Managing livestock used to mean a drawer full of notebooks, a shoebox of receipts, and a calendar pinned to the barn wall. It worked — until it didn't. A missed vaccination, a lost breeding record, or a forgotten vet visit can cost real money and compromise animal welfare. That's why more ranchers and small farmers are turning to mobile apps to keep their herds organized.

But with dozens of options on the market, finding the right app is its own chore. Some are overloaded with features you'll never use. Others charge subscription fees that don't make sense for a 30-head operation. And plenty of them require an internet connection — not exactly helpful when you're standing in a pasture with one bar of signal.

We tested the most popular livestock management apps available in 2026 and ranked them based on price, usability, offline capability, and how well they serve small-to-mid-size operations. Here are the six best free (or affordable) options worth your time.

1. Barnsbook — Best Free All-Around Option

Barnsbook is a straightforward livestock management app built for ranchers and small farmers who want to track their animals without wrestling with complicated software. It covers the essentials — individual animal records, health logs, breeding tracking, weight history, and expense tracking — without burying you in menus or requiring a tutorial to get started.

What sets Barnsbook apart is its commitment to simplicity and privacy. There's no account creation required. You download the app, and you're recording animals within a minute. All your data stays on your device, which means it works fully offline. Whether you're tagging calves in a back pasture or reviewing records at the kitchen table with no Wi-Fi, everything is right there.

Pros:

  • Completely free with no hidden paywalls or subscriptions
  • Works offline — no internet connection needed after download
  • No account or sign-up required; your data stays on your device
  • Clean, fast interface designed for use in the field
  • Covers cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and other livestock species
  • Tracks health events, breeding, weights, and expenses in one place

Cons:

  • iOS only — no Android or desktop version currently available
  • No multi-user or cloud sync features for operations with multiple managers
  • Fewer advanced reporting tools compared to premium desktop software

Pricing: Free. No in-app purchases, no subscriptions, no ads.

For solo operators and small farms, Barnsbook hits the sweet spot. It does what most ranchers actually need without the overhead of enterprise-level platforms. If you're tracking expenses across your whole farm, you might also find CropsBook useful for managing crop and garden records alongside your livestock operation.

Barnsbook is free to download. Download on the App Store — no account needed, works offline.

2. CattleMax — Best for Serious Cattle Operations

CattleMax has been a fixture in the cattle management world for over two decades. Originally a desktop program, it now offers a cloud-based platform and companion mobile app. It's built specifically for cattle producers and goes deep on the features that matter for beef and dairy operations: EPD tracking, calving records, herd performance analysis, and detailed reporting.

If you're running a registered herd or need to generate reports for breed associations, CattleMax is hard to beat. The software integrates with electronic ID readers and scales, and the reporting tools are genuinely powerful. It's the kind of program that can grow with your operation from 50 head to 500.

Pros:

  • Deep cattle-specific features including EPD and performance tracking
  • Strong reporting tools for breed associations and production analysis
  • Integrates with EID readers, scales, and other hardware
  • Long track record with a dedicated support team
  • Cloud sync between desktop and mobile

Cons:

  • Subscription pricing can be steep for smaller operations
  • Learning curve is significant — this is not a pick-up-and-go app
  • Focused on cattle; less useful if you run mixed livestock
  • Mobile app is a companion to the desktop platform, not a standalone tool

Pricing: Plans start around $15/month for the basic tier. A free trial is available, but there is no permanent free plan. Desktop licenses are also available as one-time purchases.

CattleMax is overkill for a small hobby farm, but if cattle are your primary business and you need detailed production data, it earns its price. For a direct comparison, see our Barnsbook vs. CattleMax breakdown.

3. Herdwatch — Best for Compliance and European Farms

Herdwatch started in Ireland and has become one of the most popular farm management apps in Europe, with over 25,000 users. It's designed to simplify compliance with government regulations — particularly the movement reporting, medicine records, and tagging requirements that European farmers deal with daily.

The app handles cattle, sheep, and pig record-keeping with a strong focus on regulatory compliance. If you're in the EU or UK and need to file herd registers, movement notifications, or medicine logs, Herdwatch can save you hours of paperwork. It also includes a basic financial tracking module and field management tools.

Pros:

  • Excellent compliance tools for EU and UK farming regulations
  • Simple interface that works well for farmers who aren't tech-savvy
  • Covers cattle, sheep, and pigs with species-specific workflows
  • Integrates with government systems for automatic report submission in some regions
  • Active development with regular feature updates

Cons:

  • Most useful features are locked behind paid plans
  • Compliance tools are heavily focused on European regulations — less value for US ranchers
  • Free tier is quite limited in the number of animals and features available
  • Requires an account and internet connection for many features

Pricing: Limited free plan available. Paid plans start around €99/year, with pricing varying by country and herd size.

If you're farming in Europe and compliance is your biggest headache, Herdwatch is purpose-built for you. For US-based operations, the value proposition is weaker. Read our full Barnsbook vs. Herdwatch comparison for more detail.

4. Farmbrite — Best for Diversified Farm Management

Farmbrite takes a broader approach than most livestock-only apps. It's a full farm management platform that covers livestock, crops, finances, tasks, and even direct-to-consumer sales. If you're running a diversified operation — say, cattle plus a market garden plus a few bee hives — Farmbrite tries to be the one tool that manages it all.

The livestock module lets you track individual animals, health events, breeding, and weights. But the real draw is how that integrates with the rest of the platform. You can assign tasks to employees, track feed costs against revenue, manage pasture rotations, and generate financial reports across your entire farm business.

Pros:

  • All-in-one platform covering livestock, crops, finances, and sales
  • Good for farms with employees — includes task management and user roles
  • Pasture and land management tools integrated with livestock tracking
  • Web-based with mobile access; works on any device with a browser
  • Direct sales and CSA management features for farm-to-table operations

Cons:

  • The breadth of features means each module is less deep than specialized tools
  • Requires internet access — no true offline mode
  • Interface can feel overwhelming for users who just need animal records
  • Free plan is limited; most farms will need a paid subscription

Pricing: A free starter plan is available with limited features. Paid plans start around $15/month, with higher tiers for larger operations and additional users.

Farmbrite shines for medium-sized diversified farms that want one dashboard for everything. If you're a solo rancher focused primarily on livestock, it may be more platform than you need. Check out our Barnsbook vs. Farmbrite comparison for a closer look.

5. Livestock Manager Pro — Best for Multi-Species Tracking

Livestock Manager Pro is a mobile app built for farmers who manage multiple species and want straightforward digital record-keeping. It handles cattle, sheep, goats, horses, pigs, and poultry with a consistent interface across all animal types. The app focuses on the core tasks: recording births, tracking health treatments, managing breeding cycles, and monitoring weights over time.

It's a practical choice for hobby farmers and homesteaders who keep a mix of animals. The interface won't win any design awards, but it's functional and lets you get records entered quickly. It also supports data export, so you can pull your records into a spreadsheet when you need to.

Pros:

  • Supports a wide range of livestock species in a single app
  • Simple, no-frills interface for quick data entry
  • Export records to CSV for external reporting
  • One-time purchase option available — no recurring fees on some plans

Cons:

  • Interface feels dated compared to newer apps
  • Limited reporting and analytics capabilities
  • Smaller user community and less frequent updates
  • Some features require in-app purchases to unlock

Pricing: Free version with basic features. Premium unlocks are available through one-time in-app purchases, typically under $10.

If you keep goats, chickens, a couple of horses, and a small cattle herd, and you want one simple app to track them all, Livestock Manager Pro covers the basics at a low cost.

6. Agrivi — Best for Data-Driven Farm Planning

Agrivi sits at the more sophisticated end of the spectrum. It's a farm management platform originally designed for crop operations, but it has expanded into livestock tracking as part of its comprehensive farm planning suite. The platform uses weather data, task automation, and analytics to help farmers plan their seasons and optimize production.

For livestock, Agrivi tracks animal inventories, health records, and feed management. But where it really stands out is the financial analytics and planning tools. If you want to understand the true cost of production per animal or plan your feed purchasing months in advance based on herd projections, Agrivi provides that level of detail. It's also popular with farmers who manage both livestock and crops and want unified financial reporting. If you're also managing bee colonies alongside your livestock, tools like HiveBook can complement your operation with dedicated apiary tracking.

Pros:

  • Powerful analytics and financial planning tools
  • Weather integration for operational planning
  • Combines crop and livestock management in one platform
  • Task automation and workflow management features
  • Well-suited for farms focused on optimizing profitability

Cons:

  • Steep learning curve — designed for data-oriented users
  • Livestock module is less mature than the crop management tools
  • Pricing is on the higher end for smaller operations
  • Requires consistent internet access for most features
  • Can feel like enterprise software for a family farm

Pricing: Free trial available. Paid plans start around $20/month, with pricing scaling based on farm size and features needed.

Agrivi is best suited for farmers who love data and want to run their operation like a business with detailed financial metrics. For a straightforward record-keeping tool, it's more than most small operators need.

How We Picked These Apps

We evaluated livestock management apps based on criteria that matter most to working ranchers and small farmers:

  • Price: We prioritized apps with genuine free tiers or low-cost options. Subscription fatigue is real, and many small operators can't justify $200/year for software.
  • Ease of use: If you can't figure out how to add an animal in under two minutes, the app has failed its core job. We tested each app's onboarding experience and day-to-day workflow.
  • Offline capability: Ranches don't always have reliable internet. Apps that require constant connectivity lose points for practical field use.
  • Core feature set: At minimum, a livestock app should track individual animals, health events, breeding records, and basic expenses. Anything less is a glorified notebook.
  • Species support: While some farmers only run cattle, many small operations are diversified. We noted which apps support multiple species and which are cattle-only.
  • Privacy and data ownership: Your herd data is your business. We considered whether apps require accounts, where data is stored, and what happens to your records if you stop paying.

We also drew on existing resources like our guides to livestock record-keeping habits and expense tracking for taxes to evaluate how well each app supports real-world workflows.

Which App Is Right for You?

The best app depends on your operation, your budget, and how much complexity you're willing to manage. Here's a quick decision guide:

  • You want something free that just works: Barnsbook. No cost, no account, no internet needed. Ideal for small herds and solo operators who value simplicity.
  • You run a serious cattle operation and need deep analytics: CattleMax. The subscription is worth it if cattle performance data drives your breeding and culling decisions.
  • You farm in Europe and need compliance tools: Herdwatch. Purpose-built for EU and UK regulatory requirements with direct government integrations.
  • You run a diversified farm and need one platform for everything: Farmbrite. Best if you're managing livestock, crops, employees, and direct sales under one roof.
  • You keep multiple species on a homestead: Livestock Manager Pro. Simple, affordable, and handles a range of animal types without fuss.
  • You're data-driven and want to optimize profitability: Agrivi. Best for operators who want detailed financial analytics and production planning.

No single app is perfect for every operation. Many farmers end up using a combination — a simple mobile app for daily field records and a desktop tool or spreadsheet for deeper analysis. The important thing is to get your records out of your head and into a system you'll actually use.

If you're looking for a solid starting point, Barnsbook gives you the essentials at zero cost. You can always layer on more specialized tools as your operation grows. And if you're building out your herd health program or refining your breeding season preparation, having reliable digital records makes every management decision easier.