Has anyone tried the “HiveKeepers” app? $35 a year looks good. Curious what people are thinking about it before I pay $35 I’m going to give it the month trial
I have been using the HiveKeepers app for a couple of months and am generally very happy - certainly the best app I’ve tried (and I’ve tried a lot).
The reasons I chose it is that you can log what’s flowering on the inspection and store photos of each frame and scroll through them in chronological order which I love. There are at least 3 different ways to log an inspection which is perhaps a little bit over complicated, but if you like storing vast amounts of data this app is probably for you.
We got it from the App Store (Australia) as a free trial first so had a month to play. They seem pretty pro-active with the app too, asking for suggestions/ modifications and I think they are setting up a forum for users to chat.
All in all pretty happy so far 
Cheers,
Julia
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I am always reluctant to do the subscription thing. If I can’t buy outright I don’t buy.
If you want to do things for free there are a lot out there or just make your own app from Excel or MSWord. Here a couple of freebies http://ericshoneyfarm.com/beekeeping/resources/
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I like buying out right as well. And that’s why I’m reluctant to pay a subscription regardless of how little it is.
The better reason to join a subscription is that the database gets tweaked and the people are actually making money so they care and want to continue tweaking and releasing updates. The other reason I could see is if the database is shared a greater knowledge of the community is being formed.
Regardless I hate subscriptions but it may be the best way for me to go
Thank you, I will follow up I just loaded it last night by the way which other ones have you tried so I can maybe scratch them off my list
Hi Marty. Thanks for giving the Hivekeepers App a trial. I hope you find it helpful. If you have any questions during your trial please get in touch via simon@hivekeepers.com. Thanks for your interest. Cheers. Simon
If there would be an annual fee I would be more comfortable as well. Monthly access to my credit account I would never allow. If its annual and I have to authorize the payment I would be ok.
Also, if people only have 3 hives, why pay as much as people who have hundreds?
Else I liked the app. But I am currently looking for other options.
I am using the BeePlus app. When I got it was free- but now it costs $5- which is absolutely well worth it. for my needs it does everything I want- it’s (relatively) simple to use and has worked perfectly to date. It makes it easy to manage multiple apiaries. I really like the satellite view which shows the possible foraging range of your bees.
Wow, this really looks good it’s only 299 right now, for 299 I’m going to at least give it a try
I use the free version of Hive Tracks: https://hivetracks.com
I use HiveTracks too. Not free, but pretty close to free.
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Mines still free. Maybe I got in early.
Wow. Last update was Feb 17!
Apps have evolved so far since.
So what do people use these days.
I’m trying a few, all with advantages and disadvantages.
Apiarybook
Hivekeepers
Hive tracking
OSBeehives
BoxyBEE
I find BoxyBEE easy and light to use. But it doesn’t allow taking pictures of the frames. The developer seems to be updating it still though…
Frames records look like this:
Beekeeping apps have come a long way. I prefer those that have the portable facility of a smart phone, but also the complementary functionality of a desktop or laptop. Have tried various options over past two-three years and if anyone still looking, based on my experience with a small apiary, the best two are the Australian-developed HiveKeepers, and Hivetracks developed by a US beekeeper. Your choice will come down to personal interface preferences. Both very functional, both take a bit of working out in terms of navigating your way around, but both developers are very good in terms of responding to queries and support generally. Both are subscription-based, but worth it. Only dilemma now is I only need one, so one subscription will have to lapse. Might be a coin toss.
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are there any free ones?
I did find some free ones. I cannot remember their names but you can do a Google search on beekeeping software and you’ll find them. The ones I tried were either limited in function or clumsy to use; but good to experiment with because they may well be all you seek.
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