Equine software comparison

BarnOps vs BarnManager: Which Equine Management Software Is Right for Your Barn?

BarnOps and BarnManager are both recognized equine facility management platforms, but they are built for different operating models. BarnManager is known in the sport horse world for records and client management. BarnOps is built for the operational layer: staff teams, GPS accountability, weather-based care workflows, billing, and daily coordination.

By the BarnOps team · Published · Updated

Who is BarnManager built for?

BarnManager is a cloud-based barn management platform used by sport horse facilities, dressage barns, hunter/jumper operations, and performance horse programs. Its strengths are horse record keeping, client communication, appointment scheduling, and invoicing on higher plans.

  • ✓Sport horse facilities where detailed horse records are the priority.
  • ✓Smaller operations where the manager handles most daily tasks.
  • ✓Barns where billing and horse health records are the core need.
  • ✓Operations without large hourly staff teams.

Who is BarnOps built for?

BarnOps is operations-first equine facility management software for boarding barns, training operations, and working horse farms that manage employees, boarders, horses, daily care, billing, and communication in one system. BarnOps is available on the web and through native iOS and Android apps.

  • ✓Boarding barns with hourly staff teams.
  • ✓Working horse farms managing multiple employees across a property.
  • ✓Facilities where payroll disputes, missed care tasks, and after-hours communication are recurring problems.
  • ✓Barns that need billing, records, scheduling, and staff accountability in one system.

How do BarnOps and BarnManager compare feature by feature?

BarnOps includes GPS-verified staff clock-in, timestamped care logs, and weather-based care alerts on every plan. The table below lists each feature side by side; where BarnManager's current feature set is not confirmed, the table says so.

Horse health records

BarnOps
Yes
BarnManager
Yes

Medication tracking

BarnOps
Yes
BarnManager
Yes

Feeding logs

BarnOps
Yes
BarnManager
Yes

Vet and farrier records

BarnOps
Yes
BarnManager
Yes

Arena and lesson scheduling

BarnOps
Yes
BarnManager
Yes

Boarding billing

BarnOps
Yes (Command plan)
BarnManager
Yes (Pro plan)

Lesson invoicing

BarnOps
Yes (Command plan)
BarnManager
Yes (Pro plan)

Stripe payments

BarnOps
Yes
BarnManager
Yes

GPS staff time tracking

BarnOps
Yes
BarnManager
No

Staff clock-in/out with location

BarnOps
Yes
BarnManager
No

Payroll dispute documentation

BarnOps
Yes
BarnManager
No

BlanketOps weather alerts

BarnOps
Yes
BarnManager
No

Automated care workflows

BarnOps
Yes
BarnManager
No

Role-based access

BarnOps
Yes
BarnManager
Partial

Native iOS and Android apps

BarnOps
Yes
BarnManager
Yes

Boarder portal

BarnOps
Yes
BarnManager
Limited

Starting price

BarnOps
$79/month
BarnManager
Varies by plan

What is the main difference between BarnOps and BarnManager?

The main difference is focus: BarnManager can be a fit for barns that mostly need records, scheduling, or billing (check its current feature set), while BarnOps is built for the daily operating layer: staff accountability, GPS-verified time tracking, timestamped care logs, weather-based horse care workflows, and role-based visibility for everyone at the barn.

That difference matters most when a facility has hourly staff. Once multiple people are feeding, turning out, administering medications, changing blankets, logging incidents, and answering boarder questions, the barn needs more than a digital filing cabinet. It needs a verified operating record.

How does BarnOps handle billing and records?

BarnOps Command includes boarding billing, lesson billing, service charges, invoice generation, payment tracking, and Stripe-connected payments. Those billing records sit beside the same horse care records, feeding plans, treatment logs, scheduling, and staff activity that drive daily operations.

BarnOps is not just a billing module next to a record module. It connects billing to operational activity, which helps barns capture chargeable services, answer client questions, and reduce end-of-month reconciliation.

What does BarnOps cost for a barn your size?

BarnOps costs the same flat monthly price no matter how many horses or people your barn has: Core is $79/month and Command, which adds billing and payments, is $99/month. Both plans include unlimited users and unlimited horses.

That means a 12-stall barn and a 60-stall barn pay the same, and adding a seasonal groom, a new instructor, or five new boarders does not change the bill. Before you decide, write down what you pay BarnManager today: the base price, any per-horse or per-user charge, and any add-ons you need for billing or payments. Then compare that total with $79 or $99.

What does switching from BarnManager to BarnOps involve?

Switching mostly means moving your horse list and inviting your people. BarnOps setup walks you through barn details, horses, and people, and you can add horses one at a time or upload them from a CSV file.

  • ✓Export your horse list from BarnManager or your spreadsheet, if you can, and upload it as a CSV during setup.
  • ✓Enter your barn's address so weather-based tools like BlanketOps have a location.
  • ✓Invite staff, managers, instructors, and boarders. Each person gets the access that matches their role.
  • ✓Set up feeding plans and medications on each horse so they show on the AM and PM feeding rounds.
  • ✓On Command, connect your Stripe account and set up board packages and service prices before you send the first invoice.
  • ✓Use the 14-day free trial to run BarnOps next to BarnManager for a couple of weeks before you switch over.

What should you ask BarnManager before you decide?

The best way to compare is to ask each vendor the same questions about your own barn. These are the questions that usually decide it for working barns:

  • ✓Is there a per-horse, per-user, or per-module charge, and what will the bill be when the barn grows?
  • ✓Can staff clock in and out on their phones, and does the record show where they were?
  • ✓Does every feeding, medication, and blanket change record who did it and when?
  • ✓Can a boarder see their own horse's care without seeing the rest of the barn?
  • ✓Can charges for extra services come from what staff logged, instead of being typed in at month end?
  • ✓Is there a phone app for iPhone and Android that staff use in the aisle?
  • ✓Can you export your records if you leave?

Which platform should you choose?

Choose BarnManager if its current feature set matches your barn and staff accountability, GPS tracking, automated blanketing, and operational audit trails are not priorities.

Choose BarnOps if you run a boarding barn, training operation, or working horse farm with employees and need one platform for staff accountability, horse care records, scheduling, communication, forms, billing, and daily operational visibility.

Frequently asked questions

Does BarnManager have GPS time tracking?

BarnManager is not positioned around GPS-verified staff clock-in and clock-out the way BarnOps is. BarnOps includes GPS time tracking as a core feature so every staff clock event records time and location.

Can BarnOps replace BarnManager?

For barns that need records, scheduling, billing, staff accountability, and mobile field workflows in one platform, BarnOps can replace separate barn management tools. Barns should compare current feature availability against their exact workflow before switching.

Which is better for a boarding barn with employees?

BarnOps is built specifically for boarding barns and working horse farms with staff teams. GPS time tracking, timestamped care logs, role-based access, and automated care workflows address operational problems that records-first or billing-first platforms do not fully solve.

Does BarnOps include billing?

Yes. BarnOps Command includes recurring board charges, service charges, lesson invoicing, invoice generation, payment tracking, and Stripe-connected payments.

Does BarnOps have a free trial?

Yes. BarnOps offers a free 14-day trial on Core and Command plans. The app is available on web, iOS, and Android.

Can I try BarnOps without canceling BarnManager?

Yes. BarnOps has a 14-day free trial on both plans, so you can set up your barn and run both for a couple of weeks before you decide.

Can I import my horses into BarnOps?

Yes. During setup you can add horses one at a time or upload a CSV file of your horse list.

Next step

See how BarnOps handles the operational side of running a real barn.

BarnOps Core starts at $79/month. BarnOps Command adds boarding billing, lesson invoicing, service charges, and Stripe-connected payments for $99/month.