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Herdwatch vs CattleMax

Herdwatch logo

Herdwatch

Software

Farm & herd management made simple

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
CattleMax logo

CattleMax

Software

Cattle herd management software

From
$99/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Herdwatch has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Herdwatch available in the United States, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom only; CattleMax priced by active animal count, so the bill grows with the herd rather than with usage
  • They diverge on capability: Herdwatch covers Animal registry, CattleMax covers Individual animal records.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Herdwatch and CattleMax actually diverge.

Attributes where Herdwatch and CattleMax differ
AttributeHerdwatchCattleMax
Starting priceFree$99/year
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsIos, Android, WebWeb, Windows, Ios, Android
Founded20142003

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Herdwatch

  • Animal registry
  • Movement records
  • Medicine & treatment records
  • Compliance reports
  • Weight tracking
  • EID tag reading
  • BCMS (UK)
  • AIM/ICBF (Ireland)

Only in CattleMax

  • Individual animal records
  • Health & treatment tracking
  • Weight management
  • EPD/genetic data
  • Custom reporting
  • Photo management
  • Breed associations
  • RFID tags

Both cover

  • Breeding management
  • Calving records
  • EID readers
  • Excel export
  • SSL
  • Cloud deployment
  • Ios support
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Herdwatch

  • Livestock records for cattle and sheepnot CattleMax
  • Calving and breeding records on a phone in the fieldnot CattleMax
  • Medicine and treatment records for compliancenot CattleMax
  • Pasture and grassland managementnot CattleMax

CattleMax

  • Cow-calf herd records and reproduction trackingnot Herdwatch
  • Weights, treatments and performance history per animalnot Herdwatch
  • Registered cattle records for breed association reportingnot Herdwatch
  • Unlimited users on one operation's accountnot Herdwatch

Where each one falls short

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

Herdwatch

  • Available in the United States, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom only
  • The free tier covers the digital calving book; the rest of the platform needs a subscription
  • Prices are not shown on the main product page

CattleMax

  • Priced by active animal count, so the bill grows with the herd rather than with usage
  • The Registered plan costs more than Commercial at every band, from $16 against $12 a month
  • Operations above 2,000 animals move to custom pricing
  • Support is Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm Central only
  • Cows and calves count separately toward the animal limit

Pricing, plan by plan

Herdwatch

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic herd records
    • Animal movements
    • Simple reports
  • Premium$12.5/month
    • Unlimited animals
    • Breeding management
    • Medicine records
  • Complete$20/month
    • Everything in Premium
    • Financial tracking
    • Farm mapping

CattleMax

$99/year
  • Starter$99/year
    • Up to 50 head
    • Basic animal records
    • Calving records
  • Standard$199/year
    • Up to 200 head
    • Breeding management
    • Health records
  • Professional$399/year
    • Unlimited animals
    • Advanced genetics
    • EPD tracking

Which should you pick?

Choose Herdwatch if

  • You need animal registry.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want movement records.
Herdwatch review

Choose CattleMax if

  • You need individual animal records.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Ios, Android.
  • You also want health & treatment tracking.
CattleMax review

Questions people ask

Is Herdwatch or CattleMax better?
Neither clearly leads. Herdwatch starts at Free and CattleMax at $99/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Herdwatch or CattleMax?
Herdwatch has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Herdwatch and $99/year for CattleMax.
Does Herdwatch or CattleMax run on more platforms?
Herdwatch runs on Ios, Android, Web. CattleMax runs on Web, Windows, Ios, Android.
Can I use Herdwatch for free?
Yes. Herdwatch has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CattleMax starts at $99/year.
What is Herdwatch best used for?
Herdwatch is most often used for livestock records for cattle and sheep, calving and breeding records on a phone in the field, medicine and treatment records for compliance, pasture and grassland management. Of those, livestock records for cattle and sheep and calving and breeding records on a phone in the field are not what CattleMax is typically brought in for.
What can Herdwatch do that CattleMax cannot?
Herdwatch covers Animal registry, Movement records, Medicine & treatment records, Compliance reports. CattleMax covers Individual animal records, Health & treatment tracking, Weight management, EPD/genetic data. Both handle Breeding management, Calving records, EID readers, Excel export.
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