Comparison

HiveCompanion vs NectarIndex

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

Head to head
About

HiveCompanion

Features
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HiveCompanion β€” The offline beekeeping logbook built for the field Keep track of every hive, every inspection, every harvest β€” right from your pocket. No account. No cloud. No internet required. Your beekeeping records stay on your device, always available β€” even miles from a signal. Built by a beekeeper, for beekeepers. WHY HIVECOMPANION > Truly offline Works in the middle of a field, on a mountain, anywhere. Your data stays on your device. > Private by design No account, no sign-up, no tracking, no ads. Ever. > Fast in the field Designed for real conditions β€” sunlight, gloves, one hand on the smoker. > One-time purchase No subscriptions. No paywalls hiding basic features. WHAT YOU CAN TRACK Apiaries & Hives Organize your bees by location. Create storage apiaries for empty or dead hives. Track queen color, queen reference, supers, and status at a glance. Full Inspections Log everything that matters in under a minute: β€’ Queen sighting, population, food stores β€’ Brood quality (capped & uncapped) β€’ Behavior rating β€’ Diseases: American & European foulbrood, chalkbrood, sacbrood β€’ Pests: varroa mites, wax moth, small hive beetle β€’ Viruses: deformed wing virus, chronic bee paralysis β€’ Predators: Asian, European, Oriental hornets β€’ Free notes for anything else Hive Life Events Record every major moment: β€’ Harvests (with honey type and super count) β€’ Treatments β€’ Requeening β€’ Splits & merges β€’ Hive moves between apiaries β€’ Super additions β€’ Varroa counts β€’ Deaths β€’ Custom log entries Tasks & Calendar Plan the season. Assign tasks to hives or apiaries. View everything in a calendar and never miss a treatment window. Harvests Track honey type, quantity, date, apiary, hive, and super count. Build a real production history year after year. YOUR DATA, YOUR RULES β€’ Export to PDF β€” generate per-hive reports or batch exports β€’ Export to Excel β€” your raw data, ready for analysis β€’ QR codes β€” scan a hive and log instantly β€’ Full backup β€” export your entire database anytime BUILT FOR BEEKEEPERS β€’ GPS coordinates for each apiary with one-tap directions β€’ Photos attached to inspections β€’ Imperial or metric units β€’ Clean, readable interface β€’ Optimized for phones and tablets FREE TO TRY, ONE-TIME UNLOCK Use HiveCompanion for free with up to 10 hives. Unlock unlimited hives and reminders for a single $5.99 payment. No subscription. Ever. MADE WITH CARE HiveCompanion is built by a solo developer who keeps bees. Every feature exists because a beekeeper asked for it. Have a suggestion? Write in β€” real beekeepers make this app better.

About

NectarIndex

Features
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NectarIndex β€” Your Bloom Forecast Companion Are you a beekeeper wondering when the acacia, linden, or chestnut will bloom in your area? NectarIndex helps you anticipate nectar flow seasons so you can plan hive moves, honey supers, and inspections with confidence. The app uses real weather data from your location to calculate Growing Degree Days (GDD) from the start of the year, estimating the phenological stage of over 96 nectar-producing plant species. The result is a NectarIndex score β€” from 0 to 100 β€” giving you an intuitive read on the nectar potential for each plant in your area. WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH NECTARINDEX β€’ See which plants are about to bloom near you β€’ Track temperature accumulation with Growing Degree Days (GDD) β€’ Use the bloom calendar to plan your season β€’ Manually select any location on the map β€’ Filter plants by KΓΆppen climate zone β€’ Explore a database of 96 nectar plant species across Europe and North America β€’ Check integrated weather forecasts for the coming days BUILT FOR BEEKEEPERS EVERYWHERE NectarIndex includes both European and North American nectar species, with automatic continent detection based on your location. Whether you're in Italy, France, Germany, or the United States, you'll find the most relevant plants for your area. HOW IT WORKS The algorithm is based on Growing Degree Days (GDD), a well-established scientific method used in agronomy and phenology. Each species has a thermal bloom threshold: when the GDD accumulated at your location reach that threshold, the plant is approaching bloom. NectarIndex combines this with current and forecast weather conditions to calculate the final score. AN IMPORTANT NOTE NectarIndex is a support tool based on mathematical models and weather data. Forecasts are estimates and may vary depending on local conditions, altitude, exposure, and many other factors. The app's predictions are never a substitute for direct hive inspection and field observation. The best beekeeper is still the one who knows their bees! FREE, NO SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED NectarIndex is free to use. Occasional unobtrusive ads help us keep the app updated and available for beekeepers everywhere.

Screenshots

HiveCompanion3 screens
NectarIndex4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NectarIndex at none against HiveCompanion's 1. NectarIndex also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 months). HiveCompanion's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. HiveCompanion sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. NectarIndex asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HiveCompanion ships an update every 3 months, NectarIndex every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 3 level
HiveCompanion versus NectarIndex: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHiveCompanionNectarIndex
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 days β€” better
AdsNo β€” betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” better
Requires iOS16.415.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size77 MB78 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHexatekFRANCESCO NOCENTINI

In-app purchases

1 purchases

HiveCompanion

One-time1
  • Pro$5.99
None

NectarIndex

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HiveCompanion free?
HiveCompanion is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is NectarIndex free?
NectarIndex is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do HiveCompanion or NectarIndex have ads?
NectarIndex shows ads; HiveCompanion does not.
Which is updated more often, HiveCompanion or NectarIndex?
HiveCompanion ships an update every 3 months, and NectarIndex every 2 days. Most recently, HiveCompanion was updated on November 9, 2026 and NectarIndex on November 5, 2026.

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