Tally: The Anything Tracker

What it does

Tally is a minimalist yet powerful habit and goal tracker for iOS. Its core function is to let users count anything, from daily cups of coffee to weekly workouts. The app is designed to help users either build new habits by tracking positive actions or break bad ones by monitoring their frequency. It provides visual feedback through customizable widgets and detailed statistics.

Where it shines

Tally's strength lies in its focused simplicity and surprising flexibility. The onboarding is a great example. Instead of a boring slide tour, it uses interactive prompts that invite you to "go on, try it" (00:39), teaching you the main interactions in seconds. The habit creation process (01:01) is another highlight, offering a deep set of customization options. You can set a habit to reset daily, weekly, or never, and even track on specific days. This transforms a simple counter into a truly versatile life-logging tool.

UX highlights

Interactive Learning: The app teaches its core mechanics by having users tap on demo elements during onboarding (00:48). This 'learn-by-doing' approach is more effective and engaging than static instructions.
Deep Customization: Creating a habit goes far beyond just a name. Users can define reset periods, tracking days, custom groups, targets, and colors, making the tool adaptable to almost any tracking need (01:04).
Long-Press for Power Users: A long-press on a habit reveals a contextual menu with actions like 'Add Count', 'Add Note', and 'Edit Tally' (06:35). It keeps the main UI clean while offering quick access to advanced features.
Flexible Data Entry: While tapping adds a default count, the 'Add Count' option allows users to input any number and backdate entries, providing full control over their data (06:38).
Comprehensive Statistics: Tapping a habit name reveals rich statistical charts (07:52). Users can toggle between weekly, monthly, and yearly views, and even switch between different chart types to visualize their progress.

Monetization & growth

Tally employs a clever dual-paywall strategy. First, it presents a 'Welcome Offer' with a 50% discount on the annual plan (00:07). If a user declines, they can still create a habit for free. After this initial engagement, the app presents a different offer: a 7-day free trial that converts to an annual subscription (03:39). This approach allows Tally to capture both users ready to commit and those who need to experience the app's value first.

Who it’s for

The app is ideal for individuals focused on self-improvement and quantified self-tracking. Its flexibility appeals to two main groups. First, those who need a simple, no-fuss counter for daily habits like drinking water or meditating. Second, power users who want to meticulously track specific behaviors over custom timeframes and analyze their long-term trends. The clean, data-first design suggests a user who values utility and clarity over gamification.

Notes & opportunities

The app's core loop is excellent, but there's a slight friction point in group management. Creating a group requires navigating away from the habit creation screen to a separate 'Groups' page (01:18), then returning. Allowing users to create a new group directly from the habit creation flow could streamline this process. Additionally, while the statistics are powerful, the default bar chart could be complemented by a line chart option to better visualize trends over time for certain habits.