Prices below are from both apps as of autumn 2026. They do change, so check the app before you ride.
Lime vs Forest: Pay As You Go Prices
On pay as you go, there’s nothing between them:
- Lime: £1 to unlock, then 33p a minute
- Forest: £1 to unlock, then 33p a minute
That means a 10 minute ride costs £4.30 on either, and a 30 minute ride costs £10.90. The difference is that Forest attaches free minutes to some bikes, anywhere from 1 to 30 minutes depending on where Forest wants its bikes moved, and you can add a few more by watching short ads in the app. If you’re happy to pick the bike with the most free minutes, Forest can work out cheaper on pay as you go.
Lime vs Forest: Minute Bundles
Both sell bundles of minutes with free unlocks:
- Lime (LimePass): 30 minutes for £4.59 (1 day), 60 minutes for £7.69 (3 days), 200 minutes for £19.94 (7 days), 400 minutes for £36.99 (30 days)
- Forest: 20 minutes for £2.99 or 35 minutes for £4.59 (24 hours), 70 minutes for £7.69 (3 days), 250 minutes for £19.94 (7 days), 500 minutes for £36.99 (30 days)
Look closely and they charge the same prices, but Forest gives you more minutes at most of them: 70 minutes rather than 60 for £7.69, 250 rather than 200 for £19.94, and 500 rather than 400 for £36.99. Forest also has a £10.99 Day Pass with unlimited rides for 24 hours, which Lime doesn’t offer.
Lime vs Forest: Subscriptions
This is where things get interesting, because they’ve ended up with very similar plans:
- LimePrime: £6.99 a month for £1.70 rides of up to 20 minutes (£1 for rides of up to 5 minutes), free unlocks and free 30 minute reservations
- Forest FLEX: £6.99 a month for £1.70 rides of up to 30 minutes (£1 for rides of up to 10 minutes)
- Forest PLUS: £69.99 a month for 1,200 minutes
Same price, same £1.70 ride, but Forest FLEX gives you 30 minutes for it rather than 20. For a typical cross-London hop, that extra 10 minutes matters.
Lime vs Forest: Cycle to Work
Both work with the Cycle to Work scheme, where you pay out of your salary before tax. This is how I ride. I pay roughly £31 a month for 1,800 minutes on Forest, and Forest currently advertise commuting from £1.36 a day. The exact options depend on what your employer offers.
Lime vs Forest: Availability
Lime has the bigger fleet by a long way, an estimated 50,000 e-bikes in London against Forest’s 14,000 or so. In practice that means you’ll usually find a Lime bike closer to you, and on the busiest mornings that can make the difference. Lime also has e-scooters on the same app, which Forest doesn’t.
Is Lime or Forest Cheaper?
For most people, Forest is cheaper. Pay as you go is identical, but Forest’s free minutes, bigger bundles and longer FLEX rides mean you get more riding for the same money. Lime wins on convenience: there are simply more of them, so if price matters less than finding a bike quickly, Lime is the safer bet.
I use Forest for my daily commute through Cycle to Work, and I’m happy to walk past a few Lime bikes to get to one. If you want to see how both compare with Voi, Bolt and Santander Cycles too, have a look at my full comparison of e-bike hire in London, or read more about Lime bikes in London.
Whichever you pick, neither comes with a helmet, so bring your own. My guide to the best folding bike helmets covers ones you can carry around between rides.
