Comparison

Forest vs Safe

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Forest

This app provides access to shared electric bikes across London for a faster, fun, and sustainable commute. Enjoy free ride minutes on every Pay As You Go trip after a small unlock fee.

Highlights
  • Shared electric bike service
  • Thousands of ebikes across London
  • Free ride minutes daily
  • Pay As You Go pricing
  • Ride bundles available
  • Subscription option
  • Watch ads for more free minutes
Features
Read full description

Get from A to B with Forest, London’s homegrown shared ebike. Switch your usual journey by train or bus for a faster, fun, and more sustainable way to get around. Plus, we’re the only shared ebike app that after a £1 unlock, gives you up to 30 free ride minutes on every Pay As You Go (PAYG) ride. HOW TO GET STARTED: 1. Download the app, create a free account and accept our Terms and Conditions. 2. Find your nearest Forest bike out of thousands across London using the map in the app. 3. Unlock a bike for £1 using the QR codes on the bike itself, or by tapping the selected bike on the app. 4. Enjoy an emissions free ride! WAYS TO RIDE: 1. PAYG: Simply unlock a bike for £1, get up to 30 free ride minutes, then pay 29p thereafter. 2. Buy a bundle: If you’re making longer trips, or planning multiple trips over a longer time. 3. Subscribe to Forest Plus: If you want the best value riding option. Always ride responsibly, respect other road users, and follow the safety guidance provided in the Forest app. WHY YOU SHOULD RIDE WITH FOREST: Choose from thousands of ebikes available across 18 boroughs of London with free ride minutes available every day. Gain additional free ride minutes by watching ads. We’re B Corp Certified and have run a zero-emissions operation since day one.

About

Safe

Features
Read full description

Know they're close. SafeBubble draws a safe circle around you and watches your child's GPS that we provide. The moment they genuinely drift out of range, a critical alarm sounds and turn-by-turn navigation guides you straight to them. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Forest4 screens
Safe4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Forest at none against Safe's 6. Forest also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.5 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Safe sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Forest asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Forest ships an update weekly, Safe every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Forest versus Safe: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterForestSafe
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (834 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews11.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings834 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.5 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size230 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHuman Forest LimitedBogor ai

Bugs and requests

Forest

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes and freezes frequently
  • Inability to properly end rides and park bikes
  • Inconsistent GPS tracking and bike availability
  • Login and password reset issues

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improve app stability and responsiveness
  • Provide clearer information on parking and no-ride zones
  • Maintain high service quality and bike condition
  • Offer transparent and fair pricing structure

Safe

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Forest

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

Safe

Subscriptions4
  • Solo — Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Unlimited - Monthly$8.991 Month
  • Solo - Yearly$69.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Unlimited - Yearly$99.991 Year
One-time2
  • Discovery - Day Pass$9.99
  • Discovery - Week Pass$29.99

Questions

Is Forest free?
Forest is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Safe free?
Safe is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Forest or Safe have ads?
Neither Forest nor Safe shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Forest or Safe?
Forest ships an update weekly, and Safe every 3 weeks. Most recently, Forest was updated on October 30, 2026 and Safe on October 25, 2026.

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