TaskBlue or Forest: trees or ocean plastic?
Forest suits a child who wants to motivate themselves to study, where a playful timer is enough. TaskBlue suits you if you want to set places and times and ending focus should not be up to the child alone. Both link focused time to something real: Forest to trees, TaskBlue to ocean plastic.
As of: October 2026
What is Forest?
Forest is made by the Taiwanese company Seekrtech and runs on iPhone, Android and as an extension for Chrome and Firefox. During a focus session a virtual tree grows, and it dies if you give up. In Deep Focus mode Forest blocks every app that is not on the allow list for the length of the session, and Time Guard lets you schedule blocks. Together with the non-profit Trees for the Future, Forest says it has planted more than two million real trees.
Where Forest is strong
- Playful and motivating, also together with friends when planting as a group.
- Scheduled blocks for one app already in the free version, and never any ads during focus.
- Real-world impact: more than two million trees planted with Trees for the Future, paid for from app revenue.
Side by side
| Topic | TaskBlue | Forest |
|---|---|---|
| Child's device | iPhone with iOS 16 or later | iPhone, Android, extensions for Chrome and Firefox |
| What parents need | Neither an app nor an iPhone of their own. Setup happens on the child's iPhone. | No parent mode stated |
| How apps are blocked | Chosen apps disappear from the home screen. Categories and websites show Apple's block screen. | Focus timer; Deep Focus blocks every app except allowed ones during the session |
| Automatic by place | Yes, at up to 20 places with a 100 to 500 m radius | Not stated |
| Schedules | Weekly schedule, chosen calendar events or by hand | Time Guard schedules recurring blocks, free for one app |
| Ending early | With the BlueTag or the 6-digit parent PIN. Without a PIN, the child has three emergency exits. | Any time by giving up, and the tree dies |
| What parents see | No location, no messages, no browsing history | Not stated |
| Price | €49.99 for 12 months or €9.99 a month, BlueTag included | Free version with ads; Plus €6.99 a month, yearly price in the App Store varies |
| Also | Every focus hour funds the recovery of about 100 g of ocean plastic. | Plants real trees in Africa with Trees for the Future |
When Forest is the better fit
Your child wants to motivate themselves to study, and a playful timer is enough.
When TaskBlue is the better fit
You want to set places and times, and giving up should take more than one tap.
Frequently asked
Can my child just stop a session in Forest?
Yes. Tapping Give Up ends the session, and the virtual tree dies. That is the whole idea: Forest relies on motivation, not on a block that parents control.
Does Forest really plant trees?
Yes. Forest works with the non-profit Trees for the Future and pays for the trees from app revenue. According to Forest, more than two million have been planted so far, in Kenya, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda and Cameroon among others.
What does focus time achieve with TaskBlue?
Every focus hour funds the recovery of about 100 g of ocean plastic, up to 5 kg a month, through the WWF partnership and GhostNetZero. How focus works day to day is explained in How TaskBlue works.
Sources
As of October 2026. All information without guarantee.
- Forest, Seekrtech, 2026
- Forest: llms-full.txt, Seekrtech, 2026
- Forest App, Trees for the Future, 2026
- Forest im App Store (Deutschland), Apple App Store, 2026
Read on
Fewer distractions for your child. Less plastic in the sea.
A year costs €49.99 once, a month €9.99. The BlueTag comes with both plans.