Comparison

Forest vs Pomodoro Timer

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 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
Read full description

**Stay off your phone and a tree grows. Leave early and it withers. That's Forest, the focus timer used by 60 million people worldwide.** Top productivity app in 136 countries. Recommended by The New York Times and Business Insider. "Forest works well, and if your goal is to be more in the moment, ignore your phone and actually talk to your friends when you are with them, this is the app for you." — The New York Times Together, our community has planted over 2 million real trees on Earth through our partnership with Trees for the Future. --- STAY FOCUSED Forest helps you overcome phone addiction, reduce distractions, and build deep work habits. Whether you are studying for exams, working from home, or simply trying to be more present, Forest gives you a reason to stay on task. - A gamified focus timer that turns screen-free time into a growing virtual forest - Create personalized Allow Lists to block distracting apps during focus sessions (iOS 16 or above) - Track your daily phone usage and screen time GET MOTIVATED - Unlock tree species and soundscapes as you reach focus milestones - Co-plant trees with friends and family during shared focus sessions - Compete with users around the world and share your forest - Unlock achievements and earn extra rewards - Plant real trees on Earth through our partnership with Trees for the Future TIME GUARD: BLOCK DISTRACTIONS ON SCHEDULE Time Guard helps you set phone-free windows throughout your day. Block distracting apps on a schedule, limit when you can access them, and track how much time you spend on your phone. MINDFUL SPACE: RESET YOUR MIND Mindful Space combines calming soundscapes, breathing exercises, and gentle animations to help you decompress between focus sessions. STATISTICS & INSIGHTS - Create custom tags and view detailed statistics of how you spend your focused time - Review your weekly, monthly, and yearly focus history as a visual forest - Revisit your focus journey with Forest Timeline - Sync your focused time with Apple Health It is never too late to build better habits. --- FOREST PLUS Love Forest? Try Forest Plus. - 3x coin rewards and unlock new trees faster - Exclusive Plus-only tree species and early access to seasonal new trees - Turn your focus into a real tree on Earth Start your free trial today, cancel anytime. --- NOTICE Forest is available on iPhone and iPad. Sign in with the same account to sync your data and access Forest Plus across all platforms. The Allow List feature requires iOS/iPadOS 16 or above. Forest is the original app. Similar apps on the App Store are not developed by the Forest team. --- Follow us on Instagram or visit forestapp.cc to learn more. Browser extensions also available. --- Privacy Policy: https://www.forestapp.cc/privacy/ Terms of Use: https://forest-subscription.seekrtech.com/terms/

About

Pomodoro Timer

This app helps you focus by blocking distractions during work sessions. It integrates with your device's screen time features to mute selected apps and websites. Live Activity and Dynamic Island keep your progress visible without unlocking your phone.

Highlights
  • Minimalist timer interface
  • Screen Time-based app blocking (Pro)
  • Live Activity and Dynamic Island integration
  • Stats dashboard for tracking sessions
  • Flip-to-toggle timer functionality
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

Mute distractions only when you're focusing. Minimal Pomodoro Timer is a Pomodoro timer built around one promise: turn off distractions only while you're focusing. Screen Time integration blocks selected apps and websites during focus sessions. Live Activity, Dynamic Island, and StandBy keep your progress visible without unlocking your phone. ================== When to use it ================== - Deep work blocks at the office - Exam prep and certification study - Cutting yourself off from social media for an hour - Remote work productivity - Reading, writing, or any creative session ================== Key features ================== [Minimal timer] Tap to switch between Work and Break. Swipe up/down to change Work duration, swipe left/right for Break - no settings menu needed. [Screen Time-based blocking (Pro)] Block selected apps and websites only during focus sessions. Pause / Break / Reset automatically lifts the block, so social media is back during breaks. Pro unlocks unlimited app blocking and category-level rules. [Live Activity / Dynamic Island] Remaining time and current session stay visible on your Lock Screen, Dynamic Island, and StandBy. After a session ends, if you don't start the next one, the Live Activity disappears in 5 minutes - no clutter. [Stats dashboard] Daily and weekly session count and focus time at a glance. Lightweight tracking to keep momentum. [Flip-to-toggle] Flip your iPhone face-down to toggle the Work timer. The quietest possible operation. ================== Pricing (Pro) ================== Free: block up to 3 apps or websites. Pro adds: - Unlimited apps and websites - Category-level blocking - Dark Mode Cancel anytime from the App Store settings. ================== Highlights ================== - Fully offline (no internet required) - No ads, no tracking - iPhone and iPad supported - English and Japanese ================== Privacy ================== Your data stays on your device. We have no access to it. No third-party analytics or ad SDKs are used. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Forest4 screens
Pomodoro Timer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pomodoro Timer at 100% against Forest's 61%. Pomodoro Timer also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Forest's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (49K vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Forest sells 19 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Pomodoro Timer sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pomodoro Timer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Forest has 49K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of Forest's written reviews are positive against 100% of Pomodoro Timer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Forest ships an update every 9 days, Pomodoro Timer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and July 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Forest versus Pomodoro Timer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterForestPomodoro Timer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (49K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews61.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings49K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#208 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size845 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSEEKRTECH CO., LTD.MASATO NISHIURA

Customer experience

Forest

All ratings49,476 ratings
Positive96.2%
Neutral1.4%
Negative2.4%
Written reviews2,147 reviews
Positive61.0%
Neutral7.1%
Negative31.9%

Pomodoro Timer

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Forest

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

Pomodoro Timer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

19 purchases

Forest

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly (Early Bird)7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Monthly (Early Bird)$5.991 Month
  • Annual (Early Bird)7 Days trial$32.491 Year
Show 1 more
  • Annual (Early Bird)7 Days trial$35.991 Year
One-time15
  • Bottle of Sunshine Elixir$0.99
  • Shovelful of Crystal$0.99
  • Starter Bonus Pack$1.49
Show 12 more
  • Box of Sunshine Elixir$1.99
  • Select Pack$2.99
  • Advanced Package$2.99
  • Small pot of Crystal$4.99
  • Supreme Package$4.99
  • Advanced Bonus Pack$6.99
  • Elite Package$9.99
  • Large bag of Crystal$10.99
  • Select Pack$12.99
  • Supreme Bonus Pack$14.99
  • Deluxe Pack$18.99
  • Cartful of Crystal$21.99
1 purchases

Pomodoro Timer

Subscriptions1
  • Premium Plan (Monthly)$1.001 Month

Questions

Is Forest free?
Forest is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pomodoro Timer free?
Pomodoro Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Forest or Pomodoro Timer?
Pomodoro Timer is rated higher. Forest averages 4.8 out of 5 from 49K ratings, while Pomodoro Timer averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Forest or Pomodoro Timer have ads?
Neither Forest nor Pomodoro Timer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Forest or Pomodoro Timer?
Forest ships an update every 9 days, and Pomodoro Timer every 2 months. Most recently, Forest was updated on September 25, 2026 and Pomodoro Timer on July 25, 2026.

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