Software · head to head
CattleMax vs Farmers Business Network (FBN)
Farmers Business Network (FBN)
Software
Farmer-to-farmer network and marketplace
- From
- $700/year
- Rated
- -
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.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which CattleMax and Farmers Business Network (FBN) actually diverge.
| Attribute | CattleMax | Farmers Business Network (FBN) |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $99/year | $700/year |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, Ios, Android | Web, Ios, Android |
| Founded | 2003 | 2014 |
Identical on both: 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 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
$99/year- Starter$99/year
- Up to 50 head
- Basic animal records
- Calving records
- Standard$199/year
- Up to 200 head
- Breeding management
- Health records
- Professional$399/year
- Unlimited animals
- Advanced genetics
- EPD tracking
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.
Choose Farmers Business Network (FBN) if
- You need seed performance analytics.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want input price transparency.
Questions people ask
- Is CattleMax or Farmers Business Network (FBN) better?
- Neither clearly leads. CattleMax starts at $99/year 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 $99/year 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.