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Agriculture · head to head

FarmLogs vs SMARTBOW

FarmLogs logo

FarmLogs

Agriculture

Simple, powerful farm management software

From
Free
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

  • Only FarmLogs has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: FarmLogs farm management plans are billed annually and cap at 20,000 acres, with larger operations required to contact sales for custom pricing; 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: FarmLogs covers Field mapping & boundaries, SMARTBOW covers Real-time location.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FarmLogs and SMARTBOW actually diverge.

Attributes where FarmLogs and SMARTBOW differ
AttributeFarmLogsSMARTBOW
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWindows, Web, iOS, Android
Founded2012Unknown

Identical on both: 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 FarmLogs

  • Field mapping & boundaries
  • Activity tracking & logging
  • Satellite imagery analysis
  • Crop health monitoring
  • Weather & rainfall data
  • Yield tracking
  • Input cost tracking
  • Profit/loss analysis

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.

FarmLogs

  • Tracking farm operations, rainfall history and profit and loss under the FarmLogs product, now sold as Bushel Farmnot SMARTBOW

SMARTBOW

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

Where each one falls short

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

FarmLogs

  • Farm management plans are billed annually and cap at 20,000 acres, with larger operations required to contact sales for custom pricing
  • Machine data connections are a separate add-on costing $999 per year on top of the $599 per year Essentials plan

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

FarmLogs

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Field mapping
    • Basic activity tracking
    • Weather insights
  • Essentials$20/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Satellite imagery
    • Crop health monitoring
  • Premium$50/month
    • Everything in Essentials
    • Advanced analytics
    • Profit & loss tracking

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 FarmLogs if

  • You need field mapping & boundaries.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want activity tracking & logging.
FarmLogs 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 FarmLogs or SMARTBOW better?
Neither clearly leads. FarmLogs starts at Free and SMARTBOW at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FarmLogs or SMARTBOW?
FarmLogs has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for FarmLogs and On request for SMARTBOW.
Does FarmLogs or SMARTBOW run on more platforms?
FarmLogs runs on Web, Ios, Android. SMARTBOW runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use FarmLogs for free?
Yes. FarmLogs has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SMARTBOW starts at On request.
What is FarmLogs best used for?
FarmLogs is most often used for tracking farm operations, rainfall history and profit and loss under the farmlogs product, now sold as bushel farm. Of those, tracking farm operations, rainfall history and profit and loss under the farmlogs product, now sold as bushel farm is not what SMARTBOW is typically brought in for.
What can FarmLogs do that SMARTBOW cannot?
FarmLogs covers Field mapping & boundaries, Activity tracking & logging, Satellite imagery analysis, Crop health monitoring. SMARTBOW covers Real-time location, Heat detection, Rumination monitoring, Health alerts.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

FarmLogs: What does the annual subscription cost for Bushel Farm?

Bushel Farm offers three main plans: Rainfall at $75 per year, Lite at $199 per year, and Essentials at $599 per year, which is marked as the best value tier. For farming operations exceeding 20,000 acres, custom pricing is available upon request. Machine data connections are available as an add-on for $999 per year.

Source
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.

FarmLogs: Is there a free trial available without contacting sales?

Yes, Bushel Farm provides a 30-day free trial that gives access to all features. Users can explore the full platform capabilities during this period before committing to a subscription.

Source
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.

FarmLogs: What billing cycle does Bushel Farm use?

Bushel Farm bills annually with no hidden fees. The platform emphasizes transparent, straightforward pricing structures with yearly billing cycles.

Source
SMARTBOW: Who owns it?

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

FarmLogs: What features does each Bushel Farm tier include?

Rainfall includes recent rainfall data, field mapping, soil maps, futures prices, and digital wallet access. Lite adds historical rain and heat data, monthly rainfall reports, automated contract entry, scouting, equipment and inputs tracking. Essentials provides profit and loss calculations, expense and revenue tracking, land costs, work orders, marketing tools, satellite imagery, local prices, and reporting capabilities.

Source
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.

FarmLogs: What devices can I access Bushel Farm from?

All subscription plans are accessible across phones, tablets, and desktop devices, providing flexibility for farm management from any location.

Source
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