Grit: Daily Habit Tracker

What it does

Grit is a powerful and highly customizable habit tracking app for iOS. It allows users to create, monitor, and analyze both positive habits they want to build and negative habits they want to break. With deep integration into Apple Health and a focus on detailed data visualization, it's designed to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's daily routines and long-term progress.

Where it shines

The app excels by offering an impressive degree of control to the user. The habit creation flow (00:17) is a standout feature, providing granular options for everything from color and icon to specific goal units like steps, minutes, or simple counts. Another highlight is its robust gamification system. When a user completes a habit, they are rewarded with a full-screen "New Achievement!" modal (04:59) complete with sound and confetti, turning a simple check-in into a moment of celebration. This positive reinforcement loop is a core part of the experience.

UX highlights

Template-Driven Creation: To offset the complexity of its editor, Grit offers a vast library of pre-made habit templates (00:08), making it easy to get started with common goals like "Drink Water" or "Read a Book."
Good vs. Bad Habits: The app distinctly categorizes habits as 'Good' or 'Bad', with unique UI and achievements for each. Tracking the avoidance of a bad habit (04:18) is treated as a win, which is a thoughtful touch.
Clear Progress Visualization: The main dashboard uses progress bars for each habit, giving an at-a-glance view of the day. Tapping a habit reveals a larger circular progress tracker for detailed input.
Apple Health Sync: For habits like "Steps" or "Make your Bed" (which can be linked to sleep data), the app can sync directly with Apple Health (01:15), automating the tracking process.
Flexible Grouping and Sorting: Users can organize habits into custom groups like "Morning" or "Weekend" (06:22) and choose how completed tasks are sorted (07:41), allowing for a highly personalized layout.

Monetization & growth

Grit operates on a freemium model. While the video doesn't show the initial limitation, the user later encounters a paywall when trying to access the statistics page at 02:01. The paywall screen presents three options: a free trial leading to an annual subscription, a monthly plan, and a lifetime purchase option. The app clearly compares what's available in the Free vs. Premium tiers, highlighting benefits like unlimited habits and helpful statistics to encourage conversion.

Who it’s for

This app is best suited for data-driven individuals who are serious about habit formation and want deep control over their tracking. Power users who appreciate granularity and want to see detailed statistics, streaks, and success rates will find a lot to like. It's less for the casual user who might be overwhelmed by the sheer number of customization options and prefers a simpler, more guided experience.

Notes & opportunities

The level of customization is a double-edged sword. While powerful, the habit creation screen (00:17 - 01:12) is long and could intimidate new users. Simplifying this initial setup or offering a 'simple' vs. 'advanced' mode could improve a new user's first experience. Additionally, the app allows for the creation of duplicate habits (e.g., two "Read a Book" entries), which could lead to user confusion. Adding a check for duplicates could prevent this minor friction point.