In the age of electronics, social media, and funny videos, it’s really hard to stay focused. Working from home or trying to study with the help of the internet is a lot harder than it seems.
Apps like Forest are good at keeping you accountable and helping you stay consistent and focused at all times.
What’s also great is that there are dozens of apps like Forest, and each one of them adds a different aspect that will help you stay focused and productive.
I’ll share more about these apps below, but I’ll also show you 10 of the best free apps like Forest!
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How Apps like Forest Work?
Apps like Forest tend to implement a trigger that will intrigue users to remain focused and help them remain focused and productive when they need it the most.
For example, Forest implemented a tree as a way to help people focus. If you focus, your tree grows, and if you don’t, it won’t grow.
On top of that, Forest partnered with organizations that plant trees so you can earn coins by being productive and help plant a tree with these coins.
Therefore, you won’t only be motivated to stay focused to be productive, yet you’ll also be able to do it for a good cause.
As I’ve mentioned earlier, dozens of apps have their way to intrigue and help users stay focused and productive by tracking it through the app.
Just the way you would want a smartwatch to track your run or a walk and get many statistics to motivate you, you would want a bit of help when it’s really hard to stay consistent.
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Best Free Apps Like Forest
Each of the 10 best free apps like Forest is different in its own way. While you might not be able to plant trees with these apps, they’ll provide a lot more features that could be a lot more helpful in the long run.
1. SelfControl
SelfControl is a great Forest alternative because it does the same thing, yet on your computer.
While Forest can’t help you eliminate distractions on your computer, SelfControl is made to do just that.
With SelfControl, you can block your access to websites that you find to be the most distracting. As a result, we’ve all found ourselves browsing memes or watching funny YouTube videos for hours when we should’ve been doing something more productive.
You can easily stop this by installing SelfControl on your Mac for free and setting up the websites you’d like to block.
What I like the most about SelfControl is that it’s very simple to use and you can also set a timer on the blocking you set. Therefore, you can set time to be productive, and when the timer is over, you can have a break and reward yourself with a couple of minutes on the website that usually distract you.
However, keep in mind that SelfControl is serious about helping you stay productive. When you set the distractions you’d like to block out and start the timer, these distractions will stay blocked until the timer runs out.
Even if you restart the computer or delete the app, your distractions will still be blocked. Therefore, this might be annoying for some but helpful for others who want an app to keep them accountable and help them finish their work.
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2. OFFTIME
Did you ever try and calculate how much time you spend in front of your smartphone or a computer?
Sometimes, I catch myself spending time in front of a screen after a screen ever since I wake up to the time I go to sleep.
Even though some smartphones have integrated ways to track usage, OFFTIME is a great app that helps you keep track and add balance to your digital life.
OFFTIME is a great Forest alternative because it allows you to set the time you know you should spend on your devices to study or work. Then, when you set the timer and start blocking, you won’t get distracted by anything from your phone.
What’s also great about OFFTIME is that it’s not only focused on work and studying, yet it also helps you create good boundaries so you can be in the moment and enjoy time with your friends, family, or even the time for yourself.
We all have the same 24 hours in a day, and OFFTIME is a great Forest alternative that helps you get the most out of your day while still staying focused when you need to the most.
OFFTIME is available for both Android and iOS devices.
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3. Get Off Your Phone
Get Off Your Phone is a great Forest alternative because it’s free and it works similarly. It allows you to limit your phone usage and schedule sessions when you have to work or study to set your timer.
On top of that, you can set tasks you’re working on to see how much time you’re spending on each task. I find this to be very useful in learning what takes you most of your time and what tasks are the hardest.
This way, you can re-order the way you tackle your tasks and finish them sooner than before.
Get Off Your Phone app is full of stats that help you understand how you work or study. For example, you can see how productive you are against how unproductive you are throughout the day.
When you set the session, and the timer starts counting down, you can still quiet the app to use your phone. However, you will get funny and motivating notifications to stay productive without getting distracted.
However, if you ever come across an emergency, you can cut the timer, so your phone isn’t sending you notifications every couple of minutes.
When you get back, you can check the history of your sessions, but you can also schedule sessions in advance. This way, the Get Off Your Phone app helps you create a work schedule that you’ll stick to with the help of motivating notifications before your session starts.
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4. 1Blocker
If you have to use the internet, social media platforms, or anything else on your computer by accessing the web and yet you often get distracted, 1Blocker is a great option instead of Forest.
1Blocker works in a couple of ways. First, it helps you browse websites faster, remove ads, and remove anything that might distract you, such as the comments section, targeted ads, widgets, or other annoyances.
I am also guilty of wasting my time by following ads, reading comments, or checking out cool things from the widgets of my favorite blogs. However, with 1Blocker, I won’t have access to these things, which will improve my browsing experience.
1Blocker is great at allowing you to use websites you might need for work, such as social media platforms, and yet it limits you in a way where you can only do what you came to do.
In other words, 1Blocker increases focus by limiting and blocking features that might consume your time, distract you, or won’t boost your productivity.
What’s also great about 1Blocker is that you get to choose which features you would like to leave enabled and which ones you would like to disable.
1Blocker is free to use, and it’s available across iOS and Mac OS devices, but it can also be integrated into the Safari browser as an extension. This app is specifically designed for a Safari browser, so you won’t ever feel like it’s in the way when you’re browsing your favorite sites.
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5. AntiSocial
Social media can become addictive without you even realizing it. While some smartphones can track the usage of apps on your smartphone, AntiSocial is a great option instead of Forest because it is a lot more elaborate.
It doesn’t only allow you to block out your smartphone, but it also tells you more about the way you use your smartphone and how you spend your time when you’re using your smartphone.
AntiSocial is more of a reporting app combined with controls that help you cut down your addiction to time-consuming apps and social media platforms. It also helps you understand the reasons behind the blocking actions.
This app is so useful that you can learn how many times you unlocked your smartphone in a day, how much time you spent on social media (in minutes), what apps you use the most, and even compare your usage to your peers.
With powerful charting and the blacklist ability, you can learn how you use your smartphone, how you manage your time, and how you can take action by blocking some of the apps during a certain time of the day.
Whether this is when you’re at work, in school, or at home studying, AntiSocial can help you learn how to be more productive and what you need to do to become more productive and laser-focused on things you’re doing.
AntiSocial is only available for Android smartphones, but it is free to download.
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6. Don’t Waste Today!
How many times did you not feel like working or studying? You ended up procrastinating only to regret it when you saw the workload you have for the next day?
Don’t Waste Today is a free anti-procrastination app that won’t only determine reasons you’re procrastinating but will also tell you why you’re doing it and what you can do instead to be the opposite.
Don’t Waste Today is a great alternative to Forest because of its powerful insights with only a couple of inputs.
The app works in a slightly different way. The app will ask you a couple of times throughout the day if you’re procrastinating. But, again, it’s best to be honest as you don’t want to lie to yourself.
If you feel like you’re procrastinating, you tap yes, and you’ll be asked for a reason.
All of your answers will be analyzed and compiled in a report that will help you understand why you’re procrastinating and what changes you can make to stop procrastination.
Whether you’re spending too much time on social media, watching too much television, gaming more than you have time for, or even spending money while online shopping, Don’t Waste Today can help!
It’s a very simple app, yet it is very efficient, and it is worth giving it a try. Don’t Waste Today is free on AppStore and Google Play, and it’s free to download.
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7. Digital Wellbeing
Digital Wellbeing is a great Android alternative to Forest as it doesn’t only allow you to set a timer and reduce distraction from your phone, but it also helps you learn how to avoid getting distracted by your smartphone.
This app helps you understand when and on what apps you spend most of your time on and at what times.
It also allows you to set a timer on apps where you believe you spend too much time. This can be a result of procrastination which never helps with retaining focus and increasing your productivity levels.
Yet, with this timer, you can limit the number of minutes or hours you would like to spend on each app per day.
Therefore, you can set the timer to disconnect from your smartphone when you need to work, study, or even sleep.
However, if you need to use your smartphone for work, you can minimize distractions and even set digital ground rules so you can never cheat yourself and get distracted ever again.
My favorite feature is the Focus Mode, where you can eliminate distractions with a single tap so all apps that can be distracting won’t disturb you when you’re doing your best to stay focused.
Digital Wellbeing is free to download on Google Store, but it’s only compatible with Android smartphones.
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8. Digital Detox
Digital Detox is very similar to Forest because instead of planting trees, you can complete challenges as you take a break from your smartphone.
With this app, you can begin your “detox” from your smartphone, and everything that distracts you and yet is related to your smartphone. In addition, you can set the timer on how long you would like your detox to be and how hard or easy it will be.
Digital Detox recommends starting with the easy level, which is only 2 hours. The medium level is 8 hours, and the hard level is 24 hours.
What’s also great about the app is that it provides motivating quotes and it empowers users to go through the detox to fully experience the benefits.
When you’re in the detox, you won’t be able to text back, take photos, tweet, or use any app. However, when you finish detox, you will receive points and rewards that will help you stay motivated to make more free time in your life and stay away from your smartphone for a while.
With stats such as the length and number of detox sessions you did and information on the apps you use the most, you can know what apps consume much of your time.
While you might need some apps for work, you might not need other apps that distract you and waste your time when you need it the least. Unfortunately, smartphone addiction is real, and I recommend you to try out Digital Detox, at least when you’re working, to see what benefits you gain.
Digital Detox is free to use, and it’s available for all Android smartphones.
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9. SPACE
SPACE is very similar to Forest because it allows you to set a timer and eliminate distractions on your phone while improving your focus and productivity.
However, I like SPACE because it offers something that Forest doesn’t. SPACE allows you to do it with your friends. It’s always easier to do things with others, and having an accountable friend is a great integration in such an app.
SPACE won’t only teach you what apps you use the most, what distracts you the most, and how you can improve your focus and retain your productivity for longer, but it will also give you the tools to take action and make a change.
Inside SPACE, you can set and track goals, manage your daily progress, find your habits, collaborate with friends, share results, and even take action as a group.
SPACE is there to provide you insights and to help you notice the difference when you start making the change. On top of that, it will keep you motivated and fuel your desire to improve your smartphone use and habits with the help of inspirational quotes, tips, and motivational quotes.
SPACE is available for Android and iOS smartphones, but it is also available as a Chrome browser extension, so you can always work on building healthy habits and eliminating distractions and bad habits.
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10. Side-Tracked
Do you often get sidetracked, and you lose your thoughts? Having a to-do list is great, but using the Side-Tracked app helps you keep a couple of to-do lists on your phone at all times.
It’s a great Forest alternative for everyone who can’t just improve their focus by eliminating distraction but need a bit of planning and preparation to execute their daily routine.
Side-Tracked is a perfect app because it’s free and is very simple to use. You can create a couple of boards which are known as to-do lists.
On each board, you can write down tasks, so you always stay organized. You can even have a couple of boards at the same time.
For example, you can keep one board with tasks for shopping, another board with tasks related to work, the third board with tasks around the home, and so on.
Each task you add to the board automatically comes with a box to tick when you finish it.
This way, you won’t ever get sidetracked and you won’t ever miss a single thing. All it takes is five minutes before you go to bed to plan the next day.
Side-Tracked is available on AppStore, and it’s free to use.
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Conclusion
Forest is a great app, but there are so many different and even better apps that can help you improve your focus, take a break from notifications, work on your daily routine, and improve your productivity.
Each of these options is a great choice, and I highly recommend you look into each option to find the one you like the most.
You might not be planting trees, but you will be making a huge change to your daily routine that can pay off in the long run.
On top of that, you’ll save some money since these apps are free and are a great alternative to Forest.
Therefore, choose carefully but don’t stress the choice as having an app that helps you lose your bad habits and build healthy habits is far better than trying to improve things on your own.
Many Forest users started looking for alternatives due to the lack of features in the Forest app, so this might be the starting point if you felt the same!
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