Comparison

Fermentation Journal vs KimchiLab

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

Head to head
About

Fermentation Journal

Features
Read full description

Fermento keeps pickles, sourdough, cheeses, kombucha, charcuterie and more on schedule with smart timelines, reminders, calculators and exportable logs—for beginners and pros. Projects & timelines - Unlimited batches with custom milestones and photo notes - pH, salt %, weight and observations—timestamped in one place - Smart reminders for feeds, flips, checks and cures Culture management - Starters, SCOBY hotels and kefir grains—health, feeds and lineage together HACCP (for pros) - Decision-tree builder for hazards and CCPs - Monitoring/verification logs with corrective actions - Export tidy PDFs for audits and compliance Calculators & scaling - Hydration, salt %, inoculation ratios and timing helpers - Instant scaling and saved methods Insights - Compare batches, spot trends and review pH/tempo curves - Equipment notes and calibration history (keep sensors honest) Why Fermento? Made by fermentation obsessives. Private, focused and practical—whether it's your first kimchi or a full curing chamber. Terms of Use: https://drobinin.com/apps/terms/fermento/

About

KimchiLab

Features
Read full description

For many, Kimjang—the traditional Korean culture of making Kimchi—is often performed by blindly following inherited steps without understanding the underlying science. My app visualizes the invisible Science behind Kimjang and lets users manipulate key variables at each step to see how they affect the fermentation in real-time.
By transforming the science and daunting ritual into an interactive, visual journey, it lowers the barrier to entry and turns confusing recipe into a predictable scientific process. 
Instead of following a rigid manual, I want users to have the confidence to converse with this living tradition.

Screenshots

Fermentation Journal4 screens
KimchiLab4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: KimchiLab at none against Fermentation Journal's 5. Fermentation Journal's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). On price, ads, 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. Fermentation Journal sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. KimchiLab asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Fermentation Journal ships an update monthly, KimchiLab every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
Fermentation Journal versus KimchiLab: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFermentation JournalKimchiLab
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size105 MB15 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperDrobinin LimitedYoojin Jang

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Fermentation Journal

Subscriptions4
  • Starter Culture Pro Weekly$3.997 Days
  • Culture & Probiotic Pro$7.991 Month
  • Culture & Probiotic Pro3 Days trial$59.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • HACCP Safety Compliance Pro$179.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime (Personal)$199.99
None

KimchiLab

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Fermentation Journal free?
Fermentation Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is KimchiLab free?
KimchiLab is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Fermentation Journal or KimchiLab have ads?
Neither Fermentation Journal nor KimchiLab shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Fermentation Journal or KimchiLab?
Fermentation Journal ships an update monthly, and KimchiLab every 2 months. Most recently, Fermentation Journal was updated on September 10, 2026 and KimchiLab on September 15, 2026.

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