EasyFarm Review: Pricing, Features & Alternatives for 2023
This article is part of a larger series on Accounting Software.
Overall Score:
2.80 / 5
What We Like
- Includes a chart of accounts customized for farmers
- Lets you create cost centers to track farm profitability by field, crop or herd
- Allows you to connect your bank accounts
- Has unique input screens for easy data entry once the program is mastered
- Can manage both personal and farm funds in a single account
What's Missing
- Cannot track unpaid bills
- Requires additional fee to send and track invoices
- Withholds payroll tax at a flat percentage rate, which isn’t IRS-compliant
- Is a bit expensive compared to other similar software
- Has no fixed asset management features
Are you looking for something different? If you think your farm business can benefit from general-purpose accounting solutions, check out our guide to the best small business accounting software.
EasyFarm Deciding Factors
Supported Users | Independent farmers and ranch managers wanting to track their personal expenses and farm expenses using the same platform |
Pricing |
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Money-back Guarantee | 90 days |
Standout Features |
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Customer Support | Phone and email support, reference and training manuals, and online-self help resources like tutorial videos |
EasyFarm New Feature for 2023
- Improved Crop & Field Manager: This module, which is required for tracking field and crop records, has added new features, such as additional forms for farm setup, more pick lists for faster data entry, and more than 50 reports to help you make better farm management decisions. It also comes with other useful tools, such as a pop-up calculator, calendar and diary, and metric conversions.
EasyFarm Alternatives
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|---|---|---|
Best for: Farmers who need to track unpaid bills and send invoices | Best for: Farmers who require fixed asset accounting | Best for: Small-scale farmers on a tight budget |
Cost: $30 to $200 per month | Cost: Custom quote | Cost: $495 per farm |
EasyFarm vs Competitors
We evaluated EasyFarm and two of its competitors, QuickBooks Online and FarmBooks, across the five categories used in our scoring rubric.
EasyFarm vs QuickBooks Online and FarmBooks FSB Case Study
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EasyFarm From $650 (one-time fee)
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QuickBooks Online Starting at $30 per month
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FarmBooks $495 per farm
Based on our scoring system, EasyFarm has excellent farm-specific accounting features on a par with FarmBooks. EasyFarm is more expensive than FarmBooks, but the one-time fee is easier to maintain than QuickBooks Online’s $80 per user, per month. Despite its low scores on general accounting, ease of use, and expert analysis, it’s still an ideal choice for self-employed farmers with no bookkeeping experience.
EasyFarm offers five products with prices that start at $650 for a perpetual license, including one year of software support. We believe that EasyFarm is among the most affordable software considering that it discloses its pricing information on its website.
The table below shows EasyFarm’s detailed pricing information and a brief comparison of the five editions.
Prices & Features | EasyFarm 8.3 Lite | EasyFarm 8.3 Plus | EasyFarm 8.3 Pro Livestock | EasyFarm 8.3 Pro Crops | EasyFarm Premier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
License Fee | $650 | $760 | $950 | $950 | $1,250 |
One-year Software Support | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Farm Setup | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Ag Inventory | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Check Writing | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Cost Centers | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
FINPACK Reports | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Crop and Field Record Management | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
Livestock Manager | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
Add-ons
- Accounts Receivable Plug-in: $299; add-on to any edition
- EasyFarm Hand Mobile App: $399; add-on to the Crop & Field Manager
- Oil Sales & Royalty Payment Distribution: $229; add-on to EasyFarm Plus and Pro
- Co-op Inventory Management Software: $159; add-on to any edition
EasyFarm Manuals & Device
- Reference and Training Manual ($50): This includes step-by-step guides on how to use the features of the program.
- Anhydrous Management Manual ($50): This guide explains how to use and run the anhydrous management software.
- USB Flash Drive ($15): You can use this 8GB flash drive to store your backup files or transfer data between computers.
EasyFarm Features
To get a glimpse of what EasyFarm can do, watch our video explaining the program’s core accounting features.
Dashboard
EasyFarm has a minimalistic dashboard that’s very easy to navigate. The uncrowded layout only includes important tabs, such as the account ledger, contacts, and reports.
Sample EasyFarm dashboard (Source: EasyFarm)
Single Entry Input
EasyFarm highlights its “single-entry input” approach when recording transactions. This means that you can record multiple items and put them on inventory in a single entry, reducing data entry time.
For instance, if you purchase items like chemicals and seeds, the system will collect the information to add them to the supplies inventory in the same entry that records the cash spent. Single-entry input is achieved with a very specific chart of accounts that indicates to the system the information that needs to be collected for a particular transaction.
EasyFarm scored poorly in our general accounting evaluation because it lacks many essential features we want to see in farm accounting software. For instance, while it includes a customized chart of accounts, bank reconciliation, and check printing, it has no A/P management features, which means you can’t use it to pay bills or track unpaid bills. It has some basic invoicing features, but only if you purchase the A/R module add-on.
Below, we discuss some of the accounting features of EasyFarm.
The program includes a chart of accounts already set up for the agricultural industry, and it’s flexible enough to fit your needs. You can create as many transaction accounts as needed, and you can add and edit subaccounts under each account easily:
EasyFarm Chart of Accounts (Source: EasyFarm)
EasyFarm’s chart of accounts is unique in how it has very specific account types. The different account types allow the program to understand the transaction you’re entering and will collect the unique information for that transaction.
For example, if you choose “Purchase Calves,” the program will reduce your checking account for the expenditure. It will even provide a tab within the check-writing window where you can record quantity and weight purchased for inventory purposes.
The accounts receivable (A/R) module allows you to issue and track invoices, and then subsequently track payments against them. It’s offered as an add-on to any version of the platform. Some small farmers may consider this a major drawback, considering that other similar programs include a built-in A/R module for free.
Sample invoicing form in EasyFarm (Source: EasyFarm)
EasyFarm has improved its A/R feature with its bar and quick response (QR) code scanning feature. A bar or QR code added to an invoice will make it easy for your customers to pay their bills. This feature is especially useful for farmers who sell products like dried fruits, corn, soybeans, cattle, and hogs.
You can record and print checks to send to your suppliers and vendors. You can find the check register on the Transactions menu on your dashboard. From your check register, you’ll find your list of transactions that you can sort by date and vendor.
To create a new check, click on the New button under the Checking tab and provide the required details, such as vendor, date, and amount. You can then print your check, or delete or void it if needed.
Check writing in EasyFarm (Source: EasyFarm)
EasyFarm allows you to reconcile your books to your bank statements to ensure that your accounts are accurate. It currently doesn’t support a direct connection with your bank, but you can import your transactions manually using a comma-separated values (CSV) file. To reconcile bank transactions, click on the checkbox next to the transaction item that has cleared the bank, and then click on the Reconcile button.
EasyFarmHand is a companion app to the Crop and Field Manager, and it helps you enter crop and field records anytime and anywhere. It doesn’t provide bookkeeping features and is only available on Google Play.
This feature allows you to upload a PDF version of a stored receipt or document and then attach it to a transaction in EasyFarm. You can scan the receipt directly within EasyFarm or upload a PDF file from your computer.
EasyFarm has a good selection of reports, and each report can be customized to include only the accounts you need. Available reports include income and expense, cash flow statements, and a balance sheet:
Sample Balance Sheet in EasyFarm (Source: EasyFarm)
EasyFarm did great in this category because it includes almost all the critical features that small farmers need, including crop and financial management and an asset account ledger to manage multiple books. The slight blow to its score is due to its lack of fixed asset accounting, which we believe is important for farmers. Other accounting software we reviewed, such as CenterPoint and The Farmer’s Office, have fixed asset accounting features.
The platform will track both the quantity and weight of your inventory as you make purchases and sales. Based on the account type you select when writing a check, EasyFarm provides a tab to collect quantity and weight and will adjust the correct inventory automatically. It’s very important that you set up your chart of accounts correctly so that you have accounts available for purchases and sales of each inventory item.
You can assign expenditures to cost centers or enterprises, and you can create a cost center to track your income and expenses by fields, herds, and other elements specific to your farm. Cost centers help you allocate your farm resources strategically.
EasyFarm’s livestock and crop management modules, which are offered in separate products, support almost all types and multi-species crop and livestock farms. It provides a single place where you can manage and track herd feedings and crop and livestock growth, organize important records, and measure key performance and metrics to see if your livestock and crops are profitable.
You can use EasyFarm’s preloaded pick lists, which are useful for simplifying the entry of data into the system, or customize your own. Pick lists on the platform include crops, crop type, crop stages, seasons, seed treatment, fertilizer, scouting problems, herbicides, insecticides, chemical application methods, and operator-truckers.
You can export your data easily to Excel or FINPACK for further analysis. FINPACK is a financial and credit analysis software for farm and agricultural producers, professionals, and lenders.
While we found the one-entry method unique, we believe that it’s still challenging to learn and that it takes time to master the software. We expect that experienced bookkeepers will be frustrated with the very unique workflow, but farmers without bookkeeping knowledge may love it once they fully understand how to use it.
Another reason EasyFarm scored poorly in ease of use is because of its lack of integration, such as with payroll and online payment solutions. We believe these features are important to the overall ease of use and functionality of a program.
If you need help with the program or you have questions or concerns, you can talk to EasyFarm support over the phone or email them during their regular support hours. For more in-depth guides, all editions come with a reference and training manual, plus one free year of software support. You can check out EasyFarm’s product demo, tutorial videos, and downloadable materials to see how the program works before buying it.
Our subjective analysis was conducted based on our evaluation of features, mobile app, invoicing, reports, and popularity. EasyFarm failed to score on mobile accounting and fell short in the other categories. Other similar software, such as QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop, are more popular and feature-rich than EasyFarm.
However, despite its low score, we consider it a good choice for farmers. It can be used to handle sales, expenses, and other financial transactions while also having the ability to manage crops, livestock, and other operations that aren’t necessarily related to bookkeeping.
EasyFarm User Reviews
We found very few EasyFarm reviews, which is typical of farm-specific accounting software. Based on the reviews we found, the average score is 4.7 out of 5. The few users who reviewed the product apparently like the odd interface that we find difficult. If you’re a farmer with little bookkeeping experience, then you might really like this program.
EasyFarm Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I use EasyFarm to report my farm income and expenses?
Yes, EasyFarm can be used to report your farm income and expenses on Form 1040.
Do I need to be an accountant to use EasyFarm?
No, you don’t. As long as you have the patience to learn and understand the program, then you should be able to use it for your farm even without an accounting or financial background.
What other farm accounting software can I consider aside from EasyFarm?
If EasyFarm doesn’t meet your needs, then you can check out other options in our guide to the best farm accounting software. If you think general accounting software suits you, then explore our recommendations for the best small business accounting solutions.
Bottom Line
Overall, EasyFarm is an ideal solution for self-employed farmers wanting to track their personal and farm funds in one account. If you only want to stay on top of your farm income and expenses and keep your books organized without needing to track unpaid bills, then it’s a great choice. If you need to bill customers, you’ll have to add the A/R module for an additional fee or try a general bookkeeping program like QuickBooks Online.
