Comparison

Apiarist vs HiveDiary

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Apiarist

This application helps beekeepers manage their apiaries and hives efficiently. It allows for tracking inspections, harvests, and financial data, with features like photo storage and task reminders. The app works offline and supports data import/export for comprehensive apiary management.

Highlights
  • Track unlimited apiaries, hives, inspections, and harvests
  • Store data locally and work offline
  • Take photos of apiaries and inspections
  • Reminders for scheduled tasks
  • Financial tracking for income and expenses
  • Data import and export for backup
Features
Read full description

Manage your apiary easily and professionally This app is designed specifically for beekeepers — from beginners to experienced professionals. It will help you efficiently manage your beekeeping business, track hive conditions, and plan your work for the entire season. Key Features: - Track unlimited apiaries, hives, inspections and honey harvests - Sync your data between your Apple devices if you use iCloud - Store all information locally — your data is always safe - Works without internet — use the app anywhere - Take photos of apiaries, hives and inspections - Reminders about scheduled tasks - Flexible settings tailored to your needs - Data import and export for backup - Financial tracking income and expenses - Dictionary and reference support - Growth charts for key indicators - Monitor essential metrics Supported Languages: English, 中文, Français, Deutsch, Italiano, 日本語, Português, Русский, Español, Türkçe, Magyar, Nederlands, Український, Eesti, Svenska, Polski, Norsk Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

HiveDiary

Easily log hive inspections, analyze comb photos, and generate to-do lists for beekeeping. Track costs, income, and export data for inspectors. Model your real hives and manage your apiary efficiently.

Highlights
  • Log inspections with a few taps
  • Photograph frames for comb analysis
  • Generate to-do lists from records
  • Model real hives with drag-and-drop
  • Track costs and income per hive
  • Export data as PDF
Features
Read full description

HiveDiary is the easiest way to keep hive records. Log inspections with a few taps, photograph frames to have the comb analyzed, and see what each colony needs before your next visit. INSPECTIONS IN SECONDS Open a hive and tap what you see: queen spotted, eggs, larvae, swarm cells, mite counts, feeding, treatments. Each entry is saved to the exact frame or box it belongs to. When you close the hive, HiveDiary writes a summary of the visit for you, with every detail kept underneath. PHOTO COMB ANALYSIS Take a picture of a frame and HiveDiary estimates how much of the comb is brood, honey and pollen, and highlights anything worth checking. Readings are dated, so you can watch a frame fill in over the season. A TO-DO LIST FROM YOUR OWN RECORDS HiveDiary turns what you record into action items: a mite count over threshold, comb that needs replacing, equipment that needs repair, a hive you haven't checked in a while. Tap any item to go straight to the hive or frame it's about. MODEL YOUR REAL HIVES Set up each hive exactly as it stands, from bottom board to cover, and rearrange parts by dragging. Move a box between hives and its frames and history move with it. TRACK COSTS AND INCOME Record expenses and sales per hive, attach receipts, and export a summary by period. YOUR DATA, YOUR WAY Export any visit or your full records as a PDF for a bee inspector, mentor or insurer. Delete your account and data from within the app whenever you want. HiveDiary Premium is an auto-renewing subscription available weekly, monthly or yearly, with a free trial for new subscribers. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://hivediary.com/privacy

Screenshots

Apiarist4 screens
HiveDiary3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: HiveDiary at free against Apiarist's free with in-app purchases. HiveDiary also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Apiarist's advantage is ratings volume (148 vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Apiarist sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and HiveDiary sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

HiveDiary holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Apiarist has 148 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Apiarist ships an update every 10 days, HiveDiary weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Apiarist versus HiveDiary: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterApiaristHiveDiary
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (148 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews81.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings148 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB61 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOleg SolovievBrett Reisman

Customer experience

Apiarist

All ratings148 ratings
Positive94.6%
Neutral4.7%
Negative0.7%
Written reviews66 reviews
Positive81.8%
Neutral7.6%
Negative10.6%

HiveDiary

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Apiarist

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription3 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$39.991 Year
One-time4
  • 1 coffee$4.99
  • 2 coffees$9.99
  • 5 coffees$24.99
Show 1 more
  • 10 coffees$49.99
3 purchases

HiveDiary

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly$1.997 Days
  • Monthly14 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Yearly14 Days trial$44.991 Year

Questions

Is Apiarist free?
Apiarist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HiveDiary free?
HiveDiary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Apiarist or HiveDiary?
HiveDiary is rated higher. Apiarist averages 4.7 out of 5 from 148 ratings, while HiveDiary averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Apiarist or HiveDiary have ads?
Neither Apiarist nor HiveDiary shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Apiarist or HiveDiary?
Apiarist ships an update every 10 days, and HiveDiary weekly. Most recently, Apiarist was updated on November 2, 2026 and HiveDiary on October 31, 2026.

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