Short answer
Short answer: Forest's closest free equivalent is Flora: the same tree mechanic, shared sessions with a friend. If you want a growing garden instead of trees, rooms with friends and a city competition, Pomi. If a task list matters most, Focus To-Do. On a computer, Pomofocus. None of them charge up front on iOS.
Giving Forest its due first
Forest is the app that grew the focus-app category. The mechanic is clever: start a session and you plant a sapling; leave the app during the session and it withers. Trees accumulate into a forest, and virtual coins can fund real tree planting. A browser extension covers the computer.
People look for alternatives for three reasons: it is paid on iOS (one-time), the free Android version has ads, and the mechanic is one-dimensional; the fear of killing a tree works for the first months, then you get used to it. Group planting, where one person leaving kills everyone's tree, also creates friction in some friend groups.
Comparison
| App | Mechanic | Free tier | Ads | Phone lock | Study together | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest (reference) | Plant a tree; leave and it dies | Android yes, iOS no | In Android free tier | Yes (app permission) | Group tree; one break kills it for all | iOS, Android, browser |
| Pomi | A plant per session in a garden; conquest map and league | Yes, full timer | None | No (encourages distance) | Rooms, everyone on their own timer | iOS, Android |
| Flora | Plant a tree; leave and it dies | Yes | None | Yes | Shared tree; one break kills it for all | iOS, Android |
| Focus To-Do | Timer + task manager | Yes | None | Partial | No | iOS, Android, desktop, web |
| Study Bunny | Feed a bunny, earn coins | Yes | Yes | No | No | iOS, Android |
| Focus Plant | Collect raindrops, grow plants | Yes | Yes | Yes | Limited | iOS, Android |
| Pomofocus | Plain web timer | Yes | Yes | No | No | Web |
Based on store listings as of September 2026. Prices and features change; check the store before downloading.
The apps, one by one
1. Flora Closest substitute
Forest's mechanic, free and without ads. Plant a sapling, leave and it dies; start a shared session with a friend. There is also an optional mode where you pledge money to charity if you break the session. If all you want from Forest is the tree and the lock, the search ends here.
- Missing
- Shallow statistics; no task management; in group sessions one person's break kills the tree for everyone.
2. Pomi Study together No ads
A garden instead of trees: every completed session adds a new plant to your pixel garden and the collection grows over time. Two core differences from Forest. First, in rooms everyone runs their own timer; when your friend takes a break your session is untouched, so there is no friction. Second, the conquest map: your focus minutes score points for your city, and 81 cities compete for regions in 7-day seasons. Tasks, mixable focus sounds and a weekly league round it out.
- Best for
- Students who study with friends; people motivated more by "let my garden grow" than by "don't let my tree die"
- Missing
- Does not lock the phone (deliberately); no web or desktop version.
- Get it
- App Store · Google Play
3. Focus To-Do Task-focused
No gamification; instead a full task manager and sync across all devices. If you used Forest "to keep track of myself" and never cared about the trees, this is a better tool. The free tier is ad-free and generous.
- Missing
- Busy interface; no motivation layer.
4. Study Bunny Character
A bunny you feed by studying, coins and a shop. Popular with high-school students. Cute and free, but ad-heavy and dated.
- Missing
- Ads; no social features.
5. Focus Plant Tree mechanic
Visually the closest alternative to Forest: focusing collects raindrops, raindrops grow plants. Has a phone lock. The free tier shows ads.
- Missing
- Ads; limited co-working.
6. Pomofocus Web
No install, no account, a plain timer in the browser. If you work at a computer and want a replacement for Forest's browser extension, it does the job.
- Missing
- No mobile app; the timer stops when the tab closes; ads.
Do you actually need a phone lock?
Forest's appeal is that it punishes you for leaving the app. That helps where you cannot put the phone in another room (dorm, bus, studio flat). But research shows that a phone lying on the desk lowers attention even when it is locked; a lock does not replace distance. That is why Pomi chose "start the timer, move the phone away" over locking. Details in the phone article.
Which one?
- I want Forest for free: Flora.
- I study with friends and don't want friction: Pomi.
- My task list matters: Focus To-Do.
- I'm at a computer: Pomofocus.
- I want a cute character: Study Bunny, or Pomi's plant collection.
For a broader comparison see the best Pomodoro apps in 2026. Whether gamification works at all is discussed in a separate article.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free alternative to Forest?
Yes. Flora offers the same tree-planting and phone-locking mechanic free and without ads. Pomi is also free and ad-free; instead of trees it adds a plant to your garden per session and adds rooms with friends and a city competition.
Why is Forest paid on iOS?
The developer chose a one-time purchase model on iOS, with an ad-supported free version on Android. If you do not want to pay up front, Flora and Pomi offer free starts.
What is the difference between Flora and Forest?
The mechanic is nearly identical: plant a sapling, leave and it dies, shared sessions with a friend. Flora is free and ad-free; Forest's browser extension and real-tree programme are not in Flora.
Does a focus app that doesn't lock the phone work?
Yes, because research shows a phone in view lowers attention even when locked. Starting the timer and putting the phone in another room is more effective than a lock. Pomi is designed around that approach.
What does Forest have that Pomi doesn't?
A phone lock, a browser extension and a real-tree planting programme. What Pomi has that Forest doesn't: rooms where everyone runs their own timer, a conquest map where 81 cities compete, a weekly league and mixable focus sounds.
Try Pomi for free
No ads, works offline. On iPhone, iPad and Android.
Transparency note: This article was written by the developer of Pomi. Information about other apps is based on their public store listings at the time of publishing; prices and features may change. Spotted a mistake? Email us and we will fix it.