6 Best Productive Alternatives in 2026 (Tested)
Short on Time? Here's the Quick Take
Why People Switch From Productive
Productive is a polished habit tracker. The morning/afternoon/evening layout is smart. The coaching programs help beginners. But three problems keep pushing users toward alternatives.
The paywall keeps growing. Since Bending Spoons acquired the app, subscription costs have climbed sharply. Multiple App Store reviewers report prices doubling. The free tier limits you to five habits with constant upgrade prompts. One reviewer put it bluntly: "Almost unusable without a subscription."
Syncing breaks at the worst times. Completed habits don't always sync between iPhone and Apple Watch. Streak counts become unreliable. A paying subscriber wrote: "I can't believe I've paid for two years of service that works this poorly. It still is not syncing anything between my devices." For an app that charges a premium, that erodes trust fast.
Updates delete data. Multiple reviews describe losing years of habit history after major updates. One user reported losing "4+ years of data" twice. When your entire motivation system depends on streak history, that's not a bug. It's a reason to leave.
If you've hit any of these walls, here are six alternatives that solve the specific problems Productive creates.
Quick Comparison
| App | Best For | Price | Free Habits | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Habi | Habits + focus + screen time | Free (Pro from $1.99) | Unlimited | Apple ecosystem |
| Streaks | One-time purchase | $5.99 once | 24 (all included) | Apple only |
| Habitify | Multi-device sync | Free (Premium $39.99/yr) | 3 | iOS, Android, Mac, Web |
| Habitica | External motivation | Free (subscription optional) | Unlimited | iOS, Android, Web |
| Strides | Measurable goals | Free (Plus $39.99/yr) | Limited | Apple only |
| Way of Life | Good + bad habit tracking | Free ($29.99 lifetime) | 3 | iOS, Android, Mac |
How We Evaluated These Apps
We installed Productive alongside each alternative and used them in parallel for two weeks. Evaluation criteria:
- Solves a Productive pain point. Each app needed to fix at least one specific problem that drives users away from Productive.
- Free tier quality. How much can you actually accomplish without paying? Five habits with upgrade pop-ups doesn't count.
- Data reliability. Does sync work? Does updating the app risk losing your history?
- Daily friction. How many taps to open the app and check off your habits? Speed matters for tools you use every single day.
- Long-term value. Subscription vs. one-time pricing. Feature additions vs. feature paywalling over time.
Habi is our app. We included it because it directly addresses gaps in Productive (focus timer, screen time controls), but we gave every app the same honest treatment. No affiliate links. No app paid to be on this list.
The 6 Best Productive Alternatives
1. Habi - Best for Habits + Focus + Screen Time
Productive tracks whether you did your habits. It doesn't help you actually do them. The gap between logging a habit and building the conditions for it to happen is where most people fail. That's the gap Habi targets.
The focus timer runs Pomodoro sessions with ambient soundscapes while actively blocking the apps that pull you off task. Your screen time controls set daily limits on specific apps. Your habits, tasks, and projects all live in the same daily view. The idea isn't to replace Productive with another checklist. It's to connect the plan (what you want to do) with the environment (removing what stops you).
Research from the American Psychological Association shows that goal achievement improves significantly when people structure their environment to support their intentions. A habit tracker alone doesn't do that. One that also blocks Instagram during your study session does.
What it does well:
- Three tools in one. Habit tracking, a Pomodoro timer with app blocking, and screen time limits. Productive only covers the first.
- No paywall on core features. Unlimited habits, full focus timer, screen time controls, widgets, shared projects, and calendar integration. All free. Compare that to Productive's five-habit free limit.
- Shared accountability. Invite family or friends to joint projects. Nudge notifications keep everyone honest. Productive is strictly solo.
- Zero data collection. No account, no backend server, no analytics. Everything syncs through your personal iCloud.
Where it falls short:
- Apple ecosystem only. iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro. No Android. If you're switching from Productive because you want Android support, Habitify or Habitica are better picks.
- New to the market. Productive has 91,000+ ratings built over years. Habi is a 2026 launch. The core is polished but the track record is still forming.
Pricing: Free. Pro from $1.99 (advanced themes and extras).
Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro
Bottom line: If you want more than a replacement for Productive's checklist and are ready for an app that protects your focus and limits your screen time alongside tracking habits, try Habi for free.
2. Streaks - Best for One-Time Purchase
The primary reason people search for Productive alternatives is pricing. Streaks removes that problem permanently. Pay $5.99. Get every feature. Never see a subscription prompt again.
The Apple Design Award winner caps you at 24 habits, which sounds limiting until you realize it's a design choice. By forcing selection, Streaks prevents the "add 40 aspirational habits and abandon them all" pattern that plagues open-ended trackers like Productive. You pick what matters. The streak counter does the rest.
Apple Health integration is where Streaks pulls ahead of most competitors. Link a habit to your Health data and it completes automatically. Hit 10,000 steps? Done. Thirty minutes of exercise? Checked. Eight hours of sleep? Logged. Productive requires manual check-ins for everything. Streaks makes measurable habits passive.
What it does well:
- Subscription-free forever. $5.99 buys everything. No premium tier, no feature gates, no annual renewal. Family Sharing supported, so one purchase covers your household.
- Passive health tracking. Auto-complete habits from Apple Health: steps, water, exercise, mindfulness, sleep, caffeine. No manual logging for anything your watch already measures.
- Track what you want to stop. Negative habits ("no social media after 9pm") work as naturally as positive ones. Productive doesn't handle habit-breaking at all.
- 78 color themes. Not cosmetic fluff. Users with 10+ habits across 4 pages use color to visually group categories. The customization is functional.
Where it falls short:
- No coaching or onboarding. Productive's guided programs help beginners know what to track. Streaks drops you into a blank screen and expects you to already know your habits.
- No Android, no web. If you carry an Android phone or need browser access, Streaks isn't an option.
Pricing: $5.99 (one-time purchase). No subscription.
Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro
Bottom line: If Productive's rising subscription is the reason you're looking for alternatives, Streaks is the most direct answer. One payment, zero compromise on features, and one of the highest-rated habit trackers on iOS.
3. Habitify - Best for Multi-Device Sync
Productive has no desktop app and no web version. If you spend your workday on a laptop, that means pulling out your phone every time you want to log a habit. Habitify runs natively on iOS, Android, macOS, and web, with real-time sync between all of them.
The workflow this enables is meaningful. Check off your morning habits on your phone. See your progress on the Mac app during your work break. Review weekly stats on the web dashboard from any browser. Your partner on Android can join your shared Circles for mutual accountability. Productive's mobile-only approach can't match this.
The analytics go deeper than Productive's stats page. Completion rate trends, streak history across weeks and months, and habit stacking reminders that prompt your next habit automatically after you complete one. That last feature directly implements a concept from behavioral psychology research on implementation intentions, where linking one action to another significantly improves follow-through.
What it does well:
- Real cross-platform coverage. iPhone, Android, Mac (native app), Apple Watch, and a full web dashboard. Log habits from whichever device is closest.
- Group accountability via Circles. Share habit progress with friends or family in a private group. See who's completing their habits. Productive has no social features at all.
- Calendar and Health integration. Syncs with Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, Apple Health, and Google Fit. Productive integrates with none of these.
- Data export. Download your habit data as CSV. Productive locks your data inside the app with no export option.
Where it falls short:
- Three-habit free limit. Even more restrictive than Productive's five. You're essentially forced to subscribe before you can properly evaluate the app.
- Premium pricing isn't cheap. $39.99/year or $89.99 lifetime. Comparable to Productive, so if pricing is your primary concern, Streaks or Way of Life are better options.
Pricing: Free (3 habits). Monthly: $7.49. Annual: $39.99. Lifetime: $89.99.
Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Android, Web
Bottom line: If Productive frustrates you because it doesn't exist on your Mac or your partner's Android phone, Habitify is the closest feature match with genuinely cross-platform sync. Just know the free tier is even more limited. See our full Habitify review for a deeper look.
4. Habitica - Best for External Motivation
Productive relies on streaks and coaching articles for motivation. For many users, that's not enough. Habitica introduces something Productive cannot: real consequences for missing habits and tangible rewards for completing them.
The mechanics work like this. Complete your habits and your character earns experience, gold, and loot. Miss them and your character takes damage. Reach zero health and you lose a level, gold, and a random item. Join a party with friends and your missed dailies damage their characters too. That social pressure turns habit tracking from a private activity into a group commitment.
The free tier deserves attention. Every core feature is available without paying: habits, dailies, to-dos, parties, quests, pets, mounts, classes, and equipment. The optional subscription ($47.99/year) only adds cosmetic items. Contrast this with Productive, where five habits and constant upsell prompts define the free experience. Habitica's 15 million downloads came largely from word-of-mouth driven by this generosity.
What it does well:
- Consequences create follow-through. The HP loss mechanic triggers loss aversion, which behavioral research has shown is a stronger motivator than potential gains. When your character's survival depends on your morning routine, you do the morning routine.
- Party accountability without awkwardness. Unlike accountability apps that pair you with strangers, Habitica lets you invite people you already know. Your group fights boss quests together, and everyone's daily completion matters.
- Three task types. Habits (flexible, anytime), Dailies (scheduled, recurring), and To-Dos (one-time tasks). Productive treats everything as the same thing. Habitica matches how behavior actually works.
- Fully free with no feature gates. Every gameplay and tracking feature is free. The subscription is purely cosmetic gems. No 5-habit limit. No upgrade pop-ups.
Where it falls short:
- The game can distract from the habits. Some users admit they spend more time managing their RPG character than actually completing habits. The reward system that motivates some people becomes a distraction for others.
- Visual design isn't for everyone. Pixel art and RPG interfaces feel playful to gamers and juvenile to others. If you loved Productive's clean, modern design, Habitica's aesthetic will be a shock.
Pricing: Free (full features). Optional subscription: $4.99/month or $47.99/year (cosmetic only).
Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Android, Web
Bottom line: If you've been tracking habits in Productive and still can't stick with them, the problem might not be the tracker. It might be the motivation model. Habitica replaces passive check-offs with active consequences and rewards. See our full Habitica analysis for more.
5. Strides - Best for Measurable Goals
Productive tracks binary habits: did you do it or didn't you? Strides tracks that, plus numeric targets, running averages, and project milestones. If your goals include "save $500 this month," "average 7 hours of sleep," or "read 30 books this year," Productive can't help. Strides can.
The four tracker types cover different kinds of goals. Habit trackers handle daily yes/no actions. Target trackers measure progress toward a specific number. Average trackers maintain a running mean (useful for sleep, weight, or spending). Project trackers break goals into milestones with subtasks. You can have all four types active simultaneously.
The on-pace indicator is particularly useful. It calculates whether your current rate will hit your target by your deadline, then shows a projected completion date. "Save $10,000 by December" becomes actionable when the app tells you you're $400 behind pace in March. Productive's streak counter tells you if you showed up. Strides tells you if you're on track.
What it does well:
- Four tracker types for four kinds of goals. Habit (yes/no), Target (hit a number), Average (maintain a mean), Project (milestones). No other app on this list handles numeric and milestone-based tracking this well.
- 150+ templates. Fitness, finance, learning, health, and productivity templates with pre-configured tracker types. Removes the blank-canvas setup problem.
- Apple Health syncing. Pull in steps, weight, sleep, and exercise data automatically. Log once on your watch, see it in Strides.
- Progress projections. "Am I on pace?" answered with a date estimate based on your actual completion rate. Productive has nothing comparable.
Where it falls short:
- Apple ecosystem only. iPhone, iPad, and Mac. No Android, no web. If multi-platform access matters, Habitify is a better fit.
- Complexity for simple needs. If all you want is a list of habits to check off daily, four tracker types feels like overkill. Strides shines when your goals are varied and measurable.
Pricing: Free (limited trackers). Plus: $4.99-$9.99/month or $39.99/year. Lifetime: $79.99.
Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch
Bottom line: Strides is the right alternative for Productive users who realized they need to track outcomes, not just activities. If "exercise daily" isn't specific enough and you need "run 100 miles this month," Strides handles both.
6. Way of Life - Best for Tracking Good and Bad Habits
Productive only tracks habits you want to build. It has no concept of habits you want to break. Way of Life treats both as equally important. Green means you did the good thing. Red means you did the bad thing. Blue means you skipped the day. That three-color system creates a visual pattern over weeks and months that makes your behavior trends impossible to ignore.
The simplicity is deliberate. Open the app. Swipe green or red on each habit. Done. Under 60 seconds. Productive's coaching programs, challenge leaderboards, and statistics pages add value for some users, but for others, they add friction. Way of Life strips habit tracking down to its core interaction: did I do this today, yes or no?
Recommended by Forbes, The New York Times, Marie Claire, and The Guardian, Way of Life has been around since 2010. That longevity matters. Productive's recent data loss issues during updates highlight the risk of trusting newer, more complex systems. Way of Life's simple architecture makes data corruption far less likely, and its CSV/Excel export means you always own your data.
What it does well:
- Bad habit tracking. "No snacking after 8pm," "didn't check phone in bed," "no alcohol today." Mark red when you slip, green when you hold. The visual pattern over a month tells you more than any streak counter.
- Full data export. CSV and Excel export of all habit data. Move to another app, analyze in a spreadsheet, or back up your history. Productive offers no export at all.
- $29.99 lifetime option. Cheaper than one year of Productive's subscription. And it includes everything: unlimited habits, all charts, all features.
- Biometric security. Face ID and Touch ID protection for your habit data. Useful if your habits include sensitive health or personal information.
Where it falls short:
- No guided programs. Productive's coaching sequences help beginners decide what to track. Way of Life assumes you already know.
- Minimal social features. No shared habits, no groups, no accountability partners. If you need external motivation, Habitica is a better choice.
Pricing: Free (3 habits). Monthly: $4.99. Annual: $14.99. Lifetime: $29.99.
Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Mac (M1+), Android, Vision Pro
Bottom line: Way of Life is for people who know what they want to track and just want the simplest possible way to track it. If Productive felt overcomplicated for what you actually use it for, Way of Life might be all you need.
Which Productive Alternative Should You Pick?
If Productive's pricing is the problem, switch to Streaks ($5.99 once) or Way of Life ($29.99 lifetime). Both eliminate recurring costs entirely.
If you want more than just habit tracking, try Habi. It adds a focus timer and screen time controls that Productive doesn't offer.
If you need cross-platform access, pick Habitify. Native apps on iOS, Android, Mac, and web with real-time sync.
If motivation is the real issue, try Habitica. RPG mechanics and party accountability create pressure that streaks and coaching articles can't match.
If your goals are numeric, pick Strides. Track targets, averages, and milestones alongside daily habits.
If you want to track both good and bad habits, try Way of Life. The simplest daily interaction with full data export.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are people leaving the Productive app?
The most common reasons users leave Productive are: aggressive subscription pricing that has increased significantly since the Bending Spoons acquisition, a limited free tier (only 5 habits), syncing issues between devices, Apple Watch crashes, and data loss after app updates. Recent App Store reviews average 2.71 out of 5 stars.
What is the best free alternative to Productive?
Habi offers the most generous free alternative to Productive. It includes unlimited habits, a built-in Pomodoro focus timer, screen time blocking, widgets, and shared projects at no cost. Habitica is another fully free option with gamified habit tracking and no feature restrictions on the free plan.
Is there a one-time purchase alternative to Productive?
Yes. Streaks costs $5.99 as a one-time purchase with no subscription, no ads, and no premium tier. Way of Life offers a $29.99 lifetime option. Habitify has a $89.99 lifetime purchase. All three eliminate the recurring subscription that frustrates many Productive users.
Does Productive work on Android and desktop?
Productive works on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Android, but has no desktop or web app. For cross-platform access including desktop, Habitify (iOS, Android, Mac, Web) and Habitica (iOS, Android, Web) are better alternatives.
What habit tracker has the best Apple Health integration?
Streaks has the deepest Apple Health integration, automatically completing habits based on health data like steps, exercise minutes, water intake, and mindfulness sessions. Strides and Habitify also integrate with Apple Health. Productive does not offer Apple Health integration.
Final Thoughts
Productive was a good habit tracker before the acquisition changed its direction. The time-of-day layout and coaching programs still have real value. But when users start losing data, paying more for the same features, and fighting sync bugs on their premium subscription, it's reasonable to look elsewhere.
Each alternative on this list was chosen because it directly solves a specific Productive problem. Pricing? Streaks and Way of Life. Platform access? Habitify. Motivation? Habitica. Measurable goals? Strides. The full productivity picture? Habi.
Pick one. Use it for two weeks. The habit tracker that works is the one you actually open every morning. And if you want to go deeper into the science of building habits that last, read our guide on how to build habits that stick.
