Forest
Replaceable in one session with an AI coding agent.
A focus timer that grows a tree while you stay off your phone, and kills it if you leave the app — with real trees planted from the proceeds.
Build a focus timer as an installable web app. STACK - One HTML page, a service worker, IndexedDB, no server THE TIMER - Pick a length, start, and a visual that fills as the session runs - Store the session start as a timestamp and compute remaining time from the clock, never from a counter — a counter drifts and stops when the tab sleeps NOTICING YOU LEFT - The Page Visibility API tells you when the tab is hidden - Hidden for more than a few seconds ends the session, and the page says so plainly - A browser cannot see other apps; be honest that this only covers the tab THE RECORD - One row per session with start, planned length, and whether it completed - A month grid coloured by focused minutes Include the clock-based timer, the visibility rule and the history grid.
What you lose
- Real forestry funded by the purchase, which no home-made version replaces
- Screen-time detection that notices you left the app
- A shared forest with friends, which is what makes it stick
If you would rather not build
- Any Pomodoro timer, of which there are hundreds
- A kitchen timer, which works
- Focus modes built into the phone
The escape hatch
open source · no votes, no paid placement
Super Productivity
$0Open task management with a built-in focus timer and time tracking.
super-productivity/super-productivityfree · open source
Habitica
$0Turns focus and habits into a game with shared accountability.
HabitRPG/habiticafree · open source
Why this verdict
our own opinion · changed only by a person
90/100
Verdict yes at 90. Computing from the clock rather than counting down is the one bug to avoid. The trees are the part you genuinely cannot copy.
History
tracked since 10 Aug 2026 · nothing is ever overwritten
Nothing recorded yet. This chart fills in once the page has visitors, votes or prompt copies — it will not draw a flat line to look busy.
Questions about Forest
answered from the record above
Is Forest free?
No — the plan we track is $0.33 a month. A one-off purchase of around $3.99 on iOS; the figure shown spreads that over a year.
Can you replace Forest by building your own?
YES. Replaceable in one session with an AI coding agent. Replacement score 90 out of 100, build time one session. Read what you lose before you decide.
How much does Forest cost?
$0.33 a month on One-off purchase — $3.96 a year. Recorded 10 Aug 2026.
What do you lose by replacing Forest?
Real forestry funded by the purchase, which no home-made version replaces; Screen-time detection that notices you left the app; A shared forest with friends, which is what makes it stick. If any of those carry weight for you, keep paying.
Is there an open-source alternative to Forest?
Yes: Super Productivity, Habitica. The prompt on this page is for when you want it your way instead.
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