Terrarium kit or DIY: which should you choose?
Pick the size of the terrarium and tick what you already have at home. The tool compares the cost, the number of purchases and the leftovers, for a kit and for DIY. It also says so when DIY wins. Free, no sign-up.
The result
The kit is clearly cheaper.
DIY: €42.80 to €64.90. Kit: €29.90 to €35.90.
DIY
- Glass jar€16.90
- Terrarium potting mix5 L bag€5.90 to €10
- Clay pebbles or gravel€3 to €5
- Activated charcoalprice varies
- Moss, one sheet€6 to €12
- Plants × 3€11 to €21
Total, without charcoal€42.80 to €64.90
- Separate purchases (shops or parcels)
- 6
- Time spent choosing
- Several hours to choose and compare the parts
- What is left over
- Potting mix: 4.2 to 4.5 L out of 5 L bought
- Drainage: 4.6 to 9.8 L, depending on the bag (5 to 10 L)
- Charcoal: 400 to 450 g out of a 500 g pouch
Kit
- Complete kitIn the kit : Glass jar, Terrarium potting mix, Clay pebbles or gravel, Activated charcoal, Moss, one sheet. Plants supplied × 1.€21.90
- Extra plants × 2€8 to €14
Total€29.90 to €35.90
- Separate purchases (shops or parcels)
- 2
- Time spent choosing
- None: everything is already chosen
- What is left over
- Nothing: the quantities are planned for the jar.
- The kit saves you 4 separate purchases.
- DIY leaves leftovers: you buy whole bags.
- The kit holds fewer plants than you want: the extra plants are counted.
- Charcoal has no price in our guides: it is missing from the DIY total.
- With DIY, you choose the jar and each plant. With a kit, everything is already chosen.
The build itself takes the same time in both cases.
Tools, counted apart. The kits named in our guides do not include any, and neither does DIY. If your hand fits into the jar, a spoon and scissors are enough. For a narrow neck, allow €19.90 for a tool set, in both cases.
Indicative ranges taken from our guides, in euros, in France, between September 14, 2026 and September 21, 2026. Shipping not included. All amounts are in euros.
How it works
- Choose the sizeSmall, medium or large. The litres come from our guide on terrarium size.
- Tick what you already haveA jar, potting mix, clay pebbles, charcoal, moss. Anything you tick leaves the DIY shopping list. The kit always arrives complete.
- Set the plants and the number of terrariumsA kit holds a fixed number of plants. If you want more, the tool counts the extra plants. For several terrariums, one bag of potting mix is used more than once.
- Read the two columnsEach column gives the list of parts, a cost range, the number of purchases, the time spent choosing and the leftovers. The verdict and the scales sum up the gap.
What the tool does not know
- Prices change with the country, the shop and the season. The ranges come from our guides, recorded in France in September 2026: they are reference points, not a quote.
- Shipping costs are not counted: our guides do not cover them. For DIY, several parcels can mean several shipping fees.
- Our guides give no price for activated charcoal. The tool shows it as “price varies” and leaves it out of the total.
- For the medium size, our guides give no kit price and no jar price. The tool then uses a wide range, from the small size to the large one.
- The tool does not know the shape of your jar or your favourite plants. A rare container or a collector's plant costs more than these ranges.
- It does not put a price on your time, or on the pleasure of choosing each part.
Guides to go further
- Terrarium kit, or buying everything separately?
- How much does a terrarium cost? Realistic budgets for kits, DIY or large formats
- DIY terrariums: the equipment you need, explained
- Building a cheap terrarium: the honest minimum budget
Would you rather have a terrarium ready to build?Have a look at the terrarium kits.See the terrarium kits
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Is a terrarium kit cheaper than DIY?
For a first small terrarium, often yes: the kit holds the right quantities, while with DIY you buy whole bags. DIY works out cheaper if you already have the jar and part of the substrate.
When is DIY the better choice?
When you already have a clear glass jar, when you have potting mix and drainage left from a first terrarium, or when you want to choose each plant. The container is the biggest cost: reusing one changes the whole sum.
What is left over after a DIY terrarium?
Often most of the bags. Potting mix is sold in bags of several litres and a small jar needs less than one litre. The rest goes into the next terrarium, or is wasted if you never make another.
Where do the prices in this tool come from?
From our guides on the price of a terrarium and on the low-cost terrarium, recorded in France in September 2026. The tool does not read the live catalogue. An item with no price in the guides is shown as “price varies” and stays out of the total.
Do you need to buy tools as well?
Not always. If your hand fits into the jar, a long-handled spoon and scissors are enough. For a narrow neck, long tools become necessary, with a kit and with DIY alike. So the tool keeps them out of the comparison.
The other tools
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To know how much drainage, charcoal and substrate to buy, based on the shape of your jar.
CalculateFind my kit
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To know whether to water, and how much, from what you see in the jar.
CheckOpen or closed terrarium?
To choose the type and size of jar that suit your room and your plants.
ChooseWho lives with whom?
To check that two or three plants can live in the same jar, before you buy them.
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To know which plants can live near your window, based on its direction and the distance to the glass.
Test my windowWhich plant are you?
To discover in six questions the terrarium plant that is most like you, and share it.
Take the quiz