GardenPin

At a glance

• Editor score
  5.1 / 10
• Pricing
  Free plan · paid from $0.99
• Best for
  On-device plant ID and garden records on iPhone
• Free plan
  Yes
• Identification scope
  Plants
• Facts checked
  3 Oct 2026

• Where it wins

  • Free plan includes unlimited garden records, notes, photos, and reminders.
  • Plant ID runs on-device first and can work offline.
  • Premium adds garden maps, QR labels, nursery-tag scanning, and Live View.

• Where it doesn't

  • Free plant identification is limited to 5 per week.
  • Available on iOS; PlantNet fallback requires an internet connection.
  • Premium Weekly renews automatically, while key mapping and label features are paid.

Our verdict on GardenPin

GardenPin brings plant identification and garden records together for iPhone and iPad owners who want to track an existing garden. Identify plants from photos, save records with notes and photos, and set reminders for watering, feeding, and seasonal tasks. Identification runs on the device first and may turn to PlantNet when a plant cannot be identified locally, so the app can work offline for local identification but needs a connection for that fallback. Nearby sharing over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth and iCloud sync help keep garden information accessible across Apple devices.

The free plan allows five identifications per week, while records, gardens, notes, photos, and reminders are unlimited; care entries are manual. Premium Weekly is $0.99 per week and auto-renews. Annual Premium costs $19.99 per year and adds unlimited identifications, Live View, Place Precisely, nursery-tag scanning, a garden map, QR label printing, CSV export, and JSON backup. Lifetime Premium costs $49.99 once and includes everything in Annual Premium without renewal. That makes the free tier useful for maintaining records with occasional identification, while regular identifiers or gardeners who want mapping and labels have a choice of recurring or one-time payment.

Its differentiator is garden organization rather than diagnosis: GPS pins map plants, scanned nursery tags can populate care information, and AirPrint can print QR labels. Live View displays pinned plants in augmented reality. The app is limited to Apple's mobile ecosystem; the App Store also lists Mac compatibility on Apple silicon with macOS 26 or later. Choose GardenPin if you want photo-based identification alongside reminders, maps, and durable garden records. It is less suitable if you need frequent identification without a paid plan, photo diagnosis, or a platform beyond iOS.

GardenPin pricing

All 4 GardenPin plans and prices →

GardenPin fact sheet

GardenPin integrations

GardenPin lists 3 integrations on its own site.

• PlantNet
• iCloud
• AirPrint

Alternatives to GardenPin

• PPl@ntNetPhoto-based plant identification with offline mobile models and community review.9.4
• SBSeek by iNaturalistA free mobile app for offline, camera-based identification of plants, animals, and fungi.9.3
• MBMerlin Bird IDA free mobile app for identifying birds by image, sound, or guided observations.9.2

See all GardenPin alternatives →

Featured on iTechGuides

GardenPin is listed in our Visual Identification Apps directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.

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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

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Last updated 3 Oct 2026 · How we research and update