Best Goal Tracking Apps in 2026: 10 Tools Compared

Setting a goal is easy. Tracking it to completion is where most people fall off. Research consistently shows that 92% of people abandon their goals before reaching the finish line, and one of the biggest reasons is a lack of structured tracking. The right goal tracking app bridges the gap between intention and action by giving you visibility into your progress, reminding you what matters, and keeping you accountable day after day.

But with hundreds of productivity apps on the market, finding the one that actually helps you track goals — not just manage tasks — takes real effort. We tested and compared 10 of the most popular goal tracking apps across features, pricing, ease of use, and the specific personas they serve best.

Whether you follow the OKR framework used by Google or prefer a simpler approach to getting started with goal setting, this guide will help you find the tool that fits your workflow.

What to Look for in a Goal Tracking App

Before diving into individual apps, it helps to know what separates a genuine goal tracker from a glorified to-do list. Here are the features that matter most:

• Goal frameworks — Does the app support OKRs, SMART goals, or structured goal hierarchies? Or is it just a flat list of tasks?
• Progress tracking — Can you measure completion percentage, track milestones, and see trends over time?
• Habit integration — Goals are achieved through daily actions. Does the app connect habits to larger objectives?
• Review and reflection — Does the tool prompt you to assess progress through weekly reviews or check-ins?
• Simplicity — A tool you abandon after a week because it is too complex is worse than no tool at all.
• AI assistance — In 2026, AI-powered suggestions for milestones, habits, and routines can save hours of planning.

Quick Comparison: All 10 Goal Tracking Apps

Before we go deep on each tool, here is a summary table so you can compare at a glance.

Now let us look at each app in detail.

1. Beyond Time — The Goal-First Tracker with AI Coaching

What it does best: Beyond Time is purpose-built for personal goal achievement. It combines OKRs, habit tracking, time blocking, and AI coaching into one unified system where everything connects.

Key Features for Goal Tracking

• Native OKR framework — Set objectives and measurable key results (milestones) without any setup.
• AI milestone generation — Describe a goal, and the AI suggests specific, measurable milestones to get you there.
• Habit-to-goal linking — Daily habits connect directly to the goals they support. When you complete a morning run, your "Improve Fitness" goal reflects it.
• Time blocking in 15-minute increments — Allocate time across Work, Health, Sleep, and Life pillars.
• AI-powered daily reflections and coaching — The system learns your patterns and offers personalized suggestions.
• Personal context memory — Beyond Time remembers your preferences and history, so its advice gets sharper over time.

Pricing

• Free: Unlimited goals, milestones, habits, routines, time blocking, and AI milestone suggestions.
• Pro: Mobile apps, advanced AI coaching, deeper analytics, and additional features.

Best For

Professionals, students, and anyone who wants a structured goal-tracking system without spending hours building one. If you use or want to use the OKR framework, Beyond Time is the most direct path. It is also a strong fit if you have read about why goals fail and want a system designed to prevent that.

Limitations

Beyond Time is not a general-purpose workspace. It does not replace your note-taking app or project management tool. It is focused on personal goal achievement, not team collaboration or document management.

Why It Stands Out

Most apps on this list do one thing well — tasks, habits, or planning. Beyond Time is the only tool here that natively connects goals, milestones, habits, routines, and time tracking into one framework with AI that understands the whole picture. You can try the OKR Generator or SMART Goal Validator right now without creating an account.

2. Notion — Flexible but Assembly Required

What it does best: Notion is the most customizable workspace available. You can build almost any system you imagine, including goal trackers, habit logs, and dashboards.

Key Features for Goal Tracking

• Databases with properties — Create goal databases with status, deadlines, categories, and custom fields.
• Relations and rollups — Connect goals to tasks, habits, and projects with calculated progress.
• Template gallery — Hundreds of community-built goal tracking templates to start from.
• Multiple views — Kanban boards, calendars, tables, and galleries for different perspectives.
• Notion AI — General-purpose writing assistant for drafting and summarizing.

Pricing

• Free: Personal use with unlimited pages and blocks.
• Plus: $10/month for unlimited file uploads and extended features.
• Notion AI: Additional $10/month.

Best For

People who enjoy building and customizing productivity systems. If you already live inside Notion for notes, projects, and documentation, adding goal tracking to your existing workspace makes sense.

Limitations

Notion requires significant setup time for goal tracking. You need to build databases, create formulas for progress calculation, and maintain the system as your needs evolve. There is no native goal framework, no habit-to-goal linking, and no progress intelligence. For a deeper dive, see our Beyond Time vs. Notion comparison.

How It Compares to Beyond Time

Notion gives you building blocks. Beyond Time gives you a finished house. If you want to construct a custom system, Notion delivers. If you want to start tracking goals in minutes, Beyond Time removes the setup entirely.

3. Todoist — Strong on Tasks, Light on Goals

What it does best: Todoist is one of the best task management apps available. It captures, organizes, and prioritizes tasks with speed and reliability.

Key Features for Goal Tracking

• Projects as goal containers — Use projects to represent goals and add tasks as steps toward them.
• Priority levels and labels — Tag tasks by importance and category.
• Natural language input — Type "Finish report by Friday p1" and Todoist parses it correctly.
• Karma system — Gamified productivity scoring based on task completion.
• AI-powered task suggestions — Todoist's AI can suggest next actions and help organize tasks.

Pricing

• Free: Up to 5 active projects and basic features.
• Pro: $5/month for 300 projects, reminders, and filters.
• Business: $8/month per user for teams.

Best For

Task-oriented people who think in to-do lists and want fast, reliable task capture. Todoist excels at managing discrete tasks with due dates.

Limitations

Todoist is a task manager, not a goal tracker. There is no way to set measurable outcomes, track completion percentages, or connect habits to goals. Projects can represent goals loosely, but there is no goal framework underneath.

How It Compares to Beyond Time

Todoist answers "What do I need to do today?" Beyond Time answers "Am I making progress on what matters most?" If your goals break down into task lists, Todoist handles execution. If you need objectives, measurable milestones, and habit connections, Beyond Time provides what Todoist does not.

4. Habitica — Gamified Habits, Not Structured Goals

What it does best: Habitica turns your habits and to-dos into a role-playing game. Complete real-life tasks to level up your avatar, earn gold, and fight bosses with friends.

Key Features for Goal Tracking

• Habits, Dailies, and To-Dos — Three distinct categories for recurring habits, daily routines, and one-off tasks.
• RPG mechanics — Experience points, health bars, equipment, and character classes add genuine motivation.
• Party system — Join groups for accountability. When you skip a daily, the whole party takes damage from the boss.
• Rewards marketplace — Spend earned gold on custom rewards you define yourself.
• Challenges — Community-created goal challenges you can join.

Pricing

• Free: Full game with all core features.
• Subscription: From $5/month for cosmetic extras and additional features.

Best For

People who respond strongly to gamification and need external motivation to stay consistent. Habitica works especially well for building lasting habits when traditional trackers feel boring. It is popular among students and younger professionals.

Limitations

Habitica tracks habits and tasks, but it lacks structured goal frameworks. There is no way to set an objective with measurable key results, track completion percentages, or connect daily habits to larger outcomes. The gamification is fun, but it can become the focus rather than the goals themselves. There is no AI assistance, no time tracking, and limited analytics.

How It Compares to Beyond Time

Habitica motivates through game mechanics. Beyond Time motivates through progress visibility and AI coaching. If the RPG format keeps you engaged, Habitica delivers. If you want your habit tracker to understand how daily actions connect to quarterly goals, Beyond Time makes that connection explicit.

5. Strides — Solid Habit and Goal Tracking for iOS

What it does best: Strides combines habit tracking with SMART goal setting in a clean iOS interface. It is one of the few apps that actually supports structured goal types.

Key Features for Goal Tracking

• Four tracker types — Habit, Target, Average, and Milestone trackers cover different goal styles.
• SMART goal support — Set specific, measurable targets with deadlines and progress charts.
• Visual dashboards — Charts and graphs show streaks, completion rates, and trends.
• Flexible scheduling — Track habits daily, weekly, monthly, or on custom schedules.
• Reminders and widgets — iOS widgets for quick logging.

Pricing

• Free: Limited number of habits and goals.
• Plus: From $5/month or $50/year for unlimited tracking.

Best For

iOS users who want structured goal and habit tracking without the complexity of a full productivity suite. Strides hits a sweet spot between simplicity and structure.

Limitations

Strides is iOS and web only — no Android app. The free tier is restrictive, limiting you to a handful of trackers. There is no AI assistance, no OKR framework, no time tracking, and no connection between habits and higher-level goals. It tracks goals and habits separately without linking them.

How It Compares to Beyond Time

Strides offers solid standalone tracking but treats goals and habits as separate systems. Beyond Time connects them, so completing a daily habit automatically contributes to the goal it supports. Beyond Time also adds AI milestone suggestions and time tracking, which Strides lacks entirely.

6. Sunsama — Beautiful Daily Planning, Limited Goal Depth

What it does best: Sunsama is a beautifully designed daily planning tool that pulls tasks from multiple sources (Asana, Trello, Jira, Gmail) into a single focused view for each day.

Key Features for Goal Tracking

• Daily planning ritual — A guided process each morning to choose your focus.
• Objectives feature — Set weekly or longer-term objectives and assign tasks to them.
• Timeboxing — Estimate and allocate time for each task.
• Calendar integration — Deep integration with Google Calendar and Outlook.
• AI daily planning — AI suggests task prioritization based on your schedule.
• Shutdown ritual — End-of-day reflection to review what you accomplished.

Pricing

• 14-day free trial: Full features, then $20/month.
• No free tier: Sunsama requires a paid subscription after the trial.

Best For

Professionals overwhelmed by scattered tasks across multiple tools who want a calm, intentional daily planning experience.

Limitations

Sunsama is designed for daily and weekly planning, not long-term goal tracking. The objectives feature is basic compared to a dedicated goal tracker. There is no habit tracking, no milestone-level granularity, and no progress dashboards. The $20/month price point with no free tier is a significant barrier.

How It Compares to Beyond Time

Sunsama plans your day. Beyond Time plans your quarter, month, week, and day. If you need a beautiful daily planner with multi-tool integration, Sunsama delivers. If you need goals to cascade into daily habits and time blocks with AI coaching, Beyond Time covers the full stack at a lower price with a generous free tier.

7. ClickUp — Project Management with a Goals Add-On

What it does best: ClickUp is a powerful project management platform with a dedicated Goals feature that lets you set targets and track them across workspaces.

Key Features for Goal Tracking

• Goals with targets — Set numerical, monetary, true/false, or task-based targets.
• Goal folders — Organize goals into categories.
• Roll-up progress — Goals aggregate completion from linked tasks and lists.
• Multiple views — List, board, Gantt, calendar, and more.
• ClickUp AI — Writing assistant for documents and task descriptions.

Pricing

• Free: 100MB storage, unlimited members, limited features.
• Unlimited: $7/month per user with full features.
• Business: $12/month per user.

Best For

Teams already using ClickUp for project management who want to add goal tracking without another tool.

Limitations

ClickUp is complex. The learning curve is steep, and the interface can feel overwhelming for personal goal tracking. Goals are a feature within a project management tool, not the core experience. There is no habit tracking, no routine management, and no AI coaching for goals.

How It Compares to Beyond Time

ClickUp manages projects. Beyond Time manages personal goals. If your goals are work projects with team deliverables, ClickUp handles that. If your goals span career, health, relationships, and personal growth, Beyond Time's four-pillar framework (Work, Health, Sleep, Life) provides a more holistic structure.

8. Goalify — Simple and Straightforward

What it does best: Goalify focuses on simplicity. Set goals, track habits, and monitor progress without wading through features you do not need.

Key Features for Goal Tracking

• Goal creation with targets — Set numeric targets with deadlines.
• Habit tracking — Daily, weekly, or custom frequency habits.
• Progress charts — Visual indicators of goal completion.
• Reminders — Push notifications to keep you on track.
• Social accountability — Share goals with friends for mutual motivation.

Pricing

• Free: Basic goal and habit tracking with limitations.
• Premium: From $3/month for unlimited goals and advanced features.

Best For

People who want a dedicated goal tracker without the complexity of a full productivity suite. Goalify is approachable and does the basics well.

Limitations

Goalify is straightforward to a fault. There are no goal frameworks like OKRs or SMART goals, no AI features, no time tracking, and no deeper analytics. It tracks goals as isolated items without connecting them to daily habits or routines in a meaningful way. The app has a smaller development team, so feature updates are less frequent.

How It Compares to Beyond Time

Goalify is a goal checklist. Beyond Time is a goal operating system. If you want the absolute simplest way to write down goals and check them off, Goalify works. If you want your goals connected to milestones, habits, time blocks, and AI suggestions, Beyond Time provides the depth that Goalify does not.

9. Way of Life — Habit Trends, Not Goal Tracking

What it does best: Way of Life tracks habits with a clear yes/no interface and shows beautiful trend charts so you can spot patterns in your behavior over weeks and months.

Key Features for Goal Tracking

• Yes/No/Skip tracking — Simple daily logging for each habit.
• Color-coded trends — Green for good days, red for bad, at a glance.
• Chain tracking — Visual streaks to maintain consistency.
• Notes — Add context to each daily entry.
• Export — CSV export for further analysis.

Pricing

• Free: Track up to 3 habits.
• Premium: One-time purchase of approximately $5 for unlimited habits.

Best For

People who want to visualize habit consistency over time with minimal friction. Way of Life is particularly good at revealing patterns you might not notice otherwise.

Limitations

Way of Life tracks habits, not goals. There is no way to set objectives, define milestones, or measure progress toward an outcome. It does not connect habits to goals, offers no AI features, and no time tracking. The 3-habit limit on the free tier is restrictive, though the one-time premium purchase is affordable.

How It Compares to Beyond Time

Way of Life shows you whether you did a habit today. Beyond Time shows you whether that habit is moving you toward your goal. If you want a simple habit streak tracker with trend visualization, Way of Life does it cleanly. If you want habits to feed into a larger goal achievement system, Beyond Time makes that connection.

10. Google Sheets and Notion Templates — The DIY Approach

What it does best: Spreadsheets and templates offer maximum flexibility and zero subscription costs. You can build exactly the tracking system you want.

Key Features for Goal Tracking

• Complete customization — Design any layout, formula, or visualization you need.
• Free forever — Google Sheets costs nothing. Notion templates are widely available for free.
• Familiar interface — Most people already know how to use spreadsheets.
• Collaboration — Share with accountability partners easily.
• Data ownership — Your data lives in your own Google Drive or Notion workspace.

Pricing

• Google Sheets: Free.
• Notion templates: Free to $30 for premium templates.

Best For

People who enjoy building their own systems and want full control without paying for a subscription. This approach works well for those with specific tracking needs that no app addresses perfectly.

Limitations

The DIY approach requires significant upfront time to build and ongoing effort to maintain. There are no reminders, no mobile-optimized experience, no AI assistance, and no built-in frameworks. Motivation relies entirely on discipline since the spreadsheet will not prompt you, coach you, or adapt. Many people build elaborate spreadsheets in January and abandon them by March.

How It Compares to Beyond Time

Spreadsheets give you a blank canvas. Beyond Time gives you a ready-to-use framework. If you enjoy the process of building and refining tracking systems, the DIY approach offers unlimited flexibility. If you would rather spend that time working on your actual goals, a purpose-built tool like Beyond Time eliminates the setup entirely and adds AI coaching that a spreadsheet cannot replicate.

How to Choose the Right Goal Tracking App

With 10 options in front of you, the decision comes down to a few honest questions:

What kind of goals do you track?

If your goals are primarily work projects with deliverables, ClickUp or Todoist may fit. If your goals span multiple life areas — career growth, fitness, relationships, learning — you need a tool built for that breadth. Beyond Time's Work, Health, Sleep, and Life pillars were designed for exactly this use case.

How much setup are you willing to do?

If you enjoy building systems, Notion or Google Sheets give you a blank canvas. If you want to start tracking goals within minutes, Beyond Time or Strides provide structure out of the box.

Do you need habit tracking?

Goals are achieved through daily actions. If habits matter to you, choose a tool that connects them to outcomes. Beyond Time, Habitica, Strides, and Goalify all offer habit tracking, but only Beyond Time links habits directly to the goals they support.

What is your budget?

Several tools on this list offer strong free tiers. Beyond Time, Notion, Habitica, and Google Sheets all let you track goals without paying. Sunsama requires $20/month from day one, and ClickUp's useful features start at $7/month per user.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best goal tracking app in 2026?

The best goal tracking app depends on your needs. For dedicated goal achievement with OKRs, habits, time tracking, and AI coaching in one place, Beyond Time stands out as the most complete option. For task-heavy workflows, Todoist is excellent. For maximum customization, Notion offers unmatched flexibility. Evaluate based on whether you need a goal tracker, a task manager, or a general workspace.

Are free goal tracking apps good enough?

Yes, for most people. Beyond Time's free tier includes unlimited goals, milestones, habits, and AI milestone suggestions. Notion's free personal plan covers databases and pages. Habitica's free tier includes the full game. The paid tiers typically add convenience features like mobile apps, advanced analytics, or cosmetic upgrades rather than core goal tracking functionality.

What is the difference between a goal tracking app and a habit tracker?

A goal tracking app lets you set measurable objectives, define milestones, and track progress toward outcomes. A habit tracker records whether you completed daily or weekly behaviors. The best systems connect both — daily habits feed into larger goals. Apps like Beyond Time integrate these layers. Apps like Way of Life or Habitica focus primarily on the habit layer without tying them to structured goals.

Can I use a project management tool like ClickUp for personal goals?

You can, but it involves overhead. Project management tools are built for team deliverables, sprints, and task dependencies. Personal goals span life areas, require habit consistency, and benefit from reflection and coaching. A dedicated goal tracker is typically simpler and more effective for individual use.

How do OKRs work in a goal tracking app?

OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) pair a qualitative objective — like "Get healthier" — with measurable key results — like "Run 3 times per week" or "Lose 5 kg by June." Goal tracking apps with native OKR support, like Beyond Time, let you set objectives, define measurable milestones, and automatically calculate progress. You can learn more in our guide to OKRs and the goal-setting framework behind Google.

Should I use one app for everything or separate tools?

Using one integrated tool reduces friction and keeps your goals, habits, and schedule in one place. Every additional app adds switching cost and increases the chance you stop using one. That said, some people prefer specialized tools. The trade-off is between integration and specialization. If you want one tool, Beyond Time covers goals, habits, and time tracking together.

How often should I review my goals in a tracking app?

Daily check-ins for habits and quick progress updates. Weekly reviews to assess what is working and adjust priorities. Monthly or quarterly reviews for bigger strategic changes. The most effective goal trackers prompt you to do this. Beyond Time includes review prompts, and we have a full guide on how to run effective weekly reviews.

Free Tools to Strengthen Your Goal Tracking

No matter which app you choose, these free tools can help you set better goals from the start:

• OKR Generator — Create structured objectives and key results in seconds.
• SMART Goal Validator — Test whether your goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
• AI Milestone Generator — Break any goal into actionable milestones with AI.

The Bottom Line on Goal Tracking Apps in 2026

Every app on this list has strengths. Todoist is a best-in-class task manager. Notion offers unrivaled flexibility. Habitica makes daily habits genuinely fun. Sunsama delivers the calmest daily planning experience available.

But goal tracking is a specific discipline. It requires structured objectives, measurable milestones, connected habits, time awareness, and regular reviews. Most apps on this list handle one or two of those pieces. Beyond Time is the only tool we found that natively connects all five.

That does not mean it is the right choice for everyone. If you already live inside Notion, adding goal databases to your existing workspace might be the path of least resistance. If gamification is what keeps you consistent, Habitica will serve you better than any serious-looking dashboard. If you are a spreadsheet person at heart, Google Sheets gives you total control.

The worst option? Not tracking at all. Pick a tool, commit to it for 30 days, and see what happens. Your goals deserve more than a January resolution that fades by February.

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