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HabitKit
SaaS

HabitKit is a minimalist cross-platform habit tracking app that helps users build and maintain daily habits through a visual grid-based interface.

habitkit.app · 44 public sources · Updated 3 days ago

Researched profile. Starter Story's AI research system compiled this page from 44 public sources — the founder didn't write it. Automated research can misread or misattribute a source, so treat figures as best-effort. How this works →

How HabitKit Grew

Visual habit tracker using tile-based grids.

How did HabitKit grow?

Summary of the sourced claims below

HabitKit grew primarily through building in public on Twitter, which helped gain early users, ratings, and momentum. App Store Optimization, including editing metadata and gathering user reviews, significantly improved its discoverability and rankings. Crossing a certain threshold led to accelerated downloads and revenue, further boosted by features in videos and podcasts.

Channels

16 channels · grouped by how HabitKit grows

  • Organic social media

    · 6 mentions · 6 sources
    “Throughout the entire development process, I built HabitKit in public on Twitter, sharing everything about my journey and progress. I posted screenshots from the early development stages, asked for feedback from my audience, and added their suggestions quickly.… Besides that, Twitter has been my ...”
    high
    Show 5 more quotes
    “Building in public on Twitter/X has been by far the most successful way I've grown and marketed my apps. I’ve built a community around my products by sharing development updates, screenshots, and insights from my indie hacking journey.Engaging with other indie hackers and responding to user feedb...”
    high
    “Of course, I also didn’t stop sharing my journey on social media and here on this blog. I've written over 42 blog articles and shared my journey on social media with over 14,000 followers.”
    high
    “Additionally, he uses Build in Public on Twitter/X (18,000 followers), LinkedIn (5,000 followers), and his newsletter “Building an Indie App Business” with now 1,000 subscribers on Substack: ... These channels primarily serve for community exchange and as a motivation tool.”
    medium
    “He also decided to build in public on Twitter. By sharing early screenshots, asking for feedback, and listening to it, he not only improved the app but built an audience before launch. When it went live, people were already waiting for it.”
    high
    “Substack Newsletter: 1,225 Subscribers (36 articles written) X/Twitter: 20,000 Followers (countless posts) LinkedIn: 6,000 Followers (countless posts)”
    high

  • SEO

    · 5 mentions · 5 sources
    “2025 was the year HabitKit finally broke into the top 5 for the keyword “habit tracker” in the US App Store. This is THE market that matters, and ranking there changed everything. The impact was massive. My monthly revenue stabilized above $40k over the year, which is still hard to believe when I...”
    high
    Show 4 more quotes
    “I also spent time optimizing my app listings on the App Store and Google Play. By carefully researching and selecting relevant keywords for my apps, I’ve improved the discoverability of my apps. Nowadays, ~98% of my new users find my apps directly on the App Store or Google Play.”
    high
    “My growth, my revenue is currently completely based on the ranking in the App Store and Google Play.”
    high
    “Most downloads come directly from the App Store and Google Play. Sebastian credits strong App Store Optimization for that success. Good screenshots, the right keywords, a clear title, and a clean description all make a difference.”
    high
    “Months after launch—after Sebastian had already returned to a four-day-a-week job—HabitKit suddenly began ranking for “habit tracker” in multiple App Store regions, including Germany and the UK. Shortly after, Google Play followed.”
    high

  • Building in public

    · 5 mentions · 5 sources
    “In the beginning, building in public was huge for me. I shared my journey and development process across multiple platforms like X, LinkedIn, Blue Sky, and Threads. I tried to create authentic content, share about my wins, failures, successes, and so on that led to unexpected opportunities, being...”
    high
    Show 4 more quotes
    “Building in public on Twitter/X has been by far the most successful way I've grown and marketed my apps. I’ve built a community around my products by sharing development updates, screenshots, and insights from my indie hacking journey. Engaging with other indie hackers and responding to user feed...”
    high
    “The post highlights that building a niche mobile-app portfolio and building in public alongside strong App Store optimization were key strategies in reaching $15k/month.”
    medium
    “Early on, building in public played a critical role. It helped HabitKit get its first users, early ratings, and initial momentum.”
    high
    “Instead, he built in public, sharing screenshots, updates, and revenue transparently on X (Twitter). This not only brought early users but also helped him stay motivated through long stretches of slow growth.”
    medium

  • Podcasting

    · 2 mentions · 2 sources
    “I also had the honor of appearing on two German-speaking podcasts to talk about my indie journey: Engineering Kiosk Podcast... Happy Bootstrapping... We talked about building in public, the ups and downs of indie hacking, and what it actually takes to make a living from your own apps.”
    high
    Show 1 more quote
    “I also made two podcast appearances this year: I was a guest at the Happy Bootstrapping podcast (German-speaking only) and talked about how I built my app business. I also had the honor to talk about my journey on the RevenueCat SubClub podcast.”
    high

  • SEO

    · 2 mentions · 2 sources
    “Since then, my app has grown significantly, reaching $15,000 in monthly recurring revenue through a combination of building in public and effective App Store optimization... App Store Optimization is basically editing your App Store metadata like keywords, app name, or subtitle, or even the scree...”
    high
    Show 1 more quote
    “I've spent a lot of time learning about App Store Optimization (ASO) and here's what it comes down to: Good screenshots, Great title + subtitle, The right keywords, And a clear description”
    high

  • Google Ads

    · 2 mentions · 2 sources
    “Another important aspect are search ads. I won a super simple and low budget Apple search ads campaign. I only spent $100 per month on it. I just used this as a potential ranking boost strategy because I have the hope that Apple favors developers who also run ads on their platform.”
    high
    Show 1 more quote
    “His secret? App Store Optimization (ASO). Learn how Sebastian Röhl launched HabitKit, a clean offline habit tracker that grew purely through organic discovery on the App Store.”
    medium

  • Video content

    · 2 mentions · 2 sources
    “In December, HabitKit was featured in an MKBHD video (on the "The Studio" channel) which led to a huge spike in downloads and revenue. I am still shocked at how much this video has impacted my numbers. December quickly turned out to be my most successful month since I started the business”
    high
    Show 1 more quote
    “I build my apps in public on X and LinkedIn.”
    high

  • Weekly newsletter

    · 1 mention
    “I also write a weekly newsletter called “Building An Indie App Business” where I try to share extended insights about my life as a full-time indie hacker.”
    high

  • Content marketing

    · 1 mention
    “Check out my two most successful articles: My Must-Have Tools for Indie App Development & My App Store Optimization Strategy.”
    high

  • Product-led growth

    · 1 mention
    “In May of 2023, something huge happened. My app HabitKit finally started ranking on the App Store and Google Play and suddenly generated revenue. I observed this progress for a month, but when I experienced the Christmas / New Year's rush at the end of 2023, I knew that I had to quit my job again...”
    high

  • Webflow’s app marketplace

    · 1 mention
    “I'm currently working on three mobile apps available on both the App Store and Google Play… Most of my users come directly from the App Store and Google Play. I've spent a lot of time learning about App Store Optimization (ASO)…”
    high

  • PR

    · 1 mention
    “In June, I won the RevenueCat New York Times Square contest and my app HabitKit was featured in the New York Times Square. That was a huge moment for me and incredibly fun to see it up there. Sadly, I wasn't able to visit New York, but I received a cool video from the team at RevenueCat. Sadly, i...”
    medium

  • Industry interest

    · 1 mention
    “This time of year is really significant for habit trackers, as many people set new resolutions and seek tools to help them achieve their goals. I'm determined that HabitKit can help users kickstart their journey towards self-improvement and that's a really motivating factor for me.”
    medium

  • Press

    · 1 mention
    “A combination of the traditional New Year’s resolution hype for habit tracking apps AND HabitKit being featured in a video by “The Studio” called “Apps You’ll ACTUALLY Use” created the perfect storm.”
    high

  • Email marketing

    · 1 mention
    “Google threatened to remove HabitKit from the Play Store because I was linking to my Substack newsletter from within the app.”
    high

  • Earned media

    · 1 mention
    “I had the honor of being a guest on Pat Walls’ Starter Story show. If you haven’t seen it, here’s the link. After the video was released, HabitKit saw a nice boost in downloads, which improved my rankings even more.”
    high

How 3,283 businesses grow

Of businesses with mapped growth channels, the share using each — HabitKit’s highlighted.
  • Referral/Word-of-mouth
    64%
  • Social media
    64% ◀
  • Search/SEO
    58% ◀
  • Email
    47% ◀
  • Community
    37%
  • Content/Inbound
    35% ◀
  • Partnerships
    32%
  • Events
    24%
  • Paid ads
    23% ◀
  • Outbound/Sales
    19%
  • Press/PR
    17% ◀
  • Marketplaces/App stores
    12% ◀
  • Podcasting
    4% ◀
  • Influencer partnerships
    3%
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