Herdwatch is the most widely used farm management app in Ireland and the UK, with over 18,000 livestock farms using the platform. It covers herd management, cattle movements, medicine records, breeding management, and compliance reporting. The mobile-first design makes it genuinely easy to use in the yard or field. But Herdwatch was built primarily for the Irish market, and UK farms have different compliance requirements: the transition from BCMS to the Livestock Information Service (LIS), SFI26 evidence management, Red Tractor assurance, and England-specific subsidy schemes. For UK livestock farmers who need deeper compliance integration or who run mixed operations (livestock plus arable), there are alternatives worth evaluating.
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Best for: Arable and mixed farms that need crop planning, input tracking, field management, and SFI compliance evidence alongside basic livestock records.
Gatekeeper (now owned by Telus Agriculture) has been the most popular farm management software in the UK for arable operations for years. The platform covers field mapping, crop planning, spray and fertiliser records, input cost tracking, harvest recording, and compliance reporting. The FACTS-qualified input recording is a key feature for agronomists and advisers.
Gatekeeper has the strongest SFI26 evidence management capabilities of any farm platform in the UK. Environmental management records, soil assessment logs, and scheme compliance evidence can be recorded and reported in the formats that RPA inspectors expect.
The limitation: Gatekeeper's livestock management is less developed than Herdwatch's. It handles basic animal records and movements but does not match Herdwatch's depth in breeding management, herd performance analysis, or mobile-first livestock recording. For predominantly livestock farms, Gatekeeper is stronger on the arable/environmental side than the livestock side.
Pricing: Quote-based. Mid to upper range. See our Gatekeeper alternatives guide for pricing context.
Best for: Large livestock farms and multi-property enterprises that need comprehensive grazing management, animal performance tracking, and labour recording.
AgriWebb is an Australian-origin platform that has expanded into the UK market. The platform covers livestock management, grazing planning, animal treatments, breeding records, and farm labour tracking. The grazing management tools are the standout: paddock-by-paddock tracking of stock movements, stocking rates, and pasture utilisation.
For large beef and sheep operations running across multiple land parcels, AgriWebb provides visibility of animal performance and grazing efficiency that simpler platforms (including Herdwatch) do not match. Multi-property management is a core capability rather than an afterthought.
The limitation: AgriWebb is enterprise-priced and designed for larger operations. Small family farms with under 100 head will find it more system than they need. The Australian heritage means some features are still oriented toward Australian farming practices. UK-specific compliance features (BCMS/LIS, SFI, Red Tractor) are less developed than Gatekeeper's.
Pricing: Enterprise. Quote-based. Scaled by herd size and farm area.
Best for: UK farms wanting modern GPS field mapping, crop management, and livestock records in a single platform with an intuitive mobile interface.
xFarm Technologies is an Italian company that entered the UK market in late 2024, with plans to expand to 700,000 hectares over the following three years. The platform combines field mapping with satellite imagery, crop management, input records, and livestock management in a unified mobile-first interface.
The GPS mapping tools are strong: field boundaries, soil types, and satellite vegetation indices are integrated into the management workflow. For farms that want visual, map-based management rather than spreadsheet-style recording, xFarm is the most modern option in this comparison.
xFarm is actively developing UK-specific functionality. Major improvements are planned for autumn 2026, including SFI evidence management and UK subsidy scheme integration.
The limitation: xFarm is newer to the UK market than Gatekeeper or Herdwatch. The UK-specific features are still developing. The livestock management module is functional but less deep than Herdwatch for specialist livestock operations (pedigree breeding, detailed health protocols, performance benchmarking).
Pricing: Mid-range. Freemium model with paid tiers for advanced features.
Best for: Mixed farms that want livestock records, crop management, financial tracking, and equipment maintenance in a single online platform.
Farmbrite is a US-origin online farm management platform that covers both livestock and crop operations. The platform handles individual animal records (including pedigrees, breeding history, health events, and performance data), crop production tracking, expense management, and equipment maintenance scheduling.
For mixed farms that currently use Herdwatch for livestock and a separate system (or spreadsheets) for arable, Farmbrite consolidates everything into one platform. The financial tracking tools (expense categories, profit analysis per enterprise) go beyond what most farm management software offers.
The limitation: Farmbrite is US-built. UK compliance features (BCMS/LIS, SFI, Red Tractor) are not native. You would need to manage UK-specific compliance reporting separately. The pricing is in US dollars. Customer support operates on US time zones.
Pricing: From approximately $35 per month (US pricing). Free trial available.
Best for: Small livestock farms that need basic digital record-keeping at the lowest possible cost.
Livestock Manager Pro offers straightforward animal record-keeping: individual animal records, breeding dates, health treatments, movements, and basic reporting. The interface is simple and the learning curve is minimal.
For farms transitioning from paper records or basic spreadsheets, this type of platform provides digital traceability without the complexity of full farm management software.
The limitation: no crop management, no field mapping, no financial tracking, no SFI compliance tools. This is purely a livestock record-keeping tool, not a farm management platform. For farms with any arable operation or environmental scheme participation, it will need supplementing.
Pricing: Budget-friendly. Lower than Herdwatch for basic functionality.
| Platform | Best For | Livestock | Arable/Crops | SFI26 | UK LIS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herdwatch | Livestock-only, mobile-first | Excellent | None | Limited | Developing |
| Gatekeeper | Arable/mixed, SFI compliance | Basic | Excellent | Strongest | Yes |
| AgriWebb | Large grazing, multi-property | Excellent | None | Basic | Developing |
| xFarm | GPS mapping, modern interface | Good | Good | Developing | Developing |
| Farmbrite | Mixed farms, financial tracking | Good | Good | None | No (US-built) |
| Livestock Manager Pro | Small herds, basic records | Basic | None | None | Limited |
The transition from BCMS to the Livestock Information Service (LIS) in England is creating a natural switching point for many farms. All cattle movement recording platforms need to update their integrations. If you are already facing disruption from the LIS changeover, it is a logical time to evaluate whether your current platform still fits your needs.
Gatekeeper has the most established UK integration. xFarm is actively developing LIS connectivity. Herdwatch's UK LIS status should be verified directly before relying on it for cattle movements in England. See our BCMS to LIS transition guide for detailed coverage of what the changeover means for farm software.
Farm diversification creates software complexity that no off-the-shelf platform handles well. A farm running a beef herd, an arable rotation, a holiday let in a converted barn, and a farm shop selling direct to consumers needs four different types of software: livestock management, crop management, booking/property management, and retail/inventory. None of the platforms in this comparison covers all four.
For diversified farms where the manual effort of maintaining separate systems and transferring data between them consumes significant time, a bespoke farm system that unifies all operations can reduce administration and improve decision-making. See our farm diversification software guide for more on this approach.
Gatekeeper (best for mixed farms with SFI compliance), AgriWebb (best for large grazing operations), xFarm (best for GPS field mapping with livestock), Farmbrite (best for mixed farms needing one system), and Livestock Manager Pro (most affordable for small herds).
Herdwatch was built for Ireland's AIMS system. The BCMS-to-LIS transition means UK integration is developing. Check directly with Herdwatch for current UK LIS status. See our BCMS to LIS guide.
Herdwatch starts from approximately £100 to £150 per year. Gatekeeper and xFarm are mid-range. AgriWebb is enterprise-priced. Farmbrite starts at about $35 per month. Factor in UK compliance capabilities, not just subscription cost.
Gatekeeper has the strongest SFI26 compliance. xFarm is developing SFI support for autumn 2026. Herdwatch's SFI features are limited for England. See our SFI26 evidence guide and SFI scheme requirements article.
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