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Agriculture · head to head

Halter vs Valley Irrigation

Halter logo

Halter

Agriculture

Solar collar virtual fencing and cow monitoring for dairy and beef grazing

From
9.9/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Valley Irrigation logo

Valley Irrigation

Agriculture

Smart irrigation management systems

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Halter the subscription is permanent and per head, so a 500 cow dairy carries a five-figure annual bill indefinitely and the collars become inert if it lapses; there is no owned-outright end state.; Valley Irrigation the technology products are tied to Valley irrigation hardware such as center pivots and ICON control panels rather than sold as standalone software
  • They diverge on capability: Halter covers Virtual fencing, Valley Irrigation covers Remote monitoring.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Halter and Valley Irrigation actually diverge.

Attributes where Halter and Valley Irrigation differ
AttributeHalterValley Irrigation
Starting price9.9/month$29/month
Pricing modelPer cow per month plus one-time installsubscription
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb, Ios, Android, Hardware
FoundedUnknown1946

Identical on both: 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 Halter

  • Virtual fencing
  • Remote shifting
  • Heat detection
  • Health alerts
  • Pasture management
  • Solar collars
  • Exclusion zones

Only in Valley Irrigation

  • Remote monitoring
  • Variable rate irrigation
  • GPS guidance
  • Water management
  • Pump control
  • Climate FieldView
  • John Deere
  • Soil sensors

What people use each for

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

Halter

  • A 600 cow grazing dairy that shifts breaks twice daily and cannot recruit enough staff to do itnot Valley Irrigation
  • A beef ranch fencing off riparian margins and wetlands without building physical fencenot Valley Irrigation
  • A dairy replacing a separate heat detection collar system with one collar that also does fencingnot Valley Irrigation
  • An operation running cell grazing on country where the cost of internal fencing exceeds the collar subscriptionnot Valley Irrigation

Valley Irrigation

  • Remotely monitoring and controlling center pivot irrigation machinesnot Halter
  • Variable rate irrigation applying different water depths across a fieldnot Halter
  • Diagnosing pivot faults and pump status without driving to the fieldnot Halter

Where each one falls short

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

Halter

  • The subscription is permanent and per head, so a 500 cow dairy carries a five-figure annual bill indefinitely and the collars become inert if it lapses; there is no owned-outright end state.
  • On-farm tower infrastructure is a separate up-front install cost that is not in the headline per-cow price, and terrain with hills or bush can require more towers than the initial quote assumed.
  • Coverage is concentrated in New Zealand, Australia and parts of the United States; buyers elsewhere face no local support, no local install crew and uncertain regulatory acceptance of virtual fencing.
  • Virtual fencing is not universally legal or accepted: some jurisdictions and some organic or welfare certification schemes restrict aversive stimulus devices, which can decide eligibility before price is even discussed.
  • Total vendor lock-in on collar, towers, app and animal data means there is no second source for a replacement collar and no way to keep the fencing working if the commercial relationship ends.

Valley Irrigation

  • The technology products are tied to Valley irrigation hardware such as center pivots and ICON control panels rather than sold as standalone software
  • No price is published for any product; the site routes buyers to a Get a Quote form and to local dealers

Pricing, plan by plan

Halter

9.9/month
  • Core$9.9/month
    • Virtual fencing and remote shifting
    • Per cow per month
    • On-farm tower infrastructure charged separately
  • Pro$undefined/month
    • Everything in Core
    • Heat detection and reproduction tools
    • Health and behaviour alerts
  • Unlimited$undefined/month
    • Everything in Pro
    • Full feature set for larger operations
    • Pasture and residual management

Valley Irrigation

$29/month
  • BaseStation3$1200/year
    • Remote monitoring
    • Basic control
    • Alerts
  • AgSense$2000/year
    • Full VRI
    • Advanced analytics
    • API

Which should you pick?

Choose Halter if

  • You need virtual fencing.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want remote shifting.
Halter review

Choose Valley Irrigation if

  • You need remote monitoring.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Hardware.
  • You also want variable rate irrigation.
Valley Irrigation review

Questions people ask

Is Halter or Valley Irrigation better?
Neither clearly leads. Halter starts at 9.9/month and Valley Irrigation at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Halter or Valley Irrigation?
Halter starts at 9.9/month and Valley Irrigation at $29/month.
Does Halter or Valley Irrigation run on more platforms?
Halter runs on iOS, Android, Web. Valley Irrigation runs on Web, Ios, Android, Hardware.
What is Halter best used for?
Halter is most often used for a 600 cow grazing dairy that shifts breaks twice daily and cannot recruit enough staff to do it, a beef ranch fencing off riparian margins and wetlands without building physical fence, a dairy replacing a separate heat detection collar system with one collar that also does fencing, an operation running cell grazing on country where the cost of internal fencing exceeds the collar subscription. Of those, a 600 cow grazing dairy that shifts breaks twice daily and cannot recruit enough staff to do it and a beef ranch fencing off riparian margins and wetlands without building physical fence are not what Valley Irrigation is typically brought in for.
What can Halter do that Valley Irrigation cannot?
Halter covers Virtual fencing, Remote shifting, Heat detection, Health alerts. Valley Irrigation covers Remote monitoring, Variable rate irrigation, GPS guidance, Water management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Halter: Do I buy the collars or rent them?

In practice you are buying into a per-cow monthly subscription plus a one-time install for the towers. The collars are not useful without an active subscription.

Valley Irrigation: Does Valley Irrigation publish pricing on their website?

No, Valley Irrigation does not display pricing publicly. The company directs customers to work with local dealers who 'can give you the best advice on which irrigation equipment and options are right for you.'

Source
Halter: What does it actually cost for 500 cows?

Starting from around NZ$9.90 per cow per month, that is roughly NZ$59,000 a year before the one-time tower infrastructure cost, and it recurs every year.

Valley Irrigation: How do I get a quote for Valley Irrigation equipment?

You can request a quote directly through their 'Get a Quote' link on their website, find a local dealer using their dealer locator, or contact them at (402) 359-2201 or [email protected].

Source
Halter: Can I finance it?

New Zealand dairy farmers can finance the install through ANZ, ASB, BNZ or Westpac over two years, and paying the subscription up front attracts a discount.

Valley Irrigation: Does Valley Irrigation sell directly to customers or only through dealers?

Valley Irrigation emphasizes working with local dealers rather than direct sales. Their website states that customers should connect with regional representatives for equipment recommendations and pricing discussions.

Source
Halter: Does it replace heat detection collars?

Yes on the higher tiers. That is the main reason dairies justify the cost, because it removes a second per-cow system.

Valley Irrigation: What support channels are available for existing customers?

Existing customers can reach AgSense technical support at 1-888-223-0595 for assistance with irrigation systems and equipment.

Source
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