Not Boring Habits vs LazyHabits: Habits App Compared

What is (Not Boring) Habits and how does it work?

(Not Boring) Habits, also written !Habits, is a habits app from Not Boring Software that aims to make habit building fun and guilt-free. Instead of streaks, it counts repetitions: according to its App Store listing, a new habit needs to be repeated about 60 times to stick, and missing a day does not matter.

Its listing highlights:

• A 60-repetition journey per habit, with daily guidance along the way.
• "No streaks. No guilt." Missing a day or two is not punished.
• Widgets and reminders for quick tracking from the home screen.
• Skins that change the whole look and feel, including artist collaborations.
• An Apple Design Award, mentioned at the top of the listing.
• A Super!Boring membership that includes all five Not Boring apps plus skins and extras, with no ads and no tracking.

The app runs on iPhone and iPad (it requires iOS 18) and is available in several languages.

What is LazyHabits?

LazyHabits is an iPhone habit tracker built for maximum results with minimum effort. It keeps your active list small and adds a review loop, so habits keep fitting your life after the first enthusiasm fades.

Each habit gets days of the week, a time, a place, a duration, a reward and something to make it enjoyable (music, podcast). You mark one High Impact Habit, the habit with a ripple effect such as a fixed bedtime, for extra points. The Master Habit, "the habit of working on your habits", is a scheduled check-in. Ideas wait in the Backlog, break days protect rest, and a Lazy Buddy grows from Seed to Mighty Oak as you earn points. Each habit shows a streak, but streaks only count scheduled days and a miss never takes away points or levels. More on that approach in our habit tracker without streak guilt page.

How do (Not Boring) Habits and LazyHabits compare?

Both apps reject guilt; (Not Boring) Habits leads with design and a repetition count, while LazyHabits leads with habit design and a weekly review.

Is 60 repetitions the right target for a habit?

Counting repetitions instead of consecutive days is a sound idea, but the exact number varies a lot from person to person and habit to habit. In the best-known study, Lally et al. (2009), reaching automaticity took a median of 66 days, with a range of 18 to 254 days, and a single missed day did not materially affect the process.

So 60 is a helpful round milestone, not a finish line. Some habits will feel automatic sooner, others much later. More on that in how long it takes to form a habit. What both apps get right: a miss is not a reason to start over.

How does the Master Habit compare with how (Not Boring) Habits handles reviewing habits?

(Not Boring) Habits guides you forward one repetition at a time; LazyHabits adds a scheduled step back, where you look at each habit and decide what to change. One keeps you moving, the other checks you are moving in a direction that fits.

In the Master Habit check-in (in the app: Review My Habits) you rate every habit for consistency and enjoyment from 1 to 5 stars, note your biggest win and what to do differently, then change one thing: a better time, a different place, a new pairing, a new reward, a smaller version, or a move to the Backlog. The first review is suggested after about 14 days, and you can review weekly or more often.

Why does that matter? Most habit apps count check-marks, and a habit stuck at the wrong time of day rarely fails dramatically. It just gets done less and less. Without someone looking at it, it quietly dies. A 10-minute review is that someone. Our habit review questions help. Fix the system, not yourself.

Who should choose (Not Boring) Habits, and who should choose LazyHabits?

Choose (Not Boring) Habits if delight is what keeps you opening an app. It is a great pick for:

• People who want zero streaks and a simple count toward a goal.
• Anyone who cares about design and likes changing skins.
• iPad users and people who want home screen widgets.
• People who already use or want other Not Boring apps through the membership.

Choose LazyHabits if your habits tend to fade and you want a system that adapts:

• You start too many habits at once (why too many habits fail).
• You want each habit tied to a time, place and reward.
• You want one High Impact Habit to anchor the rest.
• You want a weekly check-in built into the app, not left to memory.

LazyHabits is free to download, and the free plan includes up to 3 habits with all core features. LazyHabits Pro unlocks unlimited habits for $0.99 per week or $24.99 per year in the US (prices vary by country). See our simple habit tracker page for more.

How do you switch to LazyHabits, or use both apps?

Start with the habits that matter most, not all of them. A simple plan:

1. Pick 2 to 3 habits from (Not Boring) Habits you still want, especially ones that stalled before 60.
2. Recreate them in LazyHabits with a time, place and reward.
3. Mark the one with the biggest ripple effect as your High Impact Habit.
4. Set your Master Habit, for example Sunday at 7 pm, 10 minutes, at your desk.
5. Park other ideas in the Backlog and schedule break days in advance.
6. After about 14 days, run your first review and change one thing.

You can keep (Not Boring) Habits for one or two fun habits you enjoy counting, as long as each habit lives in only one app.