Fermentor vs Fermentation Lab
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
Fermentor
This app helps you meticulously plan and track your fermentation projects. It provides a clear overview of upcoming tasks, allows you to add detailed notes and photos, and offers pre-made templates for various ferments. You can also save your own custom templates for future use.
- Track fermentation projects
- Project overview and reminders
- Add pictures and notes
- Use pre-made templates
- Create custom templates
- Supports English and Dutch
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Fermentor β your personal fermentation companion Make better ferments, every time β with smart tools, reliable timers and clear supporting guides. Fermentor helps you turn fresh ingredients into delicious ferments β whether itβs your first jar of sauerkraut or a long-term miso project. Designed for beginners and experienced fermenters alike, Fermentor combines practical tools, clear step-by-step guidance and a flexible recipe system so you spend less time guessing and more time creating. --- FREE FEATURES These features are available to all users: β’ Basic recipe library β Includes foundational ferments such as sauerkraut, pickles, kombucha and sourdough bread. β’ Custom recipes β Create and save your own fermentation recipes. β’ Timers & project tracking β Start fermentation projects, set reminders and track progress. β’ Works offline β Your data stays on your device. β’ English & Dutch β Switch between languages anytime. --- PRO FEATURES (subscription required) Upgrade to Fermentor Pro to unlock advanced tools and deeper content: β’ Logbook for detailed project notes and observations β’ Growing recipe library β Access expanded and regularly updated recipes, including advanced and experimental ferments. β’ AI-Powered Recipe Generator β Describe your ingredients and flavor preferences and get custom-generated recipes and variations. β’ Archive projects β Store completed projects and restart them later. β’ Voice dictation for recipes β Capture recipe ideas and fermentation notes using your voice. β’ Salt calculator β’ Fermentation planner (including long-term aging and bread pre-ferment planner) --- Privacy & AI Your data stays on your device. Fermentor only uses AI features when you choose to activate them. --- Who itβs for β’ New fermenters seeking clear guidance. β’ Home cooks running multiple jars and long projects. β’ Workshop participants and food professionals who want a structured way to track and refine results. --- About the maker Created by Berend Weij, an experienced fermentation practitioner who teaches workshops and develops recipes in Ede and Utrecht (the Netherlands). Start your fermenting journey today β from your first bubbly jar of sauerkraut to a slow-aged miso. Fermentor brings hands-on tradition together with smart digital tools. --- Fermentor Pro Subscription Fermentor Pro is an optional monthly subscription that unlocks premium features, including: β’ AI-powered recipe generator β’ Logbook β’ Salt calculator β’ Expanded recipe library β’ Archive & restore projects β’ Voice dictation tools Price: β¬0.99 per month Auto-renewing: Yes, until cancelled Manage: Apple ID β Subscriptions Terms of Use (Apple EULA) https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy https://www.studiozoetekauw.nl/fermentor-privacy/
Fermentation Lab
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Fermentation Lab is the cellar notebook for people who ferment at home. Pick a ferment and a recipe: the app weighs the ingredients, tells you what to do each day and keeps track of temperature, pH and salt, jar by jar. Start from a recipe 95 recipes for 39 ferments β sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, kefir, yogurt, miso, shoyu, koji, tempeh, cured meats, cheese, vinegar, beer, wine, mead and more β plus bread recipes and pizza styles. Ingredients arrive already weighed and stay in proportion: change how much you make, or one line, and the rest follows. Next to each ingredient you see whether it is in your pantry; what is missing goes to the shopping list. Or write your own recipe and keep it for next time. The right step, every day Each type has its own care sheet: the phases, the task of each phase and the checkpoints β minimum salt, pH by the expected day, temperature limits, humidity, weight loss. Home follows what is fermenting and reminds you of today's task, with a notification when it is due. Short ferments such as bread, koji or yogurt are counted in hours. Log it, understand it Temperature, pH, gravity, notes and photos in one tap. Every reading is read for your ferment: whether it is within the limits of its care sheet, whether it is too early to tell, what counts besides that number. Measuring guides explain how to read pH and Β°Brix properly. You can connect an Inkbird Bluetooth sensor for temperature and humidity. Bread and pizza Baker's percentages on total flour, hydration, sourdough starter, biga and poolish. The method is part of the recipe: autolyse, folds, a night in the fridge, the pan. Doughs made in pieces are asked in pieces β four 250 g dough balls β and the step-by-step recipe has timers. The water temperature that brings the dough to the right temperature is one tap away from Home. The Laboratory Pantry and supplies, a shopping list with a barcode scanner, your cultures, the archive of finished ferments, statistics across batches, a calendar and timers. The Library Problems and doubts ("is it mold?"), techniques and microbes, with a search that reads inside the cards. Share An Instagram story or post with the jar's photo, log or recipe, plus a link to its web page. The Community Your profile is your lab: a jar for every ferment in progress. A weekly leaderboard, daily quests, culture swaps and a swap map. Others see only the types and progress of your lab β never names, notes or photos β and you can hide it. The Brigade, for kitchens A shared lab for kitchen teams: tickets on the rail, shift handovers, the week's HACCP checks, roles. And more Eight languages, a paper or cellar theme, and a predicted flavor profile and umami score (they are estimates). Fermentation Lab helps you keep count and not skip a check. Its values are the common ones of home fermentation: a number within limits says that number is within limits, not that a food is safe or ready. When in doubt, don't taste it.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Fermentation Lab at none against Fermentor's 1. Fermentation Lab also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks). On price, ads, 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
Both are free to download. Fermentor sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $0.99 per month. Fermentation Lab asks for nothing beyond the download.
Fermentor ships an update every 6 weeks, Fermentation Lab fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Fermentor | Fermentation Lab |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 88.9% of reviews | β |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Fortnightly β better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No β better |
| Monetization | Paid | β |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 49 MB | 84 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Studio Zoetekauw | Antonio Lice |
In-app purchases
Fermentor
- Fermentor Pro$0.991 Month
Fermentation Lab
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Fermentor free?
Is Fermentation Lab free?
Do Fermentor or Fermentation Lab have ads?
Which is updated more often, Fermentor or Fermentation Lab?
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