Softwr

Productivity · head to head

Forest vs Microsoft OneNote

Forest logo

Forest

Productivity

Stay focused, be present

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Microsoft OneNote logo

Microsoft OneNote

Productivity

Microsoft's free-form notebook, free with a Microsoft account and synced through OneDrive

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Forest no standalone desktop app; limited to browser extensions; Microsoft OneNote notes live in a proprietary notebook format on OneDrive or SharePoint and the only exports are a OneNote file, a PDF or a Word document, produced section by section, so a large notebook is effectively unmovable to any other tool.
  • They diverge on capability: Forest covers Focus timer, Microsoft OneNote covers Free-form page canvas.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Forest and Microsoft OneNote actually diverge.

Attributes where Forest and Microsoft OneNote differ
AttributeForestMicrosoft OneNote
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsiOS, Android, Chrome, FirefoxWeb, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows
Founded20141975

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

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 Microsoft OneNote

  • Free-form page canvas
  • Notebook hierarchy
  • Indexed handwriting
  • Audio recording
  • Web clipper and Outlook capture
  • Shared notebooks
  • Cross-platform clients
  • Tags and cross-notebook search

What people use each for

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

Forest

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

Microsoft OneNote

  • Handwritten notes on a pen tablet that you still need to find months later by searching for a word you wrote.not Forest
  • Lecture or meeting notes where a recording needs to line up with what you were typing at the time.not Forest
  • A team already inside Microsoft 365 that needs a shared notebook without buying anything or seeking approval.not Forest
  • Collecting mixed material such as screenshots, clippings and sketches on one page, where a document editor would force a linear structure.not 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

Microsoft OneNote

  • Notes live in a proprietary notebook format on OneDrive or SharePoint and the only exports are a OneNote file, a PDF or a Word document, produced section by section, so a large notebook is effectively unmovable to any other tool.
  • Personal notebooks consume OneDrive quota, which is 5 GB on a free Microsoft account, so a notebook full of scans, images and recordings quietly exhausts the whole account including the space Outlook needs for mail.
  • Sync happens at section level and conflicts are resolved by placing both versions on the page, so simultaneous edits to a large or media-heavy section produce duplicated content that somebody has to merge by hand.
  • Search behaves differently across clients, so what the Windows desktop app finds inside handwriting, images and attachments is not necessarily what the browser or mobile version finds, and the same query gives different answers on different devices.
  • There is no relational structure, no database and no properties, so anything that needs a table of records with fields has to be maintained by hand or moved elsewhere, and OneNote's own tables cannot be queried or filtered.

Pricing, plan by plan

Forest

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Forest review.

Microsoft OneNote

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Microsoft OneNote review.

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.
Forest review

Choose Microsoft OneNote if

  • You need free-form page canvas.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows.
  • You also want notebook hierarchy.
Microsoft OneNote review

Questions people ask

Is Forest or Microsoft OneNote better?
Neither clearly leads. Forest starts at Free and Microsoft OneNote at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Forest or Microsoft OneNote?
Forest starts at Free and Microsoft OneNote at Free.
Does Forest or Microsoft OneNote run on more platforms?
Forest runs on iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox. Microsoft OneNote runs on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows.
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 Microsoft OneNote is typically brought in for.
What can Forest do that Microsoft OneNote cannot?
Forest covers Focus timer, Virtual forest building, Real tree planting partnership, Website/app blocking. Microsoft OneNote covers Free-form page canvas, Notebook hierarchy, Indexed handwriting, Audio recording.

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
Microsoft OneNote: Is OneNote really free?

Yes. The application is free with a Microsoft account, with no time limit and no feature gate. What you may end up paying for is the OneDrive storage the notebooks consume.

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
Microsoft OneNote: Can I keep notebooks off Microsoft's cloud?

The Windows desktop app can keep local notebooks, but they will not sync to other devices and any shared access requires OneDrive or SharePoint.

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
Microsoft OneNote: How do I get my notes out?

Section by section as a OneNote file, a PDF or a Word document. A OneNote package preserves a whole notebook but only for another copy of OneNote. Third-party converters exist and the page layout usually does not survive them.

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
Microsoft OneNote: Which version should I install?

Microsoft consolidated onto a single OneNote application on Windows after retiring the Store version, so install the one distributed with Microsoft 365 rather than looking for an alternative.

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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