Comparison
Mucknotes vs a spreadsheet
Most barns keep records in a notebook by the feed room or a spreadsheet on the kitchen laptop. Both work. Here is what changes when the record book listens.
Competitor details were read from their own published pricing and help pages on 15 July 2026 and may have changed since — check their site before you decide. Facts about our apps are current as of 24 September 2026.
Side by side
| Mucknotes | a spreadsheet | |
|---|---|---|
| Getting a record in | Say it, with a lead rope in the other hand. One sentence can file records for several animals. | Type it, later, when you remember. |
| Next due date | Set for you from a per-species care library; overdue and due-soon on one board; the phone can notify you. | Whatever formula or memory you maintain. |
| Coggins | 365-day re-pull reminder and a roster PDF (Homestead). | A column, if you keep one. |
| Questions | "What did I worm him with last time?" answered from your records (Homestead). | Scroll and find. |
| Sharing with staff or boarders | Ranch: tasks, team logins, per-client PDFs, an activity log of who did what. | Share the file; no record of who changed what. |
| Price | Free for 2 animals; $9.99 or $39.99 a month beyond that. | Free. |
| Works without a signal | No — filing a record needs a connection. | Yes. |
| Owning the data | Your records export; deleting the account erases them within 30 days. | It is your file. |
Who should pick which
Pick a spreadsheet if…
You have one or two animals, you are disciplined about writing things down, you do not need reminders, and you want nothing that needs a signal or a subscription. A spreadsheet is free and it is yours.
Pick Mucknotes if…
You keep more animals than you can hold dates for in your head, you are usually holding something when the thing happens, or other people work in your barn. The Free plan covers two animals so you can find out whether talking to the record book sticks.
Try Mucknotes
The Free plan needs no card. Read what Mucknotes does and what it costs, or open it now.