Softwr

Agriculture · head to head

Connecterra vs SMARTBOW

Connecterra logo

Connecterra

Agriculture

Sensor-agnostic dairy data platform, billed on average yearly herd size rather than per sensor

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SMARTBOW logo

SMARTBOW

Agriculture

Ear tag cow monitoring with real-time indoor location, from Zoetis

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Connecterra nothing is published as a number: billing is on average yearly herd size but no rate is given at any tier, so a farm cannot estimate the cost before entering a sales process.; SMARTBOW real-time location depends on receivers covering the whole barn plus an on-farm server, so the install is a building project and the price bears no relation to what a simple activity collar costs.
  • They diverge on capability: Connecterra covers Analytics, SMARTBOW covers Real-time location.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Connecterra and SMARTBOW actually diverge.

Attributes where Connecterra and SMARTBOW differ
AttributeConnecterraSMARTBOW
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWindows, Web, iOS, Android

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), 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 Connecterra

  • Analytics
  • Copilot
  • Decision support
  • Advisor collaboration
  • Data integration
  • Data API
  • Emissions and sustainability reporting
  • Multi-farm benchmarking

Only in SMARTBOW

  • Real-time location
  • Heat detection
  • Rumination monitoring
  • Health alerts
  • On-farm server
  • Individual baselines
  • Herd software integration

What people use each for

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

Connecterra

  • A dairy that already owns activity collars and wants better analysis without replacing 400 collarsnot SMARTBOW
  • A nutritionist who needs one view across a dozen client herds instead of a dozen vendor loginsnot SMARTBOW
  • A processor or co-operative pulling herd emissions data through an API for supply-chain reportingnot SMARTBOW
  • A farm running a Lely robot and a separate feeding system that wants one combined cow picturenot SMARTBOW

SMARTBOW

  • A 1,500 cow freestall barn where finding a flagged animal by eye takes twenty minutesnot Connecterra
  • A dairy replacing visual heat detection with per-animal oestrus alerts to tighten calving intervalsnot Connecterra
  • A herd manager wanting rumination-based early warning of displaced abomasum or metritisnot Connecterra
  • A vet practice using behavioural data to audit transition cow management across client herdsnot Connecterra

Where each one falls short

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

Connecterra

  • Nothing is published as a number: billing is on average yearly herd size but no rate is given at any tier, so a farm cannot estimate the cost before entering a sales process.
  • Connecterra depends entirely on other companies’ data: if a milking or feeding manufacturer restricts its API or prices access, the platform loses a data source it does not control and the farm loses part of its dashboard.
  • The company abandoned its own sensor hardware, which was the original product, so farms that bought Ida collars early found the strategy they invested in discontinued underneath them.
  • Billing on average yearly herd size means a farm that grows mid-contract is charged retrospectively on a number it did not agree at signing, which surprises operations in an expansion phase.
  • It is a small venture-backed Dutch company in a market where the deep-pocketed incumbents are equipment makers who can bundle analytics free with hardware, so the independent layer is structurally the easiest line for a farm to cut.

SMARTBOW

  • Real-time location depends on receivers covering the whole barn plus an on-farm server, so the install is a building project and the price bears no relation to what a simple activity collar costs.
  • It is an indoor system; a grazing or partly grazed herd loses the location capability that is the main reason to choose it over cheaper monitoring.
  • Ear tags are consumable and go missing with the tag, so the running cost includes replacements at a rate that depends on how rough your handling facilities are.
  • Zoetis ownership means a pharmaceutical company holds continuous behavioural data on every animal alongside your treatment records, and the integration roadmap favours other Zoetis products.
  • Nothing is published on price, and sales run through veterinary and dealer channels, so comparing it against DeLaval, Nedap or CowManager requires several quotes and there is no reference list price.

Pricing, plan by plan

Connecterra

On request
  • Farmer$undefined/year
    • Billed on average yearly herd size
    • Analytics, Copilot and decision support
    • No custom integration fee charged to farmers
  • Farm Advisor$undefined/year
    • For nutritionists, vets and consultants
    • Multi-farm view across clients
    • Custom pricing for organisations with 10 or more staff
  • Referral$undefined/year
    • Free advisor access to up to 3 connected farms
    • Intended as a route in for consultants
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Data API access
    • Aggregated herd data for agribusiness
    • Customised contract

SMARTBOW

On request
  • SMARTBOW$undefined/year
    • Ear tags priced per animal
    • Barn receiver infrastructure and on-farm server quoted per building
    • Installation and commissioning quoted separately

Which should you pick?

Choose Connecterra if

  • You need analytics.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want copilot.
Connecterra review

Choose SMARTBOW if

  • You need real-time location.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want heat detection.
SMARTBOW review

Questions people ask

Is Connecterra or SMARTBOW better?
Neither clearly leads. Connecterra starts at On request and SMARTBOW at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Connecterra or SMARTBOW?
Connecterra starts at On request and SMARTBOW at On request.
Does Connecterra or SMARTBOW run on more platforms?
Connecterra runs on Web, iOS, Android. SMARTBOW runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
What is Connecterra best used for?
Connecterra is most often used for a dairy that already owns activity collars and wants better analysis without replacing 400 collars, a nutritionist who needs one view across a dozen client herds instead of a dozen vendor logins, a processor or co-operative pulling herd emissions data through an api for supply-chain reporting, a farm running a lely robot and a separate feeding system that wants one combined cow picture. Of those, a dairy that already owns activity collars and wants better analysis without replacing 400 collars and a nutritionist who needs one view across a dozen client herds instead of a dozen vendor logins are not what SMARTBOW is typically brought in for.
What can Connecterra do that SMARTBOW cannot?
Connecterra covers Analytics, Copilot, Decision support, Advisor collaboration. SMARTBOW covers Real-time location, Heat detection, Rumination monitoring, Health alerts.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Connecterra: Do I need to buy Connecterra sensors?

No. The company discontinued its own collars and now reads data from sensors and systems you already have.

SMARTBOW: What does SMARTBOW do that other activity monitors do not?

Real-time indoor location. It tells you where the flagged cow physically is, not just that she is behaving abnormally.

Connecterra: How is it priced?

On average yearly herd size, quoted rather than published, with separate farmer, advisor and enterprise tiers.

SMARTBOW: Does it work on grazing herds?

Poorly. Location depends on barn-mounted receivers, so animals out at pasture fall outside the system's coverage.

Connecterra: Is there a free option?

Only the referral tier for advisors covering up to three connected farms. There is no free farmer tier.

SMARTBOW: Who owns it?

Zoetis, which also owns Valley Agricultural Software and DairyComp. The technology came from Smartbow GmbH in Austria.

Connecterra: What happened to Ida?

Ida was the original collar and app. The hardware was dropped and the intelligence became the platform sold today.

SMARTBOW: Is it cloud based?

Analysis runs on an on-farm server rather than in the cloud, which keeps it working during an internet outage but makes the server your responsibility.

Share

Related pages

More on Connecterra

More on SMARTBOW

Keep looking

Other head to heads