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CLAAS connect or independent farm software? A decision guide

CLAAS offers 365FarmNet customers a move to CLAAS connect. Which farms it suits and when farm record software independent of a machine brand is the better choice.

PhytAI editorial teamPublished 5 min read

Key points

  • CLAAS connect is a data platform around machines, fields and work processes, made up of Machine Connect, Farm Connect, Fleet Connect and Field Connect.
  • Strengths lie in machine data, tracks, yield maps and automatically documented work processes.
  • Independent farm record software usually focuses on statutory documentation, importing open formats and teamwork.
  • Cost: according to KI-Syndikat, 365FarmNet customers get a free transition year in CLAAS connect, with no free plan afterwards.

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CLAAS is switching off 365FarmNet on 30 November 2026 and offers existing customers a move to CLAAS connect. For some farms that is the obvious path, for others it is not. The decision depends less on individual features than on where the data on your farm come from: from machines, or from the people doing the work.

What CLAAS connect offers

According to the 365FarmNet information page on CLAAS connect, the platform offers former 365FarmNet customers among other things:

  • an overview of farms, fields, machines, people and work processes
  • crop rotation planning across several harvest years and seed calculation
  • collective work processes for several fields
  • automatic merging of activities from ISOXML, the app and automatic machine documentation
  • machine data from mixed fleets and tracks
  • field boundaries in the Geocenter, yield maps, NIR values and chopping quality
  • consumption of inputs, fuel and CO₂
  • reports as PDF, CSV or ISOXML and export of work processes as CSV or PDF in the app
  • time-limited sharing of machine data with contractors

agrarheute describes CLAAS connect as CLAAS's central digital platform, available since October 2024. CLAAS dealers provide support.

Who CLAAS connect suits

  • farms with CLAAS machines or telemetry that already use machine data
  • farms that want yield maps, NIR values and tracks in their farm records
  • farms that document work mostly automatically from the machine
  • farms that want to move their 365FarmNet data into a CLAAS environment with as little effort as possible

For this group, being close to their own machinery is a real advantage because data do not have to be shifted between systems.

When independent software fits better

  • Mixed or older machinery: farms with machines from several brands or without telemetry benefit less from automatic machine documentation.
  • Manual work and special crops: in vegetables, fruit, nurseries and under glass, many entries are made by hand, often with many plantings, tank mixes and changing teams.
  • Statutory documentation first: farms that above all want clean, auditable plant protection and fertiliser records need good required-field checks and machine-readable exports more than yield maps.
  • Independence of data: some farms do not want to tie their farm data to a machinery manufacturer, for example because they change equipment and dealers.
  • Predictable costs: if you do not know the costs after the transition year, compare offers before your data sit in a new system.

Decision guide in five questions

  1. Where do most of your data come from? Terminals and telemetry point to a machine platform, manual entries rather to lean farm record software.
  2. Which crops do you grow? Arable and grassland are covered everywhere; vegetables, fruit, nurseries and greenhouses often need more.
  3. Who records? One person in the office, or a team with roles and phones in the field?
  4. What must be proven? Besides plant protection and fertilisation perhaps QS-GAP, organic inspection, irrigation or plant passports.
  5. What will it cost in 2027 and 2028? Ask for prices for the modules you need.

No double work: combining is possible

The decision is not always either-or. Machine data can stay on a manufacturer platform while statutory documentation is kept in farm record software that reads open formats. ISOXML files from terminals and shapefiles of field boundaries can be exchanged between systems. What matters is that in the end one place holds the complete plant protection and fertiliser records and can present them during an inspection.

What to clarify before moving

Whichever way you decide, some points should be settled before the move. Ask which data are transferred and in what form: field boundaries, crops, booked work processes, stock and people. Clarify who on the farm gets which permissions and whether contractors or advisors should have access. Ask to see what an export of your own data looks like before creating entries for the new year. And note the date on which a free period ends, so the decision about follow-up costs is not made under time pressure.

The 2027 duty applies regardless of the system

From 1 January 2027, plant protection applications must be recorded in an electronic, machine-readable format. Whatever you choose, check whether the software records and exports all required details. More in Electronic plant protection records from 2027.

PhytAI as an independent alternative

PhytAI is independent of machine brands and designed for documentation: plant protection records checked against the German approval register (BVL), fertiliser requirement under the DüV, evidence, tasks and contractor orders for the team, for arable farming as well as vegetables, fruit, nurseries and greenhouses. Field boundaries come from shapefile, GeoJSON or ISOXML. Machine telemetry and yield maps are not part of the scope. An overview of other providers is in the comparison of farm record software.

Frequently asked questions

Will my 365FarmNet data be transferred to CLAAS connect automatically? Ask CLAAS directly. For questions about moving data, agrarheute names the address digital-business@claas.com. Back up your data yourself in any case.

Can I still switch after the transition year? Yes, but every switch takes time. If you are moving anyway, you can make a deliberate decision now.

Do I need a machine platform for contractors? Not necessarily. What matters is that the order and the feedback with product, quantity, field and time end up in the farm's records.

Sources

This article reflects the situation on the date shown, based on the sources named, and is not legal advice. Laws, approvals, official decisions and the guidance of the competent authorities prevail.

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