# Forest vs Mello

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Mello at 97% against Forest's 61%. Mello also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 9 days) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Forest's advantage is ratings volume (49K vs 62) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.2). 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 Mello sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Mello 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 62, 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 97% of Mello's.

Forest ships an update every 9 days, Mello every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Forest | Mello |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (49K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forest-focus-for-productivity/id866450515/reviews) | **[5.0 (62 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mello/id6770654285/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **49K** | 62 |
| Positive reviews | 60.6% of reviews | **97.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 845 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 26.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [SEEKRTECH CO., LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/469475888) | [Iris Arteaga](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896759972) |

## What reviewers say

### Forest

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

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


### Mello

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mello/id6770654285)

This app helps students manage their academic life with a customizable planner. It includes features for events, timetables, tasks, and a built-in Pomodoro timer for focused study sessions. Stay organized and in control of your studies with a clean and visually appealing interface.

**Highlights:** Customizable student planner, Event and task management, Clean timetable view, Built-in Pomodoro timer, Personalized profile options

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mello Member Monthly Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Mello Member Yearly Subscription | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Forest free?

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

### Is Mello free?

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

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

Mello is rated higher. Forest averages 4.8 out of 5 from 49K ratings, while Mello averages 5.0 from 62 ratings.

### Do Forest or Mello have ads?

Neither Forest nor Mello shows ads.

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

Forest ships an update every 9 days, and Mello every 3 days. Most recently, Forest was updated on September 26, 2026 and Mello on September 23, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*