The Best Fermentation & Brewing Apps in 2026
Looking for the best app to track your fermentation? Here's an honest look at how the popular brewing apps compare — and where a simple, free fermentation tracker like Fermolog fits in for mead, wine, cider and beer makers.
Fermentation & brewing apps at a glance
| App | Main focus | Platforms | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fermolog | Tracking live fermentation batches — notes, gravity, ABV, timelines | iOS, Android | Mead, wine, cider and beer makers who want a simple, free log |
| BrewFather | Advanced beer recipe formulation and brew-day management | iOS, Android, Web | All-grain beer brewers who design detailed recipes |
| Brewer's Friend | Recipe building and brewing calculators | Web, iOS, Android | Beer brewers who want calculators and recipe storage |
| Spreadsheet / notebook | Manual, fully custom record keeping | Anywhere | People who like full control and don't mind manual upkeep |
Comparison is a general guide; features change over time. Third-party app names are trademarks of their respective owners and are used here only to describe each tool.
Why home brewers choose Fermolog
- Free, with no ads. Track unlimited batches without paywalls or sign-up friction.
- Built for more than beer. First-class support for mead, fruit wine, grape wine, cider, perry and ginger beer — not just all-grain beer recipes.
- Focused on real progress. Log OG/FG and ABV, add time-stamped notes and photos, and watch your gravity history on a chart.
- Shareable batches. Publish a batch to a clean public page and explore what the community is fermenting.
What to look for in a fermentation tracker
A good fermentation app should make day-to-day logging effortless: quick gravity entries, automatic ABV estimates, a clear timeline of primary and secondary fermentation, and somewhere to keep tasting notes and photos. If you mostly design beer recipes, a dedicated recipe tool may suit you better. If you want to actually follow a batch from pitch to bottle, a focused tracker wins.
Fermolog is built around that second job: keeping an accurate, shareable brewing log for every batch you make.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best app to track fermentation?
The best fermentation tracking app depends on what you make. For mead, wine, cider and beginner-to-intermediate beer brewing, Fermolog is a strong choice because it focuses on logging real batch progress — gravity readings, ABV, notes, photos and timelines — in a simple, free app. Brewers who need deep recipe formulation may prefer a dedicated beer recipe tool.
Is there a free alternative to BrewFather?
Yes. Fermolog is a free fermentation and brewing tracker available on iOS and Android. While it is not a recipe-design tool, it is a free, lightweight alternative for keeping a brewing log and following each batch from start to bottling.
Which app is best for mead and country wine?
Many popular brewing apps are built around beer recipes. Fermolog supports mead, fruit wine, grape wine, cider, perry and ginger beer with fields tailored to each, which makes it especially handy for mead makers and home winemakers.
Do I need to pay or create an account?
Fermolog is free and the core tracking features work without an account. It shows no ads and does not sell personal data.
Try Fermolog free
Download Fermolog and start tracking your next batch of mead, wine, cider or beer in minutes.