Compare HabitKit and PaperSpan: Which App is the Best?
HabitKit is a beautifully designed habit tracking app that helps you form new habits with tile-based grid charts. It's privacy-focused, easy to use, and perfect for tracking daily, weekly, or monthly habits. | A reliable read-it-later app with clean formatting and offline reading. Great for organizing articles by category, though the interface feels dated. | |
| Key Features A summary of the most important features offered by each app. |
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| Our Rating Prod Apps's expert review score for each app, based on hands-on testing and research. | 9.3 Winner in this category | 7.2 |
| Total users Total active users across all major browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari. | 0 | 0 |
| Total ratings Total number of user ratings received across all supported browsers. | 0 | 0 |
| Average rating Average user rating across all browsers, calculated from available store ratings. | — ⭐ | — ⭐ |
| Entry Level Price The minimum price required to start using the app. "Free" means a free tier is available. | Free | Free |
| Android User rating and stats for the app on Android browser. |  Downloads | Downloads |
| iOS User rating and stats for the app on iOS browser. |  | |
| Features Prod Apps's expert score for the 'Features' aspect of each app. | 8.5 HabitKit delivers a solid set of core habit tracking features, focusing on simplicity and effectiveness. The standout is the GitHub-style heatmap, which makes tracking your progress both motivating and visually satisfying. Key features we found especially useful include:
There are some limitations: the free version restricts you to 4 habits, which may not be enough for everyone, and there's no way to organize habits into categories or folders. Widgets are visually appealing but don't allow direct interaction. Still, the features that are present are thoughtfully implemented and work reliably. We rate features at 8.5—excellent for core functionality, but with room for more organizational tools. Winner in this category | 7.3 PaperSpan is pretty good at the basic stuff. It takes messy web articles and makes them actually readable, which is honestly the main thing you want from an app like this. No ads, no random pop-ups, just clean text that's easy on the eyes.
The annoying part is that sometimes the text gets cut off halfway through an article, so you have to switch to the web view to finish reading. Also, the search could be better. It's a solid app for basic use, but if you want fancy features, you might be disappointed. We'd give it 7.3 out of 10. |
| Performance Prod Apps's expert score for the 'Performance' aspect of each app. | 9.2 HabitKit performs exceptionally well in day-to-day use. The app is lightweight, launches quickly, and all interactions—such as marking completions, navigating between views, and customizing habits—are smooth and responsive. Animations are fluid and add to the overall polished feel of the app without causing any lag. We encountered very few bugs or crashes, and the app remained stable even when tracking a large number of habits (in the premium version). User reviews echo this experience, with most people praising the app's reliability and speed. A handful of users mentioned minor issues with widgets, such as sizing or display quirks on certain devices, but these did not affect the core functionality and were often addressed in updates. Overall, HabitKit delivers a consistently fast and stable experience, both in our hands-on testing and according to the majority of user feedback. We rate its performance at 9.2 out of 10. Winner in this category | 6.9 Performance is PaperSpan's biggest weakness. When everything works correctly, the app is fast and responsive. Article saving is quick, reading is smooth, and offline functionality is excellent. The problem is consistency—too many things go wrong too often. The most common issues we encountered include sync problems between devices, network connectivity failures during signup, and the frustrating text view cutoff that interrupts reading sessions. The discontinued Chrome extension also limits desktop integration significantly. These aren't dealbreaking problems, but they add up to an inconsistent user experience. The positive news is that recent ratings have improved significantly (4.13/5 for the last 100 reviews compared to 3.8/5 overall), indicating the developers are actively addressing these issues. Performance score: 6.9/10. |
| Design Prod Apps's expert score for the 'Design' aspect of each app. | 9.5 HabitKit's design is one of its greatest strengths. The minimalist aesthetic strikes a perfect balance between beauty and usability. The GitHub-inspired tile grid is not only visually appealing but also serves as a powerful motivational tool—watching your chosen colors fill the grid is genuinely satisfying. We especially liked:
Animations are smooth and purposeful, and the typography is clear and readable. While the minimalist approach may feel sparse to some, especially when managing many habits, we found it refreshing and effective. We rate design at 9.5. Winner in this category | 6.2 PaperSpan's design prioritizes function over form, which works well for the reading experience but falls short everywhere else. The article reader itself is excellent—clean typography, perfect spacing, and smart image handling make reading genuinely enjoyable.
The problem is everything outside the reading experience. The overall interface looks and feels outdated compared to modern apps. Multiple users mentioned this in reviews, and we completely agree—PaperSpan desperately needs a visual refresh. The functionality is solid, but the dated appearance undermines the user experience. Design score: 6.2/10. |
| Value for Money Prod Apps's expert score for the 'Value for Money' aspect of each app. | 9.5 HabitKit offers a strong value proposition, especially when compared to other habit trackers. The free version is genuinely useful for those with minimal needs, providing all core tracking features and a beautiful, ad-free experience. However, it does limit you to tracking just 4 habits, which several users found restrictive if you want to monitor more aspects of your life. Upgrading to premium unlocks unlimited habits, widgets, advanced analytics, and data backup/export. Pricing is fair and transparent, with options for a monthly, yearly, or one-time lifetime purchase. Many users appreciate the availability of a lifetime license, which is rare among productivity apps and offers excellent long-term value. The premium features are genuinely useful and not just cosmetic add-ons. We also liked that there are no hidden costs, no ads, and no data collection, which adds to the sense of getting good value for your money. While some users wished the free version allowed tracking a few more habits, most agreed that the premium upgrade is worth it if the app fits your workflow. Overall, HabitKit delivers a high-quality experience at a reasonable price, and we rate its value for money at 9.5 out of 10. Winner in this category | 8.1 This is where PaperSpan absolutely excels. The free version is genuinely useful—not a crippled demo designed to force you into paying. You get article saving, clean reading, offline access, and basic organization without any artificial restrictions. It's refreshingly honest in a world of manipulative freemium models. The premium subscription at €10.99 monthly unlocks audio playback, enhanced search, Kindle integration, and improved syncing. For heavy readers who use these features daily, it's reasonably priced. Casual users will find the free version more than sufficient for their needs. What impressed us most was user feedback describing PaperSpan as "the only read later app providing all the features for free." While not entirely accurate, it speaks to how generous the free tier feels. The pricing is fair and transparent—no hidden costs or misleading trials. Value for money score: 8.1/10. |
| Ease of Use Prod Apps's expert score for the 'Ease of Use' aspect of each app. | 9.5 HabitKit is remarkably intuitive and user-friendly. The "less is more" philosophy makes it easy to get started and maintain your habits without confusion or clutter. Highlights include:
The only minor quirk is that reordering habits requires a long-press, which isn't immediately obvious to new users. Once learned, it's easy to use. We rate ease of use at 9.5. Winner in this category | 7.8 PaperSpan gets this right from the first minute. The app is genuinely intuitive—no complex setup, no overwhelming feature lists, just straightforward functionality that works exactly as you'd expect. Within minutes of downloading, you're saving and reading articles effortlessly. The basics are seamless. Save articles with one click from your browser, and the automatic categorization handles organization without any input from you. Reading controls are exactly where you'd expect them, and switching between text and web view is instant when needed. We did encounter some frustrating technical issues. Network connectivity problems during signup affect multiple users, and we experienced sync delays between devices. The text cutoff issue can be annoying mid-article. These problems don't break the app, but they create unnecessary friction in what should be a smooth experience. Ease of use score: 7.8/10. |
| Security & Privacy Prod Apps's expert score for the 'Security & Privacy' aspect of each app. | 9.8 HabitKit stands out for its privacy-first approach. All data is stored locally on your device, with no account required and no remote servers involved. The app works fully offline, so there's no risk of data interception, and you can export your data manually whenever you wish. We found no evidence of third-party analytics or tracking tools. The app only requests essential permissions, such as notifications for reminders. This commitment to privacy is rare and highly appreciated. The only small drawback is that backups are manual, so you'll need to remember to export your data regularly. We rate security and privacy at 9.8. Winner in this category | 6.8 Security and privacy aren't PaperSpan's strongest selling points, mainly because there's limited transparency about how your data is handled. The app stores your reading data on their servers for syncing across devices, which is standard practice but means your reading habits and saved articles aren't kept locally. What concerned us most was the lack of detailed privacy documentation. For an app that handles your reading preferences, article URLs, and potentially sensitive saved content, clearer communication about data protection would be reassuring. We didn't encounter obvious security problems during testing, but the transparency gap is noticeable. Most users probably won't find this problematic for everyday use, but privacy-conscious readers might want to dig deeper into the terms of service or consider alternatives with more transparent data practices. Security and privacy gets 6.8 out of 10. |
| Conclusion A summary of our findings and final thoughts for each app. | HabitKit has proven itself to be a standout habit tracking app that truly delivers on its promises. Its greatest strength lies in its simplicity and focus—it does one thing exceptionally well, rather than trying to be everything for everyone. The app's beautiful design, intuitive interface, and strong privacy focus make it a compelling choice for anyone serious about building better habits. While the free version's 4-habit limit may be restrictive for some, the premium upgrade offers excellent value for those who need more comprehensive tracking. We especially appreciate the developer's commitment to privacy and the option for a lifetime purchase, rather than forcing users into a subscription. Regular updates and responsive support suggest this is an app that will continue to improve over time. If you're looking for a clean, efficient, and privacy-focused way to track your habits, HabitKit is an excellent choice that we can confidently recommend. | After using PaperSpan for a while, we'd actually recommend it to most people. Yeah, it looks a bit old and has some annoying bugs, but it does the main job really well. If you commute a lot or just want to actually read those articles you save instead of letting them pile up forever, this app helps. It's not fancy, but it works, and sometimes that's exactly what you need. |
| Our Recommendation | ||
