Accountability apps, sorted by what you need held to
One search term covers four unrelated products. Here is what each kind watches, what it costs, and which fits the thing you keep failing at.
Four different products, one search term
People searching this want one of four things watched: their browsing, their relationship, a habit they keep dropping, or their training. The software barely overlaps.
| Kind | What it watches | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Internet and screen | Browsing and app use, reported to a partner | Covenant Eyes, Ever Accountable, Accountable2You, Truple |
| Couples | The same monitoring tools, set up for two | — |
| Habit, with a penalty | A goal you set, money charged when you miss | Beeminder, stickK, Forfeit |
| Fitness | Workouts verified by a device, not self-reported | RunMatch (runs) |
Internet and screen accountability
These install on your devices, record what you do, and report to someone you nominate. What gets captured is the real difference.
Covenant Eyes is $18 a month, $198 a year or $950 once, and sends blurred, encrypted screenshots to an ally, deleted after 30 days. Truple is $16 a month, or $160 a year, built on random screenshots. Ever Accountable is $14.99 a month with a 14-day trial. Accountable2You is $11 a month and states plainly that it captures no screenshots, reporting browsing and app use instead, including private windows.
If the person being monitored hasn’t agreed to it, none of these is the right tool. They are built for your own device, with a partner you chose.
Habit apps that charge you when you slip
A smaller group attaches a real cost to missing. Beeminder charges you when your data leaves the track you committed to, stickK holds a stake and gives a referee the final say, and Forfeit takes a set amount when you don’t submit proof. They take almost any goal, and they are weak for the same reason: most rely on you reporting honestly.
Fitness and workout accountability
This is the one we build, so weigh it accordingly. RunMatch puts money on runs: race people you know for a pot, or stake on yourself, with a miss going to someone you nominated. Nothing is self-reported. The run comes off your Apple Watch, and one without heart-rate data is rejected.
Free to download and free to race friends. 0% of the pot, 3% on withdrawal. RunMatch Pro is $9.99 a month and only adds public matches. iPhone and Apple Watch, 18+. It covers runs only, so for lifting or screen time the tools above fit better.
Questions
Is there a free accountability app?
What is the best accountability app for couples?
Do accountability apps work?
For the running kind, the first mile pays $10.
Money on your runs, verified by your Apple Watch. We take 0% of the pot.
Download RunMatchFree to download · iPhone + Apple Watch required · 18+ · 0% of the pot, 3% on withdrawal