The short answer
Daily Pact
Our pick★ 5.0 on the App StoreIf what's missing is someone other than a bird noticing.
Daily Pact keeps the small daily goals and adds your friends: a private group, one-tap check-ins, a leaderboard for showing up, and PactPause so a bad week is approved, not punished. iPhone and Android. Free for 14 days, then $0.99 a month.
If that doesn't fit you
- You want the living-thing metaphor, with friends: Forest or the free Flora.
- You want the game, bigger: Habitica.
- You want plain and free: HabitShare.
- You want the journaling and breathing: keep Finch.
Quick comparison
| App | Friends | Free tier | Gentle | Journaling | Price | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Daily PactOur pickFriend groups, one-tap check-ins | $0.99/mo after trial | iOS · Android | ||||
| HabiticaRPG with parties | Free / $4.99/mo | Web · iOS · Android | ||||
| ForestFocus timer | Free / $5.99/mo | iOS · Android · Watch | ||||
| FloraFocus timer with friends | Free | iOS · Android | ||||
| HabitShareIndividual habits, shared view | Free | iOS · Android | ||||
| FinchSelf-care pet | Free / $9.99/mo | iOS · Android |
Prices are US storefront, checked 10 September 2026.
How we chose
We build Daily Pact, so read our pick with that in mind. Every app here was judged on the same questions: who notices when you skip, how fast the check-in is, what happens after a missed day, and what it really costs. We say plainly where another app does something we don't. The full policy is on our About page.
1. Daily Pact
Our pickThe accountability Finch leaves out
Finch is kind to you. Daily Pact is your friends being kind to you, which tends to work for longer. You put the same small daily goals — drink water, go outside, stretch, journal — into a private group, tap when they're done, and the people in the group see it. No bird, no coins, no feed; the reward is a leaderboard and a notification when a friend checks in. PactPause lets you pause without losing a streak, which is Finch's gentleness, applied to the group.
New accounts get 14 days free · No credit card
Pros
- Rated 5.0 on the App Store
- Friends see your check-ins
- One tap, no rituals
- PactPause — pause without losing the streak
- Daily or weekly goals
- iPhone and Android
Cons
- No pet, no journaling, no breathing exercises
- No free tier after 14 days
- Needs at least one friend to be worth it
2. Habitica
Finch's older, busier cousin
If what you liked about Finch was the game, Habitica is the deeper version: an avatar that levels up from your habits, gear, quests and parties where your misses hurt the group. Free everywhere; the $4.99 subscription is cosmetic. It's far more complex than Finch and much less soft.
Pros
- Free
- Real social layer via parties
- Web app
Cons
- Complex
- Harsh on missed days
- Not gentle
3. Forest
A tree instead of a bird
Forest keeps the living-thing metaphor — a tree grows while you focus and dies if you leave — and adds 'plant together' sessions with friends. It's about focus sessions, not daily self-care habits. Free with in-app purchases; subscription $5.99 a month or about $33–36 a year. 4.8 from 49,000 ratings.
Pros
- Same gentle metaphor
- Plant together with friends
- Apple Watch
Cons
- Sessions, not habits
- Subscription for the extras
- Friend invites are clunky
4. Flora
Free trees, real trees
Flora is Forest's free sibling: plant a tree, stay off the phone, plant together with friends, and optionally pay to have real trees planted. 4.8 from 82,000 ratings. Same limits as Forest — it's a session timer, not a daily-goals app.
Pros
- Free
- Friends plant together
- Optional real-tree planting
Cons
- Session-based
- No daily goal tracking
- Tree dies if you take a call
6. Finch
For reference: what you're leaving
Finch is a self-care pet: daily goals, journaling prompts, breathing exercises and a bird that grows with you. The core app is free and it has 750,000 App Store ratings at 4.9, which is remarkable. It has no friends features inside the app, and Finch Plus is about $9.99 a month or $69.99 a year.
Pros
- Free core app
- Genuinely kind
- Journaling and breathing built in
Cons
- Solo
- Busy
- Plus is $69.99/yr
Why people leave Finch, and what to keep
Finch's reviews are overwhelmingly happy, so the reasons people look elsewhere are specific: the app got busy, Plus got expensive, the bird stopped being motivating, or — most often — there's no one in it but you. Which one is yours decides the alternative.
| What you want to keep | What you want to add | Try |
|---|---|---|
| Small daily goals | Friends who see them | Daily Pact or HabitShare |
| A living thing that grows | Friends | Forest or Flora |
| The game | More game, and a party | Habitica |
| Free | Calm | HabitShare |
| Journaling and breathing | — | keep Finch; none of the others do this |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best alternative to Finch?
It depends on what you want to add. For friends who see your small daily goals, Daily Pact. For a living-thing metaphor with friends, Forest or Flora. For a fuller game, Habitica. For a plain, free list shared with friends, HabitShare. None of them replaces Finch's journaling and breathing exercises.
Is there a free alternative to Finch?
Finch's core app is already free. Free alternatives include HabitShare, Flora, Habitica and Forest's core app. Daily Pact is free for 14 days, then $0.99 a month.
Does Finch have friends or social features?
Not inside the app. Finch has community spaces on Discord, Reddit and social media, but no way for friends to see each other's goals in the app. Daily Pact, HabitShare, Forest and Flora all do.
Is Finch for adults?
Yes, most of its users are adults, and its tone is deliberately gentle. If the tone is what's stopped working, HabitShare and Daily Pact are the plainest options; Habitica is the opposite direction.
Related guides
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5.0 from 12 App Store ratingsAvailable on iPhone & Android · 14 days free for new accounts