XP TRACKERXP Tracker vs Forest
Forest grows a tree while you leave your phone alone. XP Tracker levels a hero while you do your habits, and its App Lock keeps apps closed until your quests are done. Both help you put the phone down. They ask for different things.
We make XP Tracker. Forest facts were checked against its App Store listing and website in November 2026.
A tree, or a hero
Forest is a focus timer. You start a session and a small tree grows on your screen. Leave the app to scroll and the tree withers. Over time your sessions add up to a forest. It can block apps outside an allow list during a session, and Time Guard sets phone-free windows and app limits on a schedule. Friends can plant together, and Forest works with Trees for the Future to plant real trees. It runs on iPhone, iPad and Android, with browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox. The core app is free, with an optional Plus subscription.
XP Tracker is a habit RPG for iPhone and Android. Your daily habits are quests: Clean Start, Plan Your Day, Physical Training, Deep Focus, Meditate and more. Finishing them earns XP that levels a hero from one of eight classes, damages the current boss and unlocks the next panel of your class's comic, with gear cases and pet eggs to collect on the way. It also has an ending: finish all eight classes and your hero is immortalized in the Hall of Heroes, ranked by when you finished, among players from all over the world.
Forest helps you stay off the phone for one stretch of time. XP Tracker asks what you did with your day, and App Lock makes the phone wait until you've done it.
Feature comparison
As of November 2026.
| Feature | Forest | XP Tracker |
|---|---|---|
| Core idea | Grow a tree while you stay off your phone | Level up a hero by doing real habits |
| Focus timer | Yes, the heart of the app | Deep Focus quest, from a start and goal length you set, with a Pomodoro mode that runs work and break rounds for you |
| Blocking apps | Blocks apps outside your allow list during a session (iOS 16+); Time Guard blocks or limits apps on a schedule | App Lock keeps apps locked until today's quests are done. Android: you pick the apps. iPhone: every app except XP Tracker (iOS 16+) |
| Daily habits | Not listed | Core and class quests, plus up to 12 daily, 5 weekly and 5 monthly add-ons |
| Game layer | Tree species, soundscapes, achievements | Classes, XP, 198 bosses, 832 items, 1,400+ pets |
| Story | Not listed | An original comic per class, 488 panels in all |
| Friends | Plant Together focus sessions | Guilds and the Hall of Heroes |
| Real trees | Yes, with Trees for the Future | No |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad, Android, Chrome and Firefox extensions | iPhone and Android |
| How you pay | Free core app, optional Plus subscription | Free to start, then monthly or a one-time pass |
"Not listed" means we didn't find it on the app's store listing or website. It may still exist.
Who should pick Forest
- Your problem is long work or study sessions, and you want a simple timer that makes leaving feel costly.
- You want to choose which apps stay open during a session, or set phone-free hours on a schedule.
- You like focusing with friends in the same session.
- Planting real trees matters to you.
- You work on a computer and want the browser extension too.
Who should pick XP Tracker
- You want more than focus time. Exercise, reading, sleep and planning count as quests too.
- You want a lock that opens once your habits for the day are done.
- A tree stopped being enough. Bosses, gear and a comic story give you a reason to come back tomorrow.
- You miss days. In XP Tracker a missed day costs only the XP you didn't earn, and rest days keep your streaks.
How the blocking compares
Forest blocks apps while a session runs. You start the timer, and apps outside your allow list stay closed until it ends or you give up and lose the tree. Time Guard adds scheduled blocks and app limits outside sessions.
XP Tracker's App Lock ties the lock to your day. You set a number of quests. On Android you pick the apps to lock. On iPhone, App Lock locks every app except XP Tracker, on iOS 16 or newer, using Apple's Screen Time permission. Finish your quests and your apps open for the rest of the day.
If you want fine control over when and what gets blocked, Forest gives you more of it. If you want your phone to open after you've trained, read and planned, App Lock does that.
Moving from Forest to XP Tracker
- Keep your focus block. Deep Focus is a core quest. Start it when you'd start a Forest session. You set where it starts and where you want to get to, and it builds up from there.
- Add what Forest didn't track. Tap + Add a quest for habits like Drink water, Walk or No social media.
- Turn on App Lock. Start with three quests. On Android, lock the two apps you open without thinking.
- Pick a class you like the look of.
Questions people ask
Is XP Tracker a focus timer like Forest?
Partly. XP Tracker has a Deep Focus quest with a timer, and Physical Training has its own timer too. You set where you start and where you want to get to, and the quest builds up from there. But the app is a habit RPG. Focus is one quest among about a dozen daily ones, next to habits like stretching, reading and planning your day.
Does XP Tracker block apps like Forest?
Yes, with App Lock, and it works differently. Forest blocks apps during a focus session. XP Tracker's App Lock keeps apps locked until you finish the number of quests you set for the day. On Android you pick which apps to lock. On iPhone, App Lock locks every app except XP Tracker, on iOS 16 or newer.
Does XP Tracker plant real trees?
No. Forest works with Trees for the Future to plant real trees. XP Tracker doesn't have a tree-planting program.
Can I use Forest and XP Tracker together?
Yes. Some people run Forest during work blocks and use XP Tracker for the rest of their day. If you do both, keep XP Tracker's App Lock number low so the two don't fight each other.
Is XP Tracker free?
It's free to start. After that you choose a monthly plan or a one-time Full Journey pass. The app shows the price for your country.
Related pages
Start your journey
Pick a class, do the day's quests, and watch your hero level up with you.
Start free on iPhone and Android.
Scan to install Point your phone camera at the code. iPhone opens the App Store, Android opens Google Play.