The right apps can make or break your 75 Medium Challenge success. According to research published in JMIR mHealth, mobile health apps significantly improve adherence to fitness and wellness programs. This guide covers the best apps for tracking every aspect of your 75-day journey.
Why Use Apps for Tracking
Digital tracking offers several advantages over paper-based methods. A study from the American Psychological Association found that technology-assisted behavior change interventions are highly effective for building lasting habits.
Benefits of App-Based Tracking
- Always with you: Your phone is always accessible
- Automated reminders: Push notifications keep you accountable
- Visual progress: Charts and graphs show your journey
- Data insights: Patterns become visible over time
- Streak motivation: Don't break the chain psychology
- Cloud backup: Never lose your progress data
📊 Key Statistic
Studies show that people who use apps to track health behaviors are 33% more likely to achieve their goals compared to those who don't track at all.
Best Habit Tracking Apps
These apps are designed specifically for tracking daily habits—perfect for the 75 Medium Challenge's six daily tasks.
1. Streaks (iOS) - Best for Apple Users
- Price: $4.99 (one-time)
- Platforms: iOS, Apple Watch, Mac
- Best for: Simple, beautiful habit tracking
- 75 Medium use: Create 6 tasks for daily requirements
- Standout feature: Apple Watch complications for quick check-ins
2. Loop Habit Tracker (Android) - Best Free Option
- Price: Free, open-source
- Platforms: Android
- Best for: Data-focused users who want detailed analytics
- 75 Medium use: Flexible habit scoring and history graphs
- Standout feature: No ads, no accounts, completely private
3. Habitica - Best for Gamification
- Price: Free (premium $5/month)
- Platforms: iOS, Android, Web
- Best for: Making habits feel like a game
- 75 Medium use: Earn rewards for completing daily tasks
- Standout feature: RPG-style leveling with social guilds
4. Done - Best for Visual Streaks
- Price: Free (premium $3.99/month)
- Platforms: iOS
- Best for: Visual streak motivation
- 75 Medium use: Color-coded progress visualization
- Standout feature: Beautiful calendar heat maps
5. Habit - Best Minimalist Option
- Price: Free
- Platforms: iOS, Android
- Best for: Users who want zero friction
- 75 Medium use: Quick daily check-offs
- Standout feature: One-tap habit completion
Best Fitness & Workout Apps
Track your 45-minute daily workouts with these comprehensive fitness apps.
1. Strong - Best for Strength Training
- Price: Free (Pro $4.99/month)
- Platforms: iOS, Android, Apple Watch
- Best for: Weight training and gym workouts
- 75 Medium use: Log sets, reps, and weights
- Standout feature: Rest timer and workout history
2. Strava - Best for Cardio & Running
- Price: Free (Summit $5/month)
- Platforms: iOS, Android
- Best for: Running, cycling, outdoor activities
- 75 Medium use: GPS tracking for outdoor workouts
- Standout feature: Social features and segment challenges
3. Apple Fitness+ / Google Fit
- Price: Apple Fitness+ $9.99/month, Google Fit free
- Platforms: iOS/Android ecosystems
- Best for: Integrated device tracking
- 75 Medium use: Automatic workout detection
- Standout feature: Seamless smartwatch integration
4. Nike Training Club - Best Free Workouts
- Price: Free
- Platforms: iOS, Android
- Best for: Guided home workouts
- 75 Medium use: 185+ free workout videos
- Standout feature: Professional-quality instruction
5. JEFIT - Best Workout Planner
- Price: Free (Elite $6.99/month)
- Platforms: iOS, Android
- Best for: Following structured workout plans
- 75 Medium use: Pre-built 75-day workout schedules
- Standout feature: Exercise demo animations
Best Nutrition & Diet Apps
Track your diet compliance and manage your 22 flex meals effectively.
1. MyFitnessPal - Most Comprehensive
- Price: Free (Premium $19.99/month)
- Platforms: iOS, Android, Web
- Best for: Detailed calorie and macro tracking
- 75 Medium use: Log meals and track flex meal usage
- Standout feature: 14+ million food database
2. Cronometer - Best for Accuracy
- Price: Free (Gold $8.99/month)
- Platforms: iOS, Android, Web
- Best for: Precise micronutrient tracking
- 75 Medium use: Verified food data for accuracy
- Standout feature: Micronutrient completeness score
3. Lose It! - Most User-Friendly
- Price: Free (Premium $39.99/year)
- Platforms: iOS, Android
- Best for: Simple, intuitive food logging
- 75 Medium use: Barcode scanning for quick entry
- Standout feature: Snap It photo food recognition
Best Water Tracking Apps
Stay hydrated throughout your challenge with these dedicated water tracking apps.
1. WaterMinder - Best Overall
- Price: $4.99 (one-time)
- Platforms: iOS, Android, Apple Watch
- Best for: Comprehensive hydration tracking
- 75 Medium use: Custom goals and reminder schedules
- Standout feature: Integrates with Apple Health
2. Plant Nanny - Most Fun
- Price: Free (premium $2.99/month)
- Platforms: iOS, Android
- Best for: Gamified hydration
- 75 Medium use: Grow virtual plants by drinking water
- Standout feature: Adorable plant characters
3. Hydro Coach - Best Free Option
- Price: Free (Pro $4.99/year)
- Platforms: Android
- Best for: Personalized hydration goals
- 75 Medium use: Smart reminders based on activity
- Standout feature: Weather-adjusted recommendations
Best Reading Apps
Track your 10+ pages of daily reading with these apps.
1. Kindle - Best for E-books
- Price: Free app (books priced individually)
- Platforms: iOS, Android, Kindle devices
- Best for: Digital book reading
- 75 Medium use: Built-in reading progress tracking
- Standout feature: X-Ray feature for quick reference
2. Goodreads - Best for Book Tracking
- Price: Free
- Platforms: iOS, Android, Web
- Best for: Reading goals and book discovery
- 75 Medium use: Set yearly reading challenges
- Standout feature: Reading statistics and community
3. Bookly - Best for Reading Stats
- Price: Free (Pro $29.99/year)
- Platforms: iOS, Android
- Best for: Detailed reading session tracking
- 75 Medium use: Log pages read per session
- Standout feature: Reading speed and time analytics
4. Audible - Best for Audiobooks
- Price: $14.95/month for 1 credit
- Platforms: iOS, Android
- Best for: Listening during workouts or commutes
- 75 Medium use: Equivalent to 10 pages = ~15-20 minutes
- Standout feature: Variable speed playback
Best Mindfulness Apps
Complete your 5-10 minute daily mindfulness practice with these meditation and prayer apps.
1. Headspace - Best for Beginners
- Price: Free basics (Premium $12.99/month)
- Platforms: iOS, Android
- Best for: Guided meditation for newcomers
- 75 Medium use: 5-10 minute daily sessions
- Standout feature: Structured courses for progression
2. Calm - Best Content Variety
- Price: Free basics (Premium $14.99/month)
- Platforms: iOS, Android
- Best for: Varied mindfulness content
- 75 Medium use: Daily Calm for consistent practice
- Standout feature: Sleep stories and music
3. Insight Timer - Best Free Option
- Price: Free (Member Plus $9.99/month)
- Platforms: iOS, Android
- Best for: Huge library of free meditations
- 75 Medium use: 100,000+ free guided meditations
- Standout feature: Timer for unguided practice
4. Hallow - Best for Faith-Based Practice
- Price: Free basics (Premium $8.99/month)
- Platforms: iOS, Android
- Best for: Christian prayer and meditation
- 75 Medium use: Daily prayer sessions
- Standout feature: Bible readings and rosary guides
5. Waking Up - Best for Depth
- Price: $14.99/month (free access available on request)
- Platforms: iOS, Android
- Best for: Understanding meditation deeply
- 75 Medium use: 10-minute daily lessons
- Standout feature: Theory lessons with practice
All-in-One Solutions
These platforms can handle multiple aspects of your 75 Medium tracking.
Notion - Best Customizable Solution
- Price: Free (Plus $8/month)
- Platforms: iOS, Android, Web, Desktop
- Best for: Creating your perfect tracking system
- 75 Medium use: Build custom databases for all 6 tasks
- Standout feature: Templates and flexible databases
Get our free 75 Medium Notion template ?
Apple Notes / Google Keep
- Price: Free
- Platforms: iOS/Android ecosystems
- Best for: Simple, no-frills tracking
- 75 Medium use: Daily checklist notes
- Standout feature: Already on your phone
Obsidian - Best for Journalers
- Price: Free (Sync $8/month)
- Platforms: iOS, Android, Desktop
- Best for: Combining tracking with journaling
- 75 Medium use: Daily notes with task plugins
- Standout feature: Local-first, markdown-based
Recommended App Stacks
Based on your priorities, here are curated app combinations:
💸 The Free Stack
- Habits: Loop Habit Tracker (Android) / Habit (iOS)
- Workouts: Nike Training Club
- Nutrition: MyFitnessPal (free tier)
- Water: Hydro Coach / built into health app
- Reading: Kindle + Goodreads
- Mindfulness: Insight Timer
Total cost: $0
🍎 The Apple Ecosystem Stack
- Habits: Streaks ($4.99)
- Workouts: Apple Fitness+ ($9.99/month) + Strong
- Nutrition: MyFitnessPal + Apple Health
- Water: WaterMinder ($4.99)
- Reading: Apple Books + Bookly
- Mindfulness: Apple Fitness+ Meditation
Total cost: ~$10-15/month + one-time purchases
🎮 The Gamification Stack
- Habits: Habitica
- Workouts: Strava (for challenges)
- Nutrition: MyFitnessPal
- Water: Plant Nanny
- Reading: Goodreads challenges
- Mindfulness: Headspace (streak motivation)
Total cost: $0-13/month depending on premium choices
📊 The Data Nerd Stack
- Central Hub: Notion (custom dashboard)
- Workouts: Strong + Strava
- Nutrition: Cronometer
- Water: WaterMinder
- Reading: Bookly
- Mindfulness: Insight Timer
Total cost: $0-10/month + one-time purchases
Free vs Paid Options
You absolutely can complete the 75 Medium Challenge using 100% free apps. Here's when paid versions are worth it:
When Free is Enough
- You just need basic habit check-offs
- You don't mind occasional ads
- You're tech-savvy and can work around limitations
- You're not data-obsessed about analytics
When Paid is Worth It
- You want ad-free experiences
- You need advanced features (detailed analytics, integrations)
- You value time savings and convenience
- You're committed to the full 75 days
💡 Pro Tip
Start with free versions during Week 1. If you find yourself wanting more features by Week 2, invest in the paid versions—you'll have 9+ weeks to get value from them.
Making Apps Work Together
Set up these integrations for seamless tracking:
- Health app sync: Connect all fitness apps to Apple Health or Google Fit
- Automation: Use iOS Shortcuts or Tasker to create quick-logging routines
- Widgets: Add habit tracker widgets to your home screen
- Notifications: Set strategic reminder times for each task
- Weekly review: Export data weekly for progress photos and journaling