# Forest vs Countdown Widget

Forest and Countdown Widget both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Countdown Widget's written reviews are positive against 58% of Forest's. Countdown Widget also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 9 days). Forest's advantage is ratings volume (50K vs 12) and chart position (#203 vs unranked). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Forest sells 19 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Countdown Widget sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Forest against 4.8 for Countdown Widget. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Forest has 50K ratings behind it against 12, 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 100% of Countdown Widget's.

Forest ships an update every 9 days, Countdown Widget daily. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Forest | Countdown Widget |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (50K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forest-focus-for-productivity/id866450515/reviews) | **[4.8 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-widget-any-event/id6799846628/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **50K** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | 58.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#203** | — |
| Size | 826 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SEEKRTECH CO., LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/469475888) | [可 吴](https://appshunter.io/developer/1854274317) |

## What reviewers say

### Forest

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

**Currently charting:** #203 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

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


### Countdown Widget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-widget-any-event/id6799846628)

Track upcoming events with customizable widgets for your home and lock screens. It offers flexible repeat options, reminders, and data import/export. The app ensures your countdowns are always saved and provides a full-screen view for milestones.

**Highlights:** Multiple widget types and sizes, Unlimited event tracking, Count up or down, Customizable repeats and reminders, iCloud sync, Data import/export, Milestone sharing

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Countdown Pro Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Countdown Pro Yearly | $6.99 | per year |
| Countdown Pro Lifetime | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Forest free?

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

### Is Countdown Widget free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Forest or Countdown Widget?

Countdown Widget is rated higher. Forest averages 4.8 out of 5 from 50K ratings, while Countdown Widget averages 4.8 from 12 ratings.

### Do Forest or Countdown Widget have ads?

Neither Forest nor Countdown Widget shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Forest or Countdown Widget?

Forest ships an update every 9 days, and Countdown Widget daily. Most recently, Forest was updated on October 21, 2026 and Countdown Widget on October 13, 2026.

---

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