Is Forest or Raycast better?

Neither clearly leads. Forest starts at Free and Raycast at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Forest or Raycast?

Forest starts at Free and Raycast at Free.

Does Forest or Raycast run on more platforms?

Forest runs on iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox. Raycast runs on Macos.

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 Raycast is typically brought in for.

What can Forest do that Raycast cannot?

Forest covers Focus timer, Virtual forest building, Real tree planting partnership, Website/app blocking. Raycast covers Application launcher, File search, Clipboard history, Snippets.

Productivity · head to head

Forest vs Raycast

Forest

Productivity

Stay focused, be present

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

Raycast

Technology

Blazingly fast, totally extendable launcher

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Each has a real cost: Forest no standalone desktop app; limited to browser extensions; Raycast the free plan includes 50 Raycast AI messages, 5 notes and 3 months of clipboard history
They diverge on capability: Forest covers Focus timer, Raycast covers Application launcher.
Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Forest and Raycast actually diverge.

Attributes where Forest and Raycast differ
Attribute	Forest	Raycast
Pricing model	Unknown	freemium
Platforms	iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox	Macos
Category	Productivity	Technology
Founded	2014	2020

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Forest

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

Only in Raycast

Application launcher
File search
Clipboard history
Snippets
Window management
Calculator
System commands
Extension ecosystem

What people use each for

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

Forest

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

Raycast

App launchingnot Forest
Quick calculationsnot Forest
File navigationnot Forest
Snippet expansionnot Forest
Workflow automationnot 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

Raycast

The free plan includes 50 Raycast AI messages, 5 notes and 3 months of clipboard history
Advanced AI models are sold only as an add-on to the paid Pro plan at a further $8 per month on top of the $10 subscription
Free team workspaces cap sharing at 30 snippets, 30 quicklinks and 5 commands across all extensions
Teams Pro is $15 per user per month, billed per seat rather than per workspace

Pricing, plan by plan

Forest

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Forest review.

Raycast

Free

FreeFree
- Core features: Clipboard History, Quicklinks, Calculator, Snippets, Window Management
- Thousands of community extensions
- 3-month clipboard history
Pro$10/month
- Raycast AI with advanced models
- Unlimited clipboard history
- Unlimited notes
Pro Annual$8/month
- Same as Pro plan
- Annual billing saves 20% compared to monthly
Teams FreeFree
- No cost per user
- Shared extensions, snippets, and quicklinks

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 Raycast if

You need application launcher.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Macos.
You also want file search.

Raycast review

Questions people ask

Is Forest or Raycast better?: Neither clearly leads. Forest starts at Free and Raycast at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Forest or Raycast?: Forest starts at Free and Raycast at Free.
Does Forest or Raycast run on more platforms?: Forest runs on iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox. Raycast runs on Macos.
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 Raycast is typically brought in for.
What can Forest do that Raycast cannot?: Forest covers Focus timer, Virtual forest building, Real tree planting partnership, Website/app blocking. Raycast covers Application launcher, File search, Clipboard history, Snippets.

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

Raycast: Does Raycast offer a free plan?

Yes. Raycast has a free plan with core features including clipboard history, quicklinks, calculator, snippets, window management, and access to thousands of community extensions.

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

Raycast: How much does Raycast Pro cost?

Raycast Pro costs $10 per month or $8 per month when billed annually, saving 20% with yearly subscription.

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

Raycast: Does Raycast offer team plans?

Yes. Teams Free tier is available at no cost per user with shared extensions and snippets. Teams Pro costs $15 per user per month with unlimited team members.

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

Forest vs Raycast

Forest

Raycast

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Forest

Only in Raycast

What people use each for

Forest

Raycast

Where each one falls short

Forest

Raycast

Pricing, plan by plan

Forest

Raycast

Which should you pick?

Choose Forest if

Choose Raycast if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Forest

More on Raycast

Keep looking

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