Comparison

Minimal Calc vs Apiary Tools

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

Head to head
About

Minimal Calc

Features
Read full description

The minimal calc specialize in users who do not use special features, and are satisfied with simple design and minimal functions. [Features] ・12-digits display ・Percent calculation ・Number negation ・Delete key

About

Apiary Tools

This app helps beekeepers manage their hives with detailed record-keeping, inspection logs, and helpful calculators. It offers offline functionality, multi-language support, and the ability to share hive access with others. Track your bees, treatments, and equipment efficiently.

Highlights
  • Hive and apiary record-keeping
  • Detailed inspection logs with photos
  • Offline functionality
  • Multi-language support (21 languages)
  • Shared hive access
  • Customizable reminders
  • Beekeeping calculators and guides
  • Equipment inventory tracking
Features
Read full description

Apiary Tools is a simple, powerful app for keeping track of your bees. Whether you run one backyard hive or manage dozens across multiple yards, it keeps your records, reminders, and beekeeping math in one place. KEEP A RECORD OF EVERY HIVE Log your apiaries, hives, and queens, and build a full inspection history with notes and photos. See how each colony is doing over time instead of trying to remember it all. INSPECTIONS MADE EASY Record what you saw on each visit: brood pattern, stores, temperament, queen sightings, mite counts, treatments, and more. Log what you treated with and the dose, so the season's treatment history is in the record. Add photos so you can compare a frame week to week. IN YOUR LANGUAGE The whole app works in 21 languages besides English, including Spanish, German, French, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Japanese, Hindi, Arabic, and Hebrew, with proper right-to-left layout. WORKS WITHOUT SIGNAL Bee yards are not known for good reception. Anything you log offline is saved on the device and syncs itself the moment you are back in range. SHARE HIVE ACCESS Give helpers, family members, mentors, or beekeeping partners access to specific hives or apiaries. Let others add inspections, notes, and photos without sharing your login. NEVER MISS A FOLLOW-UP Set reminders for treatments, feedings, and checks, and get a notification when something is due. Stay on schedule through the whole season. KNOW WHAT IS BLOOMING Enter your ZIP or postcode and see your region's beekeeping year: the main flow, the summer dearth, the fall flow, and the forage plants behind each. The forage range map draws the 1, 2, and 3 mile rings your bees actually work, with the acreage inside each. BEEKEEPING CALCULATORS Twenty-one free tools, so you can stop doing the math by hand: - Sugar syrup ratios for spring and fall feeding - Varroa mite counts, natural drop counts, oxalic dosing, and a treatment comparison - Splits, queen rearing, grafting, and post-swarm timelines - Honey yield, moisture, label generator, and mead - Overwinter feed and pollen patties GUIDES Two dozen practical guides on varroa treatment options, when to treat, winter stores, labeling requirements with a searchable 50 state reference, and selling honey where you live. TRACK YOUR GEAR Keep a simple inventory of your equipment and supplies so you know what you have before the season starts. REPORT AND LOG SWARMS Record swarm calls and captures, and keep notes on where they came from and where they ended up. BUILT FOR REAL BEEKEEPERS - Works on your phone, in the yard, with a clean and fast interface - Light and dark mode - Sign in with Apple, Google, or email - Your data stays organized and private Apiary Tools is free. Every feature is free, there is no subscription and nothing is locked behind a paywall. If you want to chip in for the running costs there is an optional tip in the menu, and it unlocks nothing. Download it, add your first hive, and bring order to your beekeeping season!

Screenshots

Minimal Calc2 screens
Apiary Tools4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Minimal Calc at none against Apiary Tools's 6. Apiary Tools's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. Apiary Tools sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Minimal Calc asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Minimal Calc ships an update monthly, Apiary Tools weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Minimal Calc versus Apiary Tools: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMinimal CalcApiary Tools
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—7 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB51 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFUKUKAWA LABMark VerHill

In-app purchases

None

Minimal Calc

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

Apiary Tools

One-time6
  • A Jar of Honey$4.99
  • Two Jars of Honey$9.99
  • Three Jars of Honey$14.99
Show 3 more
  • Five Jars of Honey$24.99
  • A Case of Honey$49.99
  • A Whole Hive$99.99

Questions

Is Minimal Calc free?
Minimal Calc is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Apiary Tools free?
Apiary Tools is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Minimal Calc or Apiary Tools have ads?
Minimal Calc shows ads; Apiary Tools does not.
Which is updated more often, Minimal Calc or Apiary Tools?
Minimal Calc ships an update monthly, and Apiary Tools weekly. Most recently, Minimal Calc was updated on November 7, 2026 and Apiary Tools on November 13, 2026.

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