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Agriculture · head to head

CattleMax vs Farmers Business Network (FBN)

CattleMax logo

CattleMax

Agriculture

Cattle herd management software

From
On request
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: CattleMax priced by active animal count, so the bill grows with the herd rather than with usage; 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: CattleMax covers Individual animal records, 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 CattleMax and Farmers Business Network (FBN) actually diverge.

Attributes where CattleMax and Farmers Business Network (FBN) differ
AttributeCattleMaxFarmers Business Network (FBN)
Starting priceOn request$700/year
PlatformsWeb, Windows, Ios, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20032014

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 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

  • SSL
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support
  • Ios support

What people use each for

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

CattleMax

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

Farmers Business Network (FBN)

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

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

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

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 CattleMax if

  • You need individual animal records.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Ios, Android.
  • You also want breeding management.
CattleMax 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 CattleMax or Farmers Business Network (FBN) better?
Neither clearly leads. CattleMax starts at On request 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, CattleMax or Farmers Business Network (FBN)?
CattleMax starts at On request and Farmers Business Network (FBN) at $700/year.
Does CattleMax or Farmers Business Network (FBN) run on more platforms?
CattleMax runs on Web, Windows, Ios, Android. Farmers Business Network (FBN) runs on Web, Ios, Android.
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 Farmers Business Network (FBN) is typically brought in for.
What can CattleMax do that Farmers Business Network (FBN) cannot?
CattleMax covers Individual animal records, Breeding management, Calving records, Health & treatment tracking. Farmers Business Network (FBN) covers Seed performance analytics, Input price transparency, Direct input purchasing, Yield analytics. Both handle SSL, Cloud deployment, Web support, Ios support.

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
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
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
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