# HeatMap vs Dots

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HeatMap at none against Dots's 3. Dots's advantage is ratings volume (226 vs 2) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Dots sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. HeatMap asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for HeatMap against 4.9 for Dots. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dots has 226 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of HeatMap's written reviews are positive against 98% of Dots's.

HeatMap ships an update every 2 weeks, Dots every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HeatMap | Dots |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heatmap-habit-tracker/id6757341452/reviews)** | [4.9 (226 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dots-habit-tracker-widget/id6758730376/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **226** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 98.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 7 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Leonid Chirkov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1853746143) | [Juyong Bak](https://appshunter.io/developer/1791986531) |

## What reviewers say

### HeatMap

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heatmap-habit-tracker/id6757341452)

Visualize your progress with a daily streak tracker that uses a GitHub-style contribution grid. Log habits with simple taps, counters, or timers, and gain insights from detailed statistics. Integrates with home screen widgets and Siri Shortcuts for seamless tracking.

**Highlights:** GitHub-style contribution grid visualization, Yes/No, Counter, and Timer tracking modes, Detailed statistics and trend analysis, Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets, Siri Shortcuts integration, Offline functionality with optional sync, Multiple color palettes and themes

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### 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 HeatMap free?

HeatMap is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Dots free?

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

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

HeatMap is rated higher. HeatMap averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Dots averages 4.9 from 226 ratings.

### Do HeatMap or Dots have ads?

Neither HeatMap nor Dots shows ads.

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

HeatMap ships an update every 2 weeks, and Dots every 5 days. Most recently, HeatMap was updated on October 17, 2026 and Dots on October 25, 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.*