# Pond vs Forge

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Forge at none against Pond's 3. Forge also leads on device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pond sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Forge asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pond | Forge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (848 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pond-screen-time-and-pomodoro/id830466924/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **848** | — |
| Positive reviews | 71.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 350 MB | 58 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PIXO Incorporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/541568418) | [Datacom](https://appshunter.io/developer/920634022) |

## What reviewers say

### Pond

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pond-screen-time-and-pomodoro/id830466924)

This app helps you regain control of your screen time and digital wellbeing. It offers mindful app blocking, tracks your digital balance, and provides a visual representation of your focused time. It's designed to foster healthier phone habits without guilt or gamification.

**Highlights:** Mindful app blocking, Screen time tracking, Daily balance score, Scheduled focus sessions, Lotus garden visualizer, Breathing prompts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pond Plus 1 Month | $7.99 | per month |
| Pond Plus 1 Year | $49.99 | per year |
| Pond Plus Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and effective
- 👍 Customizable
- 🚀 No in-app purchases
- 👍 Minimalist design
- 👍 Helpful for focus and productivity

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Timer stops when app is in background
- 🐛 Bugs with color selection and settings
- 🔋 Battery drain
- 🐛 Glitches and crashes
- 🔒 Developer stored unrelated app data in user's iCloud

**Reported bugs**

- Timer inaccuracies
- Interface issues on Mac
- Inability to share audio with other apps
- Unreliable auto-reset functionality
- Subscription issues

**Requested features**

- Auto-reset option
- Ability to assign tasks to Pomodoros
- Project/focus area tracking
- Cross-device sync
- Apple Watch support


### Forge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forge/id1527020071)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pond free?

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

### Is Forge free?

Forge is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Pond or Forge have ads?

Neither Pond nor Forge shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pond or Forge?

Pond ships an update every 3 weeks, and Forge every 3 weeks. Most recently, Pond was updated on November 1, 2026 and Forge on October 27, 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.*