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Agriculture · head to head

Arable vs Farmers Business Network (FBN)

Arable logo

Arable

Agriculture

In-field crop intelligence platform

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Farmers Business Network (FBN) logo

Farmers Business Network (FBN)

Agriculture

Farmer-to-farmer network and marketplace

From
$700/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Farmers Business Network (FBN) the Internet Archive's capture of Farmers Business Network's homepage on 2 January 2021 stated core FBN membership is free, with fees applying only to add-on services such as FBN Direct input purchases, crop marketing advisory, brokerage, financing and insurance, each offered by separately licensed FBN subsidiary entities.
  • They diverge on capability: Arable covers Weather monitoring, Farmers Business Network (FBN) covers Seed performance analytics.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Arable and Farmers Business Network (FBN) actually diverge.

Attributes where Arable and Farmers Business Network (FBN) differ
AttributeArableFarmers Business Network (FBN)
Starting price$29/month$700/year
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, HardwareWeb, Ios, Android

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Agriculture), founded (2014).

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
  • John Deere
  • Trimble
  • GDPR

Only in Farmers Business Network (FBN)

  • Seed performance analytics
  • Input price transparency
  • Direct input purchasing
  • Yield analytics
  • Crop marketing tools
  • Farm financing
  • Agronomic insights
  • Farmer network access

Both cover

  • Climate FieldView
  • SSL
  • 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 Farmers Business Network (FBN)
  • Irrigation scheduling based on measured conditionsnot Farmers Business Network (FBN)
  • Water sustainability reporting for enterprise growersnot Farmers Business Network (FBN)
  • Weather risk management across dispersed fieldsnot Farmers Business Network (FBN)

Farmers Business Network (FBN)

  • Input purchasingnot Arable
  • Seed selectionnot Arable
  • Price comparisonnot Arable
  • Farm financingnot Arable
  • Market insightsnot 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

Farmers Business Network (FBN)

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Farmers Business Network's homepage on 2 January 2021 stated core FBN membership is free, with fees applying only to add-on services such as FBN Direct input purchases, crop marketing advisory, brokerage, financing and insurance, each offered by separately licensed FBN subsidiary entities.

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

Farmers Business Network (FBN)

$700/year
  • FBN Membership$700/year
    • Access to FBN Analytics
    • Seed performance data
    • Chemical price transparency
  • FBN DirectFree
    • Transparent input pricing
    • Direct-to-farm delivery
    • Seed & crop protection

Which should you pick?

Choose Arable if

  • You need weather monitoring.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Hardware.
  • You also want evapotranspiration.
Arable review

Choose Farmers Business Network (FBN) if

  • You need seed performance analytics.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want input price transparency.
Farmers Business Network (FBN) review

Questions people ask

Is Arable or Farmers Business Network (FBN) better?
Neither clearly leads. Arable starts at $29/month and Farmers Business Network (FBN) at $700/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Arable or Farmers Business Network (FBN)?
Arable starts at $29/month and Farmers Business Network (FBN) at $700/year.
Does Arable or Farmers Business Network (FBN) run on more platforms?
Arable runs on Web, Ios, Android, Hardware. Farmers Business Network (FBN) 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 Farmers Business Network (FBN) is typically brought in for.
What can Arable do that Farmers Business Network (FBN) cannot?
Arable covers Weather monitoring, Evapotranspiration, Chlorophyll index, Disease risk models. Farmers Business Network (FBN) covers Seed performance analytics, Input price transparency, Direct input purchasing, Yield analytics. Both handle Climate FieldView, SSL, Web support, Ios support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Arable: How do I get pricing for Arable?

Pricing is not published online. Customers can contact Arable directly at [email protected] or by phone at 510-992-4095, or visit their contact page at /contact to request pricing information.

Source
Arable: Is there a free trial available?

The website does not mention a free trial. Interested customers should contact the company directly to inquire about trial availability.

Source
Arable: Can I get pricing without speaking to sales?

No. Pricing information is only available through direct contact with Arable via email, phone, or their contact form. There is no self-service pricing page.

Source
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