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Agriculture · head to head

Agronomic vs SMARTBOW

A

Agronomic

Agriculture

Data-driven nutrient management

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SMARTBOW logo

SMARTBOW

Agriculture

Ear tag cow monitoring with real-time indoor location, from Zoetis

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Agronomic has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Agronomic add-on only to FieldAlytics, not a standalone product; SMARTBOW real-time location depends on receivers covering the whole barn plus an on-farm server, so the install is a building project and the price bears no relation to what a simple activity collar costs.
  • They diverge on capability: Agronomic covers Soil analysis, SMARTBOW covers Real-time location.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Agronomic and SMARTBOW actually diverge.

Attributes where Agronomic and SMARTBOW differ
AttributeAgronomicSMARTBOW
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, MobileWindows, Web, iOS, Android
Founded2013Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Agriculture).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Agronomic

  • Soil analysis
  • Nutrient recommendations
  • Variable rate maps
  • Tissue testing
  • Fertility planning
  • Climate FieldView
  • John Deere
  • Ag Leader

Only in SMARTBOW

  • Real-time location
  • Heat detection
  • Rumination monitoring
  • Health alerts
  • On-farm server
  • Individual baselines
  • Herd software integration

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Agronomic

  • Soil samplingnot SMARTBOW
  • Nutrient planningnot SMARTBOW
  • Variable rate fertilizernot SMARTBOW
  • Crop consultingnot SMARTBOW

SMARTBOW

  • A 1,500 cow freestall barn where finding a flagged animal by eye takes twenty minutesnot Agronomic
  • A dairy replacing visual heat detection with per-animal oestrus alerts to tighten calving intervalsnot Agronomic
  • A herd manager wanting rumination-based early warning of displaced abomasum or metritisnot Agronomic
  • A vet practice using behavioural data to audit transition cow management across client herdsnot Agronomic

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Agronomic

  • Add-on only to FieldAlytics, not a standalone product
  • Pricing requires sales contact, not transparently published
  • Takes 3-4 days to reflect rainfall impacts in recommendations
  • No direct competitor to Climate FieldView's broader analytics capabilities

SMARTBOW

  • Real-time location depends on receivers covering the whole barn plus an on-farm server, so the install is a building project and the price bears no relation to what a simple activity collar costs.
  • It is an indoor system; a grazing or partly grazed herd loses the location capability that is the main reason to choose it over cheaper monitoring.
  • Ear tags are consumable and go missing with the tag, so the running cost includes replacements at a rate that depends on how rough your handling facilities are.
  • Zoetis ownership means a pharmaceutical company holds continuous behavioural data on every animal alongside your treatment records, and the integration roadmap favours other Zoetis products.
  • Nothing is published on price, and sales run through veterinary and dealer channels, so comparing it against DeLaval, Nedap or CowManager requires several quotes and there is no reference list price.

Pricing, plan by plan

Agronomic

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic soil analysis
    • Weather data
    • Limited recommendations
  • Professional$89/month
    • Advanced soil testing
    • Nutrient management
    • Prescription maps
  • Consultant$199/month
    • Multi-client management
    • White-label reports
    • API access

SMARTBOW

On request
  • SMARTBOW$undefined/year
    • Ear tags priced per animal
    • Barn receiver infrastructure and on-farm server quoted per building
    • Installation and commissioning quoted separately

Which should you pick?

Choose Agronomic if

  • You need soil analysis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want nutrient recommendations.
Agronomic review

Choose SMARTBOW if

  • You need real-time location.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want heat detection.
SMARTBOW review

Questions people ask

Is Agronomic or SMARTBOW better?
Neither clearly leads. Agronomic starts at Free and SMARTBOW at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Agronomic or SMARTBOW?
Agronomic has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Agronomic and On request for SMARTBOW.
Does Agronomic or SMARTBOW run on more platforms?
Agronomic runs on Web, Mobile. SMARTBOW runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Agronomic for free?
Yes. Agronomic has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SMARTBOW starts at On request.
What is Agronomic best used for?
Agronomic is most often used for soil sampling, nutrient planning, variable rate fertilizer, crop consulting. Of those, soil sampling and nutrient planning are not what SMARTBOW is typically brought in for.
What can Agronomic do that SMARTBOW cannot?
Agronomic covers Soil analysis, Nutrient recommendations, Variable rate maps, Tissue testing. SMARTBOW covers Real-time location, Heat detection, Rumination monitoring, Health alerts.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Agronomic: How does Adapt-N generate nitrogen recommendations?

Adapt-N uses 13 interconnected models that process soil characteristics, crop history, real-time weather data, manure applications, and irrigation information to generate field-specific nitrogen recommendations. It requires a minimum of 7 core data inputs, though spatial data significantly improves accuracy.

Source
SMARTBOW: What does SMARTBOW do that other activity monitors do not?

Real-time indoor location. It tells you where the flagged cow physically is, not just that she is behaving abnormally.

Agronomic: Where is Adapt-N available?

Adapt-N is available across the lower 48 U.S. states and six Canadian provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec.

Source
SMARTBOW: Does it work on grazing herds?

Poorly. Location depends on barn-mounted receivers, so animals out at pasture fall outside the system's coverage.

Agronomic: Is Adapt-N a standalone product or add-on?

Adapt-N is an optional paid add-on service for FieldAlytics users. It is not available as a standalone product; farmers must use it through the FieldAlytics platform via Ever.Ag.

Source
SMARTBOW: Who owns it?

Zoetis, which also owns Valley Agricultural Software and DairyComp. The technology came from Smartbow GmbH in Austria.

Agronomic: How long does Adapt-N take to reflect weather changes?

Adapt-N takes 3 to 4 days after rainfall events to fully reflect environmental impacts in its nitrogen recommendations.

Source
SMARTBOW: Is it cloud based?

Analysis runs on an on-farm server rather than in the cloud, which keeps it working during an internet outage but makes the server your responsibility.

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