Strides: Habit Tracker + Goals

Four tracker types handle distinct goal categories well

Strides organizes self-improvement around four tracker types: streak calendars for daily habits, milestone trackers for one-time goals, average trackers for repeating numeric values, and a target tracker for flexible use cases. That taxonomy is genuinely useful because tracking a daily meditation practice is a fundamentally different problem than tracking a savings balance, and Strides treats them accordingly. Over 150 built-in templates cover fitness, finance, health, and productivity, reducing the setup burden considerably. Progress reports then pull everything together into a consolidated view of how goals are trending over time. For users who want structured accountability, the feature set is among the deepest available on iOS.

Heavy app size poses friction on older devices

At 143 MB, Strides sits on the heavier end of the productivity category, where comparable apps often land well under 50 MB. That footprint likely reflects local data storage, charting libraries, and a substantial template database rather than bloat for its own sake. Users on newer devices should notice no meaningful friction, but those on older hardware or constrained storage may feel the weight. The app has been updated continuously since 2013, with version 19.11 shipping in July 2026, which suggests the development team actively addresses bugs and compatibility with current iOS releases. A high rating volume of 19,000 reviews also implies stable day-to-day reliability rather than a pattern of unresolved crashes.

Hidden pricing requires trial before purchase commitment

Strides is free to download, but the full feature set sits behind in-app purchases whose exact pricing is not disclosed upfront in the App Store listing. That ambiguity is a real friction point because users may invest significant setup time before discovering which features require a subscription. For power users who rely on multiple tracker types, progress reports, and reminders daily, a paid tier is likely justifiable given the app's decade-plus track record. Casual trackers who only need a simple streak counter, however, may find free alternatives sufficient. Evaluating the free tier thoroughly before committing to a purchase is the sensible approach.

Privacy details warrant review on App Store

Strides carries a 4+ content rating, indicating no objectionable material. Beyond that, the definitive source for understanding what data the app collects, links to your identity, or shares with third parties is the App Store privacy label on the app's product page. Habit and goal data can be sensitive, covering health routines, financial targets, and personal milestones, so reviewing that label before signing up is worthwhile. Pay particular attention to whether data is used for third-party advertising, given that the app is free and ad-supported models often involve some data sharing. We recommend checking notification and health-kit permission prompts at install time as well.

Visual design prioritizes progress but rewards orientation time

Strides presents a clean, chart-forward interface that prioritizes visual progress feedback, which aligns well with the motivational purpose of habit tracking. The template library and multiple tracker types do introduce navigational complexity, and new users may need a short orientation period before the structure feels intuitive. The app's content rating of 4+ and its long App Store tenure suggest a polished, stable UI. Formal accessibility findings, such as VoiceOver compatibility or Dynamic Type support, are best verified by enabling those features during a trial session, as the App Store accessibility information section is the authoritative reference for iOS apps.

Thirteen years of updates signal sustained commitment

Few habit trackers can claim the longevity Strides has demonstrated. The original release dates to July 2013, and version 19.11 shipped in July 2026, meaning the app has seen consistent development across more than 13 years and dozens of iOS generations. That update cadence is a meaningful trust signal in a category littered with abandoned apps. A version number in the high teens also implies iterative refinement rather than occasional large rewrites. For users who invest significant time configuring trackers and building historical data, the evidence of ongoing maintenance reduces the risk that the app will be orphaned mid-journey.