Comparison
Brewgravity vs BeerSmith
BeerSmith has been the reference homebrewing program for nearly twenty years. It is a desktop app with deep equipment modeling and a back catalog of recipes nothing else matches — but it is also something you install, keep updated, and pay again to sync to your phone. Brewgravity is a browser app that opens on whatever screen is nearest and does not charge you for it.
Unlimited recipes on the free plan · imports BeerSmith BeerXML · nothing to install
The short version
- BeerSmith is a paid desktop program; Brewgravity runs in the browser with a free plan that has no recipe cap.
- BeerSmith syncs to phones and tablets through a separate cloud subscription; Brewgravity is the same URL everywhere, included.
- BeerSmith goes deeper on equipment profiles and add-ons; Brewgravity is faster to get a recipe out of.
- Both speak BeerXML, so moving between them is a file export away in either direction.
Feature by feature
Details of BeerSmith were checked in August 2026. Pricing and plan limits change — check their site for the current terms before you decide.
| Brewgravity | BeerSmith | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Any browser — desktop, tablet, phone | Windows and macOS download, separate mobile apps |
| Free plan | Yes — unlimited recipes and brew sessions | Time-limited trial, then a paid license |
| Cost of the full feature set | Free | One-off license, plus a subscription for cloud sync |
| Sync across devices | Yes — built in | Requires the cloud subscription |
| BeerXML import and export | Yes | Yes |
| BeerJSON support | Yes | Import support varies by version |
| Works offline on brew day | Yes — local cache | Yes — it is a local program |
| Brew day checklist with timers | Yes | Yes |
| Fermentation log with gravity chart | Yes | Yes |
| Ingredient inventory | Yes | Yes |
| Recipe version history | Yes | No |
| Water chemistry and mash pH | Yes | Yes |
| Add-on ecosystem and recipe packs | No | Yes — its biggest advantage |
| Updates | Continuous, nothing to install | Paid major versions |
Where BeerSmith is the better choice
No point pretending otherwise.
Twenty years of depth
Equipment profiles, mash profiles, water profiles, dilution and blending tools, inventory costing — BeerSmith has a setting for nearly everything, and if your process is unusual it probably models it.
The add-on library
Commercial clone packs, ingredient databases and community add-ons have been accumulating for years. Nothing newer has that back catalog, and for some brewers that alone settles it.
It is genuinely offline software
A locally installed program has no dependency on anyone else's servers. If that matters to you more than sync does, that is a real argument and we are not going to pretend otherwise.
Where Brewgravity is the better choice
Nothing to install, nothing to license
Open a URL and your recipes are there — on the laptop, on the phone by the kettle, on someone else's machine at the club meeting. No download, no license key, no version to upgrade.
The free plan is the product
Unlimited recipes, unlimited brew sessions, fermentation logging, inventory and BeerXML export, at no cost and with no trial clock.
It is quick
No save buttons, no modal dialogs, no page reloads between screens. Everything writes as you type and a command palette gets you anywhere from the keyboard.
Recipes are versioned
You can see exactly what changed between the batch that worked and the one that did not, and brew sessions point back at the version you actually brewed.
Moving your recipes across
Four steps, and your back catalog comes with you.
- In BeerSmith, select the recipes you want and choose File → Export → BeerXML. You can export a whole folder at once.
- Create a free Brewgravity account.
- Open Import and drop the .xml file in. Fermentables, hops, yeast, misc additions, mash steps, batch size, boil time and efficiency all come across.
- Check the calculated OG, IBU and SRM against what BeerSmith showed. Small differences are normal — they come from the efficiency and utilisation model, not from lost data — and you can set your efficiency to match.
BeerSmith and Brewgravity — common questions
Is BeerSmith free?
BeerSmith offers a time-limited free trial, after which it needs a paid license, and syncing recipes to the mobile apps uses a separate cloud subscription. Brewgravity's free plan has no time limit and no recipe cap.
Can I import my BeerSmith recipes into Brewgravity?
Yes. Export them as BeerXML from BeerSmith and drop the file into Brewgravity's import screen. BeerXML is the format both programs share, so the grain bill, hop schedule, yeast, mash steps and batch parameters all transfer.
Will my numbers be identical to BeerSmith's?
They will be close, not identical. Gravity depends on your brewhouse efficiency and IBU depends on which utilisation model is used — Brewgravity uses Tinseth and Morey, which are the common defaults. Set your efficiency to the figure you actually hit and the two line up.
Is there a BeerSmith alternative that works on a Mac and a phone?
Brewgravity runs in the browser, so the same account works on macOS, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android with nothing to install and no per-platform purchase.
Can I go back to BeerSmith later?
Yes. Every recipe exports back out as BeerXML, which BeerSmith imports. Keeping your recipes portable is the entire point of supporting the format.
Try it against your own recipes
Import a BeerSmith BeerXML file and see how it looks. It takes about a minute and costs nothing.
There will always be a free plan · no credit card · drag in BeerXML or BeerJSON