Forest app: what's free, what Forest Plus costs and a free alternative
SEEKRTECH CO., LTD. · Productivity · ★ 4.8, 50K ratings in the US App Store · Free to download
AppHunt has no promo code for Forest, but we have one for the alternative below.
Best free alternative to Forest: Mute
Forest's free app shows occasional ads, and its Plus subscription adds the app allowlist and multi-app scheduling. Mute, from the AppHunt team, blocks apps through Screen Time with pauses of 15 to 60 minutes, daily schedules and an essentials-only mode, with no ads or account. With the AppHunt promo code you get 1 year of Mute premium for free.
Yes, the Forest app is free to download and use, with no time limit: the focus timer, Deep Focus app blocking, group sessions with friends and Time Guard for one app or site cost nothing, and the free version carries occasional ads. Forest Plus, an optional subscription, adds a custom app allowlist, multi-app scheduling, analytics, more tree species and an ad-free app. The US App Store lists subscriptions at $5.99 a month and $32.49 or $35.99 a year, and the old one-time Forest Pro is no longer sold (US App Store prices on October 30, 2026; they may change).
Is Forest free?
Forest says the core app is free, with no credit card and no time limit. The free tier has the focus timer (countdown and stopwatch), Deep Focus, which blocks other apps during a session, Time Guard for one app or site, one Mindful Space soundscape, focus tracking, Focus Challenge missions, Plant Together rooms where friends share a tree, a friends list with a leaderboard, coins and the classic tree species. Forest also says the free version carries occasional ads, never in the middle of a session, and that pausing a session is a Plus feature. Reviews from 2026 are split: long-time users object to a redesign and to prompts to buy Plus, and some who paid for the old app feel it was downgraded.
How much does Forest cost?
Forest Plus is the current paid plan, and Forest says what it costs depends on your region and platform. The US App Store lists only two kinds of subscription, Monthly (Early Bird) at $5.99 and Annual (Early Bird) at $32.49 and $35.99; the listing doesn't name Plus or explain Early Bird. Plus adds pausing, auto-focus after a break, your own allowlist of permitted apps, Time Guard schedules covering several apps and sites, focus analytics with custom tags, the full soundscape library, extra trees (Plus-only, seasonal and early-release ones), triple coins, a VIP track in seasonal events, no ads, and up to five real trees planted with coins. Forest Pro, a one-time purchase, is no longer sold, and people who bought it keep it. The listing also shows Sunshine Elixir items at $0.99 and $1.99 and Crystal packs from $0.99 to $21.99, which it doesn't describe. After you cancel, Plus runs to the end of the billing period and the account returns to free. These are US App Store prices on October 30, 2026, and they may change.
| Box of Sunshine Elixir | $1.99 |
| Annual (Early Bird) | $35.99 |
| Bottle of Sunshine Elixir | $0.99 |
| Small pot of Crystal | $4.99 |
| Monthly (Early Bird) | $5.99 |
| Large bag of Crystal | $10.99 |
| Shovelful of Crystal | $0.99 |
| Cartful of Crystal | $21.99 |
| Annual (Early Bird) | $32.49 |
Mute or Forest: how they compare
Mute, made by the AppHunt team, is the plainer, ad-free way to block apps. It uses Apple's Screen Time controls for a pause of 15, 25, 45 or 60 minutes or for daily schedules, and its Essentials only mode keeps the individual apps you name available. Blocking, schedules and usage reports are free, with no account and no ads, and Mute Plus is free with AppHunt's promo code at apphunt.app/app/mute-plus. Forest does things Mute doesn't: a growing forest as motivation, shared sessions with friends, coins and focus statistics, real trees planted through Trees for the Future, and versions for Android and browsers. Forest's Deep Focus makes you give up and lose your tree before you can open another app, while Mute's pause can be ended from its Today screen, so Mute is gentler. Mute is built for iPhone and is new, with no ratings yet.
Other free alternatives to Forest
Opal ·Scheduled blocks with a mode you can't cancel
BePresent ·Cutting back alongside friends, with rewards
Unrot ·Scrollers who want a flexible, refilling budget
Brick ·People who want a physical barrier, not willpower
About Forest
Forest: Focus for Productivity, from Seekrtech, has 49,576 ratings averaging 4.8 in the US App Store and has been around since 2014; Forest says 60 million people have used it. A virtual tree grows as long as you keep away from your phone and withers if you leave, and the app adds app blocking, group sessions, statistics and a tie-up with the nonprofit Trees for the Future that funds real planting. It runs on iPhone and iPad (iOS 16 or later), Android and, as extensions, Chrome and Firefox, and its latest update, version 5.32.0, came out on October 24, 2026. Of its 500 newest US reviews (March to October 2026), 189 are one-star and 178 five-star, and most of the low ratings concern the redesign and the shift to Plus. It suits people who like a game-like timer and group focus.
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Forest: questions and answers
Is Forest free?
Yes. Forest says the core app is free, with no time limit and no credit card: the focus timer, Deep Focus app blocking, Plant Together group sessions, Time Guard for one app or site and a friends leaderboard. The free version carries occasional ads, never in the middle of a session, and Plus is the ad-free option.
How much does Forest cost?
Forest says what Plus costs depends on your region and platform. The US App Store lists Monthly (Early Bird) at $5.99 and Annual (Early Bird) at $32.49 and $35.99 as its subscriptions, plus coin-style items from $0.99 to $21.99. A March 2026 reviewer put the subscription at a little over $30 a year, which fits. US App Store prices on October 30, 2026; they may change.
Is there a Forest promo code?
AppHunt has no promo code for Forest, and Forest's website and listing don't mention codes or coupons; its own offer is a free Plus trial started inside the app. If you want a free app blocker, Mute's blocking is free, and AppHunt has a promo code at apphunt.app/app/mute-plus that unlocks Mute Plus.
Does Forest have a free trial?
Yes. Forest says a free Plus trial can be started from inside the app and cancelled anytime, but it doesn't state the length; a March 2026 reviewer mentions seven days, and another says the trial screen showed no price. If you don't want to continue, cancel in your Apple Account's subscriptions at least a day before it ends.
What does Forest Plus add?
Plus is Forest's premium tier. Beyond the free features, it lets you pause a session (five minutes at a time), start the next session automatically after a break, allow certain apps during a session, schedule blocks for several apps and sites at once, see analytics and tag your sessions, use every Mindful Space soundscape, collect extra tree species, earn triple coins, join the VIP track of seasonal events, go ad-free and plant up to five real trees with your coins.
Is Forest still a paid download?
No. Forest was a paid download for years, and reviewers recall paying between $1 and $4, but Forest says the one-time Pro is no longer sold on any platform. The app is now free to download with the optional Plus subscription. People who bought Pro keep their Pro status, though several 2026 reviewers say features they used moved behind Plus.
How can I cancel Forest Plus?
Plus is billed through Apple or Google Play. On iPhone, go to Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions, choose Forest and cancel. Plus keeps working until the end of the billing period, after which your trees and history stay and the account drops back to the free version. Apple handles refunds for App Store purchases.
What is the best free alternative to Forest?
If you mainly want to block distracting apps, Mute, made by the AppHunt team, is free: timed pauses, daily schedules and an essentials-only mode through Apple's Screen Time, with no ads or account, and our promo code unlocks Mute Plus. It has no trees, friends, coins or statistics, so Forest is still the pick if the game keeps you focused; our list of free app blockers compares more options.
AppHunt is not affiliated with SEEKRTECH CO., LTD.. Prices are US App Store prices checked on October 30, 2026 and can change; your country’s store may show different prices.