# Forest vs SelfBlock

The clearest difference is update cadence: Forest at weekly against SelfBlock's monthly. Forest also leads on chart position (#193 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Forest sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and SelfBlock sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Forest ships an update weekly, SelfBlock monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Forest | SelfBlock |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (50K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forest-focus-for-productivity/id866450515/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **50K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 57.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Best chart rank | **#193** | — |
| Size | 840 MB | 58 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SEEKRTECH CO., LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/469475888) | [ismail Hakki Palali](https://appshunter.io/developer/1653363899) |

## What reviewers say

### Forest

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

**Currently charting:** #193 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

This app helps you stay focused by growing a virtual forest while you avoid your phone. Earn rewards, unlock new trees, and even plant real trees on Earth through a partnership. It offers tools to block distractions and track your progress.

**Highlights:** Gamified focus timer, Virtual forest growth, App blocking with Allow Lists, Real tree planting partnership, Detailed statistics and insights, Co-planting with friends

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly (Early Bird) | $5.99 | per month |
| Monthly (Early Bird) | $5.99 | per month |
| Annual (Early Bird) | $35.99 | per year |
| Shovelful of Crystal | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bottle of Sunshine Elixir | $0.99 | one-time |
| Box of Sunshine Elixir | $1.99 | one-time |
| Small pot of Crystal | $4.99 | one-time |
| Large bag of Crystal | $10.99 | 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


### SelfBlock

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/selfblock-screen-time-buddy/id6757798472)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Monthly | $4.49 | per month |
| Pro Yearly | $27.49 | per year |
| Pro Lifetime | $82.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Forest free?

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

### Is SelfBlock free?

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

### Do Forest or SelfBlock have ads?

Neither Forest nor SelfBlock shows ads.

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

Forest ships an update weekly, and SelfBlock monthly. Most recently, Forest was updated on November 4, 2026 and SelfBlock on October 25, 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.*