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Agriculture · head to head

Gallagher eShepherd vs xarvio Digital Farming

Gallagher eShepherd logo

Gallagher eShepherd

Agriculture

Virtual fencing where you own the solar collars outright and pay only a small monthly connectivity fee

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
xarvio Digital Farming logo

xarvio Digital Farming

Agriculture

Digital crop optimization from BASF

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Gallagher eShepherd gallagher does not publish neckband prices, quoting instead by herd size, region and connectivity type, so the ownership-versus-lease advantage over subscription rivals cannot be verified without a sales conversation.; xarvio Digital Farming xarvio is a BASF digital-farming brand (confirmed via BASF's own analytics tagging on the site) sold as separate named modules, including FIELD MANAGER and FIELD MANAGER for Grapes, with no online pricing published for any module on the vendor's own site.
  • They diverge on capability: Gallagher eShepherd covers Map-drawn virtual paddocks, xarvio Digital Farming covers Disease identification.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Gallagher eShepherd and xarvio Digital Farming actually diverge.

Attributes where Gallagher eShepherd and xarvio Digital Farming differ
AttributeGallagher eShepherdxarvio Digital Farming
Starting priceOn request$29/month
Pricing modelquotefreemium
FoundedUnknown2014

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), 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 Gallagher eShepherd

  • Map-drawn virtual paddocks
  • Audio cue then pulse
  • Solar neckband
  • Cellular or LoRa connectivity
  • Animal location tracking
  • Grazing rotation management
  • Exclusion zones
  • Behaviour alerts

Only in xarvio Digital Farming

  • Disease identification
  • Spray timing
  • Variable rate maps
  • Satellite monitoring
  • Weather integration
  • John Deere
  • CLAAS
  • Trimble

What people use each for

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

Gallagher eShepherd

  • A ranch subdividing a 2,000 acre paddock for rotational grazing without buying a mile of wirenot xarvio Digital Farming
  • A grazier fencing cattle out of a creek line for a stewardship scheme without building riparian fencenot xarvio Digital Farming
  • An operation on leased ground where permanent fencing is not permitted or not recoverablenot xarvio Digital Farming
  • A farm short of labour that needs paddock moves done from a phone rather than a quad bikenot xarvio Digital Farming

xarvio Digital Farming

  • Disease managementnot Gallagher eShepherd
  • Spray optimizationnot Gallagher eShepherd
  • Crop monitoringnot Gallagher eShepherd

Where each one falls short

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

Gallagher eShepherd

  • Gallagher does not publish neckband prices, quoting instead by herd size, region and connectivity type, so the ownership-versus-lease advantage over subscription rivals cannot be verified without a sales conversation.
  • A minimum of about 20 animals is needed to train a mob, which rules out smallholders and makes the system awkward for operations that run many small separate groups.
  • It is cattle only: sheep, goats and deer are not supported, so a mixed grazing enterprise still needs conventional fencing for everything else.
  • The connectivity fee is per active neckband and continues indefinitely, so the collars are yours but the system stops fencing if you stop paying, which is the same dependency as a subscription with a different label.
  • Virtual fencing is regulated inconsistently: some jurisdictions restrict or have not yet ruled on aversive-stimulus containment, and welfare-scheme or organic certifier acceptance varies, so eligibility should be checked locally before ordering.

xarvio Digital Farming

  • xarvio is a BASF digital-farming brand (confirmed via BASF's own analytics tagging on the site) sold as separate named modules, including FIELD MANAGER and FIELD MANAGER for Grapes, with no online pricing published for any module on the vendor's own site.

Pricing, plan by plan

Gallagher eShepherd

On request
  • eShepherd neckband$undefined/year
    • Neckbands purchased outright, not leased per head
    • Small fixed monthly connectivity fee per active neckband
    • Fees charged only on active bands

xarvio Digital Farming

$29/month
  • Scouting (Free)Free
    • Disease identification
    • Weed ID
    • Pest ID
  • Field Manager$3/hectare/year
    • Spray timing
    • Zone management
    • Satellite imagery

Which should you pick?

Choose Gallagher eShepherd if

  • You need map-drawn virtual paddocks.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want audio cue then pulse.
Gallagher eShepherd review

Choose xarvio Digital Farming if

  • You need disease identification.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want spray timing.
xarvio Digital Farming review

Questions people ask

Is Gallagher eShepherd or xarvio Digital Farming better?
Neither clearly leads. Gallagher eShepherd starts at On request and xarvio Digital Farming at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Gallagher eShepherd or xarvio Digital Farming?
Gallagher eShepherd starts at On request and xarvio Digital Farming at $29/month.
Does Gallagher eShepherd or xarvio Digital Farming run on more platforms?
Gallagher eShepherd runs on Web, iOS, Android. xarvio Digital Farming runs on Web, Ios, Android.
What is Gallagher eShepherd best used for?
Gallagher eShepherd is most often used for a ranch subdividing a 2,000 acre paddock for rotational grazing without buying a mile of wire, a grazier fencing cattle out of a creek line for a stewardship scheme without building riparian fence, an operation on leased ground where permanent fencing is not permitted or not recoverable, a farm short of labour that needs paddock moves done from a phone rather than a quad bike. Of those, a ranch subdividing a 2,000 acre paddock for rotational grazing without buying a mile of wire and a grazier fencing cattle out of a creek line for a stewardship scheme without building riparian fence are not what xarvio Digital Farming is typically brought in for.
What can Gallagher eShepherd do that xarvio Digital Farming cannot?
Gallagher eShepherd covers Map-drawn virtual paddocks, Audio cue then pulse, Solar neckband, Cellular or LoRa connectivity. xarvio Digital Farming covers Disease identification, Spray timing, Variable rate maps, Satellite monitoring.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Gallagher eShepherd: Do I lease the collars or own them?

You buy them outright. The ongoing cost is a small monthly connectivity fee per active neckband, not a per-head lease.

xarvio Digital Farming: How do I find out what Xarvio costs?

Xarvio does not publish pricing on its website. To learn about costs and purchase options, you must contact their support team directly at [email protected] or +49 30 22957857 (Monday-Friday, 8-5 pm).

Source
Gallagher eShepherd: Do I need base stations?

Not with the cellular version, which uses existing mobile networks. The LoRa version needs small on-property base stations and suits areas with poor coverage.

xarvio Digital Farming: What Xarvio digital farming products are available?

Xarvio offers three main solutions: xFIELD MANAGER, xHEALTHY FIELDS, and ONE SMART SPRAY. Detailed pricing and features for each solution are available by contacting their sales team.

Source
Gallagher eShepherd: How many cattle do I need?

At least 20 to train a mob, after which groups can be split into smaller mobs as long as each contains leaders and followers.

xarvio Digital Farming: Does Xarvio offer a trial or demo?

The website does not specify whether Xarvio offers trials or demos. Customers should contact the support team to inquire about trial options and evaluate the products before purchase.

Source
Gallagher eShepherd: Does it work for sheep?

No. eShepherd is a cattle system.

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