Comparison

Forest vs MainTube

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 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
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

MainTube

Features
Read full description

MainTube is a focused YouTube browser for iPhone and iPad that hides Shorts so you can watch what you actually came for. Tired of opening YouTube "for one video" and losing 30 minutes to Shorts? MainTube removes the distraction at the source. What it does: • Hides the Shorts tab in the bottom navigation • Removes the Shorts shelf from your home feed • Filters Shorts out of search results • Filters Shorts out of your subscription feed • Keeps long-form videos, channels, playlists, and everything else you love about YouTube Built for focus: • Optional Face ID lock — keep the app (and your attention) protected • Clean, minimal interface with no ads of our own • No account required — sign in with your YouTube account only if you want to • Works on iPhone and iPad Privacy first: • We do not collect, track, or transmit any personal data • No analytics, no ads, no third-party trackers • Your YouTube session stays between you and YouTube Stop scrolling. Start watching. MainTube is an independent app and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by YouTube or Google LLC.

Screenshots

Forest4 screens
MainTube2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Forest at Free against MainTube's $2.99. Forest also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). MainTube's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

Forest is free to download; MainTube costs $2.99 up front. Forest sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. MainTube asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Forest ships an update weekly, MainTube every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Forest versus MainTube: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterForestMainTube
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.8 (50K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews65.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings50K — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size840 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSEEKRTECH CO., LTD.Jameel Mohammed

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

MainTube

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

9 purchases

Forest

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly (Early Bird)7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Monthly (Early Bird)$5.991 Month
  • Annual (Early Bird)7 Days trial$35.991 Year
One-time6
  • Shovelful of Crystal2 variants$0.99
  • Bottle of Sunshine Elixir$0.99
  • Box of Sunshine Elixir$1.99
Show 3 more
  • Small pot of Crystal$4.99
  • Large bag of Crystal$10.99
  • Cartful of Crystal$21.99
None

MainTube

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Forest free?
Forest is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MainTube free?
MainTube costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Forest or MainTube have ads?
Neither Forest nor MainTube shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Forest or MainTube?
Forest ships an update weekly, and MainTube every 2 months. Most recently, Forest was updated on November 7, 2026 and MainTube on October 31, 2026.

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