Softwr

Agriculture · head to head

SMARTBOW vs Valley Irrigation

SMARTBOW logo

SMARTBOW

Agriculture

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

From
On request
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: 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.; 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: SMARTBOW covers Real-time location, Valley Irrigation covers Remote monitoring.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where SMARTBOW and Valley Irrigation differ
AttributeSMARTBOWValley Irrigation
Starting priceOn request$29/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWindows, Web, iOS, AndroidWeb, 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 SMARTBOW

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

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.

SMARTBOW

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

Valley Irrigation

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

Where each one falls short

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

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.

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

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

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 SMARTBOW if

  • You need real-time location.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want heat detection.
SMARTBOW 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 SMARTBOW or Valley Irrigation better?
Neither clearly leads. SMARTBOW starts at On request and Valley Irrigation at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SMARTBOW or Valley Irrigation?
SMARTBOW starts at On request and Valley Irrigation at $29/month.
Does SMARTBOW or Valley Irrigation run on more platforms?
SMARTBOW runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android. Valley Irrigation runs on Web, Ios, Android, Hardware.
What is SMARTBOW best used for?
SMARTBOW is most often used for a 1,500 cow freestall barn where finding a flagged animal by eye takes twenty minutes, a dairy replacing visual heat detection with per-animal oestrus alerts to tighten calving intervals, a herd manager wanting rumination-based early warning of displaced abomasum or metritis, a vet practice using behavioural data to audit transition cow management across client herds. Of those, a 1,500 cow freestall barn where finding a flagged animal by eye takes twenty minutes and a dairy replacing visual heat detection with per-animal oestrus alerts to tighten calving intervals are not what Valley Irrigation is typically brought in for.
What can SMARTBOW do that Valley Irrigation cannot?
SMARTBOW covers Real-time location, Heat detection, Rumination monitoring, Health alerts. Valley Irrigation covers Remote monitoring, Variable rate irrigation, GPS guidance, Water management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

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
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.

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
SMARTBOW: Who owns it?

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

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
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.

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
Share

Related pages

More on SMARTBOW

More on Valley Irrigation

Keep looking

Other head to heads