Comparison

Reed & Mackay vs Forest

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

Head to head
About

Reed & Mackay

Manage all your business travel needs seamlessly, from booking flights and hotels to accessing live itineraries and receiving real-time trip updates. Get 24/7 human assistance and personalized booking with securely saved details.

Highlights
  • Book air, hotel, rail, and car hire
  • Live itinerary and e-ticket access
  • Real-time notifications for trip safety
  • 24/7 in-app travel team assistance
  • Profile-fuelled, personalized bookings
  • On-the-go profile updates
Features
Read full description

Streamline every business trip – from booking to arrival – with Reed & Mackay’s mobile app. Ease. Efficiency. Value – all in the palm of your hand Fast, Friction-free travel Browse, compare, book and manage travel arrangements Book air, hotel, rail and car hire with great value content at your fingertips Live itinerary, boarding pass and e-ticket access – skip the queue with everything you need in your pocket Stay informed and trip-safe with real time notifications, from gate changes to bad weather Contact your R&M travel team 24/7 from within the app for fast human assistance Personalised, easy booking Profile-fuelled bookings – passport and billing details securely saved and auto-filled On-the-go profile updates – update preferences anytime, knowing your travel team will see them immediately Consistent no matter how you book – start a trip on your mobile – and pick it up on R&M/Book or with your travel consultant – no duplicate entries, no admin delays. Not a Reed & Mackay client yet? Get in contact: https://www.reedmackay.com/contact-us/ Note: The Reed & Mackay app is exclusively available to Reed & Mackay clients.

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.

Screenshots

Reed & Mackay4 screens
Forest4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Reed & Mackay at free against Forest's free with in-app purchases. Reed & Mackay also leads on review sentiment (29% vs 12%). Forest's advantage is iOS requirement (15.5 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Reed & Mackay ships an update fortnightly, Forest every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Reed & Mackay versus Forest: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReed & MackayForest
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (821 ratings) — better
Positive reviews28.6% of reviews — better11.9% of reviews
Number of ratings821 — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.5 — better
Further details — not scored
Size64 MB228 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperReed and Mackay Travel LtdHuman Forest Limited

Customer experience

Reed & Mackay

Written reviews21 reviews
Positive28.6%
Neutral4.8%
Negative66.7%

Forest

All ratings821 ratings
Positive93.1%
Neutral1.7%
Negative5.2%
Written reviews612 reviews
Positive11.9%
Neutral6.5%
Negative81.5%

Bugs and requests

Reed & Mackay

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or 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

In-app purchases

None

Reed & Mackay

No in-app purchases

None

Forest

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Reed & Mackay free?
Reed & Mackay is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Forest free?
Forest is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Reed & Mackay or Forest have ads?
Neither Reed & Mackay nor Forest shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Reed & Mackay or Forest?
Reed & Mackay ships an update fortnightly, and Forest every 9 days. Most recently, Reed & Mackay was updated on September 9, 2026 and Forest on September 24, 2026.

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