Why Pace has no streaks
Why Pace has no streaks
Streaks are the most copied feature in habit apps. We removed ours, and retention went up.
Nadia Keller, co-founder
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5 min read
When we launched Pace in 2024 it had a streak counter, like every habit app before it. Eighteen months later we removed it. This is why.
The data
We looked at 90 days of anonymous usage from people who had opted in. The pattern was consistent: the day after a broken streak, 41% of people did not open the app. A week later, 23% had not come back at all.
A streak turns one missed day into a reason to quit.
What replaced it
Today shows what is due now and moves on. Stats show a week at a time and end with one suggestion. There is no number that can reset to zero.
Thirty days after the change, week-4 retention went from 38% to 47%, and the most common support request ("can you restore my streak?") disappeared.
What we learned
The feature everyone copies is not always the one that helps. Measure what you remove.