Software · head to head
Arable vs DroneDeploy
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Arable requires the Mark 3 field sensor, so it is a hardware deployment rather than a software subscription; DroneDeploy sold as annual subscriptions rather than monthly, at $1,908 a year for the agriculture plan
- They diverge on capability: Arable covers Weather monitoring, DroneDeploy covers Automated flight planning.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Arable and DroneDeploy actually diverge.
| Attribute | Arable | DroneDeploy |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android, Hardware | Web, Ios, Android |
| Founded | 2014 | 2013 |
Identical on both: starting price ($29/month), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Arable
- Weather monitoring
- Evapotranspiration
- Chlorophyll index
- Disease risk models
- Growth stage tracking
- Trimble
- SSL
- Hardware support
Only in DroneDeploy
- Automated flight planning
- Orthomosaic maps
- NDVI analysis
- 3D modeling
- Progress tracking
- DJI
- SOC 2
Both cover
- Climate FieldView
- John Deere
- GDPR
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Arable
- In-field weather and crop monitoring from a single sensornot DroneDeploy
- Irrigation scheduling based on measured conditionsnot DroneDeploy
- Water sustainability reporting for enterprise growersnot DroneDeploy
- Weather risk management across dispersed fieldsnot DroneDeploy
DroneDeploy
- Mapping fields with drone imagery for crop health analysisnot Arable
- Producing stand counts and plant health indices from aerial surveysnot Arable
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Arable
- Requires the Mark 3 field sensor, so it is a hardware deployment rather than a software subscription
- Pricing is not published and goes through a sales conversation
- Aimed at enterprise growers and advisors rather than smallholders
DroneDeploy
- Sold as annual subscriptions rather than monthly, at $1,908 a year for the agriculture plan
- Images per map are capped by plan, at 1,000 on Ag Lite and 3,000 on the general individual plan
- The Ag Lite plan is limited to the VARI index for RGB plant health rather than the full analysis set
- Ground capture processing is excluded from every published individual plan
- Team plans publish no price at all and require a custom quote
Pricing, plan by plan
Arable
$29/month- Standard$1200/device/year
- Weather data
- Crop stress
- Basic analytics
- Premium$2400/device/year
- Full analytics
- Disease models
- API access
DroneDeploy
$29/month- Individual$299/month
- Unlimited maps
- 3D models
- Basic analytics
- Business$599/month
- Team features
- NDVI analysis
- API access
Which should you pick?
Choose Arable if
- You need weather monitoring.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Hardware.
- You also want evapotranspiration.
Choose DroneDeploy if
- You need automated flight planning.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want orthomosaic maps.
Questions people ask
- Is Arable or DroneDeploy better?
- Neither clearly leads. Arable starts at $29/month and DroneDeploy at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Arable or DroneDeploy?
- Arable starts at $29/month and DroneDeploy at $29/month.
- Does Arable or DroneDeploy run on more platforms?
- Arable runs on Web, Ios, Android, Hardware. DroneDeploy runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- What is Arable best used for?
- Arable is most often used for in-field weather and crop monitoring from a single sensor, irrigation scheduling based on measured conditions, water sustainability reporting for enterprise growers, weather risk management across dispersed fields. Of those, in-field weather and crop monitoring from a single sensor and irrigation scheduling based on measured conditions are not what DroneDeploy is typically brought in for.
- What can Arable do that DroneDeploy cannot?
- Arable covers Weather monitoring, Evapotranspiration, Chlorophyll index, Disease risk models. DroneDeploy covers Automated flight planning, Orthomosaic maps, NDVI analysis, 3D modeling. Both handle Climate FieldView, John Deere, GDPR, Web support.