Forest app alternatives

By G, founder of Memenmo Studios · 6 October 2026

Checked against each app’s own website and store listing as of 6 October 2026. Prices change, so they’re left to the App Store.

Forest is still a strong choice: free blocking, group sessions, real trees and nearly every platform. If you want a gentler mechanic, a companion instead of a forest, or no subscription for an allowlist, try Flora, Focus Dog, Focus Friend, Doggydoro (ours), or your phone's own timer and Screen Time.

One of the apps below, Doggydoro, is made by Memenmo Studios, the people who run this site. The others aren’t connected to us in any way. Everything said about them comes from their own websites, store listings and help pages, checked on 6 October 2026.

Is Forest still worth using?

Yes, for a lot of people. Forest has been at this since 2014 and its free tier is generous: a focus timer, Deep Focus app blocking, Plant Together group sessions and the forest itself, with no time limit. It runs on iPhone, iPad, Android and in the browser, synced through your account, and it has funded real tree planting through Trees for the Future. If all of that suits you, there’s no need to leave.

Why do people look for a Forest alternative?

Usually for one of a handful of reasons, and it’s worth knowing which is yours before picking:

The dying tree. Forest’s whole idea is that leaving early costs you a tree. That works for some people and feels like a telling-off to others.
They’d rather have company. A tree is a record of time; some people want something that sits with them while they work.
The allowlist is in Plus. Blocking is free, but a custom allowlist, analytics and multi-app Time Guard need the Plus subscription. The old one-off Pro is no longer sold to new users.
Ads. Forest’s Google Play listing says it contains ads.
Accounts. Forest uses an account to sync your data between devices. Some people would rather not have one.

Which Forest alternatives are worth a look?

Here are five, with what each one does instead of trees.

App	Instead of trees	Blocking	Platforms	Price model	Account
Flora	More trees, a garden and a to-do list	The tree dies if you leave; chosen apps allowed on iOS 16.1 or later	iPhone, Apple silicon Mac, Android, Chrome extension	Free, with in-app purchases	Not stated publicly
Focus Dog	A dog you feed with donuts	No app shielding described; leaving stops the donuts	iPhone, iPad, Apple silicon Mac, Android	Free, with Pro as a subscription or one-off purchase	Has sign-up and log-in
Focus Friend	A bean who knits	Deep Focus Mode	iPhone, iPad, Apple silicon Mac, Android	Free, with Pro as a subscription or lifetime	Not stated publicly
Doggydoro (ours)	A dog of your choosing, in a room	Strict, Allowlist or Chill out, plus a bedtime lock; free	iPhone only	Free, with Pro as a subscription or one-off purchase	No
Your phone’s own tools	Nothing, which is the point	Screen Time on iPhone, Focus mode on Android	Whatever you already have	Free	No new one

Is Flora the closest thing to Forest?

Yes. Flora works almost the same way: plant a seed, stay focused, and the tree grows; leave for social media or games and it dies. It adds a proper to-do list with reminders, a habit garden, and friends you can challenge and chat with during a session. Its opt-in Price and Care services plant real trees with partners including Trees for the Future and Eden Reforestation Projects. It’s free with in-app purchases, on iPhone, Android and a Chrome extension.

It isn’t the answer if the dying tree is what’s bothering you, because it keeps that idea. On iOS 16.1 or later you can let chosen apps through without killing the tree, which softens it.

What if I’d rather have a dog?

There are two, and they’re very different.

Focus Dog is the more established. Your dog Focus eats the donuts you earn while you stay in the app; leave and the machine stops. It has weekly leagues, friends, nine languages, Android, iPad and Mac, and you can donate the gems you earn as meals for shelter dogs, which is a nice echo of Forest’s real trees. It’s the better pick if you want something gamey with company.

Doggydoro is ours, and new. You choose a breed, name the dog, and it settles into a chair in a small watercolour room. Nothing dies and nobody sulks: if you stop early, the dog yawns. The keeping-away is done by Apple’s Screen Time, free, with an allowlist and a bedtime lock, and there’s no account. It’s iPhone only and English only, with no friends or group sessions, so it can’t replace Plant Together. There’s a fuller side-by-side in Doggydoro vs Focus Dog.

What about Focus Friend?

It’s the gentlest of the lot. Made by Hank Green and Honey B Games, it gives you a bean who knits socks while you focus and is very sad if you stop the timer. Socks buy decorations for the bean’s room, Deep Focus Mode locks distracting apps, and Pro adds scarves. Its FAQ says it’s ad-free and doesn’t collect or sell your personal data. It’s English only, and its listings don’t describe group sessions like Forest’s. More in Focus Friend alternatives.

Can I do this without another app?

Yes, and it’s worth trying first. On an iPhone, the Clock app’s timer will run a 25-minute focus as well as anything, and Screen Time can schedule downtime or set limits on the apps that pull at you. On Android, Digital Wellbeing’s Focus mode pauses the apps you choose, on a schedule if you like. You lose the trees, pets and stats, but you also lose nothing to subscriptions or sign-ups. If you want something in between, our web timer runs in a browser tab, free.

So which should I pick?

Stay with Forest if group sessions, the browser extension or real trees matter most.
Flora if you like Forest’s idea but want a to-do list and friends to chat with.
Focus Dog if you want a dog, leagues and Android.
Focus Friend if you want something soft, ad-free and private.
Doggydoro if you’re on an iPhone and want a dog, free blocking with an allowlist, and no account.
Your phone’s own timer if you suspect the app was never really the point.

For the wider field, including Cat on Chair and Finch, see focus apps with a pet in them.