# Penzu vs Habitica

The clearest difference is update cadence: Penzu at weekly against Habitica's every 3 weeks. Habitica's advantage is review sentiment (64% vs 52%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Penzu sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Habitica sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for Penzu against 4.3 for Habitica. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.5K and 3.4K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 52% of Penzu's written reviews are positive against 64% of Habitica's.

Penzu ships an update weekly, Habitica every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Penzu | Habitica |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penzu/id452674732/reviews) | **[4.3 (3.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/habitica-gamified-taskmanager/id994882113/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2.5K | **3.4K** |
| Positive reviews | 51.5% of reviews | **64.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 62 MB | 62 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Penzu Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/452674735) | [HabitRPG, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/994882112) |

## What reviewers say

### Penzu

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penzu/id452674732)

This app provides a secure and private space for journaling, note-taking, and storing personal thoughts. It offers robust security features like password and PIN locks, encryption, and cloud syncing across devices. Users can also add photos and tags to their entries, making it a comprehensive digital diary.

**Highlights:** Unlimited journaling, Cloud sync for free, Password and PIN locks, Journal encryption, Add photos to entries, Search and tag entries, Offline writing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Penzu Pro Subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Penzu Pro Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Penzu Pro Upgrade | $18.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🔒 Secure and private
- 📝 Convenient journaling on the go
- 🗓️ Helpful reminders and date tracking
- 💻 Syncs across devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔑 Password issues and lockout problems
- 📁 Syncing and data loss issues
- 📱 Limited functionality on mobile app
- 💰 Expensive premium subscription

**Reported bugs**

- Keyboard disappearing during use
- Entries not saving or syncing properly
- Inability to access account after updates

**Requested features**

- More customization options for fonts, themes, and layouts
- Ability to export/backup journal entries
- Improved mobile app stability and features
- Better customer support and communication


### Habitica

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/habitica-gamified-taskmanager/id994882113)

This app gamifies your life by turning tasks and goals into a retro RPG. Build your avatar, complete daily habits, to-dos, and chores to earn rewards and level up. Team up with friends for accountability and battle challenges together.

**Highlights:** Gamified task and goal management, Avatar customization and leveling, Daily, weekly, and one-time task tracking, Social features: parties, challenges, guilds, Collectable in-game items and gear, Cross-device syncing, Customizable themes and reminders

**Features:** Siri integration, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month Subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| 3 Months Subscription | $14.99 | per 3 months |
| 6 Months Subscription | $29.99 | per 6 months |
| 12 Months Subscription | $47.99 | per year |
| 4 Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| 21 Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| For 1 Month | $4.99 | one-time |
| 42 Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| 84 Gems | $19.99 | one-time |
| For 12 Months | $47.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app for habit tracking and productivity
- 🎮 Gamified approach is motivating
- 🤝 Supportive community
- 💰 Reasonable subscription model

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy at times
- 🤔 Confusing navigation and UI
- 🔒 Issues with login and account sync
- 💸 Gems/rewards locked behind paywall

**Reported bugs**

- Tasks and habits not resetting properly
- Crashes and freezes on app launch
- Inconsistent behavior when rearranging tasks
- Sync issues between mobile and web versions

**Requested features**

- Calendar view for tasks and habits
- Ability to set custom difficulty levels for tasks
- Offline mode for tasks and habits
- Apple Watch app
- More social features and party functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Penzu free?

Penzu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Habitica free?

Habitica is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Penzu or Habitica?

Habitica is rated higher. Penzu averages 4.2 out of 5 from 2.5K ratings, while Habitica averages 4.3 from 3.4K ratings.

### Do Penzu or Habitica have ads?

Neither Penzu nor Habitica shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Penzu or Habitica?

Penzu ships an update weekly, and Habitica every 3 weeks. Most recently, Penzu was updated on September 21, 2026 and Habitica on September 26, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*