Otti vs Forest: which one do you need?
Forest and Otti aren’t really rivals. Forest is a focus timer: stay off your phone and a tree grows. Otti is a self-care pet: take tiny steps for yourself and an otter grows up with you. Here’s what each one is for, and why some people use both.
Updated October 20, 2026 · By the Otti team (yes, we make Otti, so read with that in mind)
Choose Forest if…
- You need help focusing on work or study and staying off your phone.
- You want an app blocker, scheduled blocks, tags and focus stats.
- You like the idea of real trees being planted, or focusing alongside friends.
- You want it on your computer too, through the Chrome or Firefox extension.
Choose Otti if…
- You’re looking for gentle self-care rather than productivity: water, fresh air, a kind word to yourself.
- You want a pet to look after, tamagotchi-style, that never gets sick or dies.
- You’d like a mood journal and calm breathing in the same cozy app.
- You already have a focus timer you like, and want something gentle for the rest of your day.
At a glance
| Feature | Otti | Forest |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | OttiA cozy self-care pet: tiny daily steps help your otter grow up on a journey down the river | ForestA focus timer: a virtual tree grows while you stay off your phone |
| Pet or character | OttiYes. Hatch one of six 3D otters, each with its own look and personality, and care for it tamagotchi-style (feeding, naps, baths, play) | ForestNo pet. Trees grow during your focus sessions and build up your forest |
| Missing a day | OttiYour otter may get hungry or sleepy, but never sick, and it never dies. A day count restarts, but growth and story progress never reset | ForestNo daily streak loss found. Leaving the app mid-session kills that tree, and dead trees stay in your forest. Plus users can pause for up to 5 minutes |
| Price (US) | OttiFree during the beta. Pricing will be announced before launch | ForestFree to download on iPhone, with a free tier and occasional ads (never during sessions). Forest Plus “Early Bird” prices: $5.99/month, or $35.99 or $32.49/year |
| Breathing and calm | OttiFloat with your otter: calm 4-6 breathing for 1, 3 or 5 minutes | ForestBreathing and soundscapes |
| Friends | OttiOptional Raft: friends’ otters hold paws, send cheers and small gifts. No chat, no public profiles | ForestPlant Together rooms, friends, a global leaderboard and forest sharing. If one person in a room gives up, everyone’s tree dies |
| In-app currency | OttiPebbles, earned only through self-care. They can’t be bought | ForestCrystals ($0.99–$21.99) and Sunshine Elixir ($0.99–$1.99), sold in the app |
| Privacy | OttiJournal and mood check-ins stay on your phone. No ads, no selling data. No account needed to start | ForestApp Store label: contact info and usage data may be used to track you. Its FAQ says session data isn’t sold to third parties |
| Platforms | OttiiPhone and Android (in beta) | ForestiPhone, iPad, Apple Vision, Android, and Chrome and Firefox extensions |
| Store ratings (US) | OttiNew: in beta, not rated yet | ForestApp Store 4.8 (about 50K ratings). Google Play 4.3 (814K reviews, 10M+ downloads) |
What Forest does well
Forest, made by Seekrtech, is a long-running focus app. Start a session and a virtual tree grows while you stay off your phone; leave early and it withers. Over time your sessions fill a forest. It also has a Deep Focus app blocker, scheduled blocks, breathing and soundscapes, tags and stats, and rooms for focusing with friends, and it plants real trees through Trees for the Future. It runs on iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision and Android, with Chrome and Firefox extensions, and your account syncs between them.
- It’s built for focus. A simple timer, the Deep Focus app blocker and scheduled blocks help you stay off your phone.
- Satisfying visual motivation: each session grows a tree, and your forest shows the time you’ve put in.
- Real-world impact. Forest plants real trees through Trees for the Future.
- Focusing together, with Plant Together rooms, friends, a global leaderboard and sharing your forest.
- It works on your computer too, with Chrome and Firefox extensions and synced accounts.
- It’s now free to download on iPhone, with a free tier that includes Deep Focus and Plant Together, and it has 4.8 stars from about 50K ratings on the US App Store.
How Otti is different
- A different job. Otti isn’t a focus timer or an app blocker; it’s a self-care pet that helps with small daily things like drinking water, stepping outside or naming one feeling.
- A pet to look after. You hatch one of six 3D otters and care for it tamagotchi-style: feeding, naps, bubble baths and play. Its face shows how it feels, and it never gets sick or dies.
- Nothing withers. If you step away, your otter might get hungry or sleepy, but its growth and story progress never reset.
- A story it grows up in, from pup to grown-up down a river in six chapters, with an evening story to unlock on days you take care of yourself.
- A mood journal that stays on your phone, and a calm breathing float for 1, 3 or 5 minutes.
- Pebbles, Otti’s currency, can only be earned through self-care. Forest sells Crystals and Sunshine Elixir.
- Otti has no timer, no app blocker, no stats beyond a week view, no browser extension and no tree planting. It’s new and in beta.
Pricing
Forest is now free to download on iPhone. It used to be a paid app: archived US App Store pages show $3.99 in November 2025 and free in December 2025, and the old one-time Forest Pro upgrade is no longer sold. The free tier includes Deep Focus, Plant Together, one soundscape and occasional ads, which never appear during sessions. Forest Plus is the subscription; on the US App Store it shows “Early Bird” prices of $5.99 a month and $35.99 or $32.49 a year, and we couldn’t confirm the regular prices. Forest also sells two in-app currencies, Crystals ($0.99 to $21.99) and Sunshine Elixir ($0.99 to $1.99).
Otti is in beta and free to try. Pebbles, the currency for outfits and treats, are only earned through self-care and can’t be bought. We’ll share full pricing before launch.
Missing a day
We found no daily streak in Forest that you lose by skipping a day. The stakes are inside each session instead: if you switch apps before the timer ends, the tree dies, and dead trees stay in your forest. Since April 2026, Plus users can pause a session for up to 5 minutes. In Plant Together, if one person gives up, everyone’s tree dies. Reviewers often praise this as satisfying visual motivation.
In Otti, your otter can get hungry, sleepy or a bit messy if you’ve been away, but it never gets sick, never dies and is always happy to see you. Its growth and story progress never reset. There is a simple day count, but nothing is taken away when it restarts.
Sources
Facts about Forest come from its own website, app store listings and help pages, checked on October 20, 2026. Prices and features change, so check the app store for the latest. Spotted something out of date? Email hello@ottiapp.com and we’ll fix it.
- Forest on the US App Store
- Forest on Google Play
- Forest FAQ (official site)
- Archived US App Store page, November 2025
- Archived US App Store page, December 2025
Forest is a trademark of its owner. Otti isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by Seekrtech Co., Ltd.
Questions people ask
Is Otti a Forest alternative?
Not really, because they do different jobs. Forest is a focus timer that grows a tree while you stay off your phone. Otti is a self-care pet that helps with tiny daily steps, mood check-ins and calm breathing. If you need to focus, Forest is the better fit; if you want gentle self-care, try Otti.
Is Forest free?
Yes, Forest is now free to download on iPhone (it used to cost $3.99). The free tier includes Deep Focus, Plant Together and one soundscape, with occasional ads. Forest Plus showed US “Early Bird” prices of $5.99 a month, or $35.99 or $32.49 a year, when we checked in October 2026.
What happens if you leave Forest during a session?
Your tree dies, and the dead tree stays in your forest. Plus users can pause a session for up to 5 minutes. We found no daily streak that you lose for skipping a day.
Forest vs Focus Friend vs Otti: which should I get?
Forest and Focus Friend are both focus timers: Forest grows trees, and Focus Friend has a Bean that knits socks while you focus. Otti is a self-care pet, not a timer. If you want help focusing, look at those two; for gentle daily self-care, try Otti.
Does Otti have a focus timer?
No. Otti has no focus timer or app blocker. Its calm feature is a breathing float: you drift with your otter doing calm 4-6 breathing for 1, 3 or 5 minutes.
Can I use Forest and Otti together?
Yes, and they don’t overlap much. Some people use a focus timer for work or study and a self-care app for the rest of the day. If two apps feels like too much, start with the one that helps with what you need most right now.