# Grow Guide vs HydroponicsCalc

The clearest difference is price: Grow Guide at Free against HydroponicsCalc's $1.99. Grow Guide also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (129 vs 1). HydroponicsCalc's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Grow Guide is free to download; HydroponicsCalc costs $1.99 up front. Grow Guide sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. HydroponicsCalc asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Grow Guide against 5.0 for HydroponicsCalc. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Grow Guide has 129 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Grow Guide ships an update weekly, HydroponicsCalc every 4 months. Both last shipped on October 23, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Grow Guide | HydroponicsCalc |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | [4.9 (129 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grow-guide/id6637720578/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hydroponicscalc/id6775172331/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **129** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 96.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 85 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [phannafest llc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1209901791) | [Douglas Stieber](https://appshunter.io/developer/6771586128) |

## What reviewers say

### Grow Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grow-guide/id6637720578)

This app helps users track their cannabis grows from seed to harvest. It offers AI-powered advice, a community forum for knowledge sharing, and professional tools like a VPD calculator and light meter. Create time-lapse videos of your plants and learn from experienced cultivators.

**Highlights:** Daily grow tracking journal, AI-powered plant advice, Time-lapse video creation, Active grower community, Professional growing tools (VPD, light meter), Nutrient and environment tracking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Grow Guide Pro | $5.99 | per month |
| Grow Guide Pro | $39.99 | per year |
| Grow Guide Pro (LTD) | $149.00 | one-time |


### HydroponicsCalc

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hydroponicscalc/id6775172331)

Manage your hydroponic garden with this comprehensive tool. Track reservoir levels, mix nutrients precisely, calculate pH and VPD, and document your grow with a journal and harvest log. Supports both US and metric units.

**Highlights:** Reservoir management dashboard, Concentrate and EC mixing calculators, pH and VPD calculators, Grow journal with photo timeline, Harvest log and ROI dashboard, Light schedule tracker, US & Metric unit support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Grow Guide free?

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

### Is HydroponicsCalc free?

HydroponicsCalc costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Grow Guide or HydroponicsCalc?

HydroponicsCalc is rated higher. Grow Guide averages 4.9 out of 5 from 129 ratings, while HydroponicsCalc averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Grow Guide or HydroponicsCalc have ads?

Neither Grow Guide nor HydroponicsCalc shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Grow Guide or HydroponicsCalc?

Grow Guide ships an update weekly, and HydroponicsCalc every 4 months. Most recently, Grow Guide was updated on October 23, 2026 and HydroponicsCalc on October 23, 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.*