Comparison
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For studying on a laptop, Sukha is the better choice than Forest, because it blocks distractions on the computer as well as the phone and adds music, tasks and a timer.
Forest turns leaving your phone alone into a game: a virtual plant grows while you focus and dies if you break the session. That works for phone habits. Sukha includes gamification too, and adds desktop and phone blocking, focus music, an AI task coach and a Pomodoro timer, which covers the laptop, where most studying happens.
Sukha is better for most students, because most studying happens on a laptop and Forest's core mechanic is about the phone. Sukha covers the laptop and the phone in one session and gives you a task, a timer and music once the distractions are gone.
Forest fits a narrower case: your only problem is picking up your phone, and a growing virtual forest is the motivation that works for you. If your laptop tabs pull you away as often as your phone does, choose Sukha.
For laptop study, Sukha covers more. Forest turns leaving your phone alone into a game: a virtual tree grows while you focus and dies if you quit early. Sukha includes gamification too, plus website and app blocking on desktop and phone, focus music, a task list, a Pomodoro timer and an AI coach.
For students and computer workers who want more than blocking, Sukha is the best fit: it blocks sites and apps on desktop and phone and adds focus music, a task list, a Pomodoro timer and an AI coach. Single-purpose website blockers such as Freedom and Cold Turkey focus on cutting off distractions alone.
Free options exist. iPhone Screen Time and Android Digital Wellbeing are built in, and Sukha offers a free Chrome extension, Website Blocker by Sukha, that nudges you when you open a distracting site. The full Sukha app adds phone blocking, music, tasks and a timer after its free 3-day trial.
| Criterion | Sukha | Forest |
|---|---|---|
| Helps you ignore your phone | Yes, phone blocking and detection with a nudge back | Yes, plant dies if you leave the session |
| Blocks distractions on the laptop | Yes, websites and apps | Not its core mechanic |
| Focus music | Yes, 1,000+ hours, eight flavors | Not its core mechanic |
| Task list and AI breakdown | Yes | Not its core mechanic |
| Pomodoro timer with breaks | Yes | Session timer |
| Gamification | Yes, for encouragement | Yes, the core mechanic |
| Coworking rooms | Yes | Not its core mechanic |
| Platforms | Mac, Windows, Chromebook in any Chromium browser | Listed on the App Store and Google Play |
| Price | $20/month or $400 lifetime, 3-day free trial | See store listing; Forest Plus adds extras |
Forest figured out something real about behavior change: gamifying self-control works for many people. One App Store reviewer explains that the plant they are growing will die if they break the rules, and the dead plant stays on their forest record forever, a tangible consequence that keeps them off the phone. Its Google Play listing promotes Forest Plus exclusive species, with early access to seasonal trees and limited-edition plants.
Forest's mechanic centers on the phone. The laptop, where essays, readings and problem sets actually happen, is left to you. There is no focus music to settle in with and nothing that knows what you are supposed to be studying. A student whose distractions are browser tabs gets less from Forest than one whose only habit is reaching for the phone. Sukha covers both devices and adds a clear next step.
Forest is worth it if your phone is your only distraction and the game motivates you. For everything else that breaks a study session, Sukha is the stronger fit. Try Sukha's free 3-day trial and compare it directly on your own coursework.
For more options, see the distraction blocker for students guide or the main focus app for study guide.
We compared Sukha and Forest on identical criteria using each product's published features, store listings and public reviews. See the full methodology.
Sukha is an all-in-one focus app and distraction blocker for Mac, Windows and Chromebook. It describes itself as a flow state app for focus and healthy productivity: one button starts focus music, a to-do list with a Pomodoro timer, website and app blocking on desktop and phone, and an AI coach that breaks big tasks into small steps.
Your phone’s built-in modes, iPhone Focus or Android Digital Wellbeing, can silence notifications and pause apps. Sukha adds detection: its founder describes a simple way to notice when you pick up your phone or open a random site, with an AI coach that nudges you back on track. Sukha lists distraction blocking on desktop and phone.
A timer helps, but it only tells you when to work. Your tabs, inbox and phone stay just as reachable, and nothing helps when the task itself feels fuzzy. Sukha includes a Pomodoro timer with healthy breaks and adds blocking, music and task breakdown around it.
Music is one lever. Sukha’s own comparison credits Brain.fm and Endel with genuinely helping people settle in, but points out that your phone still buzzes and the browser tab is still one click away. Sukha includes lofi and binaural flow music and adds blocking and task planning.
Sukha costs $20 per month, or a single $400 payment for Lifetime access. Everyone starts with a free 3-day trial. Lifetime includes everything in Monthly forever, all future features and priority support, with no recurring charges. Both plans give you the full app.
Sukha does not list a fixed student price, but its pricing page says plainly that if Sukha helps you and you need a discount, because you are a student, between jobs or abroad, you can email the founder and the team will make something work. Reach the team through thesukha.co.
Sukha's free 3-day trial is open to everyone. Questions about plans or a student discount? Ask the Sukha team directly at thesukha.co.
