Honest comparison
Erntezeit vs Excel Spreadsheet
I'm Stachi. And I'll tell you honestly when Excel is the better choice.
What are you actually looking for?
I want to plan once a year, then just get out and garden — no more looking things up.
I want my own spreadsheet with absolute control over every field.
I want frost data, companion planting checks, and a calendar subscription — automatically calculated.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Erntezeit | Excel Spreadsheet |
|---|---|---|
| Climate data from your location | ✅ Automatic (Open-Meteo, 10 years) | ❌ Manual research required |
| Plant database | ✅ 89 varieties, maintained | ❌ Build or copy your own |
| Companion planting rules | ✅ Built-in, checked automatically | ❌ Manual research, errors possible |
| Auto-generated yearly plan | ✅ 3 inputs → finished plan | ❌ Calculate manually |
| PDF export | ✅ One click | ⚠️ Printing works, layout is DIY |
| Garden calendar (.ics) | ✅ Pro — Apple, Google, Outlook | ❌ Not available |
| Weather alerts | ✅ Pro — push & email | ❌ Not available |
| Multiple beds | ✅ Pro — unlimited | ✅ As many sheets as you like |
| Mobile use | ✅ Optimised for phones | ❌ Excel on mobile is awkward |
| Custom fields / total control | ❌ Not possible | ✅ Complete freedom |
| One-off cost / no subscription | ❌ Free tier + optional subscription | ✅ One-off if you already have Excel |
Where Excel wins — honestly
I won't lie. For some gardeners, Excel really is the right choice:
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Total freedom: you can define every column, every colour code, every formula yourself. I'm a tool with opinions — Excel has none.
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One-off cost: if you already have Microsoft 365, there's nothing extra to pay. My free tier is free, but a subscription comes later.
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Always offline: Excel works without internet. I'm a web app.
When Erntezeit isn't the right choice
If you love building spreadsheets for hours, writing your own macros, and want complete control over every data point — stick with Excel. I save you work, but in return you get less flexibility.
See for yourself — in three minutes
No account needed. Mrs. Schneider from Berikon (Switzerland) had her first plan ready in 2:47 minutes.
Try Erntezeit for free →