Ellie Planner vs Forest: Comprehensive Comparison

Overview

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

⚡ Quick Summary

What is Ellie Planner?

Ellie Planner is a minimalist daily planner and time-blocking app that combines tasks and calendar events to help users plan and visualize their day. It features drag-and-drop task scheduling, a brain dump area for quick capture, and built-in time tracking with analytics. The app includes AI assistant capabilities for task organization and scheduling optimization.

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🌟 Key Features of Ellie Planner

• ✦Time Blocking with Drag-and-Drop: Core feature allowing users to drag tasks from a Kanban-style list directly into their calendar view for visual time blocking and day planning.

• ✦Brain Dump & Task Management: Quick capture inbox area combined with comprehensive task management including lists, priorities, due dates, labels, subtasks, and recurring tasks.

• ✦Built-in Timer and Analytics: Time tracking capabilities with analytics on how you spend your time, providing insights into productivity patterns and time allocation.

• ✦AI Assistant: AI-powered features for bulk task creation, smart organization, time estimation, automated scheduling, finding free time, and priority guidance (Pro feature).

• ✦Calendar Integration: Syncs with Google, Apple, and Outlook calendars to provide a unified view of appointments and tasks in one interface.

• ✦Cross-Platform Access: Available on web, iOS, Mac, and Windows with native apps and browser-based access for flexible planning anywhere.

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.

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🌟 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

🔗 Integrations

Ellie Planner

Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Slack, Notion, Zapier

Forest

Cross-device sync within Forest ecosystem, Chrome browser extension

💰 Pricing Comparison

Ellie Planner

Free Plan available. Pro: $9.99/month, $99.99/year, or $299.99 lifetime.

Free Plan: $0 with unlimited tasks and braindump. Ellie Pro: $9.99/month, $99.99/year, or $299.99 one-time lifetime purchase.

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 Ellie Planner

• →You Value Visual Time-Blocking: Ellie Planner excels at drag-and-drop task scheduling into calendar views, making it ideal if you prefer visual daily planning over text-based task lists.

• →You're Willing to Pay for Core Features: The free plan is quite limited, so you'll need Pro ($9.99/month) for time-blocking, calendar integration, and most useful features - consider if this fits your budget.

• →You Use iOS/Web/Desktop: Best experience is on iOS and web platforms. Skip if you need Android support or prefer fully native desktop applications over web-based interfaces.

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

Ellie Planner

"Ellie Planner is praised for its intuitive, minimalist interface and effective time-blocking capabilities with drag-and-drop functionality. Users appreciate the brain dump feature, calendar integration, and responsive indie developer support. However, the free plan is quite limited, pricing is considered high compared to alternatives, there's no Android app, and it offers fewer advanced features than comprehensive tools like Sunsama. Best suited for individual users who prioritize visual time-blocking and simplicity over complex workflows."

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 Ellie Planner and Forest are excellent productivity tools with their own strengths.

Ellie Planner excels in Time Blocking with Drag-and-Drop: Core feature allowing users to drag tasks from a Kanban-style list directly into their calendar view for visual time blocking and day planning., 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.