# Star Writer vs Habitica

The clearest difference is rating: Star Writer at 5.0 against Habitica's 4.3. Star Writer also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and review sentiment (83% vs 64%). Habitica's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 42 months) and ratings volume (3.6K vs 4). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Habitica sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Star Writer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Star Writer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Habitica has 3.6K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Star Writer's written reviews are positive against 64% of Habitica's.

Star Writer ships an update every 42 months, Habitica every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Star Writer | Habitica |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-writer/id985877519/reviews)** | [4.3 (3.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/habitica-gamified-taskmanager/id994882113/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **3.6K** |
| Positive reviews | **83.3% of reviews** | 64.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 42 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 20 MB | 69 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Rainbow Brainskull LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/886945476) | [HabitRPG, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/994882112) |

## What reviewers say

### Star Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-writer/id985877519)

Create mesmerizing psychedelic art with this drawing tool.  The speed of your finger movements directly influences the flow of energy in your creations. Explore endless visual possibilities by adjusting star sizes.

**Highlights:** Psychedelic imagery creation, Finger-drag responsive energy flow, Adjustable star sizes, Intuitive drawing interface

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### 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 Star Writer free?

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

### Is Habitica free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Star Writer or Habitica?

Star Writer is rated higher. Star Writer averages 5.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Habitica averages 4.3 from 3.6K ratings.

### Do Star Writer or Habitica have ads?

Neither Star Writer nor Habitica shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Star Writer or Habitica?

Star Writer ships an update every 42 months, and Habitica every 3 weeks. Most recently, Star Writer was updated on November 1, 2026 and Habitica on November 1, 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.*