How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- Habitica is the best goal setting app for people who need motivation, since it turns habits and tasks into a role-playing game.
- Strides suits iPhone users who want measurable goals with a pace line that shows whether they are on track.
- TickTick is the best all-in-one pick, with tasks, habits, a calendar, and a Pomodoro timer in one app.
- Todoist suits task-driven people who turn goals into projects and daily actions.
- Notion suits builders who want a custom tracker, while GoalsOnTrack suits people who plan with SMART goals and subgoals.
- Way of Life suits fast yes-or-no daily tracking, and Beeminder suits people who need real stakes to stay on track.
- Prices range from free to $68 per year, so most people can start free and pay only when they need more.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Habitica | Gamified motivation | $5 per month | Yes |
 Strides | Measurable goals on iPhone | $5 per month | Yes |
 TickTick | Tasks and habits in one app | $36 per year | Yes |
 Todoist | Task-driven goal plans | $5 per month | Yes |
 Notion | Custom trackers | $10 per member per month | Yes |
 GoalsOnTrack | SMART goals and subgoals | $68 per year | No |
 Way of Life | Fast daily yes or no tracking | See website | Yes |
 Beeminder | Goals with real stakes | $8 per month | Yes |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best apps for goal setting
#1Habitica
Best for: Gamified motivation4.0/5 on
G2 (3 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit habitica.com
Starting price$5 per month
Free planYes
Habitica turns goals into a role-playing game. Habits, dailies, and to-dos earn experience points, gold, and gear, while missed commitments damage your character. Parties of up to 30 players add social pressure, since letting yourself down also affects teammates, and guilds group people with shared interests.
The full game is free, with an optional subscription from $5 per month. Gamification loses its pull for some people over months, and there is no calendar or heatmap view to see completion history at a glance. For people who find normal trackers boring, Habitica is clearly the most motivating choice by far indeed.
What we like- Full game free
- Parties and guilds for social pressure
- Works on web and mobile
Watch out for- Game layer loses appeal over time
- No calendar or heatmap view
- No goal metric
Starting price$5 per month
Free planYes
Strides tracks measurable goals on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with four tracker types: habit, target, average, and project. The standout feature is the pace line, which calculates whether today's progress is fast enough to finish on time and turns green or red to show it. That feedback suits numeric goals like saving money, reading pages, or running miles.
The free plan covers a limited number of trackers, and paid plans start from $5 per month. Android users are on a waitlist, and logging is mostly manual. For iPhone users with measurable goals, Strides is the clearest tracker.
What we like- Pace line shows if you are on track
- Four tracker types
- Clean charts
Watch out for- Apple devices only, Android on waitlist
- Manual logging
- Little team sharing
#3TickTick
Best for: Tasks and habits in one app4.5/5 on
G2 (113 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit ticktick.com
Starting price$36 per year
Free planYes
TickTick combines a full task manager with a built-in habit tracker, calendar view, Pomodoro timer, and Eisenhower matrix in one workspace. The free plan covers 9 lists and 5 habits, while premium at $36 per year billed annually adds more lists, habits, and calendar features. It runs on iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux, and web.
Habit trends are lighter than a dedicated tracker, and shared lists can get messy with several editors. For people who want one app for goals, tasks, and habits rather than three separate apps, TickTick is the best all-in-one pick.
What we like- Tasks, habits, calendar, and Pomodoro in one app
- Broad platform support
- Affordable premium
Watch out for- Habit trends lighter than dedicated trackers
- Shared lists get messy
- Free plan caps habits
#4Todoist
Best for: Task-driven goal plans4.5/5 on
G2 (832 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit todoist.com
Starting price$5 per month
Free planYes
Todoist turns goals into projects, with tasks, due dates, and priorities that break a big goal into daily actions. Karma points across eight levels reward adding and finishing tasks, hitting weekly goals, and keeping streaks. The free plan covers up to 5 projects, while Pro starts from $5 per month.
There is no native habit tracker, so habit-focused users need a separate app or a workaround. The free project cap limits people with many goals. For task-driven people who think in to-do lists, Todoist is a proven, clean choice.
What we like- Clean task system
- Projects as goals
- Karma points for streaks
- Broad platforms
Watch out for- No native habit tracker
- Free plan caps projects at 5
- AI features need paid plan
#5Notion
Best for: Custom trackers4.6/5 on
G2 (13,834 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit notion.com
Starting price$10 per member per month
Free planYes
Notion lets you build exactly the tracker you want from databases, templates, and pages. Goal templates cover OKRs, SMART goals, habit tables, and yearly reviews, and the free personal plan is generous. The flexibility suits people whose goals do not fit a fixed app structure.
Setup takes time, and there is no native habit system, so habits need a database workaround. The paid Plus plan starts at $10 per member per month. For builders who enjoy designing their own system, Notion is the most flexible goal setting app.
What we like- Free for personal use
- Flexible databases
- Many goal templates
Watch out for- Setup work to build a tracker
- No native habit system
- Paid plan per member
Starting price$68 per year
Free planNo
GoalsOnTrack is built around SMART goals, with subgoals, action plans, linked habits, a vision board, and a journal. The structure suits people who plan carefully, since every goal gets a measurable target, a deadline, and a list of actions. The web app works on phones through a responsive design.
There is no free plan, and $68 per year is high compared with free rivals. The design is web-first rather than a polished mobile app. For planners who want a complete goal system with subgoals and journals, GoalsOnTrack is the most structured pick.
What we like- SMART goal structure
- Subgoals and action plans
- Vision board and journal
Watch out for- No free plan
- Web-first design
- $68 per year is high for a solo tracker
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes
Way of Life tracks habits with one color-coded grid: green for done, red for missed, gray for skipped. One tap per habit makes daily check-ins take seconds, and trend charts roll up across weeks, months, and years. The free plan covers 3 habits, while premium pricing varies by store, so check the current listing.
Tracking is yes or no only, with no counts or ratings, and data does not sync between iOS and Android. For people who want the fastest possible daily check-in and long trend charts, Way of Life is the simplest tracker.
What we like- One-tap daily tracking
- Long-range trend charts
- Fast check-ins
Watch out for- Yes or no only, no counts or ratings
- Data does not sync between iOS and Android
- Premium price varies
Starting price$8 per month
Free planYes
Beeminder graphs a quantified goal against a bright red line, and if you cross the line, you pay a pledge that climbs with each derailment, starting at $5. That real-money stake keeps people honest in a way that streaks alone do not. Data can come from many sources, including fitness apps and manual entry, and the free plan covers 3 active goals.
The stakes feel harsh to some people, and setup is more technical than a simple tracker. Premium starts from $8 per month. For people who have tried every gentle tracker and still drift, Beeminder is the most effective last resort.
What we like- Clear graph with a red line
- Money stakes keep you honest
- Many data sources
Watch out for- Stakes can feel harsh
- Setup is technical
- Premium from $8 per month
How we chose
We compared goal structure, habit tracking, progress charts, platform support, free plans, and pricing. We also weighed how long daily logging takes, since an app that needs several minutes per day is abandoned faster than one that needs a single tap. Tools that only track tasks scored lower than tools built for goals, and tools with real stakes scored higher for people who need accountability. We did not test any app hands-on, and prices come from vendor and comparison sources.
Buying guide: what to check before you pick
Start with your motivation style. If games motivate you, pick Habitica. If numbers motivate you, pick Strides or Beeminder. If tasks motivate you, pick Todoist or TickTick. If you build systems, pick Notion. Next, check platform support, since Strides is Apple-only and Way of Life does not sync across iOS and Android. Check the free plan limits, since several apps cap habits or projects. Finally, try the app for two weeks with one real goal before you pay, since a tracker that feels like a chore will not survive a month. Set a small, measurable goal for the trial, such as exercising three times per week, and check whether the app makes it easier or harder to record progress. If logging takes more than a minute a day, the app will likely be abandoned, no matter how good its charts look.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free app for goal setting?
Habitica offers the full game free, TickTick offers tasks and habits free, and Todoist offers a free plan for up to 5 projects. Start with one of these before paying.
Is Habitica good for long-term goals?
Habitica suits daily habits and tasks, but it has no goal metric, so long-term numeric goals are better tracked in Strides or Beeminder alongside it.
What is the difference between a goal tracker and a habit tracker?
A goal tracker measures progress toward a target, like saving $5,000, while a habit tracker records whether you did a daily action, like exercising. Many apps combine both, with Strides leaning toward goals and Way of Life leaning toward habits.
Can I track goals with my team?
Notion, TickTick, and Habitica support shared workspaces, parties, or lists, while Strides and Way of Life are mostly solo. Beeminder is also solo-focused.
Do I need to pay for a goal setting app?
No, most people can start free with Habitica, TickTick, Todoist, or Notion. Pay only when you hit a free plan limit or need premium features like more habits, projects, or reports.
Sources we checked (0)
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.