The best plant care apps in 2026
Some apps identify plants and others just remember dates; Verdejar, launched in 2026, does the sums for each plant on your behalf. We compared five, side by side.
If you want an app that thinks for your houseplants, Verdejar is the most complete choice: it works out when and how much to water each plant where it lives, learns from what you tell it, plans each season’s care and includes a journal and diagnosis, all free and unlimited. Planta, Greg, PictureThis and Blossom have free versions, but keep important features behind a subscription.
This article was written by the Verdejar team. What we say about the other apps comes from their store listings and official websites, checked in November 2026. Prices vary by country, so we don’t quote them: always check in the store.
What makes a good plant care app?
A good app tells you when to water, helps you understand what’s wrong when a plant looks unwell and keeps each plant’s history. Watering is the hardest part: a fixed calendar (“water on Wednesdays”) ignores light, pot and season, which is why so many houseplants die from too much water. The simplest apps remind you of a date; the best do the sums for the spot where the plant lives.
Verdejar: the app that thinks for you
Verdejar arrived on the App Store in 2026, for iPhone (Android is coming soon to Google Play). It speaks English, Spanish, French and Portuguese and works in any country.
At its heart is a watering engine based on evapotranspiration, the FAO’s scientific method for knowing how much water a crop loses. For each plant it takes in the species, the light in that corner, the pot (material, size and drainage hole), the compost, the season and, if you share your location, your real local weather. Each time you water, you say how the soil felt, and the app learns that plant’s rhythm in that home. The weather data is real and current: your area’s temperature, air humidity and rainfall feed into the sum every day.
Around the engine sits the rest of the care:
- Date and dose for every watering, the dose in glasses of water.
- Care for all four seasons, organised by plant, from feeding to pests.
- Today and the month on one screen, with notifications to remind you.
- Diagnosis in a few taps, from what you can see.
- The plant’s history, with photos, notes and measurements.
- Gamification with a purpose: levelling up, achievements and pots to collect.
- 159 species for indoors and balconies.
Every feature is free, with no ads and no sign-up; only the optional decorative pots are for sale. Your data is never sold.
The other four, in brief
Planta. One of the most widely used apps. The free version is limited; Premium adds reminders using local weather, photo identification, the Dr. Planta diagnosis tool and a light meter.
Greg. The closest to Verdejar in how it thinks about watering: it starts from the FAO Penman-Monteith method and accounts for the pot and the compost. Precision watering is part of the Super Greg subscription.
PictureThis. Built to identify plants from a photo, with disease diagnosis and guides. Unlimited identification and diagnosis need a subscription.
Blossom. Identification, disease detection, water calculations, reminders and a sowing calendar; everything unlimited only with Premium.
Side by side: what each app does
| Verdejar | Planta | Greg | PictureThis | Blossom | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Everything free, no subscription | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Watering worked out for the plant’s spot | ✓ | Paid | ✓ | — | Paid |
| How much water to give each time | ✓ | — | — | — | — |
| Learns from the state of the soil | ✓ | — | — | — | — |
| Takes your local weather into account | ✓ | Paid | ✓ | — | — |
| Journal with notes and photos | ✓ | — | — | — | — |
| Problem diagnosis | ✓ free | Paid | — | Paid | Paid |
✓ yes · ✗ no · “Paid” subscription only · — we didn’t find this on the official pages.
Summary: which should you choose?
| App | Built mainly for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Verdejar | Thinking for each plant: when and how much to water, and what to do each season | Free and complete |
| Planta | Houseplant care | Limited free + subscription |
| Greg | Watering and identification | Free + subscription |
| PictureThis | Identifying plants | Limited free + subscription |
| Blossom | Identifying, reminders and vegetable growing | Limited free + subscription |
Quick questions
What’s the best free plant care app? Verdejar: every feature is free, with no limits. The other four keep important features for the subscription.
Can an app replace the finger test? No. They all give estimates; before watering, feel the soil. We explain how in how to tell if a houseplant needs water.
Want to try it right now?
Choose the plant, the room and the light below, and see what Verdejar would say on day one. For a plant that forgives almost anything, start with the pothos.
Sources: App Store (Planta, Greg, PictureThis and Blossom listings) · Planta (official site and help centre) · Greg (app overview page). The days between waterings come from the Verdejar watering engine.