Almanac Garden Planner
Free trial onlyOld Farmer's Almanac vegetable-bed planner with climate-tailored planting dates
Free tier & pricing
Free for a 7-day trial with no credit card required, and you can print and keep that first plan forever; after 7 days continued access (saving, editing, reminders) requires a subscription that starts at $35/year auto-renewing.
Last verified Jun 23, 2026. Report a change →
The short answer
The Almanac Garden Planner is a browser-based tool for laying out vegetable beds, raised beds, or square-foot gardens and getting planting and harvest dates tailored to your local weather station. It's the same underlying engine as GrowVeg, rebranded by The Old Farmer's Almanac. There's no permanent free tier, only a trial, after which it's a yearly subscription.
The facts
- Pricing
- $35/yr · Free trial only
- Free tier
- No
- Runs in browser
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web, Windows, macOS, iOS
- 2D / 3D
- Basic 3D
- Learning curve
- Easy
- Export formats
- PDF, PNG
The catch
- Browser only — no offline app.
- The paid plan is annual billing only.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Planting and harvest dates auto-tailored from 5,000+ weather stations
- Crop-rotation warnings and companion-planting guidance built in
- 7-day trial needs no payment details and the printed plan is yours to keep
- Copies last year's layout to jump-start next season's plan
Cons
- No permanent free tier; it's a paid subscription after the trial
- Browser-only web tool, no offline desktop app
- Focused on edibles and beds, not ornamental landscape design
- Basic top-down graphics, no 3D or photorealistic rendering
Best for
Vegetable and kitchen gardeners who want correct local sow/plant/harvest timing.
Not for
People wanting a free planner or a 3D ornamental landscape mockup.
Alternatives to Almanac Garden Planner
GrowVeg Garden Planner
Free trial onlyFree for a 7-day trial with no payment details required, and you can create and print one plan to keep; after that, full access (saving, reminders, journal) costs $35/year auto-renewing, with multi-year and gift options also sold.
VegPlotter
Free, with limitsThe free tier is permanent and genuinely usable: unlimited garden layouts of any size plus up to 20 plantings per planning year with rotation warnings and task lists; only unlimited plantings, custom plants, the photo journal, and sharing require Essentials ($24.99/yr) or Advanced ($39.99/yr).
GARDENA myGarden Planner
Truly freeThe whole planner is free with no subscription: draw and save unlimited garden layouts and download a sprinkler plan; the only commercial angle is that the auto-generated irrigation shopping list recommends GARDENA's own sprinkler products.
See all Almanac Garden Planner alternatives compared →
Head-to-head comparisons
Almanac Garden Planner: questions, answered
Is Almanac Garden Planner free?
Not really — Almanac Garden Planner offers a free trial rather than a lasting free tier. Free for a 7-day trial with no credit card required, and you can print and keep that first plan forever; after 7 days continued access (saving, editing, reminders) requires a subscription that starts at $35/year auto-renewing. After the trial it costs $35/yr.
What platforms does Almanac Garden Planner run on?
Almanac Garden Planner is available on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS. It runs in any web browser with nothing to install.
What file formats can you export from Almanac Garden Planner?
Almanac Garden Planner exports to PDF, PNG. It does not export CAD (DWG/DXF) formats, so it is not aimed at construction documents.
Does Almanac Garden Planner do 3D and photorealistic renders?
Almanac Garden Planner supports 3D with basic 3d render quality. For fully photorealistic output you may want a heavier tool.
Is Almanac Garden Planner easy to learn?
Easy to pick up. Vegetable and kitchen gardeners who want correct local sow/plant/harvest timing.
What are the best alternatives to Almanac Garden Planner?
Popular Almanac Garden Planner alternatives include GrowVeg Garden Planner, VegPlotter and GARDENA myGarden Planner. Compare their free tiers, platforms and export formats on the Almanac Garden Planner alternatives page.