The HiveTracks Alternative Built for the Apiary
Offline-first. Voice-to-text inspections. Direct BLE sensor integration. HiveSense is an alternative to HiveTracks for beekeepers who want to log by voice and read hive sensors. Free on iOS and Android.
Free for up to 15 hives. Works offline. No credit card. BLE sensors on Pro, $5.99/mo.
Where HiveTracks and HiveSense differ
HiveTracks has been around a long time and the team behind it has done real work — biodiversity datasets, community partnerships, and education. If those things matter to you, it is still worth having.
Its free mobile app records inspections, queen status, treatments and to-dos, and its help centre says it is designed to work offline and sync when you reconnect. HiveTracks Pro ($69.99 a year) adds desktop dashboards, a map, CSV export and groups. What HiveTracks does not publish is voice entry or Bluetooth sensor reads.
HiveSense is built for exactly that moment. It was designed offline-first, dictates your observations while your hands are full, and pulls sensor readings from BroodMinder and BEEP directly over Bluetooth. If you log with gloves on or run hive sensors, that is the difference.
Feature comparison
| Feature | HiveSense | HiveTracks |
|---|---|---|
| Works fully offline | Yes | Mobile app logs offline and syncs later |
| Voice-to-text inspections | Yes | Not published |
| On-device voice AI (no cloud) | Yes | Not published |
| BLE sensor support (BroodMinder, BEEP) | Yes | Not published |
| Local-only mode (no cloud sync) | Yes | Not published; records sync to its cloud |
| Free tier | Up to 15 hives | Free mobile app; Pro $6.99/mo or $69.99/yr |
| Team collaboration | Pro plan | Pro (groups with admins and members) |
| Queen lineage tracking | Yes | Not published (records queen status) |
| Varroa treatment scheduling | Yes | Treatment records; to-dos with reminders |
| CSV / PDF export | Yes | CSV (Pro); PDF not yet offered |
| Multi-language | 5 languages | English |
| iOS + Android | Yes | Yes |
Checked against hivetracks.com, its help centre and its App Store listing on 28 September 2026. “Not published” means we could not find it in their material, not that it is missing. HiveTracks' feature set may have changed since.
Further reading
Best Beekeeping Apps in 2026: An Honest Comparison
How HiveSense, HiveTracks, Apiary Book, APiLOG, and others compare on offline, voice, BLE, and pricing.
Offline Beekeeping App: Works Without Internet
Why offline-first architecture matters for remote apiaries and how HiveSense is built.
Read Your BroodMinder in HiveSense
Direct BLE reads for T2, TH, and W devices alongside full hive records.
Queen tracking — lineage and marking
Track every queen across every hive — supersedure events, performance scores, and the international color code.
Compare HiveSense to other beekeeping apps
Side-by-side comparisons with Apiary Book, MyBroodMinder, APiLOG, HiveBloom, and more.
Frequently asked questions
Why would I switch from HiveTracks?
HiveTracks has run since 2010, has a biodiversity programme, and its free mobile app is designed to work offline, according to its help centre. HiveSense differs in two places: it transcribes voice notes on the phone, and it reads BroodMinder and BEEP sensors directly over Bluetooth. HiveTracks publishes neither voice entry nor sensor support. You can also use both: HiveTracks for biodiversity contributions, HiveSense for field notes.
Is HiveSense really free?
Yes. The free tier covers up to 15 hives with no time limit and no credit card. That includes offline mode, voice notes, queen tracking, and treatment schedules. Pro ($5.99/mo) adds unlimited hives, BLE sensors, team collaboration, and advanced analytics.
Can I import my HiveTracks data?
HiveTracks Pro exports your records as CSV from its desktop tables; its help centre says PDF export is not available yet. We do not currently have a one-click importer, but you can reach out to support@tryhivesense.com and we will help you bring structured records over manually. Many switchers use the migration as a chance to clean up their records.
Does HiveSense have the same biodiversity focus?
No. HiveTracks runs a biodiversity platform for businesses and habitats alongside its beekeeping app. HiveSense is focused on being the best field tool for the beekeeper — the app you actually open when you are opening a hive. If you want to contribute to biodiversity datasets, HiveTracks is worth keeping, and you can run both.
How does the offline experience compare?
HiveTracks says its mobile app is designed to work offline: you can create records with no coverage, and they sync to its cloud when you reconnect. HiveSense was built offline-first — every record writes to a local SQLite database before anything else happens. In practice every HiveSense feature, including voice transcription, works without signal. HiveTracks publishes no voice feature.
What BLE sensors does HiveSense support that HiveTracks does not?
HiveSense connects directly to BroodMinder (T2, TH, W), BEEP base sensors, and any hive scale that implements the standard Bluetooth Weight Scale profile. These readings pin to the hive record alongside inspections and treatments. HiveTracks does not publish any Bluetooth sensor integration.
Not ready to install? Grab the free guide.
Get our 2026 Beginner Beekeeping Starter Guide (PDF) — no app required. One email, then decide in your own time.
Try HiveSense today
Free for up to 15 hives. No credit card. Works offline. BLE sensors on Pro, $5.99/mo.
See the full 2026 app comparison