. For example, determine the bare minimum or take breaks. But what I personally recommend is to treat these apps as supportive tools, not a must-do every day. It takes off some pressure.

Why Habit Trackers Work

One study found that when people simply wrote down what they ate, how many steps they walked, their weight, etc., 85% adhered to healthy habits, compared to 37% among those who didn’t self-monitor.

But why does simply seeing our accomplishments written down make us want to stick to them more? In psychology, this is called positive reinforcement: rewarding desired behavior. The human brain loves dopamine, and it will be motivated to repeat things that produce it. That’s why gamification works.

Another reason why habit trackers work is predictability. Once again, human brains are lazy. When there is a plan vs. unpredictability, they will choose to adhere to a plan. For example, that’s why some people don’t like weekends. They simply don’t know what to do without their work routine.

An important disclaimer: habit trackers don’t build habits on their own. Simply downloading the app doesn’t make a person more or less productive. These apps help to stay consistent and aware, but only when users invest some time and effort in them.