Study Grove compared with lofi.town, Forest, Focusmate and Focumon
Many study apps use a game, a virtual world or other people to help you focus. This page puts Study Grove beside four well-known ones so you can pick the one that fits how you work. Details about the other apps come from their own websites and app store listings as they were on October 19, 2026. Prices and features change, so check their sites before you decide.
Updated
At a glance
| App | What it is | Price | Camera | Where it runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study Grove | A cozy pixel study game with a focus timer, tasks, a notebook, flashcards and shared study rooms | Free, no ads, no paid currency | No video or voice | Web browser on laptop, tablet or phone |
| lofi.town | A cozy pixel town for studying and hanging out with friends, with lofi radio and Pomodoro timers | Free core features, optional supporter tiers | Not required | Web browser |
| Forest | A focus timer that grows a virtual tree while you stay off your phone | Free download with in-app purchases and a Forest Plus subscription | No | Phone apps and browser extensions |
| Focusmate | Booked one-to-one co-working sessions of 25, 50 or 75 minutes with another person | Free for 3 sessions a week; Plus from $8 a month billed annually | Video calls | Web browser |
| Focumon | A gamified focus timer where you collect and train creatures, with focus parties of up to six | Free to sign up, optional Pro Pass | No | Web browser |
Study Grove or lofi.town?
These two are the closest. Both are cozy pixel worlds in the browser where you focus beside other people without a camera, with lofi music, timers and things to do between sessions, such as fishing and decorating a home. lofi.town describes itself as a place to study, focus and hang out with friends, and it has text chat and shared town spaces.
Choose Study Grove if you want study tools built in, such as a notebook that saves as you type and flashcards with a review queue, and if you like rewards that come only from focused minutes. Its rooms are chosen on purpose, include a silent hall with chat switched off, and hold up to 32 people.
Study Grove or Forest?
Forest is built around one problem: picking up your phone. A tree grows while you stay off it and withers if you leave early, and its developer partners with Trees for the Future to plant real trees. On iPhone it can also block distracting apps.
Choose Forest if your phone is the main distraction. Choose Study Grove if you study at a computer or tablet and want tasks, notes, flashcards and the company of other people in the same place as your timer.
Study Grove or Focusmate?
Focusmate pairs you with one other person for a booked session on a video call, which gives strong accountability at a fixed time. The free plan includes 3 sessions a week.
Choose Focusmate if seeing a real person on video at an appointed time is what keeps you working. Choose Study Grove if you would rather stay off camera, drop in whenever you are ready, and have no weekly limit on sessions. Both are a form of body doubling.
Study Grove or Focumon?
Both turn focus time into game progress in the browser. Focumon is built around collecting and training creatures, a daily garden and focus parties of up to six people.
Choose Focumon if collecting creatures is what keeps you coming back. Choose Study Grove if you prefer a cozy town, a cottage to furnish and a pet of your own, rooms of up to 32 people, and flashcards and notes next to the timer.
Which one to pick
- Your phone is the problem: Forest.
- You need a real person on video at a set time: Focusmate.
- You want a cozy world and company without a camera: Study Grove or lofi.town.
- You want flashcards, notes and tasks next to the timer, with rewards only for focused minutes: Study Grove.
Study Grove is free, so the quickest way to know is to try one session. The study game page explains how its rewards work.
Comparison questions
Is there a free alternative to Focusmate without a camera?
Study Grove’s shared study rooms are free and have no video or voice. You sit at a desk beside other people who are studying and see whether each one is focused, with no booking and no weekly session limit.
What is an alternative to lofi.town?
Study Grove is a similar free, cozy pixel world in the browser for studying beside others without a camera. It adds a notebook and flashcards next to the timer and rewards only focused minutes.
What is a good Forest alternative for studying on a computer?
Study Grove runs in the browser on a laptop, tablet or phone and pairs a focus timer with tasks, notes, flashcards and shared study rooms. Forest is strongest when the phone itself is the distraction.
Is Study Grove free?
Yes. Study Grove is free, with no ads, no subscription and no paid currency. You need a free account to sign in.
When were these details checked?
On October 19, 2026, from each app’s own website or app store listing. Prices and features change, so check the official sites before you decide.