Comparison

Special Dates vs Habit Tracker // init.Habits

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Special Dates

Easily save and track important dates with a minimalist countdown widget. This app helps you remember upcoming events like birthdays or bills, syncing them across your devices.

Highlights
  • Save important dates
  • Track days remaining
  • Periodic event saving
  • Birthday reminders
  • Bill tracking
  • iOS 14 widget support
  • Cross-device syncing
Features
Read full description

Save your important dates and track the days that have left. Simplest app to save dates and see a countdown of each one. Allows to save periodically events like birthday or bills. Supports all the widget sizes that have iOS 26 and the dates will be synced between your devices

About

Habit Tracker // init.Habits

Track daily habits with a unique command-line interface. Offers multiple tracking modes, routine grouping, streak protection, and a focus timer. Customize themes and sync data with iCloud and Apple Health.

Highlights
  • Multiple tracking modes (checkbox, counter, number, health, time)
  • Routine grouping (morning, workout, evening)
  • Streak protection with shields
  • Focus timer with Pomodoro and Live Activity
  • 23+ themes and custom theme editor
  • iCloud and Apple Health sync
  • Widgets (checklist, heatmap, matrix)
Features
Read full description

a habit tracker for developers and minimalists, built for iPhone and styled like the command line you live in. // quiet. opinionated. monospaced. $ cat features.txt [*] five tracking modes — checkbox, counter, number, health, time [*] routines — group habits into morning, workout, evening, anything [*] streaks with shields — protect a 75 hard run, or any streak, from one bad day [*] a github-style contribution graph — your whole history, filling in pixel by pixel [*] smart reminders — per habit or one for a whole routine; useful pings, not ten-a-day spam [*] focus timer with pomodoro — Live Activity on the lock screen, Dynamic Island when running [*] Apple Watch app — check habits off on your wrist, run a timer, 25 complications for your watch face [*] Siri and Shortcuts — check off a habit or a whole routine by voice, start a timer, ask what is left today; 16 actions for your own automations [*] Spotlight — your habits and routines in iPhone search, by their own name or by the routine they belong to [*] in your browser too — the whole tracker at app.inithabits.com, nothing to install [*] cloud sync — iPhone, watch and browser updating each other in real time; sign in with Apple, Google or email [*] achievements, xp and levels — progress that adds up, without the noise [*] vacation mode — freeze your streaks while you are away, come back to them intact [*] 23 themes + a custom theme editor — tokyo night, dracula, catppuccin, and more [*] iCloud sync — your data, your iCloud, your control [*] Apple Health auto-sync — steps, sleep, water, mindful minutes, medication doses [*] nine widgets — checklist, heatmap, contribution grid, ring, quick icons, next up, week view, mood [*] backup and export — an iCloud backup, or a json file that is yours to keep [*] fifteen languages — english, dutch, german, spanish, french, italian, portuguese, russian, ukrainian, polish, turkish, czech, japanese, chinese, korean [*] local-first — works fully offline, no sign-up or account needed [*] privacy — passcode, biometric lock, app-switcher blur, lock-screen redaction [*] no ads, no AI, no dark patterns $ cat philosophy.txt // built solo over hundreds of testing hours. // no analytics that track who you are. // no algorithm trying to maximise your screen time. // shipping new features frequently. $ cat pro.txt // the core experience is free: 10 habits, 2 routines, three manual tracking modes, // eight built-in themes, the checklist widget, the watch app with three complications, // cloud sync across iPhone, watch and browser, and local storage. // pro raises limits and unlocks: timer + healthkit modes, all 23 themes, // custom theme editor, seven extra fonts, iCloud sync, the other eight widgets, // 22 more complications, passcode + biometric lock, Live Activity timer. // pro is monthly, annual (with 7-day trial), or lifetime — one-time, no expiration. > thank you for supporting a solo dev.

Screenshots

Special Dates3 screens
Habit Tracker // init.Habits4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Habit Tracker // init.Habits at 5.0 against Special Dates's 4.0. Habit Tracker // init.Habits also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 61%) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 months). Special Dates's advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Special Dates sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Habit Tracker // init.Habits sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Habit Tracker // init.Habits holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 24 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of Special Dates's written reviews are positive against 100% of Habit Tracker // init.Habits's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Special Dates ships an update every 3 months, Habit Tracker // init.Habits every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Special Dates versus Habit Tracker // init.Habits: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpecial DatesHabit Tracker // init.Habits
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (5 ratings)5.0 (24 ratings) — better
Positive reviews61.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings524 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS26.018.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB113 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperErnesto Fernández CallesVladyslav Glogus

Customer experience

Special Dates

All ratings5 ratings
Positive60.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews41 reviews
Positive61.0%
Neutral17.1%
Negative22.0%

Habit Tracker // init.Habits

All ratings24 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews22 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Special Dates

One-time3
  • Coffee$0.99
  • Cake$2.99
  • Party$4.99
3 purchases

Habit Tracker // init.Habits

Subscriptions2
  • pro monthly$4.991 Month
  • pro annual7 Days trial$34.991 Year
One-time1
  • pro lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is Special Dates free?
Special Dates is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Habit Tracker // init.Habits free?
Habit Tracker // init.Habits is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Special Dates or Habit Tracker // init.Habits?
Habit Tracker // init.Habits is rated higher. Special Dates averages 4.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Habit Tracker // init.Habits averages 5.0 from 24 ratings.
Do Special Dates or Habit Tracker // init.Habits have ads?
Neither Special Dates nor Habit Tracker // init.Habits shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Special Dates or Habit Tracker // init.Habits?
Special Dates ships an update every 3 months, and Habit Tracker // init.Habits every 3 days. Most recently, Special Dates was updated on October 16, 2026 and Habit Tracker // init.Habits on October 14, 2026.

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