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Agriculture · head to head

GEA DairyNet vs PurpleAir

GEA DairyNet logo

GEA DairyNet

Agriculture

Modular herd and farm management software for dairies running GEA milking equipment

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PurpleAir logo

PurpleAir

Weather

Real-time air quality monitoring for communities

From
$229/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: GEA DairyNet the value depends on GEA hardware, so a barn with mixed-vendor parlours, sensors or feeders loses most of the native integration that justifies the software.; PurpleAir purpleAir sensors are one-time hardware purchases rather than a subscription, priced $199 to $279 USD per unit for named models (PA-I-Indoor, PA-II, PA-II-SD), per the vendor's own store (archived, 2021).
  • They diverge on capability: GEA DairyNet covers Herd module, PurpleAir covers PM2.5 monitoring.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GEA DairyNet and PurpleAir actually diverge.

Attributes where GEA DairyNet and PurpleAir differ
AttributeGEA DairyNetPurpleAir
Starting priceOn request$229/one-time
Pricing modelquoteone-time
PlatformsWindows, Web, iOS, AndroidWeb, Api, Hardware
CategoryAgricultureWeather
FoundedUnknown2015

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 GEA DairyNet

  • Herd module
  • System monitoring
  • CowScout integration
  • Feeding module
  • Youngstock module
  • Cloud data history
  • Modular subscription

Only in PurpleAir

  • PM2.5 monitoring
  • Real-time map
  • Historical data
  • Community network
  • API access
  • API access
  • Home Assistant
  • Data downloads

What people use each for

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

GEA DairyNet

  • A dairy replacing an ageing DairyPlan C21 installation on existing GEA milking equipmentnot PurpleAir
  • A robot barn running DairyRobot R9500 boxes that wants robot data and herd records in one placenot PurpleAir
  • A dairy adding CowScout activity monitoring and needing heat alerts to land in the herd software automaticallynot PurpleAir
  • A herd manager who wants to pay for a youngstock module covering only the heifers rather than the whole herdnot PurpleAir

PurpleAir

  • Professional Worknot GEA DairyNet
  • Content Creationnot GEA DairyNet

Where each one falls short

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

GEA DairyNet

  • The value depends on GEA hardware, so a barn with mixed-vendor parlours, sensors or feeders loses most of the native integration that justifies the software.
  • Nothing is published: not module prices, not per-animal rates, not installation costs, so every comparison against DeLaval or Lely requires a dealer quote and there is no way to sanity check it.
  • Per-module per-animal pricing is granular but also means costs climb quietly as you add modules and grow the herd, and the monthly cancellation option does not help once the barn depends on a module.
  • It is a successor to DairyPlan C21 rather than a rewrite of the category, so dairies migrating carry across conventions and data structures that predate cloud software and the transition itself needs dealer time.
  • GEA sells only through authorised partners, so support quality, installation competence and how quickly you get a fault fixed are determined by your regional dealer rather than by GEA.

PurpleAir

  • PurpleAir sensors are one-time hardware purchases rather than a subscription, priced $199 to $279 USD per unit for named models (PA-I-Indoor, PA-II, PA-II-SD), per the vendor's own store (archived, 2021).

Pricing, plan by plan

GEA DairyNet

On request
  • GEA DairyNet$undefined/month
    • Priced per module, by the number of animals using that module
    • Modules can be cancelled monthly
    • One-time cost for sensors, system technology and installation quoted separately

PurpleAir

$229/one-time
  • Outdoor Sensor$229/one-time
    • PM2.5 monitoring
    • Cloud connectivity
    • Map access
  • Indoor Sensor$199/one-time
    • Indoor monitoring
    • WiFi enabled
    • Real-time data

Which should you pick?

Choose GEA DairyNet if

  • You need herd module.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want system monitoring.
GEA DairyNet review

Choose PurpleAir if

  • You need pm2.5 monitoring.
  • You work on Web, Api, Hardware.
  • You also want real-time map.
PurpleAir review

Questions people ask

Is GEA DairyNet or PurpleAir better?
Neither clearly leads. GEA DairyNet starts at On request and PurpleAir at $229/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GEA DairyNet or PurpleAir?
GEA DairyNet starts at On request and PurpleAir at $229/one-time.
Does GEA DairyNet or PurpleAir run on more platforms?
GEA DairyNet runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android. PurpleAir runs on Web, Api, Hardware.
What is GEA DairyNet best used for?
GEA DairyNet is most often used for a dairy replacing an ageing dairyplan c21 installation on existing gea milking equipment, a robot barn running dairyrobot r9500 boxes that wants robot data and herd records in one place, a dairy adding cowscout activity monitoring and needing heat alerts to land in the herd software automatically, a herd manager who wants to pay for a youngstock module covering only the heifers rather than the whole herd. Of those, a dairy replacing an ageing dairyplan c21 installation on existing gea milking equipment and a robot barn running dairyrobot r9500 boxes that wants robot data and herd records in one place are not what PurpleAir is typically brought in for.
What can GEA DairyNet do that PurpleAir cannot?
GEA DairyNet covers Herd module, System monitoring, CowScout integration, Feeding module. PurpleAir covers PM2.5 monitoring, Real-time map, Historical data, Community network.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

GEA DairyNet: Does DairyNet replace DairyPlan C21?

Yes. It is the successor product, built on the same decades of DairyPlan development but restructured into cloud-connected modules.

GEA DairyNet: How is it priced?

Per module, with each module priced on the number of animals actually using that module's functions. Modules can be cancelled monthly. No rates are published.

GEA DairyNet: Will it work with non-GEA milking equipment?

Basic herd records will, but the sensor, robot and parlour integrations that make it worth buying are GEA-specific.

GEA DairyNet: Is the software cost the main expense?

No. The one-time investment in sensors, system technology and installation is the larger figure, and it is quoted separately by the sales partner.

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