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Agriculture · head to head

Tend vs Valley Irrigation

Tend logo

Tend

Agriculture

Crop planning and record keeping for small diversified market farms, priced in flat tiers rather than by acre

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Valley Irrigation logo

Valley Irrigation

Agriculture

Smart irrigation management systems

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Tend has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Tend the free tier keeps only three years of history and 500 MB of storage, so a grower who stays on it loses the multi-season comparison that makes crop planning software worth having in the first place.; 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: Tend covers Visual crop planning, Valley Irrigation covers Remote monitoring.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Tend and Valley Irrigation differ
AttributeTendValley Irrigation
Starting priceFree$29/month
Pricing modelPer month by user countsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Hardware
FoundedUnknown1946

Identical on both: 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 Tend

  • Visual crop planning
  • Growing templates
  • Crop library
  • Task management
  • Harvest and inventory tracking
  • CSA and sales storefront
  • Financial reporting
  • AI credits

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.

Tend

  • A three-acre market garden running weekly lettuce successions that needs the seeding calendar to generate itself from the harvest targetnot Valley Irrigation
  • A cut-flower farm planning bed space against wedding orders months aheadnot Valley Irrigation
  • A CSA operation managing 150 member shares alongside the planting plan that has to fill themnot Valley Irrigation
  • A two-person farm replacing a spreadsheet and a whiteboard without paying a per-acre platform's minimumnot Valley Irrigation

Valley Irrigation

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

Where each one falls short

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

Tend

  • The free tier keeps only three years of history and 500 MB of storage, so a grower who stays on it loses the multi-season comparison that makes crop planning software worth having in the first place.
  • Data retention is a paid feature at every level below Ultimate, which is an unusual thing to meter: a farm that downgrades from Pro to Free after a bad year risks losing records it may need for organic certification audits.
  • There is no machinery, telematics, soil sampling or variable-rate capability at all, so any operation that adds broadacre ground has to run a second platform rather than extend this one.
  • AI features are metered in credits rather than included, and the allowances are small at the lower tiers, so the assistant becomes something you ration rather than rely on.
  • The company is small and privately held with a narrow customer base, which means integrations outside payments and basic accounting are thin and a request for a connector to a regional distributor or certifier is unlikely to be built.

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

Tend

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 user
    • 25 AI credits per month
    • 3 years data retention
  • Pro$30/month
    • 5 users
    • 500 AI credits per month
    • 7 years data retention
  • Ultimate$75/month
    • Unlimited users
    • 2,500 AI credits per month
    • Unlimited data retention
  • Enterprise$400/month
    • Unlimited users
    • 10,000+ AI credits per month
    • 250 GB storage and up

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 Tend if

  • You need visual crop planning.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want growing templates.
Tend 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 Tend or Valley Irrigation better?
Neither clearly leads. Tend starts at Free and Valley Irrigation at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Tend or Valley Irrigation?
Tend has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Tend and $29/month for Valley Irrigation.
Does Tend or Valley Irrigation run on more platforms?
Tend runs on Web, iOS, Android. Valley Irrigation runs on Web, Ios, Android, Hardware.
Can I use Tend for free?
Yes. Tend has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Valley Irrigation starts at $29/month.
What is Tend best used for?
Tend is most often used for a three-acre market garden running weekly lettuce successions that needs the seeding calendar to generate itself from the harvest target, a cut-flower farm planning bed space against wedding orders months ahead, a csa operation managing 150 member shares alongside the planting plan that has to fill them, a two-person farm replacing a spreadsheet and a whiteboard without paying a per-acre platform's minimum. Of those, a three-acre market garden running weekly lettuce successions that needs the seeding calendar to generate itself from the harvest target and a cut-flower farm planning bed space against wedding orders months ahead are not what Valley Irrigation is typically brought in for.
What can Tend do that Valley Irrigation cannot?
Tend covers Visual crop planning, Growing templates, Crop library, Task management. Valley Irrigation covers Remote monitoring, Variable rate irrigation, GPS guidance, Water management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Tend: Does Tend charge by the acre?

No. Pricing is flat by user count, and there are no acreage or crop limits on any tier including the free one. That is the main reason small growers pick it over broadacre platforms.

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
Tend: Can Tend handle a CSA?

Yes, including member share management and a farm-stand storefront, though payment processing runs through a third party.

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
Tend: Is it suitable for a 500 acre grain farm?

No. There is no machinery data, no prescription writing and no as-applied reporting. It is built for high-crop-count, low-acreage operations.

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
Tend: What happens to my records if I cancel?

Export before you cancel. Retention limits apply per tier, and the free tier keeps three years, so downgrading is not a safe archive strategy.

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
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