All industries · head to head
Forest vs Calendly
Calendly
All industries
Scheduling automation platform for eliminating back-and-forth
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Forest no standalone desktop app; limited to browser extensions; Calendly the free plan allows one event type and one calendar connection, so it cannot handle different meeting formats
- They diverge on capability: Forest covers Focus timer, Calendly covers Calendar sync.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Forest and Calendly actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (All industries).
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 Forest
- Focus timer
- Virtual forest building
- Real tree planting partnership
- Website/app blocking
- Statistics tracking
- Achievements & rewards
- Social features
- Custom tree species
Only in Calendly
- Calendar sync
- Automated scheduling
- Custom availability
- Time zone detection
- Reminder emails
- Buffer time
- Meeting polls
- Embed on website
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Forest
- Study sessionsnot Calendly
- Work focus timenot Calendly
- Digital detoxnot Calendly
- Pomodoro techniquenot Calendly
- Phone addiction managementnot Calendly
Calendly
- Sales meetingsnot Forest
- Interview schedulingnot Forest
- Customer callsnot Forest
- Office hoursnot Forest
- Webinar registrationnot Forest
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Calendly
- The free plan allows one event type and one calendar connection, so it cannot handle different meeting formats
- Automated reminders and multiple calendars need Standard at $10 per seat per month
- Round-robin routing, lead qualification and Salesforce integration require Teams at $16 per seat per month
- SAML single sign-on, audit logs and domain control are Enterprise only, starting at $15,000 a year
- Advertised prices are the annual rates
Pricing, plan by plan
Forest
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Forest review.
Calendly
Free- FreeFree
- 1 event type
- 1 calendar connection
- Basic confirmation email
- Standard$10/month
- Unlimited event types
- Multiple calendars (up to 6)
- Integrations with HubSpot, Mailchimp, Stripe, PayPal
- Teams$16/month
- All Standard features
- Salesforce integration
- Round-robin meetings
- Enterprise$15000/year
- All Teams features
- Salesforce routing lookup
- Microsoft Dynamics 365
Which should you pick?
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.
Choose Calendly if
- You need calendar sync.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want automated scheduling.
Questions people ask
- Is Forest or Calendly better?
- Neither clearly leads. Forest starts at Free and Calendly at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Forest or Calendly?
- Forest starts at Free and Calendly at Free.
- Does Forest or Calendly run on more platforms?
- Forest runs on iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox. Calendly runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- Can I use Forest for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Forest best used for?
- Forest is most often used for study sessions, work focus time, digital detox, pomodoro technique. Of those, study sessions and work focus time are not what Calendly is typically brought in for.
- What can Forest do that Calendly cannot?
- Forest covers Focus timer, Virtual forest building, Real tree planting partnership, Website/app blocking. Calendly covers Calendar sync, Automated scheduling, Custom availability, Time zone detection.
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.
SourceCalendly: Does the free tier include automatic reminders?
No. The free plan only includes a basic confirmation email when someone books. Automated reminder workflows, SMS reminders, and follow-up sequences require the Standard plan ($10/month or higher).
SourceForest: 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.
SourceCalendly: Can I offer multiple meeting types on the free plan?
Only one event type can be active at a time. You can create multiple event types, but only one booking link works simultaneously. Switching between different meeting lengths requires manually activating another event type.
SourceForest: 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.
SourceCalendly: Does Calendly work with Apple Calendar and iCloud?
No longer for new users. As of August 20, 2024, new users cannot connect iCloud or Apple Calendar. Existing connections continue to work, but Calendly ended support for new Apple Calendar integrations citing Apple's security changes.
SourceForest: 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.
SourceCalendly: What platforms can I use Calendly on?
Calendly is available on Web, iOS, and Android. Browser extensions are available for Safari. There are no dedicated Windows or Mac desktop applications.
SourceForest: 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.
SourceCalendly: What does the Standard plan ($10/month) add over free?
Unlimited event types, multiple calendar connections (up to 6), integrations with HubSpot, Mailchimp, Salesforce, Stripe, PayPal, Zapier, and webhooks, plus automated reminders and email sequences.
SourceForest: 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