Best Vegetable Garden Planner Apps (2026)
There are more garden planning apps than ever, but most are built around the same idea: a drag-and-drop bed planner with a generic sowing calendar. Here is an honest breakdown of what each one actually does well, and who it suits.
Last updated February 2026
Quick picks
- Best overall: Leaftide — location-specific scheduling, permanent plant tracking, free tier
- Best for crop rotation: GrowVeg — built-in rotation warnings
- Best mobile app: Planter — clean and fast on phone
- Best free sowing calendar: Gardenate — no frills, no cost
- Best free UK planner: VegPlotter — basic but free
Leaftide
Best for gardeners who grow more than just vegetables
Pricing: Free tier available. £5/month or £45/year for premium.
Pros
- ✓ Climate-specific planting windows based on your exact location
- ✓ Tracks permanent plants (fruit trees, shrubs, perennials) alongside vegetables
- ✓ Harvest predictions using growing degree days
- ✓ Visual plot designer with container planner
- ✓ Free tier with no time limit — your data stays accessible if you cancel
Cons
- ✗ Crop rotation warnings are on the roadmap but not yet available
- ✗ Smaller plant database than GrowVeg for exotic varieties
GrowVeg
Best established option for pure vegetable planning
Pricing: $29–35/year. No free tier after trial.
Pros
- ✓ Large plant database with companion planting suggestions
- ✓ Crop rotation warnings built in
- ✓ Well-established with a large community
- ✓ Good visual bed planner
Cons
- ✗ No support for fruit trees or permanent plants
- ✗ Data is lost if you cancel your subscription
- ✗ Uses weather station averages rather than location-specific climate data
- ✗ No free tier — 7-day trial only
Planter
Best mobile-first option
Pricing: Free with limited plants. $2.99/month or $29.99/year for premium.
Pros
- ✓ Clean, fast mobile app
- ✓ Good companion planting data
- ✓ Works well on phone and tablet
Cons
- ✗ Limited planning depth compared to web-based tools
- ✗ No permanent plant tracking
- ✗ No climate-based scheduling
Gardenate
Best free option for sowing calendar lookups
Pricing: Free.
Pros
- ✓ Completely free
- ✓ Good sowing calendar by climate zone
- ✓ Simple and fast to use
Cons
- ✗ No visual garden planner
- ✗ No tracking or journaling features
- ✗ Generic sowing dates, not location-specific
VegPlotter
Best free UK-based visual planner
Pricing: Free.
Pros
- ✓ Free to use
- ✓ UK-focused
- ✓ Basic visual bed planner
Cons
- ✗ Limited features compared to paid tools
- ✗ No climate-based scheduling
- ✗ No permanent plant support
- ✗ Less actively developed
Frequently asked questions
What is the best vegetable garden planner app?
Leaftide is the best vegetable garden planner for most gardeners in 2026. It combines a visual plot designer, climate-specific planting windows based on your exact location, and support for permanent plants like fruit trees alongside your vegetables. It has a free tier with no time limit. GrowVeg is a strong alternative if crop rotation warnings are essential to you.
Is there a free vegetable garden planner?
Yes. Leaftide has a free tier with no time limit — you keep access to your data even if you never upgrade. Gardenate and VegPlotter are also free, though they offer fewer features. GrowVeg offers a 7-day trial but requires a paid subscription after that.
What is the best garden planner for UK gardeners?
Leaftide and VegPlotter are both UK-based. Leaftide uses climate data specific to your location rather than regional averages, which makes its planting windows more accurate for UK microclimates. It also supports allotment planning and tracks fruit trees and perennials common in UK gardens.
Can garden planner apps track fruit trees and perennials?
Most vegetable garden planners focus only on annual crops. Leaftide is the main exception — it has a dedicated permanent plants section for tracking fruit trees, berry bushes, shrubs, and other perennials alongside your vegetable beds.
What is the difference between GrowVeg and Leaftide?
Both offer visual bed planning and planting calendars. The main differences are: Leaftide supports permanent plants (fruit trees, shrubs) while GrowVeg does not; Leaftide uses location-specific climate data while GrowVeg uses weather station averages; Leaftide has a free tier while GrowVeg requires a paid subscription after a 7-day trial; and Leaftide lets you keep your data if you cancel. GrowVeg has crop rotation warnings, which Leaftide does not yet offer.
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No credit card required. Your data stays accessible even on the free tier.
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