Softwr

CRM & Sales · head to head

Affinity vs Forest

Affinity logo

Affinity

CRM & Sales

Relationship intelligence platform for professionals

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Forest logo

Forest

All industries

Stay focused, be present

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Forest has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Affinity built specifically for private capital firms, so it is not a general purpose CRM; Forest no standalone desktop app; limited to browser extensions
  • They diverge on capability: Affinity covers Contact management, Forest covers Focus timer.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Affinity and Forest actually diverge.

Attributes where Affinity and Forest differ
AttributeAffinityForest
Starting price$49/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebiOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox
CategoryCRM & SalesAll industries
Founded20132014

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Affinity

  • Contact management
  • Deal tracking
  • Intelligence engine
  • Relationship mapping
  • Integration aggregation
  • Gmail
  • Outlook
  • LinkedIn

Only in Forest

  • Focus timer
  • Virtual forest building
  • Real tree planting partnership
  • Website/app blocking
  • Statistics tracking
  • Achievements & rewards
  • Social features
  • Custom tree species

Both cover

  • English language support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Affinity

  • Deal sourcing and pipeline management for venture capital and private equitynot Forest
  • Automatic capture of email and meeting activity into relationship recordsnot Forest
  • Finding warm introductions through existing relationship networksnot Forest
  • Investor relations and fundraising trackingnot Forest
  • Portfolio company support and reportingnot Forest

Forest

  • Study sessionsnot Affinity
  • Work focus timenot Affinity
  • Digital detoxnot Affinity
  • Pomodoro techniquenot Affinity
  • Phone addiction managementnot Affinity

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Affinity

  • Built specifically for private capital firms, so it is not a general purpose CRM
  • Pricing is not published and requires a demo

Forest

  • No standalone desktop app; limited to browser extensions
  • Mobile app pricing varies by platform; iOS one-time purchase vs. Android different model
  • Forest Plus features required for advanced analytics and custom tag tracking

Pricing, plan by plan

Affinity

$49/month
  • Pro$49/month
    • Contact management
    • Deal tracking
    • Intelligence
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Everything in Pro
    • Advanced customization
    • Dedicated support

Forest

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Forest review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Affinity if

  • You need contact management.
  • You also want deal tracking.

Choose Forest if

  • You need focus timer.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox.
  • You also want virtual forest building.

Questions people ask

Is Affinity or Forest better?
Neither clearly leads. Affinity starts at $49/month and Forest at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Affinity or Forest?
Forest has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $49/month for Affinity and Free for Forest.
Does Affinity or Forest run on more platforms?
Affinity runs on Web. Forest runs on iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox.
Can I use Forest for free?
Yes. Forest has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Affinity starts at $49/month.
What is Affinity best used for?
Affinity is most often used for deal sourcing and pipeline management for venture capital and private equity, automatic capture of email and meeting activity into relationship records, finding warm introductions through existing relationship networks, investor relations and fundraising tracking. Of those, deal sourcing and pipeline management for venture capital and private equity and automatic capture of email and meeting activity into relationship records are not what Forest is typically brought in for.
What can Affinity do that Forest cannot?
Affinity covers Contact management, Deal tracking, Intelligence engine, Relationship mapping. Forest covers Focus timer, Virtual forest building, Real tree planting partnership, Website/app blocking. Both handle English language support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Forest: How much does Forest cost?

Forest has a free version with core features (timer, app blocking, group focus). Forest Plus subscription costs $3.33/month when billed annually at $39.99, with pricing varying by region and platform.

Source
Forest: What platforms does Forest support?

Forest is available on iOS (one-time purchase $3.99), Android (free with ads, or $1.99 one-time for ad-free), and as a browser extension for Chrome and Firefox.

Source
Forest: What is Forest's tree planting program?

Forest has partnered with Trees for the Future to plant real trees. Users can spend earned focus coins to fund tree planting in Kenya, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, and Cameroon. Over 2.1 million real trees have been planted.

Source
Forest: Does Forest work offline?

Yes. Forest's core focus experience including the timer, tree growth, and stats works completely offline. This allows use on airplanes, subways, and areas without internet connectivity.

Source
Forest: Is there a Forest desktop app?

No. Forest does not have an official standalone desktop application. Desktop access is available through browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox only. Some users run the mobile app via emulators like BlueStacks.

Source
Forest: What features are in Forest Plus?

Forest Plus includes all Mindful Space soundscapes, custom app allowlists, advanced analytics with custom tags, exclusive tree species, 3x coin boost, and the ability to plant up to 5 real trees annually.

Source

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