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Agriculture · head to head

Nedap Livestock Management vs Netafim NetBeat

Nedap Livestock Management logo

Nedap Livestock Management

Agriculture

CowControl and Velos sensor platform sold almost entirely through OEM partners rather than direct

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Netafim NetBeat logo

Netafim NetBeat

Agriculture

Irrigation and fertigation control that only runs on Netafim NetMCU controllers in the field

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Nedap Livestock Management nedap publishes no pricing whatsoever and sells through dealers, so two comparable farms routinely pay materially different amounts for the same sensors and there is no rate card to argue against.; Netafim NetBeat netBeat runs on Netafim NetMCU hardware, so a grower with a functioning controller from another manufacturer has to replace working equipment to adopt it rather than adding software.
  • They diverge on capability: Nedap Livestock Management covers Smarttag Neck and Leg, Netafim NetBeat covers NetMCU controller.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Nedap Livestock Management and Netafim NetBeat actually diverge.

Attributes where Nedap Livestock Management and Netafim NetBeat differ
AttributeNedap Livestock ManagementNetafim NetBeat
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, WindowsWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), 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 Nedap Livestock Management

  • Smarttag Neck and Leg
  • Heat detection
  • Health monitoring
  • RealTime positioning
  • Velos sow feeding
  • Automatic sorting
  • Nedap Now
  • Open OEM platform

Only in Netafim NetBeat

  • NetMCU controller
  • NetRTU remote units
  • Irrigation model
  • Fertigation control
  • Flow and pressure monitoring
  • Soil moisture integration
  • Remote valve control
  • Alerts and reporting

What people use each for

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

Nedap Livestock Management

  • A 500-cow loose-housed dairy where finding a single flagged cow by eye wastes twenty minutes a timenot Netafim NetBeat
  • A sow unit moving to group gestation housing that needs electronic feeding to comply with welfare rulesnot Netafim NetBeat
  • A farm that wants heat detection independent of the milking parlour manufacturernot Netafim NetBeat
  • An equipment maker embedding proven animal monitoring rather than developing sensors in-housenot Netafim NetBeat

Netafim NetBeat

  • A new orchard planting Netafim drip that wants scheduling and fertigation designed in from the startnot Nedap Livestock Management
  • A grower under a water allocation who needs per-block application records for the regulatornot Nedap Livestock Management
  • A vine operation trying to reduce fertiliser cost by dosing to crop stage rather than a fixed programmenot Nedap Livestock Management
  • A block with a persistent emitter clogging problem where flow deviation alerts find it before yield dropsnot Nedap Livestock Management

Where each one falls short

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

Nedap Livestock Management

  • Nedap publishes no pricing whatsoever and sells through dealers, so two comparable farms routinely pay materially different amounts for the same sensors and there is no rate card to argue against.
  • A large share of the technology ships inside other manufacturers' branded systems, which means the support you get, the firmware version you run and whether you can access the raw data depend on the badge on the box rather than on Nedap.
  • The system needs in-barn antennas, readers and a processing unit installed and commissioned, so the sensor price per cow understates the project cost and retrofitting an existing shed adds cabling work.
  • Adding RealTime positioning generally requires more antenna infrastructure than basic heat detection, so a farm that starts cheap and wants positioning later faces a second installation rather than a software toggle.
  • Nedap N.V. is a listed company with several unrelated divisions and livestock is one segment among retail, healthcare and security, so roadmap priority for agriculture competes with businesses that have nothing to do with farming.

Netafim NetBeat

  • NetBeat runs on Netafim NetMCU hardware, so a grower with a functioning controller from another manufacturer has to replace working equipment to adopt it rather than adding software.
  • NetRTU units communicate over Netafim’s own LoRa implementation, which means expanding sensing later means buying Netafim radios rather than the cheapest compatible sensor on the market.
  • No pricing is published in any market and the platform is sold as part of a system design, so growers cannot compare the software cost against rivals without commissioning a design.
  • Netafim is majority owned by Orbia, a Mexican-listed polymers and infrastructure group, so the digital product competes for investment against pipe manufacturing and building materials rather than being the parent’s core business.
  • Availability and support depth vary sharply by country: strong in Israel, India, Australia and parts of Europe, much thinner in North America, so a grower’s experience depends on whether a competent local Netafim team exists.

Pricing, plan by plan

Nedap Livestock Management

On request
  • Nedap CowControl$undefined/year
    • Smarttag Neck or Leg sensors per animal
    • Barn antennas, readers and processor unit
    • Heat, health and rumination applications
  • Nedap Velos$undefined/year
    • Electronic sow feeding and separation
    • Heat detection for group housing
    • Nedap Now cloud access

Netafim NetBeat

On request
  • NetBeat$undefined/year
    • Requires NetMCU field controller
    • NetRTU remote terminal units per monitored or controlled point
    • Monitor, analyse and automate modules

Which should you pick?

Choose Nedap Livestock Management if

  • You need smarttag neck and leg.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows.
  • You also want heat detection.
Nedap Livestock Management review

Choose Netafim NetBeat if

  • You need netmcu controller.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want netrtu remote units.
Netafim NetBeat review

Questions people ask

Is Nedap Livestock Management or Netafim NetBeat better?
Neither clearly leads. Nedap Livestock Management starts at On request and Netafim NetBeat at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Nedap Livestock Management or Netafim NetBeat?
Nedap Livestock Management starts at On request and Netafim NetBeat at On request.
Does Nedap Livestock Management or Netafim NetBeat run on more platforms?
Nedap Livestock Management runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows. Netafim NetBeat runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Nedap Livestock Management best used for?
Nedap Livestock Management is most often used for a 500-cow loose-housed dairy where finding a single flagged cow by eye wastes twenty minutes a time, a sow unit moving to group gestation housing that needs electronic feeding to comply with welfare rules, a farm that wants heat detection independent of the milking parlour manufacturer, an equipment maker embedding proven animal monitoring rather than developing sensors in-house. Of those, a 500-cow loose-housed dairy where finding a single flagged cow by eye wastes twenty minutes a time and a sow unit moving to group gestation housing that needs electronic feeding to comply with welfare rules are not what Netafim NetBeat is typically brought in for.
What can Nedap Livestock Management do that Netafim NetBeat cannot?
Nedap Livestock Management covers Smarttag Neck and Leg, Heat detection, Health monitoring, RealTime positioning. Netafim NetBeat covers NetMCU controller, NetRTU remote units, Irrigation model, Fertigation control.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Nedap Livestock Management: Can I buy Nedap direct?

Usually not. It sells through regional dealers and through OEM partners who rebadge the technology, so your quote and your support both come from an intermediary.

Netafim NetBeat: Can I use NetBeat with a controller I already own?

No. It requires Netafim’s NetMCU controller, with NetRTU units for distributed sensing and valve control.

Nedap Livestock Management: Am I already using Nedap without knowing?

Possibly. Several dairy equipment manufacturers embed Nedap sensing under their own brand names, so check what the tags in your barn actually are before buying a second system.

Netafim NetBeat: Is NetBeat sold as a standalone subscription?

Not in practice. It is quoted as part of an irrigation system design by a local Netafim office, with no published rate card.

Nedap Livestock Management: What does RealTime positioning need?

Additional in-barn antenna coverage beyond what basic heat detection requires, which is why it is cheaper to specify at installation than to add later.

Netafim NetBeat: Who owns Netafim?

Orbia, the Mexican-listed materials and infrastructure group, holds the majority. That shapes how much investment the digital line attracts.

Nedap Livestock Management: Does it work with my milking parlour?

It integrates with several major parlour and herd management systems, but the depth varies by partner, so confirm the specific combination before ordering.

Netafim NetBeat: Does it handle fertigation as well as irrigation?

Yes, injection scheduling and dosing run off the same crop and soil model as water application.

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