HomeBlogForest vs Spark: a tree that dies, or a key you fetch
Forest vs Spark: a tree that dies, or a key you fetch
Forest is a focus timer with a Give Up button. Spark is a lock with a physical unlock. They solve different halves of the same problem.
ComparisonPublished 6 min read
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Disclosure: we make Spark. Forest's details were read from forestapp.cc on 23 September 2026.
What Forest does
You start a session and a virtual tree grows. Leave the app and the tree dies. Deep Focus pulls you back when you try to switch, and the paid tiers add species, soundscapes, analytics and app allowlists. It runs on iPhone, iPad, Android and as browser extensions, and the account syncs across them.
The difference in one line
| Forest | Spark | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A focus timer with a guilt mechanism | A lock with a physical key |
| The exit | Tap Give Up; the tree dies | Walk to the key and hold or tap |
| Cost | Free core, paid extras | One payment from ₹999 + GST |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Android, browsers | iPhone and Android |
| Best for | Starting work | Not stopping five minutes later |
Use both, honestly
These are not really rivals. Forest is good at getting a session started and making the first twenty minutes feel like something. A physical blocker is good at the moment an hour later when you want out. If Forest is working for you, you do not need us.
Common questions
Does Forest actually block apps?
Partly. Deep Focus pulls you back when you switch apps, but you can end the session at any time by giving up. It is a deterrent rather than a lock.
What is a stricter alternative to Forest?
On phones, a physical blocker such as Spark, Brick, Detach or Bloom, or the free route of Foqos and TapBlok with an NFC tag. On a laptop, Cold Turkey.
Sources
- Forest — Free core tier, Deep Focus, paid Plus; the way out is the Give Up button
The rest of the argument
Each post stands alone. If you would rather have instructions than opinions, the guides are the maintained layer.
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One ranking axis: what it takes to get back in. Physical keys, software strict modes and gentle nudges, with what each actually enforces.
11 min readComparison · 23 Sept 2026Lockdown vs Spark: no early exit, or no switch on the phone
Lockdown holds an iPhone block until the timer ends, for $24.99 a year. Spark moves the unlock off the phone for one payment. When each is right.
6 min readPut the unlock in another room.
Once your Spark is paired, locking is one tap and works with Bluetooth off. Unlocking means walking to the key and holding your phone against it — which is the whole difference between deciding to stop and having to stand up. The app is free; the key is the one-time buy.