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Agriculture · head to head

Pix4Dfields vs SMARTBOW

Pix4Dfields logo

Pix4Dfields

Agriculture

Drone mapping software for agriculture

From
$330/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SMARTBOW logo

SMARTBOW

Agriculture

Ear tag cow monitoring with real-time indoor location, from Zoetis

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Pix4Dfields satellite imagery is sold as separate credit packages on top of the subscription, with only 100 free credits included per year; SMARTBOW real-time location depends on receivers covering the whole barn plus an on-farm server, so the install is a building project and the price bears no relation to what a simple activity collar costs.
  • They diverge on capability: Pix4Dfields covers Orthomosaic generation, SMARTBOW covers Real-time location.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Pix4Dfields and SMARTBOW actually diverge.

Attributes where Pix4Dfields and SMARTBOW differ
AttributePix4DfieldsSMARTBOW
Starting price$330/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWindows, IosWindows, Web, iOS, Android
Founded2011Unknown

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 Pix4Dfields

  • Orthomosaic generation
  • NDVI & vegetation indices
  • Multispectral processing
  • Zonation mapping
  • Prescription maps
  • Stand count
  • Export to machinery
  • Offline processing

Only in SMARTBOW

  • Real-time location
  • Heat detection
  • Rumination monitoring
  • Health alerts
  • On-farm server
  • Individual baselines
  • Herd software integration

What people use each for

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

Pix4Dfields

  • Processing drone imagery of fields into orthomosaics without acreage limitsnot SMARTBOW
  • Generating vegetation indices and crop health maps from aerial surveysnot SMARTBOW
  • Producing variable rate prescription maps for exporting to farm machinerynot SMARTBOW
  • Agronomists producing crop scouting reports from drone flightsnot SMARTBOW

SMARTBOW

  • A 1,500 cow freestall barn where finding a flagged animal by eye takes twenty minutesnot Pix4Dfields
  • A dairy replacing visual heat detection with per-animal oestrus alerts to tighten calving intervalsnot Pix4Dfields
  • A herd manager wanting rumination-based early warning of displaced abomasum or metritisnot Pix4Dfields
  • A vet practice using behavioural data to audit transition cow management across client herdsnot Pix4Dfields

Where each one falls short

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

Pix4Dfields

  • Satellite imagery is sold as separate credit packages on top of the subscription, with only 100 free credits included per year
  • Monthly billing is listed at $165.83 per month against $1,990 for a year, so paying monthly costs substantially more
  • The software runs only on Windows and macOS, with no Linux build

SMARTBOW

  • Real-time location depends on receivers covering the whole barn plus an on-farm server, so the install is a building project and the price bears no relation to what a simple activity collar costs.
  • It is an indoor system; a grazing or partly grazed herd loses the location capability that is the main reason to choose it over cheaper monitoring.
  • Ear tags are consumable and go missing with the tag, so the running cost includes replacements at a rate that depends on how rough your handling facilities are.
  • Zoetis ownership means a pharmaceutical company holds continuous behavioural data on every animal alongside your treatment records, and the integration roadmap favours other Zoetis products.
  • Nothing is published on price, and sales run through veterinary and dealer channels, so comparing it against DeLaval, Nedap or CowManager requires several quotes and there is no reference list price.

Pricing, plan by plan

Pix4Dfields

$330/month
  • Monthly$330/month
    • RGB & multispectral processing
    • Vegetation indices
    • Zonation maps
  • Annual$2640/year
    • Everything in Monthly
    • 33% savings
    • Priority support
  • Perpetual$5500/one-time
    • Lifetime license
    • 1 year updates
    • Local processing

SMARTBOW

On request
  • SMARTBOW$undefined/year
    • Ear tags priced per animal
    • Barn receiver infrastructure and on-farm server quoted per building
    • Installation and commissioning quoted separately

Which should you pick?

Choose Pix4Dfields if

  • You need orthomosaic generation.
  • You work on Windows, Ios.
  • You also want ndvi & vegetation indices.
Pix4Dfields review

Choose SMARTBOW if

  • You need real-time location.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want heat detection.
SMARTBOW review

Questions people ask

Is Pix4Dfields or SMARTBOW better?
Neither clearly leads. Pix4Dfields starts at $330/month and SMARTBOW at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Pix4Dfields or SMARTBOW?
Pix4Dfields starts at $330/month and SMARTBOW at On request.
Does Pix4Dfields or SMARTBOW run on more platforms?
Pix4Dfields runs on Windows, Ios. SMARTBOW runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
What is Pix4Dfields best used for?
Pix4Dfields is most often used for processing drone imagery of fields into orthomosaics without acreage limits, generating vegetation indices and crop health maps from aerial surveys, producing variable rate prescription maps for exporting to farm machinery, agronomists producing crop scouting reports from drone flights. Of those, processing drone imagery of fields into orthomosaics without acreage limits and generating vegetation indices and crop health maps from aerial surveys are not what SMARTBOW is typically brought in for.
What can Pix4Dfields do that SMARTBOW cannot?
Pix4Dfields covers Orthomosaic generation, NDVI & vegetation indices, Multispectral processing, Zonation mapping. SMARTBOW covers Real-time location, Heat detection, Rumination monitoring, Health alerts.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Pix4Dfields: How much does PIX4Dfields cost?

PIX4Dfields costs $111 per month for a monthly subscription plan. The software offers actionable data and insights from drone imagery for high efficiency and productivity in precision agriculture. Source: https://pix4d.com/pricing

Source
SMARTBOW: What does SMARTBOW do that other activity monitors do not?

Real-time indoor location. It tells you where the flagged cow physically is, not just that she is behaving abnormally.

Pix4Dfields: Does PIX4Dfields offer a free trial?

Yes, PIX4Dfields provides a free 15-day trial that requires no credit card to start. You can cancel before renewal without incurring charges, though no refunds are issued upon cancellation. Source: https://pix4d.com/pricing

Source
SMARTBOW: Does it work on grazing herds?

Poorly. Location depends on barn-mounted receivers, so animals out at pasture fall outside the system's coverage.

Pix4Dfields: Can I add cloud processing credits to PIX4Dfields?

Yes, PIX4Dfields subscriptions allow you to add cloud processing credits to your account for additional image processing beyond the standard monthly allocation. Credits can be purchased as needed. Source: https://pix4d.com/pricing

Source
SMARTBOW: Who owns it?

Zoetis, which also owns Valley Agricultural Software and DairyComp. The technology came from Smartbow GmbH in Austria.

SMARTBOW: Is it cloud based?

Analysis runs on an on-farm server rather than in the cloud, which keeps it working during an internet outage but makes the server your responsibility.

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