Don’t want to waste time reading countless gardening books or tuning into lengthy podcasts to decode your plant’s needs? Looking for an all-in-one companion to make your thumb a little greener? You’re in the right place!
We tested over 20 plant care apps on the market for several months and narrowed them down to the 5 best free plant care apps: Planta, Vera, PlantNet, Blossom, and PictureThis. Whether you’re a seasoned plant parent or just starting your botanical journey, these apps can be your trusty digital companions.
These top apps go beyond the basics—offering personalized guidance, plant identification, disease diagnosis, and a world of plant know-how. Below, you’ll find a detailed breakdown of each one, along with the pros and cons based on our in-depth research and testing.
Plant care apps act like a virtual gardening assistant—they’re designed to simplify your plant-parent journey by providing essential information on watering, fertilizing, light requirements, and more. Many also include:
No more guesswork—these apps aim to ensure your plants get the right care at the right time. Ready to see which made our top five?
9.5/10
Planta is an all-in-one powerhouse for plant care. Once you add your plants (either by searching its database or using the identification tool), the app creates customized care schedules for watering, fertilizing, misting, and repotting. It sends you timely reminders, so you never forget a task.
Planta’s “Dr. Planta” tool helps diagnose common plant problems—like yellow leaves or pest damage—and its built-in light meter checks if a location is suitable for your plant. There’s also an active community within the app to ask questions and share triumphs, making Planta a robust digital companion for both casual and serious plant enthusiasts.
This app really has all you need to properly support with plant care!
iOS and Android
Generally, Planta is free-to-use. The free functionalities cover more than needed, so you don’t necessarily need to buy the Pro version. The free version lets you add plants, receive basic watering reminders, and identify a limited number of plants each month.
However, those who desire an even more comprehensive experience, the Pro version is available for a subscription fee of $7.99/month or $35.99/year, unlocking unlimited plant identifications, advanced care reminders (fertilizing, pruning), Dr. Planta (disease diagnosis), and more detailed customization, making it the best overall plant care app.
Our testers loved how Planta alleviates guesswork by sending reminders exactly when each plant needs attention. They found the user interface incredibly intuitive and praised the community aspect. The only downside mentioned was the subscription cost for those who want full functionality, but the free version still covers most basic needs.
8.9/10
Looking for a completely free tool to schedule watering and fertilizing tasks? Vera, created by the Bloomscape team, is a minimalistic yet effective plant journal. You can add each plant manually (no photo ID) and track watering, misting, fertilizing, and repotting. Vera also features a plant care library, offering straightforward guides for many popular houseplants.
iOS and Android
Free, Forever! No ads, no premium subscription, and no in-app purchases. Vera’s entire feature set is 100% free.
Our testers applauded Vera’s simplicity and “no-strings-attached” approach. The scheduling reminders are reliable, and the free library covers most popular houseplants. However, testers who wanted built-in plant identification or more advanced analysis found Vera too basic. It’s best for those happy with a straightforward, no-cost watering and fertilizing reminder system. Simply put, Vera is the best free plant care app with no subscription.
8.3/10
PlantNet shines in plant identification, leveraging a community-driven database of ~20,000 wild and cultivated species. Snap a photo, upload it, and PlantNet suggests possible matches with a likelihood score. Though it’s primarily aimed at identifying wild and native plants, it often works well for common houseplants too. The database grows via user contributions, making PlantNet somewhat of a citizen science project.
It also can offer basic insights on plant health (like visible diseases), though it’s not as comprehensive as other apps for ongoing care schedules.
iOS and Android
Completely Free: No subscriptions or ads—funded by research organizations and user contributions.
Our testers raved about PlantNet’s accuracy in identifying wildflowers and trees, praising the crowdsourced data approach. However, since it offers no specialized care reminders, testers found it less useful for everyday houseplant upkeep. If you want a robust, completely free plant ID tool, PlantNet excels; just don’t expect it to track your watering schedule.
8.1/10
Blossom balances user-friendliness with a decent set of plant care tools. You can look up a plant from an extensive library (30,000+ species), learn its ideal conditions, and set custom care reminders. The app includes photo identification, a basic disease diagnosis feature, and a journaling section for each plant’s progress.
iOS and Android
Blossom offers a free version with basic identification features, a limited number of care reminders, and partial library access. The premium version ($4.99/month or $29.99/year) unlocks unlimited reminders, more ID scans, advanced care tips, and priority support.
Testers described Blossom as “pleasantly simple” to use, with thorough plant profiles that make care tasks clear. The disease diagnosis feature helped them address common issues (e.g., pests, fungal spots), although it’s not foolproof. The main drawback is the subscription model, which occasionally pushes pop-ups encouraging an upgrade. Overall, Blossom is an appealing one-stop app for identification and care—especially for novices. And without the regular pop-ups, it would be surely be the best app for plant care.
7.7/10
PictureThis is celebrated for its rapid, high-accuracy plant identification (claims up to 98% accuracy) and a massive database exceeding 400,000 species worldwide. Snap a photo, and the AI returns near-instant results, along with data on toxicity, care basics, and even possible diseases. A community section allows you to ask questions or show off your latest “plant find.”
While it does have care reminders, they’re simpler compared to apps like Planta. PictureThis is essentially an ID-first app that also offers limited scheduling features.
iOS and Android
PictureThis offers a free version with limited daily identifications and partial library access. To unlock its full potential, users can subscribe to the premium version. The premium subscription comes in various pricing tiers strting at $7.99/month or $39.99/year, offering unlimited ID scans, advanced disease diagnosis, no ads, and priority support.
Our testers lauded PictureThis as the “best quick plant ID” app, especially for less common species. The disease diagnosis also worked well for standard pest or fungal issues. However, many users felt the free version is too limited, prompting frequent upsells for premium. If you’re primarily after instant identification, PictureThis might be worth the upgrade; for routine care tasks, it’s more hit-or-miss.
| Plant Care App | Score | Pricing | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Planta | 9.5 | Freemium: Core free + $35.99/yr for premium | – All-in-one care reminders & diagnosis – Slick interface, easy to use – Light meter & ID tool | – Rare plant database gaps – Some advanced features locked behind subscription |
| 2. Vera | 8.9 | Free | – Totally free, no ads – Simple to set up & track watering – Basic care library | – No plant ID or disease diagnosis – Minimal advanced features |
| 3. PlantNet | 8.3 | Free | – Excellent free plant ID – Community-driven, no ads – Wide coverage of wild/native plants | – Very limited care functions (no reminders) – Focus is on ID rather than maintenance |
| 4. Blossom | 8.1 | Freemium: $4.99/mo or $29.99/yr premium | – Great for beginners – ID + care reminders + disease checker – Large plant library | – Free version has feature caps – No social community – Some data-sharing concerns |
| 5. PictureThis | 7.7 | Freemium: Premium often $29.99/yr | – Best-in-class plant ID (400k species) – Fast & accurate AI – Community Q&A | – Limited free usage, frequent upsell – Care reminders less robust – Premium can be pricey |
Receive timely reminders for watering, fertilizing, and more—preventing over- or under-care. Some apps even track your plants’ health with visual timelines.
Many apps have a huge database of plant care tips and troubleshooting guides, helping both novices and experienced owners. Some also have in-app communities to crowdsource quick answers.
Free apps like PlantNet or PictureThis identify unknown plants from a photo—helpful if you get a gift plant or spot something intriguing outdoors. Many also diagnose diseases just as quickly.
Apps like Planta and Blossom tailor schedules based on your specific plant and environment, adjusting watering frequency and fertilizing reminders so you don’t have to guess.
Several plant apps have forums or in-app communities. Swapping tips, success stories, or urgent help requests fosters camaraderie among fellow plant enthusiasts.
Our team used a comprehensive list of criteria to evaluate each app during months of testing:
By methodically applying these criteria and analyzing feedback from over 100 testers, we arrived at the final ranking you see above.
Yes! Vera is entirely free and ad-free. It offers basic watering and fertilizing reminders, plus a library of plant care tips without any subscription costs.
PlantNet and PictureThis can both help identify plant diseases from a photo, though PictureThis often covers more species. You can snap a picture of the problem spot and the apps will suggest potential issues.
Planta and Vera both provide watering reminders and scheduling without requiring payment. Vera is 100% free, while Planta’s free version covers essential watering features well.
Yes—several! Planta, Vera, PlantNet, Blossom, and PictureThis all serve different needs. Whether it’s watering schedules, plant ID, or disease diagnosis, these apps guide you step-by-step.
PlantNet is free on iPhone and can detect certain diseases. PictureThis also identifies issues on iOS but limits free usage. If you only need occasional checks, PlantNet is a great starting point.
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