An indoor garden grows herbs and greens on the counter under an LED, with no window and no soil mess. Size it by pod count: 6 pods keeps one cook in basil and parsley, while 20 or more supplies salads.
Our picks at a glance
From published specs and our sizing rules. Not lab tested.
- 1
Countertop starter
AeroGarden Harvest 6-pod indoor garden
6 pods
Check price on AmazonPaid link
- 2
Least upkeep
Click & Grow Smart Garden 9
9 pods
Check price at Click & GrowPaid link
- 3
Most pods, Wi-Fi
LetPot LPH-Max 21-pod Wi-Fi hydroponic garden
21 pods
Check price on AmazonPaid link
Then decide how hands-off you want it. Some gardens remind you to add water and plant food; one doses nutrients itself; and one skips liquid nutrients entirely with pre-fed soil pods.
Running cost is small and easy to work out: the grow light wattage times the hours it is on.
Top picks, and why
AeroGarden Harvest 6-pod indoor garden
- 20W LED
- Auto light timer
- Water and food reminders
- Seed pod kit included
+1 moreFewer
- Countertop size
6 pods, a 20W LED on an automatic timer and reminders for water and plant food. under $100.
- Six plants at once, up to 12 inches tall
- 20W full spectrum LED with automatic on/off timer
- Control panel reminds you to add water and food
- No Wi-Fi or app
- Plants limited to 12 in tall
Under $100, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
Click & Grow Smart Garden 9
- Smart Soil pods
- No nutrients to add
- Water level indicator
- Silent operation
+1 moreFewer
- 21-day germination guarantee
9 Smart Soil pods with nutrients built in, nothing to measure, water refills about every 2 to 3 weeks. about $249.95.
- No added nutrients, they are built into each pod
- Refill water about every 2 to 3 weeks
- 75+ pod varieties, 9 starter pods included
- Runs on Click & Grow pods; own seeds need experimental pods
- No Wi-Fi or app listed
About $249.95 at Click & Grow, checked Oct 15, 2026
Check price at Click & GrowPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
LetPot LPH-Max 21-pod Wi-Fi hydroponic garden
- Wi-Fi
- 36W LED
- 7.5 L tank
- Auto nutrient dosing
+3 moreFewer
- Light pole to 30 in
- App lighting schedule
- Nutrients included
21 pods, a 36W LED, a 7.5 liter tank and automatic water and nutrient dosing for up to 30 days. $250 to $500.
- 21 pods, the most of the three gardens here
- Auto watering and nutrient supply, up to 30 days per tank
- 36W full spectrum LED on a pole that extends to 30 in
- 36W light uses more power than smaller gardens
- Largest footprint of the three
$250 to $500, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
Compare every pick
Paid links: we earn a commission if you buy, at no cost to you. Amazon prices change often, so we show a range and link to the live price.
Small kitchens: 6 to 9 pods
A 6 to 9 pod garden fits on a counter and covers the herbs most kitchens use. The trade-off is how you feed the plants: liquid plant food you add when prompted, or soil pods that carry their own.
AeroGarden Harvest 6-pod indoor garden
- 20W LED
- Auto light timer
- Water and food reminders
- Seed pod kit included
+1 moreFewer
- Countertop size
Grows 6 plants up to 12 inches tall in water. The touch control panel reminds you when to add water and plant food, and the kit includes seed pods and a 3 oz bottle of liquid plant food. under $100.
- Six plants at once, up to 12 inches tall
- 20W full spectrum LED with automatic on/off timer
- Control panel reminds you to add water and food
- No Wi-Fi or app
- Plants limited to 12 in tall
Under $100, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
Click & Grow Smart Garden 9
- Smart Soil pods
- No nutrients to add
- Water level indicator
- Silent operation
+1 moreFewer
- 21-day germination guarantee
Insert a pod, add water and plug in. Choose from 75+ pod varieties; 9 starter pods (tomato, basil, lettuce) are included, with a 21-day germination guarantee. about $249.95.
- No added nutrients, they are built into each pod
- Refill water about every 2 to 3 weeks
- 75+ pod varieties, 9 starter pods included
- Runs on Click & Grow pods; own seeds need experimental pods
- No Wi-Fi or app listed
About $249.95 at Click & Grow, checked Oct 15, 2026
Check price at Click & GrowPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
Salad greens and larger harvests: 21 pods
For lettuce and greens every week you need more pods and a stronger light. A taller light pole also lets bigger plants such as peppers and tomatoes grow without hitting the lamp.
LetPot LPH-Max 21-pod Wi-Fi hydroponic garden
- Wi-Fi
- 36W LED
- 7.5 L tank
- Auto nutrient dosing
+3 moreFewer
- Light pole to 30 in
- App lighting schedule
- Nutrients included
A water level sensor tops up water and nutrients from the 7.5 liter tank for up to 30 days. 36W full spectrum LED with 8 brightness levels on a pole that extends to 30 inches, set from the app or a 4.8 inch screen. $250 to $500.
- 21 pods, the most of the three gardens here
- Auto watering and nutrient supply, up to 30 days per tank
- 36W full spectrum LED on a pole that extends to 30 in
- 36W light uses more power than smaller gardens
- Largest footprint of the three
$250 to $500, live price on Amazon
Check price on AmazonPaid link. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
The bottom line
From published specs and our sizing rules. Not lab tested.
- 1
Countertop starter
AeroGarden Harvest 6-pod indoor garden
6 pods
Check price on AmazonPaid link
- 2
Least upkeep
Click & Grow Smart Garden 9
9 pods
Check price at Click & GrowPaid link
- 3
Most pods, Wi-Fi
LetPot LPH-Max 21-pod Wi-Fi hydroponic garden
21 pods
Check price on AmazonPaid link
Frequently asked questions
How much electricity does an indoor hydroponic garden use?
Very little. A 20W light on for 16 hours a day uses 0.32 kWh a day, or 117 kWh a year, about $20 at 17 cents per kWh. A 36W light on the same schedule uses 210 kWh a year, about $36.
Are indoor hydroponic gardens worth it?
They are worth it if you buy fresh herbs or greens often, since one garden keeps 6 to 21 plants growing year round for a few dollars of electricity a month. They are less worth it if you would only grow one or two plants. Seed pod refills are the ongoing cost to check before you buy.
How many pods do I need in an indoor garden?
6 pods covers a few kitchen herbs for one or two people. 9 pods adds room for lettuce or cherry tomatoes. 20 or more pods, like the 21-pod LetPot LPH-Max, suits a household that wants salad greens every week.
How often do you add water to an indoor garden?
It depends on tank size and plant size. Click & Grow says the Smart Garden 9 typically needs water every 2 to 3 weeks, and LetPot rates the LPH-Max 7.5 liter tank for up to 30 days of automatic watering. Bigger, mature plants drink faster than seedlings.
Hydroponic or soil pod indoor garden?
Hydroponic gardens like the AeroGarden Harvest and LetPot grow roots in water and need liquid nutrients added, by you or automatically. Click & Grow uses Smart Soil pods with nutrients built in, so you only add water. Soil pods are simpler, while hydroponic gardens let you use any seeds with grow sponges.
Do indoor gardens need sunlight?
No. They use a built-in LED grow light, so they work in any room with an outlet. Leafy greens and herbs commonly get 14 to 16 hours of light a day, which the light timer handles.
Can you grow tomatoes in an indoor hydroponic garden?
Yes, cherry and mini tomatoes are common, but they need light height. The AeroGarden Harvest fits plants up to 12 inches tall, and the LetPot LPH-Max light pole extends to 30 inches. Click & Grow includes 3 mini tomato pods in the Smart Garden 9 starter kit.
How long do grow lights last in an indoor garden?
LED grow lights are commonly rated for tens of thousands of hours. At 16 hours a day, 25,000 hours is about 4.3 years of continuous daily use. Check the maker's spec for the exact rating.
Are indoor hydroponic gardens noisy?
Most hydroponic units run a small water pump, which makes a low hum or trickle. Click & Grow states its Smart Garden operates silently, and LetPot lists a silent mode on the LPH-Max. Keep a pump unit out of a bedroom if you are sensitive to noise.
Do I need Wi-Fi for an indoor garden?
No. Wi-Fi only adds app control and alerts. The LetPot LPH-Max uses Wi-Fi to set its lighting schedule and send water level alerts, while the AeroGarden Harvest and Click & Grow Smart Garden 9 run on their own timers and indicators.
6 products are linked on this page. We have not lab-tested these products; picks are based on published specifications and our sizing rules. Amazon prices change, so we show a range and link to the live price. See our disclosure.
Size it for your home
Marcus Reed
Founder and Editor, CrunchYourDollars
Marcus Reed builds the sizing tools on CrunchYourDollars. He is a software engineer with a long-running PC hardware and power supply habit, which is where the watts, watt-hours and surge math on this site comes from. Product specs are pulled from manufacturer data sheets, electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and water chemistry rules from the Water Quality Association. He is not a licensed electrician or plumber: the tools show the math and the matching models so you can make the call, and anything involving your electrical panel should be checked by a licensed pro.
More about CrunchYourDollars and how we researchGet notified when we add tools
An occasional email when a new sizing tool goes live or the product database is refreshed. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.