Software · head to head
CropX 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: CropX the platform depends on CropX in-field hardware, including soil sensors, evapotranspiration sensors, weather stations and telemetry devices; 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: CropX covers Soil moisture sensing, Farmers Business Network (FBN) covers Seed performance analytics.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which CropX and Farmers Business Network (FBN) actually diverge.
| Attribute | CropX | Farmers Business Network (FBN) |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $29/month | $700/year |
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android, Hardware | Web, Ios, Android |
| Founded | 2015 | 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 CropX
- Soil moisture sensing
- Irrigation scheduling
- Salinity monitoring
- Root zone analysis
- Weather integration
- Valley Irrigation
- Lindsay
- Netafim
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
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
CropX
- Scheduling irrigation from continuous soil moisture sensor readingsnot Farmers Business Network (FBN)
- Monitoring disease risk and crop nutrition against in-field weather datanot Farmers Business Network (FBN)
- Combining sensor, weather and satellite data in a single farm management systemnot Farmers Business Network (FBN)
Farmers Business Network (FBN)
- Input purchasingnot CropX
- Seed selectionnot CropX
- Price comparisonnot CropX
- Farm financingnot CropX
- Market insightsnot CropX
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
CropX
- The platform depends on CropX in-field hardware, including soil sensors, evapotranspiration sensors, weather stations and telemetry devices
- Pricing is by quote only, with no rate, minimum or named cost driver published; the site offers only a demo request handled by a local sales team
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
CropX
$29/month- Basic$250/sensor/year
- Soil moisture
- Temperature
- Basic analytics
- Advanced$500/sensor/year
- Full analytics
- Irrigation recommendations
- 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 CropX if
- You need soil moisture sensing.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Hardware.
- You also want irrigation scheduling.
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 CropX or Farmers Business Network (FBN) better?
- Neither clearly leads. CropX 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, CropX or Farmers Business Network (FBN)?
- CropX starts at $29/month and Farmers Business Network (FBN) at $700/year.
- Does CropX or Farmers Business Network (FBN) run on more platforms?
- CropX runs on Web, Ios, Android, Hardware. Farmers Business Network (FBN) runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- What is CropX best used for?
- CropX is most often used for scheduling irrigation from continuous soil moisture sensor readings, monitoring disease risk and crop nutrition against in-field weather data, combining sensor, weather and satellite data in a single farm management system. Of those, scheduling irrigation from continuous soil moisture sensor readings and monitoring disease risk and crop nutrition against in-field weather data are not what Farmers Business Network (FBN) is typically brought in for.
- What can CropX do that Farmers Business Network (FBN) cannot?
- CropX covers Soil moisture sensing, Irrigation scheduling, Salinity monitoring, Root zone analysis. Farmers Business Network (FBN) covers Seed performance analytics, Input price transparency, Direct input purchasing, Yield analytics. Both handle SSL, Web support, Ios support, Android support.