TickTick Habit Tracker vs LazyHabits: Which Is Better?

What is TickTick and how does its habit tracker work?

TickTick is a to-do list and task management app, made by Appest Limited, with cloud sync across your devices. Habits are one feature among many: its App Store listing says you can "Set a Goal to develop a Habit" next to tasks, checklists, calendar views and a Pomo Timer.

The rest of the app is about getting things done: recurring tasks, multiple reminders, time and location reminders, tags, four priority levels, shared lists for collaboration and calendar integration. It can sync focus time to Apple Health. On the free plan you can track up to 5 habits; the listing says Premium lets you add more than 5 habits, along with more lists, reminders and calendar features. On Apple devices it runs on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, and TickTick is also widely available on Android, Mac and the web.

What is LazyHabits and how is it different?

LazyHabits is a dedicated iPhone habit tracker. Instead of adding habits to a task list, it gives each habit a design and a recurring moment to improve it, called the Master Habit.

Every habit has days, a time, a place, a duration, a reward and something to make it enjoyable. You begin with 2 to 3 habits, and the app warns you before you overload. New ideas wait in the Backlog. You can mark one High Impact Habit, the habit with a ripple effect such as a fixed bedtime, for extra points. Points, levels and a Lazy Buddy that grows from Seed to Mighty Oak keep it light, and break days let you rest without breaking anything.

How do TickTick and LazyHabits compare side by side?

TickTick wins on breadth and cross-platform sync; LazyHabits wins on depth for a few habits. Here is the comparison.

How does the Master Habit compare with how TickTick handles reviewing habits?

TickTick helps you check habits off; the Master Habit helps you decide why a habit is slipping and what to change. That is the main difference between a habit feature and a habit system.

In a to-do app a habit behaves like a recurring task. You tick it, or it sits there unticked. TickTick's listing does not describe a scheduled habit review, so any reflection happens on your own. That works for people who already plan weekly. For many others, a habit that does not fit quietly drops to the bottom of the list.

In LazyHabits the review is itself a habit with a fixed day, time and place, at least weekly. Each Habit Review covers consistency, enjoyment from 1 to 5 stars per habit, your biggest win and what to do differently. Then you adjust the time, the place, what you pair it with or the reward, and plan next week. "Fix the system, not yourself." The app suggests your first review after about 14 days. For a ready-made list of prompts, see our habit review questions.

This matters because habit formation is slow and uneven. In the study by Lally and colleagues (2009), habits took a median of 66 days to feel automatic, ranging from 18 to 254 days, and missing a single day did not materially affect the result. Over two months or more, what usually decides success is whether you adjust a habit that does not fit, not how many boxes you ticked.

Who should choose TickTick for habits?

Choose TickTick if you want one place for everything and habits are a side goal. It is a strong choice for organized people who already plan their week.

• You need tasks, calendar views, reminders and habits in one app.
• You work across iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Android, Mac or the web.
• You share lists with family or a team.
• You like a Pomo Timer for focus sessions.
• You only want to tick off a handful of simple daily habits.

Who should choose LazyHabits?

Choose LazyHabits if habits keep slipping between your tasks, or if you want a calm system that keeps your list small and improves it over time.

• You want each habit tied to a time and place, which pairs well with habit stacking.
• You want a weekly Master Habit check-in that rates enjoyment and plans changes.
• You prefer to start with 2 to 3 habits and keep the rest in the Backlog (see too many habits at once).
• You want streaks that ignore unscheduled days, plus planned break days.
• An iPhone app is enough. LazyHabits has no Android, web, Mac or Apple Watch app.

Our habit tracker with a weekly review page explains the review loop in more detail.

How do you use TickTick and LazyHabits together?

The easiest setup is to keep tasks in TickTick and move your habits to LazyHabits, so each app does one job well.

1. Look at your TickTick habits and pick the 2 to 3 that matter most right now.
2. Recreate them in LazyHabits with a day, time, place and reward, and choose one High Impact Habit.
3. Remove those habits from TickTick so you never track the same thing twice.
4. Park other habit ideas in the LazyHabits Backlog.
5. Set your Master Habit, for example Sunday at 7 pm at your desk, and if you like, add a weekly TickTick task that says "Review my habits" as a backup reminder.
6. After about 14 days, run your first Habit Review and change one thing.

Comparing more habit apps with stats and cross-device sync? Our Habitify vs LazyHabits comparison is a good next read.