Softwr

All industries · head to head

Forest vs Square Appointments

Forest logo

Forest

All industries

Stay focused, be present

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square Appointments logo

Square Appointments

Scheduling & Booking

Free scheduling for beauty businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Forest no standalone desktop app; limited to browser extensions; Square Appointments the free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • They diverge on capability: Forest covers Focus timer, Square Appointments covers Online booking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Forest and Square Appointments actually diverge.

Attributes where Forest and Square Appointments differ
AttributeForestSquare Appointments
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsiOS, Android, Chrome, FirefoxWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryAll industriesScheduling & Booking
Founded20142009

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 Square Appointments

  • Online booking
  • Client management
  • Point of sale
  • Payment processing
  • Automated reminders
  • Instagram booking
  • Google booking
  • Mobile app

What people use each for

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

Forest

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

Square Appointments

  • Online appointment booking for salons, barbers and personal servicesnot Forest
  • Taking card payments and deposits at the time of bookingnot Forest
  • Managing staff calendars, waitlists and no-show policiesnot 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

Square Appointments

  • The free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • Cancellation policies, no-show fees and waitlists require the Plus plan
  • Resource management, service cost tracking and the future bookings report require the Premium plan
  • Custom processing rates are reserved for Square Pro, which is aimed at businesses processing over $250,000 a year
  • Card processing fees are charged on top of the plan fee on every tier including the free one

Pricing, plan by plan

Forest

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Forest review.

Square Appointments

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited appointments
    • Online booking
    • Client management
  • Plus$29/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Multiple staff calendars
    • No-show protection
  • Premium$69/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Multi-location
    • Staff management

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 Square Appointments if

  • You need online booking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want client management.
Square Appointments review

Questions people ask

Is Forest or Square Appointments better?
Neither clearly leads. Forest starts at Free and Square Appointments at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Forest or Square Appointments?
Forest starts at Free and Square Appointments at Free.
Does Forest or Square Appointments run on more platforms?
Forest runs on iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox. Square Appointments 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 Square Appointments is typically brought in for.
What can Forest do that Square Appointments cannot?
Forest covers Focus timer, Virtual forest building, Real tree planting partnership, Website/app blocking. Square Appointments covers Online booking, Client management, Point of sale, Payment processing.

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
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Forest

More on Square Appointments

Keep looking

Other head to heads