# Ripples vs Habits First

Ripples and Habits First are too close to call on the numbers: across 10 compared parameters — price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Both are free to download. Ripples sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Habits First sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Habits First holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 235 and 186 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of Ripples's written reviews are positive against 95% of Habits First's.

Ripples ships an update fortnightly, Habits First weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ripples | Habits First |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (235 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ripples-habit-tracker/id6502667826/reviews) | **[4.9 (186 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/habits-first/id6791076258/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **235** | 186 |
| Positive reviews | 92.8% of reviews | **94.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 43 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **18.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mykola Harmash](https://appshunter.io/developer/1746395857) | [Eric Su](https://appshunter.io/developer/1763094575) |

## 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


### Habits First

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/habits-first/id6791076258)

This app helps you build healthy habits by blocking distracting social media apps until you complete your daily goals. It uses the Premack principle to reinforce desired behaviors, offering flexible tracking and commitment options. The core functionality is free, with an optional one-time purchase for advanced integrations.

**Highlights:** Blocks social media apps, Tracks custom habits (walks, workouts, reading), Integrates with health trackers, Flexible blocking schedules and locations, Commitment locks for long-term goals, Optional one-time purchase for advanced features

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Habits Pro | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ripples free?

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

### Is Habits First free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Ripples or Habits First?

Habits First is rated higher. Ripples averages 4.7 out of 5 from 235 ratings, while Habits First averages 4.9 from 186 ratings.

### Do Ripples or Habits First have ads?

Neither Ripples nor Habits First shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ripples or Habits First?

Ripples ships an update fortnightly, and Habits First weekly. Most recently, Ripples was updated on October 25, 2026 and Habits First on October 29, 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.*