Comparison

Forest vs Lilo

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

Lilo

This app transforms solo study sessions into engaging, social challenges. Compete with friends, track your progress, and climb leaderboards to make learning fun and motivating. Build lasting focus habits through friendly competition and visible achievements.

Highlights
  • Focus timer with distraction avoidance
  • Study challenges with friends
  • Live leaderboards for comparison
  • Progress tracking and stats
  • Habit building and streaks
  • Social accountability
Features
Read full description

Stay focused. Compete with friends. Make studying fun. Lilo is a social study timer that transforms your study time into a motivating challenge. Instead of studying alone and losing focus, you can now set timers, compete with friends, climb leaderboards, and track your progress in a way that makes learning feel engaging and rewarding. FOCUS TIMER - Start a focus timer to stay consistent and avoid distractions. - Use Lilo for deep study sessions, daily homework, or exam preparation. - Build habits that last and turn focus into a routine. CHALLENGES WITH FRIENDS - Invite your friends to study challenges and see who can stay focused the longest. - Compete one-on-one or in groups to stay motivated. - Keep each other accountable while making learning more fun. LEADERBOARDS - Compare your study time with friends on live leaderboards. - See who studied the most this week and push yourself higher. - Use healthy competition to stay consistent. STATS AND PROGRESS - Track total study hours, daily streaks, and weekly progress. - Visualize your learning with charts and simple insights. - Celebrate small wins that build long-term results. WHY LILO? Studying does not have to feel boring or lonely. With Lilo, you are part of a challenge where focus is fun, progress is visible, and learning becomes social. Challenges, leaderboards, and progress tracking make it easier to stay locked in every day. Whether you are preparing for finals, working on projects, improving focus for self-study, or simply trying to build stronger habits, Lilo keeps you motivated and accountable. KEY FEATURES - Study timer with focus mode - Challenges with friends - Leaderboards for extra motivation - Study streaks and habit tracking - Stats and progress insights With Lilo, your study time becomes more than just work — it becomes a challenge, a competition, and a shared journey with friends. Download Lilo today and discover a new way of studying. Focus. Compete. Achieve. https://sites.google.com/view/lilo-study-timer-challenges/regulamin https://sites.google.com/view/lilo-study-timer-challenges/policy https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Forest4 screens
Lilo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Forest at 50K against Lilo's 4.3K. On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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 Lilo sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Forest against 4.7 for Lilo. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Forest has 50K ratings behind it against 4.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 58% of Forest's written reviews are positive against 66% of Lilo's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Forest ships an update every 9 days, Lilo every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Forest versus Lilo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterForestLilo
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (50K ratings) — better4.7 (4.3K ratings)
Positive reviews58.5% of reviews66.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings50K — better4.3K
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size826 MB121 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSEEKRTECH CO., LTD.Pawel Gladysz

Customer experience

Forest

All ratings49,540 ratings
Positive96.1%
Neutral1.4%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews2,278 reviews
Positive58.5%
Neutral6.9%
Negative34.6%

Lilo

All ratings4,258 ratings
Positive92.2%
Neutral2.5%
Negative5.4%
Written reviews56 reviews
Positive66.1%
Neutral3.6%
Negative30.4%

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

Lilo

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
5 purchases

Lilo

Subscriptions5
  • Premium Access$4.991 Month
  • Premium Access Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Premium Access Yearly$19.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Premium Access$29.991 Year
  • Premium Access Yearly$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Forest free?
Forest is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lilo free?
Lilo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Forest or Lilo?
Forest is rated higher. Forest averages 4.8 out of 5 from 50K ratings, while Lilo averages 4.7 from 4.3K ratings.
Do Forest or Lilo have ads?
Neither Forest nor Lilo shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Forest or Lilo?
Forest ships an update every 9 days, and Lilo every 8 days. Most recently, Forest was updated on October 17, 2026 and Lilo on October 16, 2026.

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