TickTick is the better app overall, scoring 8.4 to 8.3. TickTick wins on 3 of the 5 scores, Forest on 2.
Students and planners who want tasks, a calendar, habits and focus in one app
Students and procrastinators who respond to playful, visual rewards
Score by score
The details
| Feature | TickTick | Forest |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Productivity & Notes | Mind & Focus |
| Category rank | #14 of 17 | #9 of 11 |
| Developer | Appest Limited | Seekrtech Co., Ltd. |
| Pricing | Free + paid plans | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | — |
| Windows | ✓ | — |
| Linux | ✓ | — |
| Web | ✓ | — |
Common questions
Is TickTick better than Forest?
TickTick is the better app overall, scoring 8.4 to 8.3. TickTick wins on 3 of the 5 scores, Forest on 2.
Which is cheaper, TickTick or Forest?
TickTick: Free plan; Premium $49.99/year, or $4.99/month in the iPhone app. Forest: Free with ads; Forest Plus subscription removes ads and adds allow lists. On value for money, TickTick scores higher.
Do TickTick and Forest work on the same devices?
Only TickTick runs on Mac, Windows, Linux, Web.
Which is more private, TickTick or Forest?
Forest scores higher on privacy (7.0/10). App Store label says contact info and usage data may be used to track you, and links purchases and identifiers to you. The free tier shows ads; Google Play declares sharing personal info.
Strengths and weaknesses
TickTick
- Tons of features in a single app
- Free plan is useful, with habits and a focus timer
- Apps for every big platform, even Linux
- So many features make it feel busy
- Premium got a lot pricier in 2026
- Free plan stops at nine lists
TickTick packs more into one app than almost any other to-do app. Beyond lists, you can type tasks in plain words. You also get calendar views, a habit tracker, a Pomodoro focus timer and an Eisenhower matrix. It all runs on every major platform. A new AI assistant can break projects into tasks. The free plan is unusually useful. The trade-offs: it looks busier than Todoist, and Premium now costs $49.99 a year.
Full TickTick review
Forest
- Playful motivation that works well for students
- Core timer and blocking are free
- Group sessions keep friends accountable
- Free tier now shows ads
- Allow lists and extra trees need Forest Plus
- Privacy label declares tracking
Forest turns focus into something you can see. Start a timer and a tree grows; leave to scroll and it withers. Over time you build a forest of focused hours, and it can now block distracting apps during sessions and on a schedule. Since December 2025 it has been a free download, with ads and a Forest Plus subscription replacing the old one-time price. It is still charming, but no longer ad-free.
Full Forest review
