Forest: Stay focused built a huge following on one simple trick: start a focus session and a tree grows on your screen, so quitting early feels like giving something up. It works, but the iOS version costs money up front and the Android version locks its best features behind a subscription. We wanted that focus loop without the paywall, so we built Sprout, a pomodoro timer that grows a plant right here in your browser. Free, no download, no signup, and it starts in one tap.
Start a focus session
Tap “Start focusing” and watch your plant grow. The default is a classic 25 minute pomodoro.
How to use it
One tap starts a 25 minute focus session, and a plant grows on the canvas in real time as the minutes pass. Use the steppers to set focus sessions anywhere from 15 to 60 minutes and breaks from 3 to 15 minutes; the timer remembers your choices for next time. When a session ends, a break timer starts automatically with its own calmer look, and your finished plant joins a small garden below the timer.
The garden tracks how many plants you grew today and your day streak, which counts any day with at least one completed session. There is an optional soft chime at the end of each session, muted by default with a visible toggle. Everything is saved on your device and nothing leaves your browser.
One deliberate difference from Forest: if you leave the tab, your plant does not die. Growth simply pauses, and you get a short welcome back note when you return. We do not build guilt mechanics into our tools, and honestly, a plant that keeps your progress feels better than one that punishes you.
How it compares to Forest
Sprout borrows the loop that makes Forest work: a living thing grows while you focus, and finishing a session gives you something to keep. If that loop is all you need, a browser tab covers it for free.
The full Forest app still does things a web page cannot. Its app blocking works at the phone level, so it can actually stop you from opening Instagram mid-session, while a browser tab has no power over the rest of your phone and we will not pretend otherwise. Forest also partners with the tree planting organization Trees for the Future, so heavy users contribute to real trees planted in the ground. And it syncs your forest across devices, with dozens of unlockable tree species and ambient sounds as long term rewards.
Our version keeps the growing plant, the pomodoro structure, the daily count, and the streak. It drops the phone blocking, the real tree planting, the unlockables, and the account. If your main enemy is other browser tabs, Sprout is enough. If your main enemy is your phone, get Forest.
Get the full app
Forest: Stay focused is made by Seekrtech and remains one of the best focus apps on Android. The Android version is free to install with optional paid upgrades, and the iOS version is a one time paid purchase. You get phone level app blocking, real tree planting, cross device sync, and detailed focus statistics.
Frequently asked questions
Is Forest free?
Not entirely. On iOS, Forest is a paid app with a one time purchase price. On Android, the base app is free to install but the pro features, including cross device sync and some tree species, require payment. The Sprout timer on this page is completely free with no upsells.
Can I use Forest in my browser?
Seekrtech offers a Chrome extension that blocks distracting websites, but the full Forest experience lives in the mobile app. The timer on this page is our own browser take on the same idea: a plant grows while you focus, right in the tab, with nothing to install.
Is this the real Forest app?
No. Sprout is an original tool we built, inspired by Forest’s focus loop. We are not affiliated with Seekrtech, the developer of Forest, in any way. If you want the real app, use the download links above.
Why doesn’t my plant die when I leave the tab?
That is a design choice. Forest withers your tree when you quit, and that pressure works for some people. We prefer tools that do not punish you, so leaving the tab just pauses growth until you come back. Your completed plants and streak are never taken away.
Where is my garden saved?
In your browser’s local storage, on your device only. There is no account, no server, and no tracking; clearing your browser data will reset the garden. The timer also keeps working offline once the page has loaded.
