Forest vs Regain
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
Regain
Study timer that blocks distracting apps until you finish
Where they differ
- Forest starts at $5.99 / month, or from $32.49 / year (US App Store). Regain starts at $9.99 / month or $29.99 / year (US App Store; several amounts listed).
- Only Forest lists a browser extension.
- Regain also covers time tracking.
At a glance
| Forest | Regain | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $5.99 / month, or from $32.49 / year (US App Store) | $9.99 / month or $29.99 / year (US App Store; several amounts listed) |
| 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. | The core app is free: focus timer, stopwatch, app blocking and screen time insights, with unlimited focus sessions. On iOS, Pomodoro, Strict Mode, premium themes and focus music need Pro. |
| Free trial | Free Forest Plus trial; the length is not stated | None listed |
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Seekrtech Co., Ltd. | EpowerX Labs Private Limited |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Oct 6, 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
Regain
- Students preparing for exams who study with a phone nearby
- People who want YouTube limited to chosen study channels
- Friends who want to compete on focus time in a group
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.
Regain
- The US App Store lists Regain Pro at three monthly and seven annual amounts and does not say which one a new subscriber pays.
- The vendor's refund policy quotes Android prices in rupees only: INR 199 a month or INR 999 a year, lower during offers.
- On iOS, Pomodoro, Strict Mode, premium themes and focus music all need Pro, and the app requires iOS 26 or later.
- YouTube Study Mode, Reels and Shorts blocking and focus groups are described for Android; there is no desktop or web version.
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.
Regain
- Focus sessions that block apps
- Starting a session blocks the apps you picked until the timer ends. On iPhone this runs through Apple's Screen Time, so Regain does not see the names of the apps you block.
- Strict Mode
- With Strict Mode on, a session cannot be ended early, and on Android the app cannot be uninstalled until the focus time is over. On iOS Strict Mode is a Pro feature.
- YouTube Study Mode
- On Android, choose the channels you study from and everything else on YouTube, including Shorts, stays blocked during a session.
- Website, Reels and Shorts blocking
- Blocks distracting and adult websites, and can block Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Snapchat Spotlight and Facebook Reels while the rest of each app stays usable.
- Pomodoro timer and focus music
- Timer, Stopwatch and Pomodoro modes with adjustable focus and break lengths, sessions tagged by subject, and sounds such as lo-fi, rain, white noise and binaural tracks.
- Focus Groups
- Join a group with friends or other students preparing for the same exam, focus at the same time and compare totals on a leaderboard.
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.
Regain
Free$0
Unlimited focus sessions, a stopwatch, app blocking during sessions and focus stats.
Regain Pro (monthly)$9.99 to $19.99
per month, US App Store; three amounts listed
Monthly purchases appear at $9.99, $14.99 and $19.99. The listing does not say which one a new subscriber is offered.
Regain Pro (annual)$29.99 to $149.99
per year, US App Store; seven amounts listed
Annual purchases run from $29.99, labelled Yearly Discount, through $39.99, $49.99, $59.99, $79.99 and $99.99 to $149.99.
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.
Regain
No public discounts listed.
