In short
- All eight track each horse's shoeing cycle; they differ on routing, payment on the spot and offline use.
- For one farrier, listed prices run from $20 to $79 a month, with free tiers at FarrierIQ, EQUINET and Stables.
- Most farriers are still paid by check, so recording checks matters as much as a card reader.
How farriers actually get paid
The American Farriers Journal's 2026 business survey is a useful reality check. Three in four full-time farriers text clients every day. Every farrier surveyed takes checks and nearly all take cash, while fewer than a quarter take credit cards. The average full-time farrier works on 212 horses a year. Software that only shines at card payments solves the smaller problem.
The eight, side by side
| Product | Price as listed | Runs on | Route planning | Paid on the spot | Offline | Trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iForgeAhead | $20 a month; multi-farrier $35; texting $27 a year; offline app $24 a year | Browser | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | With add-on | 30 days |
| Best Farrier | $30.99 a month | iPhone, Android | Not mentioned | Records payments | Most tasks | 1 month |
| The Farriers App | $59 a month; extra user $25 | iPhone, Android, web | Navigation to each stop | Yes, card | Yes | 30 days |
| FarrierIQ | Free (15 horses); $39, $79 or $199 a month | Web | Yes | Yes | Says offline-first | Free plan |
| FarriTech | Not published | Browser | Yes | Records payments | Not mentioned | 30 days |
| EQUINET | Free core; $12.99, $29 or $69 a month | iPhone, Android, web | Not mentioned | Tracks payments | Offline notes | Free core; 30 days |
| Gatepost | $79 a month, up to 5 people | Web, iPhone, iPad, Android | Yes | Yes, link or reader | Yes | Not stated |
| Stables | Free to start; payment fees | Web | Coming soon | Yes, card or bank | Not mentioned | Free |
Notes on each
iForgeAhead
The low-cost, long-running choice: a browser-based back office with a due list that updates each horse's date and strong reports. Texting and offline use are small paid add-ons.
Best Farrier
A simple phone app built by a farrier, quick for invoicing by text or email. It works offline for most tasks, and you can be signed in on one device at a time.
The Farriers App
Fuller featured, with logins for your team and your bookkeeper, card payments and offline use. Each extra field user costs more.
FarrierIQ
AI features, including route optimization, even on its free tier, with tiers capped by number of horses. Its own blog and pricing page quote different prices; go by the pricing page.
FarriTech
Browser-based, with route planning and a QR code clients scan to book themselves. It does not publish a price.
EQUINET
From Mustad: a shared horse record that owners, farriers and vets can all see, plus a business tier. The only one here whose site confirms a QuickBooks and Xero connection, on its two top plans.
Gatepost
One flat price for a team of up to five, with routing, barn stops with several owners, a card reader and offline use. A young product, by its own description.
Stables
Barn software that farriers can also use, free to start with payment fees. A good fit if most of your work is at boarding barns already on it. Route optimization is listed as coming soon.
How to choose
- Start from your worst day. If it is the route, shortlist FarrierIQ, FarriTech and Gatepost. If it is chasing payment, shortlist The Farriers App, Gatepost and Stables.
- Test it in your worst barn. Open the app with no signal and record a visit before you decide.
- Count every user. An apprentice or a second truck changes the price on several plans.
- Bring your history. Ask how your horses, cycles and balances come across, and who enters them.
Where Kavalo fits
Farrier apps run the round. They do not answer the phone while you are under a horse. Kavalo Front Office covers the customer side: a booking page, reminders by text and email, a customer list, text-to-pay invoices and a text back to every missed call; AI Ranch Hand answers calls with your approved answers and books the visit. One record per horse with its cycle and the day's round built by barn are not part of Front Office; White Glove sets those up, and our guide to rounds and farm calls shows how they fit together.
Questions people ask
Will it work at a barn with no signal?
Best Farrier, The Farriers App, EQUINET and Gatepost say they work offline; iForgeAhead does with its remote app add-on.
Can one barn stop cover horses with different owners?
Gatepost describes barn stops with several owners, and Stables groups work by barn. Ask the others to show you one invoice per owner from a single stop.
Do I need a QuickBooks connection?
Only if your bookkeeper wants one. EQUINET confirms QuickBooks and Xero on its top plans; The Farriers App offers a bookkeeper login and exports.
Can clients book themselves?
FarriTech describes a QR code for self-booking. Most farriers still decide the round themselves and let clients confirm.
Is there a per-appointment fee?
None of the listed plans charge per appointment, but text messages and card payments can carry their own costs. Check both.
Sources
Every price and feature above is as listed on each company's own pages, checked October 25, 2026. A feature marked "not mentioned" may still exist; ask the company.
