stickK
stickK is a commitment-contract platform built on behavioural economics from Yale researchers. You define a goal, optionally stake money, name a referee who verifies your reports, and choose who gets your money if you fail: a friend, a charity, or an anti-charity, an organisation whose views you oppose. Failure means the money is genuinely gone.
| Category | Commitment contract platform |
|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android |
| Price | Free to use; you set your own stakes (minimum $5 per reporting period on staked contracts) |
| Stakes | Forfeited money goes to your chosen recipient: friend, charity or anti-charity; stickK deducts transaction costs |
| Best for | Big single goals: quitting smoking, finishing a thesis, weight targets |
| Limitations | Self-reported unless you appoint a strict referee; no automatic data feeds |
What happens when you fail
Each reporting period you report success or failure, and your referee, if you named one, confirms or disputes it. On a failed period your staked money for that period is forfeited and sent to your chosen recipient; stickK forwards forfeited charity stakes, minus transaction and accounting costs, in bulk donations. You never get failed stakes back, and with an anti-charity your failure actively funds a cause you oppose, which is the point: the anticipated sting is designed to outweigh the comfort of putting things off.
What it does well
- The anti-charity option produces unusually strong loss aversion; stickK reports it as their most effective stake type.
- A human referee closes the self-report loophole that sinks most honour-system tools.
- Contracts suit long campaigns with weekly check-ins better than daily micro-habits.
Where it falls short
- Without a referee it runs on honesty, and quietly reporting success is always two clicks away.
- The site feels dated and verification is manual; there are no device or app integrations to feed in real data.
- Committing money you cannot afford to lose turns a motivation tool into a genuine financial risk. Stake amounts that sting but do not harm.
Related
Accountability partnersPresent bias
Frequently asked questions
Where does the money go if you fail on stickK?
To whoever you designated when creating the contract: a named friend, a charity, or an anti-charity you oppose. stickK sends charity and anti-charity forfeitures in bulk, minus transaction costs, and you cannot reclaim them.