# Planter vs Elfsys Grow Cloud

The clearest difference is rating: Planter at 4.7 against Elfsys Grow Cloud's 4.0. Planter also leads on ratings volume (2.3K vs 3) and update cadence (every 8 days vs monthly). Elfsys Grow Cloud's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 15) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.6). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Planter sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Elfsys Grow Cloud asks for nothing beyond the download.

Planter holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Planter has 2.3K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Planter ships an update every 8 days, Elfsys Grow Cloud monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Planter | Elfsys Grow Cloud |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planter-garden-planner/id1542642210/reviews)** | [4.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elfsys-grow-cloud/id1607745238/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.3K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 85.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 93 MB | 143 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Percula](https://appshunter.io/developer/1542642212) | [Elfsys LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1607745240) |

## What reviewers say

### Planter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planter-garden-planner/id1542642210)

Design your garden layout and discover optimal planting times. Access a comprehensive database of fruits and vegetables, including companion planting advice and custom plant options.

**Highlights:** Companion and combative plant information, Planting calendar, Square foot gardening layout grid, Information on 100+ fruits and vegetables, Add custom plants

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription (Legacy) | $4.99 | per month |
| Planter Premium (Monthly - Legacy) | $4.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription (Legacy) | $11.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $11.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $11.99 | per year |
| Planter Premium | $11.99 | per year |
| Planter Premium (Annual - Discount) | $19.99 | per year |
| Planter Premium (Annual) | $24.99 | per year |
| Planter Premium | $24.99 | per year |
| Lifetime (Legacy) | $29.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |
| Planter Premium (Lifetime Legacy) | $49.99 | one-time |
| Planter Premium (Lifetime) | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 All-in-one gardening app
- 👍 Detailed plant information
- 👍 Customizable garden layout
- 👍 Helpful companion planting features
- 👍 Automatic growing season calculation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Limited free version
- 🐛 Lack of flower/ornamental plant options
- 🐛 Difficulty adding custom plants
- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy at times
- 🐛 Lack of features for larger gardens

**Reported bugs**

- Disappearing gardens after device change
- Inability to add custom plants
- Incorrect planting date recommendations
- Buggy plant placement and removal
- Inconsistent plant information and icons

**Requested features**

- Add more plant varieties and types
- Implement a calendar view for planting tasks
- Allow for multi-bed garden planning
- Add ability to move garden beds around
- Incorporate height and sun requirements


### Elfsys Grow Cloud

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elfsys-grow-cloud/id1607745238)

Manage and scale your indoor growing setups with this app. Control all your devices from a single virtual space, automate schedules, and customize growing parameters for various plants. It offers a cost-effective way to automate your gardening needs.

**Highlights:** Device management in one virtual space, Automated growing schedules, Customizable growing templates, Plant attribute tagging, Growth stage adaptation, Wi-Fi smart technology integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Planter free?

Planter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Elfsys Grow Cloud free?

Elfsys Grow Cloud is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Planter or Elfsys Grow Cloud?

Planter is rated higher. Planter averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.3K ratings, while Elfsys Grow Cloud averages 4.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Planter or Elfsys Grow Cloud have ads?

Neither Planter nor Elfsys Grow Cloud shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Planter or Elfsys Grow Cloud?

Planter ships an update every 8 days, and Elfsys Grow Cloud monthly. Most recently, Planter was updated on October 22, 2026 and Elfsys Grow Cloud on September 9, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*