# Ripples vs Dots

The clearest difference is monetization model: Dots at free against Ripples's free with in-app purchases. Dots also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs fortnightly) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ripples sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Dots sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Dots holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 235 and 224 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of Ripples's written reviews are positive against 98% of Dots's.

Ripples ships an update fortnightly, Dots every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ripples | Dots |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (235 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ripples-habit-tracker/id6502667826/reviews) | **[4.9 (224 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dots-habit-tracker-widget/id6758730376/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **235** | 224 |
| Positive reviews | 92.8% of reviews | **98.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 43 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **17.6** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mykola Harmash](https://appshunter.io/developer/1746395857) | [Juyong Bak](https://appshunter.io/developer/1791986531) |

## What reviewers say

### Ripples

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ripples-habit-tracker/id6502667826)

This app helps you build and maintain new habits and achieve your goals. It offers a visual calendar grid to track your progress, detailed metrics, and the ability to log specific amounts for each action. You can also add notes, use Siri shortcuts, and view your progress with widgets.

**Highlights:** Visual calendar grid progress tracking, Vital metrics and analytics, Track specific amounts and custom units, Notes and journal entries, Siri shortcuts and automation, Interactive widgets

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Plus Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| Powerpack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Powerpack Family | $17.99 | one-time |
| Ripples Plus Lifetime | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Minimalist and clean UI design
- 🎨 Beautiful animations and fluid interactions
- 📱 Excellent widget implementation
- 🚀 Simple and intuitive to use
- 💰 One-time purchase (no subscription)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔔 Unreliable notification system
- 🐛 UI bugs affecting usability
- 💳 Purchase restoration issues
- 🔐 Lifetime purchase unlock problems
- ⚠️ No developer response to support issues

**Reported bugs**

- Notifications not working reliably
- UI bugs causing app to become unusable
- Restore purchases not functioning
- Pro features not unlocking after purchase
- Lifetime purchase redemption not working

**Requested features**

- Check-in reminders/notifications
- Apple Watch app and complications
- iCloud sync across devices
- Weekly and monthly habit tracking
- Filtering by categories or tags


### Dots

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dots-habit-tracker-widget/id6758730376)

This is a free habit tracker focused on simplicity and visual progress. It offers clean design and customizable home screen widgets to help users build consistency and stay motivated with their daily routines.

**Highlights:** Free habit tracking, Customizable home screen widgets, Visual progress tracking with dots, Clean and focused design, Weekly and monthly heatmaps

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dots Pro — Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Dots Pro — Yearly | $11.99 | per year |
| Dots Pro — Lifetime | $24.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ripples free?

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

### Is Dots free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Ripples or Dots?

Dots is rated higher. Ripples averages 4.7 out of 5 from 235 ratings, while Dots averages 4.9 from 224 ratings.

### Do Ripples or Dots have ads?

Neither Ripples nor Dots shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ripples or Dots?

Ripples ships an update fortnightly, and Dots every 5 days. Most recently, Ripples was updated on October 24, 2026 and Dots on October 24, 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.*