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Agriculture · head to head

Connecterra vs Datamars Livestock

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
Datamars Livestock logo

Datamars Livestock

Agriculture

EID tag, weigh scale and livestock data platform behind the Tru-Test brand

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.; Datamars Livestock the software exists to sell tags, readers and scales, so its feature depth in breeding, financials and grazing planning is well short of dedicated herd management systems.
  • They diverge on capability: Connecterra covers Analytics, Datamars Livestock covers EID and visual tag management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Connecterra and Datamars Livestock actually diverge.

Attributes where Connecterra and Datamars Livestock differ
AttributeConnecterraDatamars Livestock
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, Windows

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 Datamars Livestock

  • EID and visual tag management
  • Weigh session capture
  • Average daily gain
  • Auto-drafting
  • Traceability records
  • Bluetooth reader sync
  • Treatment and animal events

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 Datamars Livestock
  • A nutritionist who needs one view across a dozen client herds instead of a dozen vendor loginsnot Datamars Livestock
  • A processor or co-operative pulling herd emissions data through an API for supply-chain reportingnot Datamars Livestock
  • A farm running a Lely robot and a separate feeding system that wants one combined cow picturenot Datamars Livestock

Datamars Livestock

  • A beef finisher drafting cattle to a target weight automatically at the crushnot Connecterra
  • A sheep producer tracking lamb growth rates by sire to inform ram selectionnot Connecterra
  • A New Zealand farm needing NAIT-compliant movement records generated from the same scans used for weighingnot Connecterra
  • A grazier comparing average daily gain across mobs on different paddocks or supplementsnot 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.

Datamars Livestock

  • The software exists to sell tags, readers and scales, so its feature depth in breeding, financials and grazing planning is well short of dedicated herd management systems.
  • A migration to new cloud software is scheduled from January 2026 for Tru-Test indicator and reader customers, which puts historical Data Link desktop records at risk if they are not exported deliberately before support changes.
  • Hardware lock-in is real: the automatic capture that makes the platform useful depends on Datamars and Tru-Test devices, and a farm with Gallagher scales gets a much thinner experience.
  • Software being bundled with hardware means it has never been priced or sold on its own merits, so there is no published cost, no clear upgrade path and no leverage if the bundling arrangement changes.
  • Traceability support is country-specific and uneven, so a farm outside the main New Zealand, Australian, UK and North American markets may find its national scheme is not directly supported and needs manual file preparation.

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

Datamars Livestock

On request
  • Datamars Livestock$undefined/year
    • Historically bundled with purchase of Datamars and Tru-Test hardware
    • Tag, reader and weigh indicator hardware is the actual cost
    • Cloud platform terms changing with the January 2026 migration

Which should you pick?

Choose Connecterra if

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

Choose Datamars Livestock if

  • You need eid and visual tag management.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows.
  • You also want weigh session capture.
Datamars Livestock review

Questions people ask

Is Connecterra or Datamars Livestock better?
Neither clearly leads. Connecterra starts at On request and Datamars Livestock at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Connecterra or Datamars Livestock?
Connecterra starts at On request and Datamars Livestock at On request.
Does Connecterra or Datamars Livestock run on more platforms?
Connecterra runs on Web, iOS, Android. Datamars Livestock runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows.
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 Datamars Livestock is typically brought in for.
What can Connecterra do that Datamars Livestock cannot?
Connecterra covers Analytics, Copilot, Decision support, Advisor collaboration. Datamars Livestock covers EID and visual tag management, Weigh session capture, Average daily gain, Auto-drafting.

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.

Datamars Livestock: Do I have to pay for the software?

It has historically been included with purchase of Datamars and Tru-Test hardware. The January 2026 cloud migration is the point at which to confirm what the ongoing terms are.

Connecterra: How is it priced?

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

Datamars Livestock: What happens to my Data Link records?

They need to be migrated to the new cloud platform. Export your historical weigh sessions before the transition rather than assuming everything carries across.

Connecterra: Is there a free option?

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

Datamars Livestock: Will it work with Gallagher scales?

Not natively in the way it works with Tru-Test hardware. You lose the automatic session sync that is the main reason to use it.

Connecterra: What happened to Ida?

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

Datamars Livestock: Does it handle NAIT and NLIS?

Yes, for New Zealand and Australia respectively, generating movement and identification records from the same EID scans used for weighing.

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