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Agriculture · head to head

Netafim NetBeat vs SMARTBOW

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
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: 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.; 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: Netafim NetBeat covers NetMCU controller, SMARTBOW covers Real-time location.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Netafim NetBeat and SMARTBOW actually diverge.

Attributes where Netafim NetBeat and SMARTBOW differ
AttributeNetafim NetBeatSMARTBOW
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWindows, Web, 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 Netafim NetBeat

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

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.

Netafim NetBeat

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

SMARTBOW

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

Where each one falls short

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

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.

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

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

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 Netafim NetBeat if

  • You need netmcu controller.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want netrtu remote units.
Netafim NetBeat 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 Netafim NetBeat or SMARTBOW better?
Neither clearly leads. Netafim NetBeat starts at On request and SMARTBOW at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Netafim NetBeat or SMARTBOW?
Netafim NetBeat starts at On request and SMARTBOW at On request.
Does Netafim NetBeat or SMARTBOW run on more platforms?
Netafim NetBeat runs on Web, iOS, Android. SMARTBOW runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
What is Netafim NetBeat best used for?
Netafim NetBeat is most often used for a new orchard planting netafim drip that wants scheduling and fertigation designed in from the start, a grower under a water allocation who needs per-block application records for the regulator, a vine operation trying to reduce fertiliser cost by dosing to crop stage rather than a fixed programme, a block with a persistent emitter clogging problem where flow deviation alerts find it before yield drops. Of those, a new orchard planting netafim drip that wants scheduling and fertigation designed in from the start and a grower under a water allocation who needs per-block application records for the regulator are not what SMARTBOW is typically brought in for.
What can Netafim NetBeat do that SMARTBOW cannot?
Netafim NetBeat covers NetMCU controller, NetRTU remote units, Irrigation model, Fertigation control. SMARTBOW covers Real-time location, Heat detection, Rumination monitoring, Health alerts.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

SMARTBOW: Who owns it?

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

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.

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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