# Focus Tomato vs Forest

The clearest difference is ads: Focus Tomato at none against Forest's shown. Focus Tomato also leads on ratings volume (1.7K vs 4). Forest's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.6). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Focus Tomato sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Forest sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Focus Tomato against 5.0 for Forest. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Focus Tomato has 1.7K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 93% of Focus Tomato's written reviews are positive against 100% of Forest's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Focus Tomato | Forest |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focus-tomato-lets-focus-now/id1471458198/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forest-focus-timer/id1500856145/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.7K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 93.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 132 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [CHIH-SHAN LIU](https://appshunter.io/developer/1470906398) | [青青 陈](https://appshunter.io/developer/1500856144) |

## What reviewers say

### Focus Tomato

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focus-tomato-lets-focus-now/id1471458198)

This app helps you stay focused and productive using a modified Pomodoro technique. It guides you through focused work intervals and short breaks, with features to prevent distractions and allow flexibility in your work sessions.

**Highlights:** Goal setting and breaking down tasks, 25-minute focus intervals, 5-minute rest periods, Extended breaks after 4 cycles, Flexible timer duration, Do Not Disturb mode, Integrates with other productivity tools

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tomato King | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and lovely design
- 🙏 Motivational messages
- 🙌 Customizable focus and break times
- 🎨 Vintage-style illustrations
- 🔊 Variety of ambient sounds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs with sound effects and notifications
- 🔍 Lack of advanced features like tags or categories
- 📱 No iPad or Apple Watch support

**Reported bugs**

- Upgrade didn't work as expected
- Timer stops when switching to other apps

**Requested features**

- Add a dark mode option
- Implement a widget for quick access
- Introduce a leaderboard or progress tracking
- Allow syncing across devices


### Forest

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forest-focus-timer/id1500856145)

Develop good habits by growing virtual trees. Successfully completing focus sessions cultivates a thriving digital forest, while missed sessions result in dead trees. This app encourages self-discipline through a gamified approach to habit formation.

**Highlights:** Grow virtual trees for completed habits, Develop good habits, Gamified self-discipline, Track habit completion, Build a digital forest

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 打卡森林月度会员 | $2.99 | per month |
| 打卡森林季度会员 | $5.99 | per 3 months |
| 打卡森林年度会员 | $19.49 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Focus Tomato free?

Focus Tomato is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Forest free?

Forest is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Focus Tomato or Forest?

Forest is rated higher. Focus Tomato averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while Forest averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Focus Tomato or Forest have ads?

Forest shows ads; Focus Tomato does not.

### Which is updated more often, Focus Tomato or Forest?

Focus Tomato ships an update monthly, and Forest monthly. Most recently, Focus Tomato was updated on October 18, 2026 and Forest on September 25, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*