The 7 Best Indoor Herb Gardens, Tested and Reviewed

Best Overall

Click & Grow The Smart Garden 3

$100 $80 at Amazon $93 at Lowes $100 at Lowes

If you don’t have room for a large indoor herb garden, this small system we tested from Click & Grow is an excellent space-saver. Measuring 19 x 12 x 5 inches, this unit is the perfect size for a kitchen counter or windowsill and is available in white, gray, or beige to match almost any decor. While small, it made a big impact, earning our best overall spot for its easy set-up and maintenance.

The sleek kit comes in black and white and won’t be an eyesore in your kitchen or living room. The setup was so intuitive that we wondered if we missed something during testing. Just drop in the three included pods, fill up the water reservoir, and plug it in. While not a smart garden, the kit does come with a compatible app with gardening tips and tricks, but we didn’t find them necessary for success. 

The energy-efficient LED glow light lets you place it anywhere in your home, even without natural lighting. Every 16 hours, the light shuts off for eight hours, and then the cycle continues. It includes a simple water indicator so you know when to fill it up again. After about three weeks, the included basil sprouted and tasted delicious.

As your plants grow, you can adjust the height of the light. While we do wish the kit came with three different herb pods, the basil is an easy starter herb before you choose from 50 options the next time around. You can also use your own seeds by purchasing the Grow Anything Plant Pods if you prefer.

After nearly six months of enjoying the basil, we found that it had become root-bound, which happens when a plant's roots become tangled with zero room for further growth. To remedy this, we repotted the basil in a larger pot, and it's been thriving ever since. This further proves the system's success because the basil grew so quickly and healthily.

_{Type of Herbs: Basil | Capacity: 3 plants | Dimensions: 9 x 4.9 x 12.5 inches | Special Features: Self-watering, hydroponic, automatic grow light, compatible app, adjustable height}

Best with Light

AeroGarden Harvest Elite

$162 at Amazon View on Aerogarden.com

The AeroGarden Harvest Elite offers an automated watering system and advanced settings we loved during six months of testing. Featuring 20-watt, high-efficiency LED grow lights, this kit maximizes photosynthesis and plant growth. It also includes six gourmet herb seeds—Genovese basil, curly parsley, dill, thyme, Thai basil, and mint–each in its own pod.

A bottle of Miracle-Gro Plant Food is also included for optimal nutrition. The system includes a 2-week timer, so you always know when to add additional planet food. To top it all off, the manufacturer promises to replace the seed pods for free if they don’t sprout in 21 days. Despite the large size and multiple pieces, it took only five minutes to set up. 

The plants are watered every 20 minutes, so filling up the water tank when the water sensor indicates and trimming rouge stems are the only maintenance required. With additional features like vacation mode, the digital control panel ensures that your plants receive proper nourishment–even when you’re out of town. The extendable lamp can be adjusted up to 12 inches, providing room for up to six plants as they grow. This also allows you to grow things other than herbs, including lettuce and tomatoes. 

All of the herbs sprouted during the suggested period except parsley, which required an extra week. One downside to this kit is that the grow light is extremely bright, which can be problematic in small spaces. We also recommend staying up to date with trimming your herbs, or they can become unmanageable. Still, this is a small gripe for quick-growing and delicious herbs.

_{Type of Herbs: Genovese basil, curly parsley, dill, thyme, Thai basil, and mint | Capacity: 6 plants | Dimensions: 17.4 x 10.5 x 6.25  inches | Special Features: LCD control panel, hydroponic, grow light, timer}

Best Organic

Spade to Fork Indoor Herb Garden Starter Kit

$30 at Amazon View on Grove.co $30 at Uncommon Goods

The Spade To Fork Indoor Garden Kit we tested contains five types of Certified USDA Organic Non-GMO seeds, including Italian large-leaf basil, coriander cilantro (slow bolt), Peione parsley, broad-leaf sage, and thyme. The kit includes five OMRI-certified compostable peat pots, five rich potting soil discs, five custom wood-burned plant markers, and a 26-page growing guide. With all these accouterments, you’ll have everything you need to grow nutritious, sustainable food right at home all year. 

The setup took a bit longer than other kits since this one has no automatic watering system or grow light. You want to ensure you are using warm water to expand the soil discs, or they will take additional time to separate. Once everything is ready, these herbs require daily maintenance, unlike other self-watering systems we tested, but this may be worth it for the organic result. 

This indoor kit is versatile enough to set up almost anywhere in your home, whether it’s a windowsill, countertop, balcony, or desk. We found the thermometer extremely helpful, so you know when to move them somewhere with more light.

After testing this product for months, we learned how important it is to keep up with this kit's daily maintenance. We noticed after a day without water, the plants began to droop. Therefore, we think this is a great option for experienced plant parents or those who don't mind the daily maintenance it requires.

If you’re short on natural light in your home, opt for a grow light. Though we love that the pots are biodegradable, herbs tend to outgrow them very quickly. Once the seeds sprout, you’ll likely need to transfer the herbs into larger pots.

_{Type of Herbs: Italian large-leaf basil, coriander cilantro (slow bolt), Peione parsley, broad-leaf sage, and thyme | Capacity: 5 plants | Dimensions: Not listed | Special Features: None listed}

Best Value

iDoo Hydroponics Growing System

$70 $50 at Amazon $50 at Walmart View on Sears.com

This hydroponics growing system from iDoo is a great option for those who don’t want to be limited to growing herbs but want to make the most of their indoor garden. It comes with a water tank, an LED grow light, and a circulation system so the water is never stagnant. This garden has more spots for less money than several options on our list, making it a great value.

During testing, the setup of this kit took 30 minutes because some instructions required a few read-throughs. Once assembled, very little maintenance is required. Just keep an eye on the water level indicator and add water as needed. 

The system comes equipped with two growing modes that correspond with a combination of red, blue, and white light: one for vegetables and herbs and one for fruits and flowers. We planted the basil included in the kit, which took about 10 days to sprout. The kit comes with eight seedling covers, eight baskets, 10 sponges, two bottles of plant food, and nine basket labels.

An extendable rod attaches to the light, which lengthens when your plants grow. The rod is also removable, so the water tank is easy to clean. The small footprint system works well in apartments and small spaces and includes handles for easy transferring.

_{Type of Herbs: Basil | Capacity: 8 plants | Dimensions: 10.8 x 6.5 x 15 inches | Special Features: Self-watering, grow light, two growing modes, handles, detachable and adjustable rod}

Best for Beginners

AeroGarden Sprout

$60 $30 at Amazon $79 at Home Depot View on Aerogarden.com

If you’re a beginner gardener and don’t have a lot of outdoor space to dedicate to a full garden, the AeroGarden Sprout is perfect for you. It took us only 10 minutes to set up. The most difficult feature is the light timer, which can be set to turn on and off at 15-hour intervals automatically. Once that’s done, you add the included seed pods, plant food, and water to the basin.

A sensor alerts you to add plant food (which is included) every two weeks, and there’s a monitor on the water basin to show when it’s running low. Aside from adjusting the height of the grow light as your herbs grow, beginners will be happy to know that this is the scope of the maintenance required. 

The small unit fits on your counter or windowsill and has enough spots to grow three herbs at once. To get you started, the kit comes with Genovese basil, curly parsley, and dill, so you won’t need any additional supplies other than a small spot in your home and water.

While the dill grew the fastest for us, all three sprouted in about 7-10 days and were ready to enjoy quickly. Aside from a few trial and error instructions, we feel confident that any level of gardener can successfully grow herbs with this kit. Just be aware that most herbs grow very quickly and require frequent pruning, harvesting, or repotting if they get out of control.

_{Type of Herbs: Genovese basil, curly parsley, dill  | Capacity: 3 plants | Dimensions: 11.9 x 3.4 x 14 inches | Special Features: Self-watering, grow light, plant food monitor}

Best Smart

Rise Gardens Personal Garden and Starter Kit

$349 $210 at Amazon View on Risegardens.com

For a high-tech indoor garden perfect for busy plant parents, consider the Rise Gardens Personal Garden and Starter Kit. The setup is similar to other options we tested, but there is also a compatible app to download to your phone, create an account, and log the plants you are growing. Setting up the system and app took less than 30 minutes.

We added water to the basin about once a week with helpful reminders from the app. The app also allows you to dim or adjust the grow light and receive reminders about when to add plant food. You can even connect the smart garden to your Amazon Alexa for voice-activated controls. We were surprised that the automation still worked perfectly after months of use.

You can grow up to 12 plants at once, and herbs are just the beginning. With a 16-inch grow light, leafy greens and other vegetables also grow well in this personal garden. The manufacturer promises fresh produce in 30 days, but we found sprouts in just two days—the fastest out of all the kits we tested.

We tested basil, but each grow kit has an assortment of lettuces, herbs, and more to get you started. As with all smart home products, the cost is much higher than traditional options. Because of this, we think it is best for someone dedicated to growing multiple plants at once to justify the high price. It’s also much larger than other gardens we tested, so it’s not the best choice for small spaces and apartments. Still, it is intuitive and easy to use if you are a beginner. 

_{Type of Herbs: Assorted 8-pack  | Capacity: 12 plants | Dimensions: 16 x 11 x 18 inches | Special Features: Compatible app, voice control, self-watering, plant food alerts, 12 pod capacity}

Best Large-Capacity

Lettuce Grow The Farmstand Nook

View on Lettucegrow.com

If you want to expand beyond growing herbs in your home but still want that option, look to the Farmstand Nook from Lettuce Grow. We loved the large capacity of the vertical garden while testing since it can hold up to 20 plants. While using this indoor planter, we also were growing some of the same plants outside, and the ones in the Farmstand nook grew double the size in half the time.

Setup is the most difficult part of using this indoor garden. It took around an hour, but we used the video instructions, making the assembly easy. Lettuce Grow doesn't send you seedlings until after your garden arrives, giving you ample time to set up your Nook and reach out with any questions before you start planting, which we appreciate.

To get started, just snap the seedlings into place in the indoor garden. There's guidance on where they should be placed, depending on how much light exposure they need. Then, you add water to the base, plug it in, and sync the garden to the corresponding app. Here, you can set schedules, track your plant's growth, discover recipes, and more.

Maintenance is simple; once a week we made sure the water reservoir was full and added nutrients using the pre-measured scoop. Then, you can schedule the grow light on the app. The manufacturer recommends keeping it on for 14 hours. Because we stored our garden in our guest bedroom, we also appreciated the app's snooze feature which stopped the light from turning on while guests were over.

We noticed the seedlings growing after just a few days, with basil, cilantro, and parsley being ready to eat after around four weeks. Strawberries took the longest out of all the plants, which was noted on the app, so this doesn't come as a surprise. As we mentioned before, this was much quicker than basil planted outdoors. There are over 36 seedling varieties offered by Lettuce Grow for just $3 each, so you can constantly try out new fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

There are definitely disadvantages to a garden this large. It's not apartment-friendly and takes up a large amount of space in your home at 55 inches tall and nearly 19 inches wide. It's also the most expensive option on our list, but it's meant to feed up to four people. Therefore, we recommend this for families who rely on home-grown fruits, vegetables, and herbs and who have ample space to dedicate to indoor farming.

_{Type of Herbs: 100+ available  | Capacity: 20 plants | Dimensions: 18.6 x 55 inches | Special Features: Compatible app, large capacity, multiple plants offered}