The short answer
For the closest free copy of Forest, try Flora. For something softer and cuter, Focus Friend. For a hard block on apps and sites all day, Opal. For a plain Pomodoro timer on Apple devices, Be Focused. If you want a timer on your computer for free, or the dying tree makes you quit, try POLANA, the timer we make: it builds a little pixel world every minute you focus and runs in your browser.
Disclosure: Świt Studio makes POLANA and it is marked as ours. Nobody paid to be included. Prices are US store prices and change by country, so check the store before you pay.
Try POLANA free in your browser: open the Pomodoro timer. The iPhone app is coming soon.
Why people look for a Forest alternative
- Ads and Plus. Forest used to be a one-time purchase on iPhone. Now the core app is free with occasional ads, and Forest Plus is a subscription for extra trees, sounds, pauses and detailed stats.
- The tree dies. Leave the app mid-session and you get a dead tree. That is the point, and it works for many people. For others, one dead tree on a bad day is enough to delete the app.
- No timer on the computer. Plenty of focus time happens on a laptop, and people search for Forest on PC and Mac.
- The block is too easy to escape. In Forest you can give up and let the tree die. Some people want a block they cannot cancel.
What Forest does well is worth keeping in mind: group sessions with friends (Plant Together), real trees planted through Trees for the Future, and a forest that shows your focus time at a glance.
Compared at a glance
| App | Best for | Platforms | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest | the original tree timer, group focus | iOS, Android | Free with ads; Forest Plus subscription |
| Flora | the closest free copy of Forest | iOS, Android | Free; asks you to sign in |
| Focus Friend | a gentle, cute timer: a bean knits while you focus | iOS, Android | Free to download, in-app purchases |
| Opal | hard blocking of apps and sites on a schedule | iOS, Android, Mac | Free basics; Pro subscription |
| Be Focused | a plain Pomodoro timer | iPhone, iPad, Mac | Free; Pro upgrade |
| POLANA (ours) | a timer that builds a pixel world each minute; nothing dies | any browser; iPhone soon | Free in the browser |
The alternatives
Flora: Forest, but free
The same idea: plant a tree, keep your phone down, collect a garden. Flora is free on iPhone and Android and adds shared sessions with friends. You need to sign in to use it.
Focus Friend: soft and cute
Made by Hank Green's team. You start a session and a little bean knits; leave the app and the bean gets distracted, nothing worse. You decorate its room with what you earn. Free to download with in-app purchases, on iPhone and Android.
Opal: a block you cannot talk your way out of
Opal blocks apps and websites on a schedule, with a Deep Focus mode that you cannot cancel early (it is part of Pro). It runs on iPhone, Android and Mac. The free plan is basic; schedules and Deep Focus need Pro.
Be Focused: a plain Pomodoro timer
No trees and no pets: 25 minutes of work, a short break, a count of finished sessions. It runs on iPhone, iPad and Mac, which makes it an easy pick if you want the same timer on your phone and laptop.
POLANA: for when the dying tree makes you quit
Forest rewards you when the session is over. If you drift at minute 19 of 25, you get nothing but a dead tree. POLANA rewards every minute instead: you pick what to build, from flowers for 5 minutes to a log hut for 25, and it rises out of the grass while you work. Stop early and the hut stays half-built, then carries on next time. We made it for wandering minds, ADHD brains included.
- Write one goal before each session, so you know what "done" means.
- Start with 2 minutes on bad days.
- Finish a glade and the next place opens: Patagonia, Lapland, the Grand Canyon and seven more.
- The browser version is free with no account; your glade stays in that browser. The iPhone app adds sounds in the background, a timer on the lock screen and app blocking during sessions.
The honest drawbacks: the browser version keeps your glade only in that browser on that device, and it cannot block apps. The iPhone app with blocking is not out yet, and there is no Android version so far.
If your problem is bigger than one focus session, see the best procrastination apps, by why you procrastinate.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free alternative to Forest?
Flora is free on iPhone and Android. Focus Friend is free to download with in-app purchases. The POLANA Pomodoro timer is free in any browser with no account. Forest itself also has a free tier now, with ads outside focus sessions.
Is there a Forest alternative for PC or Mac?
A browser timer works on any computer: the free POLANA timer runs in Chrome, Safari, Edge or Firefox and keeps your progress in that browser. On a Mac, Be Focused is a simple Pomodoro app. For blocking sites on a computer, Opal has a Mac app and Freedom runs on Mac and Windows.
What is the best Forest alternative for ADHD?
Look for small rewards that come often and a soft response when you drift. POLANA builds your thing a little every minute and keeps every minute if you stop early. Focus Friend is gentle too: the bean knits while you focus. Everyone is different, so try a few sessions of each.
Is there an app like Forest without the tree dying?
In POLANA a session stopped early leaves the thing you were building half-built, and it carries on next time. Be Focused is a plain timer with nothing to lose.