Will the pods still be available?
AeroGarden
The open question, and the one that decides this. Reports indicate the company has ceased operations. Verify before buying.
Click & Grow
RoundA continuing pod subscription at around $7.95 a month.
Head to Head
AeroGarden vs Click & Grow
Both of these grow herbs indoors through winter and both work. The comparison used to be about price and design. In 2026 it is dominated by a different question: a pod-based system is only as good as its pod supply, and reports indicate AeroGarden has ceased operations.
AeroGarden
Harvest model around $99 – $129 for 6 pods
A cheaper, faster-growing pod system — with a serious question mark over future pod supply.
3 rounds won
Click & Grow
Smart Garden 9 around $199 – $229, pods about $7.95 a month
A quieter, better-designed pod system at roughly double the hardware price.
2 rounds won · our pick
The verdict
Click & Grow wins
Click & Grow wins, and in 2026 the reason is availability rather than performance. A pod-dependent appliance whose manufacturer has stopped trading becomes an expensive plastic box the moment the last pods sell through. AeroGarden grows faster for less money, and if you can confirm a reliable pod supply it is the better value — but that is a real condition, not a footnote.
How we compared these
Desk research against published pricing and reviews read in September 2026. Treat this comparison as a prompt to verify rather than a settled answer.
5 rounds
Round by round
Each round is one thing that actually decides the choice. The overall winner is not always the one that wins the most rounds — some rounds matter more, and we say which.
Hardware price
AeroGarden
RoundHarvest model around $99 to $129 for six pods.
Click & Grow
Smart Garden 9 around $199 to $229 for nine pods. Roughly double.
Growth speed and versatility
AeroGarden
RoundFaster growth and a wider range of what you can grow, at the lowest price point in the category.
Click & Grow
Slower and narrower, prioritising consistency over range.
Design and noise
AeroGarden
Functional. The pump is audible in a quiet kitchen.
Click & Grow
RoundQuieter and better looking, which matters for something living on a worktop.
Running cost
AeroGarden
RoundPods plus electricity, assuming pods remain purchasable.
Click & Grow
Around $7.95 a month for pods, which reaches roughly $475 across five years on top of the hardware.
In fairness to the runner-up
When you should choose the AeroGarden instead
Buy AeroGarden only if you can confirm pods are still being manufactured and stocked. On performance and price it is the better buy — faster growth, wider range, half the hardware cost. Everything in this comparison turns on whether you can still feed it in two years.
Questions
What people ask about this comparison
- Has AeroGarden shut down?
- Reports in the smart-garden press refer to an AeroGarden shutdown, and comparison articles in 2026 are being written around it.
- How much do smart garden pods cost?
- Click & Grow runs a pod subscription at around $7.95 a month, which reaches roughly $475 over five years on top of the hardware. That running cost is the part buyers consistently miss when comparing the sticker prices.
- Is an indoor herb garden worth it?
- For the pleasure of something green in January, yes. As a way to save money on herbs, no — over a year the pods cost more than buying herbs at the shop. Buy it for the winter greenery and consider paying for a year of pods alongside so the recipient is not handed a running cost.