Use the beekeeping app for free: for good, not just to try out
Up to 5 colonies, digital hive card, unlimited apiaries: the iBeekeeper free package does not expire and does not ask for a credit card.
Looking for a beekeeping app that is free and stays free? The iBeekeeper beekeeping app is free to use, for good, not just for 14 days. The free package covers up to 5 colonies: digital hive card, apiaries, documenting inspections and treatments, for iPhone, Android and in the browser.
This page sets out what the free package can do, and where the line to the paid packages lies. So you don't only find out after signing up what is missing.
What the free package includes
5 colonies
For beginners and hobby beekeepers with a few colonies, the free package is enough for good.
Digital hive card
Document every inspection: queen, brood, stores, gentleness, swarming mood, instead of notes on the lid.
Unlimited apiaries
Create as many apiaries and colony groups as you like, with no limit even in the free package.
Document treatments
Record varroa treatments with product, concentration, period and temperature range.
Data export
You export your data as CSV, JSON or ZIP, even without a package.
iOS, Android and browser
Record offline at the apiary, analyse at home on your computer. Syncing happens automatically.
Free or paid: the difference at a glance
Included in the free package:
- 5 colonies
- 10 documents, max. 5 MB each
- unlimited apiaries and colony groups
- data export as CSV, JSON or ZIP
- documenting hive cards, inspections and treatments
- each iBeekeeper app on one device, an iPad counts as a separate device, the Apple Watch does not
Only in the paid packages:
- 10 to 300 colonies, depending on the package
- 100 to 2,000 documents, max. 25 MB each
- unlimited colony archive
- reports and their PDF export, for example the stock control
- weather with flying weather and forage weather for your apiaries
- photos and voice notes
- automatic weather logging
- any number of devices per app
The packages are based on the number of your colonies. All prices are listed in the price overview.
No expiry date, no credit card
The free package can be used without a time limit. You get it automatically when you register. After that you can test the functions of the paid packages for one month; the trial period ends by itself, without cancelling and without cost. Nothing is charged, and nothing turns into a subscription by itself. If your beekeeping grows, you switch yourself, or you don't.
Over 15,000 beekeepers use iBeekeeper
From hobby beekeepers with three colonies to commercial operations with several hundred. Many start with the free package and stay with it as long as their beekeeping is small. That is exactly what it is there for.
What you do for free at the apiary
Even with the free package you use the Bienenvölker app for iPhone, iPad and Android. You enter inspections on your own hive card, even without a network, and the app syncs by itself later. You record feedings and treatments for several colonies in one step, and at the colony you can see until when the withdrawal period of a product runs. At home you see everything in the web application in the browser.
You output the hive cards of a colony as PDF, and you export your data as CSV, JSON or ZIP. If you reach the limit of 5 colonies, you switch to a package; your entries stay where they are.
Register for free and add your first colonies, with no credit card and no expiry date.
Start for freeFurther reading
- The beekeeping app at a glance: all modules and features
- Beekeeping app: what to look for: eight questions with a checklist
- Digital hive card: documenting inspections instead of a mess of paper
- Beekeeping software: for beekeeping operations that need more
- Prices and packages: what the paid packages cost
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a credit card to register?
No. No payment details are needed for the free package. You only enter payment details when you actively decide on a paid package.
Can I take my data with me when I switch?
Your data stays your data. If you switch to a larger package, all the colonies, inspections and treatments you have recorded so far are still there; you simply unlock more capacity and additional features.
Is the beekeeping app really free?
Yes. Registration is free, and you automatically get the free package. It does not expire, no credit card is required, and it does not automatically turn into a subscription. You can use iBeekeeper with it with no time limit.
How many colonies can I manage for free?
Up to 5 colonies. For beginners and many hobby beekeepers, that is enough for good. If more colonies come along, you switch to a package that suits the size of your beekeeping; the tiers range from 10 to 300 colonies. You will find all prices in the price overview.
What is not included in the free package?
The reports and their PDF export, for example the stock control, are part of the paid packages. So are the colony archive, the weather for your apiaries, photos, voice notes and automatic weather logging. You can record treatments and export your data in the free package too. In addition, documents are limited to 10 files of max. 5 MB each.
Does the free beekeeping app work offline?
Yes. Even with the free package you make entries in the Bienenvölker app at the apiary without reception. As soon as the device is back online, everything syncs by itself, including with the web application.
Is there a free beekeeping app for Android and iPhone?
Yes. The Bienenvölker app is available for iPhone and iPad in the App Store and for Android on Google Play, plus the web application in the browser. All of them use the same free account.