Comparison

HiveSignal vs Apiary Assistant

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

Head to head
About

HiveSignal

Features
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Track your hives with voice. Spot problems before they spread. Know exactly what to do next. HiveSignal turns chaotic inspection notes into organized colony records - even when you're wearing gloves. Just speak your observations, and the app captures everything: brood patterns, queen status, temperament, and more. INSPECT SMARTER, NOT HARDER โ€ข Voice-Powered Logging - Describe what you see, hands-free. HiveSignal transcribes and organizes your observations automatically. โ€ข Photo Documentation - Snap frames, attach to inspections, and sync across devices. Your visual hive history, always accessible. โ€ข Works Offline - Full functionality in the field, no signal required. Syncs when you're back online. CATCH ISSUES EARLY โ€ข Health Scoring - Each hive gets a real-time health score based on your inspection data. See at a glance which colonies need attention. โ€ข Predictive Alerts - Get notified about potential problems before they become emergencies. Queenless indicators, population drops, and disease risk. โ€ข Weather Integration - Local forecasts built in, so you can plan inspections and anticipate colony needs. KNOW WHAT TO DO NEXT โ€ข Next Actions - After every inspection, HiveSignal recommends your next steps. No more guessing what each hive needs. โ€ข Full Inspection History - Track trends across seasons. Compare year-over-year performance. Learn what works for your apiary. โ€ข Multi-Yard Support - Manage hives across multiple locations from one account. BUILT FOR REAL BEEKEEPERS Whether you have 3 hives in your backyard or 500 across multiple yards, HiveSignal scales with you. Start free, upgrade when you need more. Free: Up to 3 hives, full inspection workflow, Next Actions Pro: Up to 50 hives, voice input, photo sync, data export Commercial: Up to 500 hives, advanced analytics, priority support SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION โ€ข Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase โ€ข Subscription automatically renews unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period โ€ข Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period โ€ข Manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple ID account settings after purchase โ€ข Any unused portion of a free trial will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription Privacy Policy: https://hivesignal.app/privacy Terms of Service: https://hivesignal.app/terms

About

Apiary Assistant

Features
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Apiary Assistant is the all-in-one app for beekeepers who want healthy, productive hives. TRACK EVERYTHING - Organize apiaries and hives, with photos, status, and full history - Quick Check or guided Full Inspection โ€” with hands-free voice mode - Log mite washes and treatments; the app schedules your next check automatically - Record harvests, feedings, weights, queen events, and equipment STAY AHEAD OF VARROA - Mite-per-100-bees tracking with clear treat thresholds - Smart reminders tell you which hives need a check and why SEE YOUR SEASON AT A GLANCE - Dashboard charts for apiary health, mite load (with treat-threshold line), and harvest by product - Home-screen widget for hives, apiaries, and mite checks due ON YOUR WRIST (Apple Watch) - Your beekeeping to-dos and mite checks due, right on your watch - Add a complication to keep today's tasks on your watch face - Check tasks off from the watch โ€” changes sync straight back to your iPhone WEATHER THAT WORKS FOR BEES - Per-apiary conditions and inspection readiness - Alerts for cold, heat, wind, rain, and frost โ€” with a season archive WORK AS A TEAM - Share an apiary, assign tasks, and see who did what in the Activity Log - Everything syncs across iPhone, Apple Watch, Android, and the web dashboard MEET ABBY, YOUR AI BEEKEEPING ASSISTANT (Advanced) - Ask anything about hive management, varroa, queens, diseases, and seasonal tasks - Attach a photo โ€” "is this the queen?", "what disease is this?", "is this normal?" โ€” and Abby describes what she sees, her confidence, and how to verify it - Abby always reminds you that AI photo ID isn't always correct and points you to trusted resources like your state apiary inspector and local extension office Apiary Assistant offers optional Standard and Advanced subscriptions. Abby's AI chat and photo analysis are part of the Advanced plan. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the period; manage or cancel in your Apple Account settings. Privacy Policy: https://turtlebeehoney.com/apiary-assistant-privacy-policy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ **AN APP THAT FITS YOUR EXPERIENCE Choose Beginner, Intermediate, or Seasoned. Beginners get step-by-step guidance and a month-by-month to-do list. Seasoned keepers get a fast, clean workspace with nothing in the way. Change it anytime. ** DIAGNOSE PROBLEMS FAST See something wrong in the brood? Tap the symptoms you observe and get the most likely diseases and pests โ€” ranked by likelihood, with reference photos and a full illustrated guide covering AFB, EFB, chalkbrood, varroa, small hive beetle, wax moth and more. ** WORKS EVERYWHERE, TOGETHER Use it on iPhone, Android, and the web โ€” all in sync. Share apiaries with a partner, a club, or a mentor and keep records together in real time. ** EVERYTHING YOU NEED IN THE YARD - Inspections, mite counts, treatments and harvests - Visual hive equipment stacks โ€” see every box, super and feeder - Queen rearing plans and family-tree lineage tracking - Weather-aware reminders and seasonal task lists - Expenses, shopping lists and yield tracking ** BUILT FOR REAL CONDITIONS - Sunlight-readable high-contrast mode - Colorblind-friendly palette - Voice capture โ€” log notes with gloves on - Ask Abby, your built-in beekeeping helper, anything KNOW YOUR FORAGE See which nectar and pollen plants are in season near your yard, month by month โ€” so you know when the flow is coming and when to feed. Start free. Keep better bees.

Screenshots

HiveSignal4 screens
Apiary Assistant4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Apiary Assistant at none against HiveSignal's 4. HiveSignal's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. HiveSignal sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Apiary Assistant asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HiveSignal ships an update every 6 weeks, Apiary Assistant monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
HiveSignal versus Apiary Assistant: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHiveSignalApiary Assistant
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksMonthly โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo โ€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.0 โ€” better17.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size15 MB49 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDustin KofoedTimothy Miller

In-app purchases

4 purchases

HiveSignal

Subscriptions4
  • Pro$6.991 Month
  • Commercial$22.991 Month
  • Pro$59.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Commercial$199.991 Year
None

Apiary Assistant

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HiveSignal free?
HiveSignal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Apiary Assistant free?
Apiary Assistant is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do HiveSignal or Apiary Assistant have ads?
Neither HiveSignal nor Apiary Assistant shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HiveSignal or Apiary Assistant?
HiveSignal ships an update every 6 weeks, and Apiary Assistant monthly. Most recently, HiveSignal was updated on October 25, 2026 and Apiary Assistant on October 28, 2026.

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