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Agriculture · head to head

CattleMax vs DairyComp

CattleMax logo

CattleMax

Agriculture

Cattle herd management software

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
DairyComp logo

DairyComp

Agriculture

Command-line dairy herd management software used by large North American dairies

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: CattleMax priced by active animal count, so the bill grows with the herd rather than with usage; DairyComp the command language interface takes weeks to learn and effectively ties the dairy to whichever staff member knows it, so losing a herd manager can strand the herd record until someone else is trained.
  • They diverge on capability: CattleMax covers Individual animal records, DairyComp covers Command language reporting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CattleMax and DairyComp actually diverge.

Attributes where CattleMax and DairyComp differ
AttributeCattleMaxDairyComp
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWeb, Windows, Ios, AndroidWindows
Founded2003Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), 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 CattleMax

  • Individual animal records
  • Breeding management
  • Calving records
  • Health & treatment tracking
  • Weight management
  • EPD/genetic data
  • Custom reporting
  • Photo management

Only in DairyComp

  • Command language reporting
  • Complete lactation records
  • Parlour and meter integration
  • Reproduction management
  • Health event tracking
  • Genetic evaluation import
  • Benchmarking exports

What people use each for

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

CattleMax

  • Cow-calf herd records and reproduction trackingnot DairyComp
  • Weights, treatments and performance history per animalnot DairyComp
  • Registered cattle records for breed association reportingnot DairyComp
  • Unlimited users on one operation's accountnot DairyComp

DairyComp

  • A 3,000 cow freestall dairy whose herd manager needs to build an arbitrary cull or breeding cohort in secondsnot CattleMax
  • A dairy consultant working across a dozen client herds who needs identical reporting on all of themnot CattleMax
  • A dairy integrating parlour milk weights and conductivity into the animal record for early mastitis detectionnot CattleMax
  • A veterinary practice running repro audits and protocol compliance checks across a client basenot CattleMax

Where each one falls short

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

CattleMax

  • Priced by active animal count, so the bill grows with the herd rather than with usage
  • The Registered plan costs more than Commercial at every band, from $16 against $12 a month
  • Operations above 2,000 animals move to custom pricing
  • Support is Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm Central only
  • Cows and calves count separately toward the animal limit

DairyComp

  • The command language interface takes weeks to learn and effectively ties the dairy to whichever staff member knows it, so losing a herd manager can strand the herd record until someone else is trained.
  • It is a Windows desktop application at heart rather than a cloud service, so multi-site access, remote working and mobile data entry are bolt-ons rather than native, and back-ups are the dairy's own problem.
  • Zoetis ownership puts a pharmaceutical company in control of every treatment record on the farm and biases the integration roadmap towards Zoetis sensors and services rather than the best available.
  • No pricing is published anywhere, so herd-size-based quotes vary by dealer and there is no way to benchmark what you are being charged without asking neighbouring dairies.
  • It assumes North American dairy conventions, so European dairies dealing with different milk recording bodies, national herd databases and statutory reporting formats find the fit poor and often need local software alongside.

Pricing, plan by plan

CattleMax

On request
  • Commercial Plan$15/month
    • For herds focusing on cow-calf market
    • Track reproduction and performance data
    • Unlimited users
  • Commercial Plan Annual$12/month
    • Same as Commercial Plan
    • 20% discount when billed annually
  • Registered Plan$20/month
    • For herds focusing on selling registered cattle
    • Collect data for breed association
    • Unlimited users
  • Registered Plan Annual$16/month
    • Same as Registered Plan
    • 20% discount when billed annually

DairyComp

On request
  • DairyComp$undefined/year
    • Licensed per dairy, priced on herd size
    • Support and update contract quoted separately
    • Parlour and meter interface modules quoted per system

Which should you pick?

Choose CattleMax if

  • You need individual animal records.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Ios, Android.
  • You also want breeding management.
CattleMax review

Choose DairyComp if

  • You need command language reporting.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want complete lactation records.
DairyComp review

Questions people ask

Is CattleMax or DairyComp better?
Neither clearly leads. CattleMax starts at On request and DairyComp at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CattleMax or DairyComp?
CattleMax starts at On request and DairyComp at On request.
Does CattleMax or DairyComp run on more platforms?
CattleMax runs on Web, Windows, Ios, Android. DairyComp runs on Windows.
What is CattleMax best used for?
CattleMax is most often used for cow-calf herd records and reproduction tracking, weights, treatments and performance history per animal, registered cattle records for breed association reporting, unlimited users on one operation's account. Of those, cow-calf herd records and reproduction tracking and weights, treatments and performance history per animal are not what DairyComp is typically brought in for.
What can CattleMax do that DairyComp cannot?
CattleMax covers Individual animal records, Breeding management, Calving records, Health & treatment tracking. DairyComp covers Command language reporting, Complete lactation records, Parlour and meter integration, Reproduction management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CattleMax: What are CattleMax's pricing tiers?

CattleMax offers two plan types with identical tier structures by active animals (up to 50, 100, 250, 500, 750, 1,000, 1,500, or 2,000+). Commercial Plan costs $15/month ($12/month annual). Registered Plan costs $20/month ($16/month annual). All plans include unlimited users, free support, and bank-level security.

Source
DairyComp: Who owns DairyComp now?

Zoetis, through its acquisition of Valley Agricultural Software. It sits in the same portfolio as the Smartbow cow monitoring system.

CattleMax: What is the difference between CattleMax Commercial and Registered plans?

Commercial Plan is for herds focusing on the cow-calf market. Registered Plan is for herds focusing on selling registered cattle and collecting breed association data. Both include unlimited users and identical security/support features.

Source
DairyComp: Is it hard to learn?

Yes, genuinely. It is driven by a typed command language rather than menus, and most new users need weeks of practice before they are productive.

CattleMax: Can I try CattleMax before paying?

Yes, CattleMax offers a 21-day free trial with no credit card required. The trial includes full access to all plan features for evaluation.

Source
DairyComp: Does it run in the cloud?

It is fundamentally a Windows application. Hosted and multi-site arrangements exist but the software is not a browser-native cloud product.

DairyComp: What does it cost?

Nothing is published. Pricing is quoted per dairy based on herd size, plus separate charges for support and for each parlour or meter interface.

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