Doodle vs Forest: Comprehensive Comparison
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Overview
In today's fast-paced world, choosing the right productivity tool can make all the difference. This comprehensive comparison between Doodle and Forest will help you understand which tool best fits your workflow and productivity needs.
⚡ Quick Summary
Aspect | Doodle | Forest |
|---|---|---|
Best For | Meeting scheduling and polling tool for finding mutual availability | Gamified focus timer that grows virtual trees during focused sessions and dies if you leave the app |
Pricing | Free, Pro from $6.95/mo, Team from $8.95/user/mo | iOS: $3.99 one-time, Android: Free or $1.99 pro |
Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | iOS, Android, Web |
What is Doodle?
Doodle is a scheduling tool that simplifies finding mutual availability for meetings, events, and polls by letting users propose times and participants vote, eliminating email back-and-forth. It offers both group scheduling polls and individual booking pages for sharing availability via links.
🌟 Key Features of Doodle
✦Group scheduling polls with participant voting
✦Booking Pages for sharing availability via links
✦1:1 meetings and Book on Behalf functionality
✦Video integrations (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet)
✦Calendar sync with Google Calendar and Outlook
✦Payment collection via Stripe and PayPal
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 | Doodle | Forest |
|---|---|---|
📅 Calendar Integration | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
✅ Task Management | ✗ No | ◐ Limited |
⏰ Time Blocking | ✓ Yes | ◐ Limited |
🗣️ Natural Language Processing | ✗ No | ✗ No |
🔔 Notifications | ✓ Yes | — |
🌍 Time Zones Support | ✓ Yes | — |
📆 Scheduler | ✓ Yes | — |
📈 Analytics | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
🔗 Integrations
Doodle
Google Calendar, Outlook, Office 365, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Webex, Stripe, Zapier (2000+ apps), Slack (via Zapier)
Forest
Cross-device sync within Forest ecosystem, Chrome browser extension
💰 Pricing Comparison
Doodle
Free, Pro from $6.95/mo, Team from $8.95/user/mo
Free plan available. Pro: $6.95/user/month (annual) or $14.95/month. Team: $8.95/user/month (annual) or $19.95/user/month
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 Doodle
→Best suited for group meeting polls and simple 1:1 booking, but less ideal for complex team scheduling or project management needs
→Free plan includes ads and limited features - paid plans needed for branding, unlimited booking pages, and advanced automation
→Occasional calendar sync issues and limited customer support responsiveness may impact users with mission-critical scheduling 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
Doodle
"Users praise Doodle for its simplicity and effectiveness in group scheduling, eliminating email back-and-forth. Main complaints include ads on free plan, limited customization options, occasional calendar sync issues, and slow customer support responses."
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 Doodle and Forest are excellent productivity tools with their own strengths.
Doodle excels in Group scheduling polls with participant voting, 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.
