Amazing Marvin vs Forest: Comprehensive Comparison
2
Overview
In today's fast-paced world, choosing the right productivity tool can make all the difference. This comprehensive comparison between Amazing Marvin and Forest will help you understand which tool best fits your workflow and productivity needs.
⚡ Quick Summary
Aspect | Amazing Marvin | Forest |
|---|---|---|
Best For | Highly customizable task manager and productivity app with behavioral psychology principles, ideal for users with ADHD or complex workflows. | Gamified focus timer that grows virtual trees during focused sessions and dies if you leave the app |
Pricing | $12/mo or $300 lifetime | iOS: $3.99 one-time, Android: Free or $1.99 pro |
Platforms | Web, Mac, Windows | iOS, Android, Web |
What is Amazing Marvin?
Amazing Marvin is a highly customizable task manager, daily planner, time tracker, project management tool, calendar, habit and goal tracker designed to reduce procrastination, minimize stress, and boost productivity through behavioral psychology principles. It offers extensive customization options allowing users to tailor the app's appearance, behavior, workflows, and features to fit personal needs, making it feel like a 'make your own productivity app.' The app is particularly praised for its focus tools and advanced features that help users with ADHD and complex workflows.
🌟 Key Features of Amazing Marvin
✦Extensive customization with toggleable plug-ins and multiple views
✦Built-in timers (Pomodoro/Sandlock) and time tracking
✦Full calendar integration with 2-way Google Calendar sync
✦Habit and goal tracking with behavioral psychology features
✦Weekly scheduler with visual timeline and time blocking
✦Analytics and stats with productivity charts and graphs
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.
🌟 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 | Amazing Marvin | Forest |
|---|---|---|
📅 Calendar Integration | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
✅ Task Management | ✓ Yes | ◐ Limited |
⏰ Time Blocking | ✓ Yes | ◐ Limited |
🗣️ Natural Language Processing | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
🔔 Notifications | ✗ No | — |
🌍 Time Zones Support | ✗ No | — |
📆 Scheduler | ✓ Yes | — |
📈 Analytics | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
🔗 Integrations
Amazing Marvin
Zapier, Make, Integrately, Google Calendar, Slack, Notion, Todoist, Google Tasks, Trello, Microsoft Outlook, Evernote, ClickUp, TickTick
Forest
Cross-device sync within Forest ecosystem, Chrome browser extension
💰 Pricing Comparison
Amazing Marvin
$12/mo or $300 lifetime
$12/month subscription, $300 lifetime plan, or $96/year annual option. Student discount 50% off. 14-day free trial available.
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 Amazing Marvin
→Steep learning curve - expect time investment to master the extensive customization options
→Mobile app experience is weaker than desktop, particularly on Android
→Best suited for advanced users or those with ADHD rather than simple task list needs
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
Amazing Marvin
"Amazing Marvin receives high praise for its extensive customization and powerful features, particularly from ADHD users and those with complex workflows. Users love the flexibility and transformative productivity boost, with ratings like 4.9/5 on AlternativeTo. However, it has a steep learning curve that can be overwhelming initially, and the mobile app (especially Android) needs improvement compared to the desktop version."
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 Amazing Marvin and Forest are excellent productivity tools with their own strengths.
Amazing Marvin excels in Extensive customization with toggleable plug-ins and multiple views, 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.
