The light test for any window.
Most plants die in the wrong light. Point your phone at any window or garden spot, or just pick a direction, and Lite reads the sun's path to tell you which of your plants will thrive, cope, or should be avoided there.
The light test, before you commit.
Lite turns your iPhone into a sun-reading compass so you place every plant where it will actually be happy.
Live compass + sun path
Hold up your phone and the compass shows the sun's arc for your spot: sunrise to sunset, today and across the seasons.
Plant fit, by direction
Pick a plant and every direction lights up green, amber, or red (thrive, cope, or avoid) based on the sun it actually gets.
Indoors and out
Point it at a windowsill, a balcony, or a garden bed. The same sun read works for houseplants and edibles alike, wherever you're standing.
Your plant collection
Keep your plants in one place, search a built-in catalog of houseplants and edibles, and see at a glance which spots suit each one.
Plant Compass started in a plant store. Before recommending a plant for a customer's window, we needed to know exactly how much sun that window gets. The answer changed how we stocked the shelves. We turned that tool into an app anyone can use.
Three taps to a happier plant.
No sensors, no spreadsheets, no logging the sun for weeks. Just the sky and your plants.
Face any window
Point your phone at a window, balcony, or garden bed. Lite reads the sun's path for your exact location and time of year.
See which plants fit
The compass instantly rates every plant in your collection for that direction: thrive, cope, or avoid. The included sample plant shows you the idea straight away.
Add your own plants
Search the catalog to add houseplants and edibles. Each plant carries its light needs, and every spot tells you exactly who belongs there.
Free to use. Unlock once.
No subscription, ever. The sunlight compass is free to try with a sample plant, and one in-app purchase unlocks the full app for good.
- Free: live compass with the sun's path for your spot
- Free: plant-fit ratings for every direction, with a sample plant
- Unlock: add all your own plants and search the full catalog
- Unlock: save nicknames, locations and care notes
Frequently asked
Is Plant Compass Lite free?
The sunlight compass, sun path, and plant-fit ratings are free to use with a sample plant, and no account is needed. A one-time in-app purchase unlocks the full app: add all your own plants and search the full catalog. It's a single purchase, not a subscription.
How is it different from the full Plant Compass?
Lite is the pocket version: a live compass that reads the sun for whatever direction you're facing, with plant-fit ratings. The full Plant Compass app also maps your whole home from satellite and places plants by window and garden bed with a year-round forecast.
How accurate is the sun data?
It uses astronomical solar-position math for your latitude and longitude, accounting for the season. It's the same engine as the full app. Grant location for your exact spot, or use the approximate default.
Do I need an account?
No. Everything works without signing in. If you do sign in, use the same email as your full Plant Compass account and your data is shared between the two apps.
What does the one-time unlock include?
Adding all your own plants, and searching the full catalog of houseplants, herbs, and vegetables. The free version is the sunlight compass with a sample plant. It's a single purchase, not a subscription.
Is there an iPhone app?
Plant Compass Lite is a native iPhone app, available on the App Store.
Read the light. Grow with confidence.
Plant Compass Lite is on the App Store for iPhone. Free to download, with an optional one-time unlock for unlimited plants.