| App | What it is | What feeds it | A missed day looks like | Streaks & scores | Pricing model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claymate | A claymation creature-companion app: a clay buddy that stands tall when you move and slumps when you stop | Real movement — steps and workouts your phone already counts | He slumps a little. It's information, not a verdict — one walk brings him back | None — no streaks, no scores, no scolding | £1.99/mo, everything included (founder access opening soon) |
| Finch | A self-care bird you grow by looking after yourself — the category's biggest app | Self-care tasks, journalling, goals (movement optional) | Nothing bad — Finch is deliberately gentle; your bird waits | Streaks and energy exist but are softly framed | Free with a paid "Finch Plus" subscription |
| Motion (Motmots) | A fitness app where soulful pets thrive when you're active and get worried when you're not | Workouts and activity | Your Motmot gets visibly sad/worried (it won't die) | Activity-based progression | Free to start, subscription for full features |
| Wokamon | A step-counter monster that grows the more you walk | Steps | Growth simply pauses; progress waits for you | Growth levels, crystals, unlockables | Free with in-app purchases |
| Nomi | A pet for your Apple Watch you keep alive with movement | Heartbeats, steps, workouts from the Watch | Your Nomi weakens without movement — the stakes are the point | Health/level mechanics | Paid app / subscription |
Details checked July 2026 from each app's own site or App Store listing; pricing models change — check the links for current numbers.
How to choose
If you want the broadest self-care companion, Finch is the category king — millions of users, and movement is only one of many ways to feed your bird. It's the right pick when journalling and small daily tasks are the habit you're building.
If you want stakes, Nomi and Wokamon tie the pet's fate or growth directly to your step count. That works brilliantly if a bit of tamagotchi-style responsibility motivates you — and badly if a lapsed week would just make you feel worse.
If you want a movement pet without punishment, that's the corner Motion's Motmots and Claymate share, and the difference between them is temperament and craft. A Motmot gets worried when you stop — an emotional nudge. Claymate just slumps: posture, not feelings you're responsible for. He's also handmade claymation rather than digital art, and the comeback is a fixed, tiny size — one walk, however long it's been.
On price, most of the category is freemium with a subscription on top. Claymate is the exception: one small subscription (£1.99/mo), everything included, no free tier — because a buddy who mirrors your real movement should never be half-yours.