Habit Trackers for Neurodivergent Brains: Streaks, Done, Way of Life Compared
Day 47. Perfect streak on my meditation habit.
Day 48. Forgot completely. Streak broken.
Immediate thought: "Well, I've failed. Might as well give up entirely."
The app shows: 47 successful days, 1 missed day (98% success rate).
My ADHD brain sees: Total failure. Streak destroyed. No point continuing.
This is why standard habit trackers fail for neurodivergent brains.
They optimize for streaks. We need something that accounts for our actual reality: inconsistency is the pattern.
I tested 7 habit tracking apps specifically looking for ADHD-friendly features. Here's what actually works.
Why Standard Habit Trackers Fail for Neurodivergent Brains
Assumption 1: Consistency is realistic
Neurotypical habit formation: Do thing daily for 66 days → automatic habit
ADHD reality: Do thing daily for 5 days → hyperfocus shifts → forget habit exists for 3 weeks → remember → guilt spiral
Assumption 2: Streaks are motivating
Neurotypical: "I've done this 30 days straight! Don't want to break the streak!"
ADHD: "I missed one day. Streak broken. All progress erased. Why bother?"
Assumption 3: Daily habits are the goal
ADHD reality: Some days I have executive function. Some days I don't. Demanding daily consistency = setting up for failure.
What neurodivergent brains need:
- Flexibility (not rigid daily requirements)
- Progress tracking that doesn't punish missing days
- External reminders (we WILL forget)
- Low shame (missing days can't feel like failure)
- Visual progress (abstract tracking doesn't work)
The 7 Apps Tested
- Streaks (iOS)
- Done (iOS, Android)
- Way of Life (iOS, Android)
- Habitica (gamified)
- Productive (iOS, Android)
- Strides (iOS)
- Loop Habit Tracker (Android, open source)
1. Streaks
Price: £5 one-time
Platform: iOS only
The Core Feature:
Track up to 12 habits. Focus on building streaks.
Interface:
Minimalist. Home screen shows color-coded circles:
- Green = done today
- Orange = not done yet
- Red = missed (streak broken)
ADHD Assessment:
Pros:
✅ Beautiful, simple interface ✅ Apple Health integration ✅ Widget shows current status ✅ One-time payment (no subscription)
Cons:
❌ Streak-focused = shame-inducing for ADHD ❌ Missing one day feels catastrophic ❌ Red circles = visual reminder of failure ❌ No flexibility (daily habits only)
My Experience:
Used for 6 weeks. Built streaks in week 1-2. Inevitable miss in week 3.
Emotional response: "I've failed. No point continuing."
Actual data: 19/21 days completed (90% success)
But the red circles made me feel like I'd accomplished nothing.
Deleted app.
Rating: 4/10 for ADHD (beautiful app, psychologically harmful for neurodivergent brains)
2. Done
Price: Free (limited), £5/month Premium
Platform: iOS, Android
The Core Feature:
Flexible habit tracking. Track habits by day, week, month, or custom schedule.
ADHD-Specific Wins:
✅ Flexible schedules ("3× per week" not "daily") ✅ Shows completion rate, not just streaks ✅ Habit notes (can log why you did/didn't do it) ✅ No shame UI (doesn't punish misses)
Example Flexibility:
Instead of "meditate daily," I set "meditate 4× per week."
Result: Missing Monday doesn't feel like failure—I can still hit 4× by Sunday.
This matches ADHD reality:
Some weeks I meditate 6 times. Some weeks 2 times. Over time, average is 4.
Done celebrates the average, not the streak.
Interface:
Clean, card-based. Each habit shows:
- Completion rate (e.g., "80% this month")
- Recent history (visual calendar)
- Longest streak (nice to see, but not emphasized)
My Experience:
Used for 4 months.
Key insight: Flexible scheduling removed guilt.
"3× per week" feels achievable. "Daily" feels oppressive.
Completion rates:
- Meditation: 68% (goal was 57%, so exceeding)
- Exercise: 42% (goal was 43%, close enough)
- Reading: 89% (goal was 71%, crushing it)
Traditional app would show: Lots of broken streaks.
Done shows: I'm hitting or exceeding goals.
Rating: 9/10 for ADHD (flexible scheduling is game-changer)
3. Way of Life
Price: Free (3 habits), £5 one-time (unlimited)
Platform: iOS, Android
The Core Feature:
Daily check-in with "Yes/No/Skip" options.
The Genius: "Skip" Button
Most apps: Did you do the habit? Yes / No
Way of Life: Yes / No / Skip
"Skip" = this day doesn't count against me.
Examples of when to skip:
- Traveling (can't access gym)
- Sick (shouldn't exercise)
- Working late (no time for hobby)
Traditional apps punish these as "missed."
Way of Life acknowledges: some days don't count.
ADHD Win:
Removes guilt for circumstances beyond control.
I can skip without breaking streak.
This is psychologically huge.
Interface:
Simple list view. Each habit shows:
- Percentage (last 7/30/90 days)
- Trend (improving/declining)
- Color-coded calendar
My Experience:
Used alongside Done for 2 months.
Use case: Habits where some days genuinely don't apply.
Example: "No alcohol" habit.
If I'm not in situations where I'd drink (traveling for work, alone at home), I skip.
Only count days where temptation existed and I resisted.
This makes the metric meaningful.
Rating: 8/10 for ADHD (Skip button is brilliant)
4. Habitica
Price: Free (with ads), £5/month subscription
Platform: iOS, Android, Web
The Core Feature:
RPG game where habits = quests. Completing habits levels up your character.
Gamification:
- Gain XP for habit completion
- Earn gold to buy equipment
- Unlock pets and mounts
- Join party quests with friends
ADHD Assessment:
Pros:
✅ Gamification = dopamine ✅ Social accountability (party quests) ✅ Flexible habits (daily/weekly/custom) ✅ Punishment system (character takes damage if you miss habits)
Cons:
❌ Overwhelming (too many features) ❌ Maintenance required (the app itself becomes a task) ❌ Punishment feels bad (character damage = shame trigger)
Who It's For:
- ADHD gamers who love RPGs
- People who need social accountability
- Those motivated by external rewards
Who It's NOT For:
- Anyone overwhelmed by complex systems
- People who find punishment demotivating
- Minimalists
My Experience:
Used for 6 weeks.
Week 1-3: Loved it. Gamification worked. Leveling up felt great.
Week 4-6: The app became work. Managing quests, buying equipment, keeping up with party chat = cognitive load.
Abandoned.
Rating: 6/10 for ADHD (brilliant for right person, overwhelming for many)
5. Productive
Price: Free (3 habits), $7/month Premium
Platform: iOS, Android
The Core Feature:
Time-based habit reminders + smart scheduling.
ADHD-Specific Feature: Time Blocking
Not just "meditate today" but "meditate at 7am."
Integrates with calendar.
For ADHD: Removes "when should I do this?" decision fatigue.
Smart Scheduling:
- Suggests optimal times based on your completion history
- Adjusts reminders if you're consistently missing certain times
- "Morning person" vs "night owl" modes
Interface:
Timeline view. Shows habits scheduled throughout day.
My Experience:
Great for time-bound habits:
- Medication (must take at specific time)
- Meetings/appointments
- Time-sensitive tasks
Less good for flexible habits:
- Exercise (anytime is fine)
- Reading (whenever I have time)
Rating: 7/10 for ADHD (excellent for time-sensitive habits, overkill for flexible ones)
6. Strides
Price: Free (unlimited habits), £5/month Premium
Platform: iOS only
The Core Feature:
Goal tracking with multiple metric types:
- Binary (yes/no)
- Target number (e.g., "drink 8 glasses water")
- Average (e.g., "average 7 hours sleep")
- Cumulative (e.g., "save £1000")
ADHD Win: Multiple Success Metrics
Standard app: "Did you exercise? Y/N"
Strides: "Exercise 30+ minutes"
Tracks: Duration, not just completion
This allows nuance:
- 15 min workout = partial success
- 60 min workout = exceeding goal
Progress isn't binary.
My Experience:
Great for quantitative habits:
- Sleep tracking (hours)
- Water intake (glasses)
- Savings (pounds)
Less good for binary habits:
- Meditation (yes/no)
- Journaling (yes/no)
Rating: 7/10 for ADHD (excellent for measurable goals)
7. Loop Habit Tracker
Price: Free (open source)
Platform: Android only
The Core Feature:
Minimalist, ad-free, privacy-focused habit tracker.
ADHD Wins:
✅ Open source (no rug-pull, always free) ✅ No account required (zero friction) ✅ Flexible scheduling ✅ Detailed statistics ✅ Material Design (clean interface)
Unique Feature: Frequency Chart
Shows ideal frequency vs actual frequency over time.
Example:
- Goal: Exercise 4× per week
- Reality: Averaging 3.2× per week
Visual chart shows trend: Improving, stable, or declining.
For ADHD: Removes binary success/failure thinking.
My Experience (tested on borrowed Android):
Would use as daily driver if I were on Android.
Combines best features:
- Flexibility (Done)
- Statistics (Strides)
- Free (no subscription)
- Simple (no overwhelm)
Rating: 8/10 for ADHD (best free Android option)
The Comparison Table
| App | Price | Platform | Flexibility | ADHD Rating | |-----|-------|----------|-------------|-------------| | Done | £5/mo | iOS, Android | Excellent | 9/10 | | Way of Life | £5 | iOS, Android | Good (Skip button) | 8/10 | | Loop | Free | Android | Excellent | 8/10 | | Productive | $7/mo | iOS, Android | Good (time-based) | 7/10 | | Strides | Free/£5 | iOS | Good (metrics) | 7/10 | | Habitica | Free/£5 | All | Good | 6/10 | | Streaks | £5 | iOS | Poor (streak-focused) | 4/10 |
My Recommendations
Best Overall for ADHD: Done
Why:
- Flexible scheduling (3× per week, not daily)
- Shows completion rate, not just streaks
- No shame UI
- Works on all platforms
Who it's for: Most neurodivergent people
Best Free Option (Android): Loop Habit Tracker
Open source, flexible, excellent statistics.
Best for Specific Circumstances: Way of Life
"Skip" button for days that don't count.
Best for Gamers: Habitica
If RPG mechanics motivate you, this works. But be ready for complexity.
ADHD Habit Tracking Principles
1. Flexibility Over Consistency
Standard advice: "Do it daily for 66 days"
ADHD reality: "Do it when you can, aim for trend improvement"
Set goals like:
- 4× per week (not daily)
- 50% of days (not 100%)
- Average 30 min/day (some days 0, some days 90)
2. Completion Rate Over Streaks
Streaks punish single misses.
Completion rates show overall progress.
60% completion = good if your goal was 50%.
3. Skip Days That Don't Count
Traveling? Sick? Emergency?
These aren't failures. They're skips.
Use apps that allow "skip" not just "miss."
4. Celebrate Small Wins
Did habit 3/7 days this week?
Neurotypical view: "Failed 4 days"
ADHD-friendly view: "Succeeded 3 times! Last week was 1!"
Improvement is success.
5. External Reminders Are Essential
ADHD time blindness = will forget habit exists.
Set reminders. Multiple if needed.
Not a weakness—it's accommodation.
TL;DR: Best habit trackers for neurodivergent brains
Best overall: Done (£5/month, iOS/Android)
- Flexible scheduling (3× week, not daily)
- Completion rates instead of streaks
- No shame UI
Best free (Android): Loop Habit Tracker
- Open source
- Flexible scheduling
- Excellent statistics
- Zero cost
Best for skip days: Way of Life (£5 one-time)
- "Skip" button for days that don't count
- Removes guilt for circumstances beyond control
Why standard trackers fail ADHD:
- Streak-focused (punishes single misses)
- Daily requirements (inconsistency is our normal)
- Binary success/failure (we need nuance)
- Shame-inducing (red Xs = demotivating)
ADHD-friendly principles:
- Flexible goals (3× week, not daily)
- Completion rates, not streaks
- Skip days that genuinely don't count
- Celebrate trends, not perfection
- External reminders (not just willpower)
Best practices:
- Start with 2-3 habits max (not 12)
- Set realistic frequencies (50-70%, not 100%)
- Review weekly trends, not daily completion
- Adjust goals based on reality (if achieving 40% but goal is 80%, lower goal)
Chaos understands neurodivergent habit patterns—flexible tracking that celebrates progress, not perfection. Start your free 14-day trial.