Most farm websites fall into one of two camps: a monthly subscription platform, or a site you own outright. We build the second kind — but we'd rather help you choose well than talk you into the wrong thing. So here's the straight version.
An Honest Comparison
Own It or Rent It?
There are two good ways to sell your beef, eggs, or produce online. Neither is wrong. Here's the real tradeoff — laid out plainly — so you can pick the one that actually fits your operation.
Subscription platforms
Barn2Door, GrazeCart, Local Line, Shopify
What they're genuinely great at
- All-in-one operations. Inventory, subscriptions, local-delivery and pickup routing, customer messaging, marketing tools — built in.
- A team behind you.Dedicated support, onboarding help, and a steady stream of new features you don't have to think about.
- Built for scale.If you're running delivery routes, large subscriber bases, or complex logistics, these platforms shine.
The tradeoff
- A monthly fee, for as long as you sell — it adds up over the years.
- You're renting. Stop paying and the storefront goes with it.
Best if:you want a fully managed operation with logistics and support handled, and the monthly cost is worth it to you. If that's you — honestly, go with one of these.
Own your site
Pasture Cart
What we're genuinely great at
- You own everything. The site, the domain, and your customer list are yours — not rented, not held hostage.
- Pay once. A flat $499, then no required monthly bill. Ever.
- Simple and beautiful. A clean storefront for your products, live in about a week, no tech skills needed.
The tradeoff
- We're not a full logistics suite. No built-in delivery routing or subscription engine.
- Want us to handle ongoing edits? That's an optional $59.99/mocare plan — but you're never locked in.
Best if: you want a storefront you control, a simpler product line, and no recurring bill eating your margins. Your site, your customers, your call.
The honest math
Take the best-known farm platform, Barn2Door. Its entry plan runs about $99/month on annual billing plus a one-time $399 setup — roughly $1,587 your first year, then ~$1,188 every year after. Local Line and GrazeCart start in the same $99/month range. Shopify is cheaper at $29–39/month, but it isn't built for farms — no CSA shares, no bulk-meat-by-the-cut, no sell-by-weight, so you end up bolting on paid apps.
Our build is $499, one time— about a third of a first year on Barn2Door, and the gap only widens after that. Add our optional care plan and it's $59.99/month, cancel any time, and you keep your site either way.
None of that makes subscriptions a bad deal — you're paying for real logistics, support, and constant updates, and for a busy all-in-one operation that can be money well spent. It just means the right answer depends on what you actually need. If you need all those tools, they're worth it. If you mostly need a great place to sell, owning is hard to beat.
Competitor pricing shown is publicly listed as of June 2026 and can change — always check their current pricing pages.
Still not sure?
Tell us about your operation and we'll give you a straight answer — even if that answer is “a subscription platform is a better fit for you.” No pressure, no pitch you don't need.