# Planter vs Aquarist's Notes

Planter and Aquarist's Notes are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Both are free to download. Planter sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Aquarist's Notes sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Planter ships an update every 8 days, Aquarist's Notes every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Planter | Aquarist's Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planter-garden-planner/id1542642210/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2.4K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 85.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 93 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Percula](https://appshunter.io/developer/1542642212) | [Ludek Slouf](https://appshunter.io/developer/1664390856) |

## 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


### Aquarist's Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aquarists-notes/id6451252680)

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Annual subscription | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Planter free?

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

### Is Aquarist's Notes free?

Aquarist's Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Planter or Aquarist's Notes have ads?

Neither Planter nor Aquarist's Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Planter or Aquarist's Notes?

Planter ships an update every 8 days, and Aquarist's Notes every 6 days. Most recently, Planter was updated on October 25, 2026 and Aquarist's Notes on October 15, 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.*