A free habit tracker app with unlimited habits
Searching for a free habit tracker turns up dozens of apps that are free to download and not free to use for long. The limit is rarely on the front of the listing. This page explains the shapes "free" takes in this category, which of them actually cost you something later, and what a tracker looks like when there is genuinely nothing behind a paywall.
The four kinds of "free" in this category
Free to download, capped on habits. The most common. The app works beautifully for three or five habits and then asks for a subscription. Way of Life stops free users at three; Productive and HabitBull stop at five.
Free trial. Everything works for a week or two, by which point the routine is established and the data is inside.
Free and ad-supported. No cash, but your attention and usually some tracking.
Free because it costs nothing to run. Rarer, and the only one that stays free. Loop Habit Tracker is free and open source and keeps its data on the phone. tickbook is free because it keeps your habits in your own browser and runs no accounts.
How to tell which one you are looking at
Before you commit a month of data, check three things.
What is the habit limit, and is it stated anywhere before you hit it? An app confident about its free tier says the number out loud.
Can you export? If there is no export, your history is a hostage, and the switching cost grows every day you use it.
Is there a reason the free version can stay free? "Free" with no explanation usually means "free for now". If an app holds your data on its servers and runs accounts, it has real costs, and those costs will eventually be billed to someone.
What tickbook does and does not do
It does: unlimited habits, a tick per day, a current streak, a grid of the last 53 weeks — 371 days of squares — CSV and JSON export, import from other trackers, and a repeating calendar reminder. No account, no email, no card, and it works offline once the page has loaded.
It does not: sync between your phone and your laptop, because that would mean accounts and a server holding your data, which is exactly the cost that makes other trackers start charging. Moving between devices is done with the export file. That is a real limitation and it is better to know it now than to find it in March.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free forever, or free for now?
Free, with the reason stated: there is no cost that grows with the number of people using it. No accounts are stored, no server holds your habits, and reminders are a calendar file rather than a push service.
Is there a paid version with more features?
There is no paid version. Everything the tracker does is on the page, and there is no tier above it.
Does it work on iPhone?
Yes, in Safari or any browser, and it can be added to the Home Screen so it opens like an app. There is nothing to install from the App Store.
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