Start with the workflow you need: Brewfather for its documented recipe-and-batch plans, BeerSmith for its desktop/web product options, or Brewer’s Friend for its cloud recipe and brew-session tools. Then try one complete recipe before moving your library. The useful comparison is whether a particular plan preserves your ingredients, equipment assumptions, measurements and notes.
We checked the publishers’ documentation on 12 October 2026. This is a comparison of documented features, not a hands-on software test. We have not subscribed, imported a library or run a brew day with these products.
What each publisher currently documents
- Brewfather: the free plan allows up to 25 recipes and 25 batches, with recipe design, batch tracking and calculators. Premium adds unlimited records, inventory, device integrations, API access and import/export in BeerXML, BeerJSON and Brewfather JSON. Premium Plus adds AI features and file attachments. See the current Brewfather plan documentation for the exact entitlement.
- BeerSmith: the current feature overview describes BeerSmith 4 Desktop and Web, equipment-based recipe design, printable brew sheets and tools for water, mash pH and yeast starters. It also includes mead, wine and cider support. Its Web offering is listed with Gold, Platinum or Pro Desktop licences. Read the BeerSmith feature overview and check the specific licence you intend to buy.
- Brewer’s Friend: its cloud service lists recipe design, batch scaling, brew notes, inventory and BeerXML import/export. The published trial has a five-recipe-and-brew limit; paid tiers list unlimited records. Its feature page also describes selectable calculation methods, including Tinseth and Rager for bitterness. Consult the Brewer’s Friend plan and feature table before relying on a feature being included.
A feature being listed does not establish that your particular device, account tier or export workflow supports it. Save the plan name and review date beside your decision.
Choose by the job you want to finish
| Your priority | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Local desktop work | Evaluate the exact BeerSmith Desktop licence. Check installation, access without a connection and which cloud functions need internet. |
| Device readings in batch records | Check the exact hydrometer, integration route and paid-tier requirement. Test whether new timestamps reach the correct batch. |
| A small recipe collection | Compare current free/trial record limits against both recipes and brew sessions; they are different records. |
| Shared brewing notes | Test privacy, sharing and who can edit. A public recipe link is different from permission to edit your records. |
These are selection questions, not a universal ranking. If two options meet your essential requirements, compare the complete current cost in your currency, including billing frequency and taxes. We have not verified checkout prices for your location.
Run a one-recipe migration check
- Keep your original: save the recipe, a human-readable copy and any export you already have. Work on a duplicate.
- Match the inputs: compare batch-volume target, fermentables, hop amounts and timings, yeast, mash steps, efficiency and equipment losses. Check units explicitly.
- Compare predictions: record the chosen formulas and settings before judging a difference in OG, FG, IBU or colour. Matching ingredient names alone does not ensure matching assumptions.
- Test the return journey: export the trial recipe and inspect what survived. Check notes, attachments and batch measurements separately; a supported recipe format does not promise to carry every account record.
For a simple gravity cross-check, use the ABV calculator with the same original and final gravity. An estimate remains an estimate; software cannot establish the measured result of a batch.
Decide after the trial
Make a short list of essential requirements and mark each “confirmed,” “failed” or “not checked.” Choose the product that completes those jobs with a process you can maintain. An unfamiliar extra feature should not compensate for losing a required record.
Record the comparison in Beer Lab and keep a separate backup before moving more recipes. For a paper comparison sheet, start in Resources. Recheck subscription limits when renewing or changing plans.
Learning check: two apps show different bitterness for the same recipe. Is one broken?
First compare the calculation method, hop data, addition timing, volume target and equipment assumptions. A different prediction alone does not identify a software fault or establish measured bitterness.