# Forest vs StudentHub

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Forest at 50K against StudentHub's 2. Forest also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26). StudentHub's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Forest sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and StudentHub sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per 6 months. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

StudentHub holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Forest has 50K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Forest ships an update weekly, StudentHub every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Forest | StudentHub |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (50K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forest-focus-for-productivity/id866450515/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/studenthub-notes-and-college/id6793092843/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **50K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 65.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 840 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 26 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SEEKRTECH CO., LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/469475888) | [Aleksander Kjølberg](https://appshunter.io/developer/1853053036) |

## What reviewers say

### Forest

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

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


### StudentHub

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/studenthub-notes-and-college/id6793092843)

This app consolidates your academic life, including timetables, notes, tasks, files, and lecture recordings. It offers AI-powered study tools like transcription, summarization, and flashcard generation, all processed on your device for privacy.

**Highlights:** Integrated timetable with iCal import, Subject-organized notes with formatting, Task management by subject, Infinite canvas for visual organization, On-device lecture recording and transcription, AI-powered study material generation, Focus sessions and grade tracking

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Semester Pro | $11.99 | per 6 months |
| Yearly Pro | $14.99 | per year |
| Semester Pro | $14.99 | per 6 months |
| Yearly Pro | $14.99 | per year |
| Yearly Pro | $24.99 | per year |
| 15 Study Actions | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Forest free?

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

### Is StudentHub free?

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

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

StudentHub is rated higher. Forest averages 4.8 out of 5 from 50K ratings, while StudentHub averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Forest or StudentHub have ads?

Neither Forest nor StudentHub shows ads.

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

Forest ships an update weekly, and StudentHub every 10 days. Most recently, Forest was updated on November 8, 2026 and StudentHub on November 6, 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.*