Forest vs Freedom
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Forest
Focus timer that grows a virtual tree while you stay off apps
Freedom
Website and app blocker that runs across computers and phones
Where they differ
- Forest starts at $5.99 / month, or from $32.49 / year (US App Store). Freedom starts at $3.33 / month, billed yearly ($39.99).
- Only Freedom lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Freedom can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Forest also covers Pomodoro timer.
At a glance
| Forest | Freedom | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $5.99 / month, or from $32.49 / year (US App Store) | $3.33 / month, billed yearly ($39.99) |
| Free plan | Focus timer, Deep Focus app blocking, Time Guard for 1 app or site, 1 Mindful Space soundscape, focus tracking and Plant Together group rooms. | Block websites, apps or the whole internet on unlimited devices, with custom blocklists and focus sounds. Start Now sessions only, up to 2 hours each. |
| Free trial | Free Forest Plus trial; the length is not stated | 7-day free trial on the yearly Premium plan |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Seekrtech Co., Ltd. | Eighty Percent Solutions Corporation |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | freedom.to |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Freedom
- People who want one blocking session to cover a computer and a phone together
- Cutting off the whole internet, not only selected sites, for a set period
- Buyers who would rather pay once for lifetime access than subscribe
Worth knowing
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.
Freedom
- Free accounts are limited to Start Now sessions of up to 2 hours; scheduling, recurring sessions and Locked Mode need Premium.
- Linux and Chromebook are supported through the browser extension only, and app blocking is not available on Chromebook.
- Website exceptions, which allow only the sites you list, work on Mac and Windows only.
Key features
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.
Freedom
- Website, app and internet blocking
- A session can block chosen websites, chosen apps or all internet access. App blocking covers Mac, Windows, iOS and Android but not Chromebook.
- Preset and custom blocklists
- Start from a preset list of distracting sites and apps or build your own. On Mac and Windows a list can also work in reverse, allowing only the sites you name.
- Sessions across devices
- One session can include several devices at once, such as a laptop and a phone. Every plan, including Free, allows unlimited devices.
- Scheduled and recurring sessions
- Premium lets sessions start automatically at a set time and repeat on a schedule. Free accounts can only start a session immediately.
- Locked Mode
- A Premium setting that prevents a session from being ended before its timer runs out.
- Focus sounds
- Background audio for a session, with a choice of music and ambient recordings such as cafes, libraries and nature.
Plans
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.
Freedom
Free$0
Website, app and internet blocking on unlimited devices with custom blocklists. Start Now sessions only, capped at 2 hours.
Premium Yearly$3.33
per month, billed yearly ($39.99)
Adds scheduled, recurring and start-later sessions, Locked Mode, sessions longer than 2 hours and partner discounts.
Premium Monthly$8.99
per month, billed monthly
The same Premium features as the yearly plan, paid month to month.
Forever$199
one-time purchase
Lifetime Premium access with no recurring charge. The pricing page showed it marked down to $99.50 on the date checked.
Ways to pay less
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.
Freedom
- Annual discount
Lower price with yearly billing
Premium costs $39.99 billed yearly, shown as $3.33 a month, against $8.99 billed monthly. The pricing page labels the yearly option "Save 40%".
- Lifetime license
Forever plan: pay once for lifetime Premium
Freedom sells lifetime Premium access as a single payment with no recurring charges. The list price is $199; the pricing page showed $99.50 on the date checked.
