Fermentation Journal vs Fermentation Lab
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Fermentation Journal
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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/
Fermentation Lab
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Turn your kitchen into a fermentation lab. Fermentation Lab is the ultimate app for people who ferment seriously — from beginners to professional chefs. It pairs real fermentation science with a progression system that keeps you coming back every day. SCIENCE, NOT GUESSWORK Every ferment gets its own dashboard and scientific engines: microbial growth curves, flavor & umami prediction, food-safety indicators. Enter your ingredients and the app does the math. 20+ FERMENTATION TYPES Koji, miso, shoyu, amazake, sake, kombucha, kefir, beer, wine, mead, vinegar, sourdough, bread, pizza, kimchi, lacto-ferments, tempeh, natto, charcuterie, cheese and more — each with a guided step-by-step wizard. SMART REMINDERS Per-batch notifications so you never miss a check, taste or feeding. BLUETOOTH SENSORS Connect Inkbird sensors and monitor temperature and humidity in real time. PRO NUTRITIONAL LABELS Generate print-ready nutritional labels in your language. BRIGADE MODE (for chefs) Food-cost calculator, a menu built from your live ferments, and a shared brigade pantry. STARTER EXCHANGE MAP Find fermenters near you and swap starters, SCOBYs and mothers. KOJI CODEX An in-app encyclopedia featuring the world's leading fermentation minds. PROGRESSION & COMMUNITY XP, levels, daily missions, achievements, leaderboards and teams. 8 LANGUAGES English, Italian, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean — wizards, recipes and labels fully translated. Free. No subscriptions. Start your first batch today.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Fermentation Lab at none against Fermentation Journal's 5. Fermentation Lab also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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
Both are free to download. Fermentation Journal sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Fermentation Lab asks for nothing beyond the download.
Fermentation Journal ships an update monthly, Fermentation Lab every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Fermentation Journal | Fermentation Lab |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 5 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 105 MB | 91 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Drobinin Limited | Antonio Lice |
In-app purchases
Fermentation Journal
- Starter Culture Pro Weekly$3.997 Days
- Culture & Probiotic Pro$7.991 Month
- Culture & Probiotic Pro3 Days trial$59.991 Year
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- HACCP Safety Compliance Pro$179.991 Year
- Lifetime (Personal)$199.99
Fermentation Lab
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Fermentation Journal free?
Is Fermentation Lab free?
Do Fermentation Journal or Fermentation Lab have ads?
Which is updated more often, Fermentation Journal or Fermentation Lab?
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