Focus Friend vs Forest
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Focus Friend
Gamified focus timer with a bean character and a house to decorate
Forest
Focus timer that grows a virtual tree while you stay off apps
Where they differ
- Focus Friend starts at $3.99 / month, or $19.99 / year (US App Store). Forest starts at $5.99 / month, or from $32.49 / year (US App Store).
- Only Forest lists a browser extension.
- Focus Friend can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Forest also covers focus music.
At a glance
| Focus Friend | Forest | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $3.99 / month, or $19.99 / year (US App Store) | $5.99 / month, or from $32.49 / year (US App Store) |
| Free plan | Free to download with no ads. The vendor does not publish a list of what Focus Friend Pro unlocks; its FAQ says only that Pro members earn scarves, a second reward, from each session. | Focus timer, Deep Focus app blocking, Time Guard for 1 app or site, 1 Mindful Space soundscape, focus tracking and Plant Together group rooms. |
| Free trial | None listed | Free Forest Plus trial; the length is not stated |
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Honey B Games (B-Tech Consulting Group LLC) | Seekrtech Co., Ltd. |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Focus Friend
- People who keep to a timer more easily when it comes with a character and rewards
- Students working in timed sessions with breaks
- Phone users who want distracting apps locked while a timer runs
Forest
- People who respond to a visual reward for staying off their phone
- Friends or study groups who want to focus in a shared session
- Short timed work sessions in the Pomodoro style
Worth knowing
Focus Friend
- It runs on iPhone, iPad and Android only; the vendor lists no Mac, Windows or web version.
- The vendor does not publish what Focus Friend Pro includes beyond scarves earned from each session.
- Some bean skins are separate purchases, listed at $2.99 to $5.99 on the US App Store.
- The FAQ, last updated August 26, 2025, says Deep Focus Mode did not yet block Safari on iOS and can conflict with other Screen Time blockers.
Forest
- Seekrtech does not publish Forest Plus prices on its site; it says they vary by region and platform and points to the app stores.
- No Mac or Windows app is listed; on a computer Forest runs only as a Chrome or Firefox extension.
- Custom app allowlists, focus analytics, custom tags and real-tree planting need Forest Plus.
- Forest Pro, the earlier unlock, is no longer available to new users; existing Pro holders keep it.
Key features
Focus Friend
- Bean focus timer
- A bean character focuses while your timer runs, and stopping the timer early interrupts it. A finished session pays out rewards to spend on decorations.
- Deep Focus Mode
- Locks distracting apps for the length of a focus session, with an allow list for apps you still need. It is available on both iOS and Android.
- Break timers
- Breaks between sessions follow the Pomodoro method, and the break is when you decorate the bean's rooms.
- Stopwatch timer, tags and statistics
- A count-up timer covers tasks with no fixed length, sessions can be tagged, and a statistics page records focus time.
- Rooms and decorations
- Hundreds of decorations in different themes furnish the bean's house, which has grown to include a bedroom, bathroom, garden and a street view of the exterior.
- Live Activity and widgets
- On iPhone a Live Activity shows timer progress while the phone is locked, and an update added widget support.
Forest
- Tree-growing focus timer
- A tree grows during a countdown or stopwatch session and dies if you leave to use other apps. Each finished session is added to your forest.
- Deep Focus Mode
- A stricter mode that blocks other apps or sends you back to Forest when you open one. It is free; building a custom allowlist of permitted apps needs Plus.
- Time Guard
- Scheduled windows during which chosen apps or sites are blocked. The free tier covers 1 app or site and Plus covers several.
- Plant Together
- Create a room, invite friends with a code and plant the same tree in a synchronized session. If one person gives up, the tree dies for everyone.
- Real tree planting
- Plus and legacy Pro users can spend coins earned from focus sessions to have real trees planted through Trees for the Future, up to 5 per account.
- Focus statistics and tags
- Your forest shows total focus time, patterns by day, week or month, and streaks. Focus analytics and custom tags are part of Plus.
Plans
Focus Friend
Free$0
The app is a free download without ads. Sessions earn socks, the reward spent on decorations.
Focus Friend Pro Monthly$3.99
per month, US App Store in-app purchase
Pro membership paid month to month. Pro members also earn scarves from every completed session.
Focus Friend Pro Yearly$19.99
per year, US App Store in-app purchase
The same Pro membership billed once a year.
Lifetime Focus Friend Pro$39.99
one-time purchase, US App Store
Pro for a single payment. The listing also shows a "Focus Friend Pro Welcome Offer" purchase at $29.99 without saying what it covers.
Bean skins and packs$2.99 to $5.99
one-time purchase each, US App Store
Optional cosmetic skins for the bean, such as Blue Jello Bean at $2.99 and the Jelly Bean Pack at $5.99.
Forest
Free$0
Countdown and stopwatch timer, Deep Focus app blocking, Time Guard for 1 app or site, 1 soundscape and group focus rooms.
Forest Plus (monthly)$5.99
per month, US App Store in-app purchase
Custom app allowlist, Time Guard for multiple apps and sites, all soundscapes, focus analytics, custom tags and real-tree planting.
Forest Plus (annual)$32.49 or $35.99
per year, US App Store in-app purchase
The same Plus features billed yearly. The App Store lists two annual purchases and does not say which one a new subscriber pays.
Ways to pay less
Focus Friend
- Annual discount
Yearly Pro costs about 58% less than monthly
The US App Store lists Focus Friend Pro at $19.99 a year against $3.99 a month, which comes to $47.88 over twelve months.
- Lifetime license
Lifetime Focus Friend Pro for a one-time payment
The US App Store lists a Lifetime Focus Friend Pro in-app purchase at $39.99, paid once instead of a subscription.
Forest
- Annual discount
Annual Forest Plus costs about half of monthly
The US App Store lists the monthly Forest Plus purchase at $5.99 and annual purchases at $32.49 and $35.99, so a year paid annually costs about half of twelve monthly payments.
