Clickup vs Forest: Comprehensive Comparison

Francesco
Francesco
Francesco
Francesco

2

minutes reading
December 22, 2025

Overview

In today's fast-paced world, choosing the right productivity tool can make all the difference. This comprehensive comparison between Clickup and Forest will help you understand which tool best fits your workflow and productivity needs.

⚡ Quick Summary

Aspect

Clickup

Forest

Best For

ClickUp is an all-in-one productivity platform combining project management, docs, whiteboards, and automation in a single customizable workspace.

Gamified focus timer that grows virtual trees during focused sessions and dies if you leave the app

Pricing

Free Forever plan, Unlimited at $7/month (annually), Business at $12/month (annually), Enterprise custom pricing, plus optional AI add-on at $7/month

iOS: $3.99 one-time, Android: Free or $1.99 pro

Platforms

Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android

iOS, Android, Web

What is Clickup?

ClickUp is an all-in-one productivity and work management platform that combines task and project management, docs, whiteboards, chat, goals, dashboards, and automation in a single workspace for individuals and teams. It's designed to accommodate both small and large teams, offering extensive customization through custom fields, statuses, and permissions. The platform stands out for its comprehensive feature set and ability to replace multiple tools while providing real-time collaboration capabilities.

Visit Clickup →

🌟 Key Features of Clickup

  • ✦All-in-One Platform: ClickUp combines tasks, docs, whiteboards, chat, goals, dashboards, and automation in a single workspace, replacing multiple tools and streamlining workflow management.

  • ✦Multiple Project Views: Users can choose from 8+ views including List, Board (Kanban), Gantt, Timeline, Calendar, Table, Workload, and Mind Map to visualize work in their preferred format.

  • ✦Built-in AI and Automation: ClickUp Brain provides AI-powered summaries, suggestions, and workflow automation with 50+ triggers and actions to streamline repetitive tasks.

  • ✦Advanced Task Management: Comprehensive task features including subtasks, dependencies, priorities, custom fields, sprints, and checklists for detailed project organization.

  • ✦Real-time Collaboration: Collaborative docs, whiteboards for brainstorming, chat, comments with assignments, and real-time editing enable seamless team communication.

  • ✦Custom Dashboards and Analytics: Custom dashboards, workload management, goals/OKRs tracking, and time reporting provide insights into team performance and project progress.

What is Forest?

Forest is a gamified productivity app that uses a focus timer where users plant virtual trees that grow during focused sessions; leaving the app kills the tree. It tracks focus time, provides statistics, and partners with Trees for the Future to plant real trees. Available on iOS, Android, and web with cross-platform sync.

Visit Forest →

🌟 Key Features of Forest

  • ✦Virtual tree planting with focus timer that kills trees if you leave the app

  • ✦App blocking and allow lists for iOS devices (iOS 16+)

  • ✦Detailed analytics with tagging, weekly/monthly/yearly statistics

  • ✦Social features including multiplayer planting and leaderboards

  • ✦Real tree planting partnership with Trees for the Future

  • ✦Ambient sounds, white noise, and breathing exercises

📊 Feature Comparison

Feature

Clickup

Forest

📅 Calendar Integration

✓ Yes

✗ No

✅ Task Management

✓ Yes

◐ Limited

⏰ Time Blocking

◐ Limited

◐ Limited

🗣️ Natural Language Processing

◐ Limited

✗ No

🔔 Notifications

✓ Yes

🌍 Time Zones Support

✓ Yes

📆 Scheduler

📈 Analytics

✓ Yes

✓ Yes

🔗 Integrations

Clickup

Google Calendar, Slack, Gmail, Outlook, Zoom, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Box, HubSpot, Salesforce, Miro, Figma, Toggl, Harvest, Zapier, Make, GitHub, GitLab, Microsoft Teams

Forest

Cross-device sync within Forest ecosystem, Chrome browser extension

💰 Pricing Comparison

Clickup

Free Forever plan, Unlimited at $7/month (annually), Business at $12/month (annually), Enterprise custom pricing, plus optional AI add-on at $7/month

ClickUp offers four main pricing tiers: Free Forever at $0, Unlimited at $7/user/month (annually) or $10/user/month (monthly), Business at $12/user/month (annually) or $19/user/month (monthly), and Enterprise with custom pricing. An optional AI add-on costs $7/user/month annually.

Forest

iOS: $3.99 one-time, Android: Free or $1.99 pro

iOS: $3.99 one-time. Android: Free with ads or $1.99 one-time for pro features. Optional in-app purchases $1-$45 for cosmetic items.

💡 Things to Consider

When Choosing Clickup

  • →You need comprehensive project management: ClickUp excels as an all-in-one platform replacing multiple tools, but be prepared for a steep learning curve due to its extensive feature set.

  • →You value customization and flexibility: ClickUp offers extensive customization options and multiple project views, though this can initially overwhelm new users or teams with simple needs.

  • →You prioritize desktop over mobile usage: While ClickUp offers strong desktop functionality with real-time collaboration, the mobile app has reported limitations including bugs, slowness, and poor offline access.

When Choosing Forest

  • →Requires self-discipline to remember starting sessions and relies on personal motivation rather than strict app blocking

  • →One-time purchase with no free trial available, and purchases don't transfer between iOS and Android platforms

  • →Limited integrations with other productivity tools like Google Calendar, Slack, Notion, or Todoist

⭐ User Reviews

Clickup

"ClickUp is a highly customizable, all-in-one project management platform praised for its extensive features and generous free plan, but criticized for its steep learning curve and performance issues. Users appreciate its versatility and ability to replace multiple tools, with strong collaboration features including real-time docs, whiteboards, and AI capabilities. However, common complaints include an overwhelming interface for new users, lag with large workspaces, and mobile app limitations. It's best suited for growing teams needing advanced project management who are willing to invest time in learning the system."

Forest

"Users praise Forest for making focus fun and effective against distractions, with 4.8/5 stars on App Store. Positive feedback highlights gamification and real-tree planting. Complaints include UX frustrations, strict tree-death rules, and bugs. Best for gentle nudges over hard blocks."

🎯 Conclusion

Both Clickup and Forest are excellent productivity tools with their own strengths.

Clickup excels in All-in-One Platform: ClickUp combines tasks, docs, whiteboards, chat, goals, dashboards, and automation in a single workspace, replacing multiple tools and streamlining workflow management., while Forest shines with Virtual tree planting with focus timer that kills trees if you leave the app. The best choice depends on your specific needs, workflow preferences, and budget.

We recommend trying both tools to see which one fits better with your productivity style.

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Try Akiflow now for a 10x productivity boost
7 days free with Aki. Cancel anytime.
Try Akiflow now for a 10x productivity boost
7 days free with Aki. Cancel anytime.
Try Akiflow now for a 10x productivity boost
7 days free with Aki. Cancel anytime.