I built Daymint instead of using Todoist + Habitica. Here's why.

sourav swain — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 09:36:53 +0000

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.souravsn.daymint

I Built a Habit Tracker App Instead of Using Todoist + Habitica

For 2 years, I juggled 3 different apps for productivity:

Todoist for tasks
Habitica for habits
Google Calendar for planning

Every morning, I'd switch between them 10+ times. It was exhausting.

So I built Daymint - and it's completely changed how I work.

The Problem: App Fatigue

The fundamental issue with using multiple productivity apps:

Context switching - Your brain loses focus switching between apps
Fragmented data - Your tasks are in one place, habits in another
Inconsistency - You miss tracking because you forget which app to use
Cost - Premium features cost $50-100/year combined
Complexity - Learning 3 UIs instead of mastering one

I'm not alone. According to a study by the American Psychological Association,
context switching reduces productivity by 40%.

Why These Apps Weren't Enough

Todoist

✓ Powerful task management

✓ Beautiful UI

✗ Terrible for habit tracking

✗ Habit features feel bolted-on

Habitica

✓ Great habit tracking with gamification

✓ Community features

✗ Overkill if you just want simple tracking

✗ Not designed for task management

Google Calendar

✓ Essential for scheduling

✗ Not designed for habit tracking or tasks

✗ Messy mixing of events with habits

The core problem: No single app did all three well.

What I Built Instead

I spent 3 months building Daymint specifically to solve this problem.

Core Features

1. Daily Planner (Multiple Views)

Today view - see all your tasks + habits for today
Calendar view - plan your entire week
Timeline view - time-block your day
See everything at a glance

2. Habit Tracker (Built for Real Habit Building)
This is what sets it apart.

Most habit apps just count streaks. Daymint:

Tracks WHY you're building the habit (motivation)
Shows progress analytics (visual proof you're improving)
Displays streaks (the most motivating metric)
Reminds you intelligently (not annoying notifications)

The research is clear: Visual progress is the #1 motivator for habit building.

3. Task Manager (Simple but Powerful)

Add tasks with priorities, due dates, reminders
Organize with labels and categories
Search, filter, sort (find anything instantly)
Snooze reminders (deal with tasks when you're ready)

4. Everything Offline + Private

Works completely offline (no internet required)
Your data never leaves your device (no cloud)
No tracking, no ads, no servers
Completely free forever

Key Differences: Daymint vs The Alternatives

Feature	Daymint	Todoist	Habitica	Google Cal
Daily Planning	✓	✓	✗	✓
Habit Tracking	✓	✗	✓	✗
Task Management	✓	✓	✗	✗
Offline	✓	✗	✗	✗
Free Forever	✓	✗ (requires Pro)	✓	✓
Privacy	✓	✗	✓	✗
Single App	✓	✓	✓	✓
All 3 Together	✓	✗	✗	✗

The Technical Side

Why I built it this way:

Built with:

Kotlin for Android (clean, modern language)
Room Database for offline-first architecture
Material Design 3 for modern UI
MVVM architecture for maintainability
Zero dependencies on servers or cloud services

I deliberately chose offline-first + local storage because:

Privacy - Your habits are personal
Reliability - No internet issues
Speed - Everything instant, no network latency
Control - You own your data

What I Learned

1. The Power of Focus

Building ONE app that does three things well > THREE apps doing one thing each.

The feature creep temptation was real. But I forced myself to ask:
"Does this help with daily planning + task management + habit tracking?"

If not, it got cut.

2. Offline-First Changes Everything

Most apps assume cloud sync. When you design offline-first:

Users feel more in control
Privacy concerns disappear
Speed improves dramatically
Trust increases

3. Habit Building is Psychological, Not Technical

The best feature isn't the algorithm or the sync. It's:

Visual progress (streaks)
Consistent reminders (at the right time)
Celebration of wins (30-day milestones)
Low friction (1-tap to complete)

Results So Far

Launched 2 weeks ago on Android:

50+ downloads
4.2+ rating (from early users)
100% positive feedback
Completely free, no ads

Should You Use Daymint?

Yes, if you:

Want everything in ONE app
Value privacy + offline
Don't need cloud sync
Want a simple, clean UI
Can't afford $50+/year for premium tools

No, if you:

Love Todoist's power features
Need cross-device sync
Want gamified habit tracking (Habitica)
Use teams/collaboration

Get Started

Download Daymint completely free on Google Play Store:
[Play Store Link]

No ads, no tracking, no premium features. Just a simple, powerful
daily planner + habit tracker.

What's Next?

I'm actively developing Daymint based on feedback. Currently working on:

Recurring task templates
More analytics on habit progress
Custom habit schedules
Export features

I'd love to hear from you:

What features would make it 5 stars for you?
What's missing compared to your current setup?
What's one thing you struggle with in productivity?

Drop a comment below or email me at s22542273@gmail.com

Have you felt the pain of using multiple productivity apps?
What's your setup? Let me know in the comments!

DEV Community: sourav swain