# Forest vs Rayyan

The clearest difference is rating: Forest at 4.8 against Rayyan's 3.9. Forest also leads on ratings volume (50K vs 25) and update cadence (weekly vs every 5 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Forest sells 19 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Rayyan sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Forest holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Forest has 50K ratings behind it against 25, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of Forest's written reviews are positive against 37% of Rayyan's.

Forest ships an update weekly, Rayyan every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Forest | Rayyan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (50K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forest-focus-for-productivity/id866450515/reviews)** | [3.9 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rayyan/id1581620841/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **50K** | 25 |
| Positive reviews | **57.5% of reviews** | 37.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#207** | — |
| Size | 840 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [SEEKRTECH CO., LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/469475888) | [Rayyan Systems, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1581620843) |

## What reviewers say

### Forest

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forest-focus-for-productivity/id866450515)

**Currently charting:** #207 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

This app uses a gamified timer to help users stay focused and reduce phone distractions. Users plant virtual trees that grow while they concentrate, but wither if they leave the app. It encourages productivity and offers features like personalized allow lists and real tree planting.

**Highlights:** Gamified focus timer, Virtual tree planting, Personalized allow lists, Unlockable tree species and white noises, Real tree planting initiative, Detailed time statistics, Cross-device synchronization

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (19)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly (Early Bird) | $5.99 | per month |
| Monthly (Early Bird) | $5.99 | per month |
| Annual (Early Bird) | $32.49 | per year |
| Annual (Early Bird) | $35.99 | per year |
| Bottle of Sunshine Elixir | $0.99 | one-time |
| Shovelful of Crystal | $0.99 | one-time |
| Starter Bonus Pack | $1.49 | one-time |
| Box of Sunshine Elixir | $1.99 | one-time |
| Select Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Advanced Package | $2.99 | one-time |
| Small pot of Crystal | $4.99 | one-time |
| Supreme Package | $4.99 | one-time |
| Advanced Bonus Pack | $6.99 | one-time |
| Elite Package | $9.99 | one-time |
| Large bag of Crystal | $10.99 | one-time |
| Select Pack | $12.99 | one-time |
| Supreme Bonus Pack | $14.99 | one-time |
| Deluxe Pack | $18.99 | one-time |
| Cartful of Crystal | $21.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💪 Helps with focus and productivity
- 🌳 Motivating to grow a virtual forest
- 📊 Useful data and statistics
- 🌱 Ability to plant real trees
- 🎨 Cute and visually appealing design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Restrictive app locking can be frustrating
- 💰 Expensive to unlock new trees and features
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches reported
- 🕰️ Lack of pause/resume functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Crashing and freezing issues
- Syncing and data loss problems
- Inconsistent behavior when switching apps

**Requested features**

- Ability to pause/resume timers
- More customization options for the forest
- Integration with other productivity apps
- Easier way to earn coins for new trees


### Rayyan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rayyan/id1581620841)

This app streamlines systematic literature reviews for researchers, enabling quick article screening and decision-making on mobile devices. It supports offline work and real-time collaboration, significantly reducing review time.

**Highlights:** Offline article screening, Real-time collaboration, Quick inclusion decisions, Reference labeling, Article filtering, Configurable settings

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

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Student Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Professional Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Student Quarterly | $24.99 | per 3 months |
| Essential Quarterly | $24.99 | per 3 months |
| Professional Quarterly | $39.99 | per 3 months |
| Advanced Quarterly | $39.99 | per 3 months |
| Student Annual | $59.99 | per year |
| Essential Annual | $59.99 | per year |
| Advanced Quarterly 2 Seats | $79.99 | per 3 months |
| Professional Annual | $99.99 | per year |
| Advanced Annual | $99.99 | per year |
| Advanced Quarterly 4 Seats | $159.99 | per 3 months |
| Advanced Annual 5 Seats | $499.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Forest free?

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

### Is Rayyan free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Forest or Rayyan?

Forest is rated higher. Forest averages 4.8 out of 5 from 50K ratings, while Rayyan averages 3.9 from 25 ratings.

### Do Forest or Rayyan have ads?

Neither Forest nor Rayyan shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Forest or Rayyan?

Forest ships an update weekly, and Rayyan every 5 weeks. Most recently, Forest was updated on October 31, 2026 and Rayyan on October 30, 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.*