GrownBy vs. Farmhand
Compare GrownBy and Farmhand for CSA sales. Farmhand charges $80–$200/month plus 3% and 4% processing. GrownBy starts at $0 with a 2% co-op fee.
Updated October 2026
The short answer: Farmhand charges $80 or $200 a month plus a 3% service fee on sales and 4% processing on cards and SNAP/EBT, a 7% stack on every order. GrownBy's CSA plan is $50 a month plus a 2% co-op fee, with card processing from 2.75% + $0.20 and free SNAP Online. Counting every fee, Farmhand costs about 40% more than GrownBy at any sales level. Both platforms let customers cover fees at checkout, which changes who pays but not what the sale costs, and Farmhand's ask of the customer is 7% against GrownBy's 2%. Farmhand is a farmer-founded private company. GrownBy is a cooperative owned by the farmers who sell on it.
At a glance
Feature | GrownBy | Farmhand |
|---|---|---|
Ownership | Farmer-owned cooperative (farmer-sellers own 90%) | Farmer-founded private company |
Monthly plan | $0 Free; $50 CSA; $85 Custom CSA ($540–$918/year) | $80 Business or $200 Business Pro |
Platform fee on sales | 2% co-op fee on card and ACH sales | 3% service fee on what you sell |
Card processing | 2.75% + $0.20 (Fortis) or 2.9% + $0.30 (Stripe) | 4% |
SNAP/EBT processing | SNAP Online free; in person $0.10 per transaction | 4% |
ACH | 1%, up to $5 | 1% |
Setup fee | None | None |
Customers can cover fees | Yes, the co-op fee as an optional or required contribution | Yes, all fees can be passed to customers |
CSA subscriptions and installments | Yes | Yes |
Customizable boxes | Yes, matched to your harvest | Yes |
Delivery routing | Pickup and delivery schedules | Multi-driver routing with proof-of-delivery photos |
In-person register | GrownBy Register, a native iOS and Android app with SNAP/EBT | SNAP/EBT in person via the platform |
Wholesale | GrownBy Wholesale marketplace | Wholesale and retail tools |
Website | Store link to share, or link from your own site | Branded 3-page site (Business) or multi-page site with blog (Business Pro) |
Marketing | Shopper app and map, Meta and Google ads tracking | Email and SMS campaigns, $1,000 marketing credit on Business Pro |
Shopper marketplace | Yes | Not listed |
What it actually costs in a year
Here's the full first-year cost for a CSA farm with $50 average orders on GrownBy CSA and Farmhand Business. The first two columns are the total cost of selling, including the plan fee, card processing, and any platform fee, no matter who pays it. The last two show the farm's share when customers cover what each platform lets them cover. GrownBy figures use Fortis processing.
Annual online sales | GrownBy, total fees | Farmhand, total fees | GrownBy, farm's share if customers cover the 2% co-op fee | Farmhand, farm's share if customers pay the 7% surcharge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Plan fee (included in every total) | $540 CSA plan + $72 Fortis | $960 Business plan | $540 CSA plan + $72 Fortis | $960 Business plan |
$25,000 | $1,900 | $2,710 | $1,400 | $960 |
$50,000 | $3,187 | $4,460 | $2,187 | $960 |
$100,000 | $5,762 | $7,960 | $3,762 | $960 |
$150,000 | $8,337 | $11,460 | $5,337 | $960 |
The fees are the fees, whoever pays them. Counting everything, Farmhand costs about 40% more than GrownBy at every sales level, because 3% + 4% is a lot more than 2% + 2.75%. Farmhand's $960 floor only appears when every customer pays a 7% surcharge at checkout; on $50,000 in sales that is $3,500 coming out of your members' pockets instead of yours, which is a higher price for your CSA, not a lower cost. GrownBy lets customers cover its co-op fee too, and that is a 2% ask instead of 7%. Most farms land somewhere in between, so the question to ask is what your customers will accept at checkout and what the sale costs in total.
Assumptions: $50 average order, all payments by card, regular (non-member) GrownBy pricing, Farmhand pricing from farmhand.partners as of October 2, 2026.
Where GrownBy stands out
Lower rates. A 2% co-op fee and 2.75% processing against Farmhand's 3% and 4%. On $50,000 in sales, that's about $1,275 a year before anyone covers anything.
A smaller ask of your customers. Covering GrownBy's fee adds 2% at checkout. Covering Farmhand's adds 7%.
Free SNAP Online. GrownBy was the first farm platform to offer SNAP Online, at no cost. Farmhand charges 4% on SNAP payments.
A native register app. GrownBy Register runs on iOS and Android with card readers from the Stripe M2 to the PAX A920 for EBT, with no co-op fee on in-person sales.
Wholesale and a shopper marketplace. Sell to restaurants on GrownBy Wholesale and be found by shoppers in the GrownBy app.
You own it. Farmhand was founded by a farmer; GrownBy is owned by its farmers, who elect the board and share in the profits.
Where Farmhand may fit better
You run home delivery routes with several drivers and want routing and proof-of-delivery photos built in.
You want a done-for-you website and marketing, including SMS campaigns and the Business Pro marketing credit.
Your customers will accept a 7% add-on at checkout and you want the lowest possible fixed cost for the farm itself.
You run a herdshare, which Farmhand supports directly.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Farmhand cost?
Farmhand Business is $80/month and Business Pro is $200/month, plus a 3% Farmhand service fee on sales, 4% processing on card and SNAP/EBT payments, and 1% on ACH. There is no setup fee or contract, and fees can be passed to customers.
Is GrownBy cheaper than Farmhand?
Yes. Counting every fee, Farmhand costs roughly 40% more than GrownBy at every sales level: about $4,460 against $3,187 on $50,000 in sales. Farmhand can show a lower number for the farm only when customers pay a 7% surcharge on every order. GrownBy lets customers cover its 2% co-op fee, a much smaller ask, and the farm's share is then $2,187.
Do both platforms accept SNAP?
Yes. GrownBy offers SNAP Online for free and SNAP/EBT in person through GrownBy Register at $0.10 per transaction. Farmhand accepts SNAP/EBT online and in person at 4%.
Who owns Farmhand and GrownBy?
Farmhand is an independent private company founded by a farmer. GrownBy is run by Farm Generations Cooperative, in which farmer-sellers own 90% and employees own 10%.
Book a CSA demo to see your CSA on GrownBy.
Farmhand pricing is from farmhand.partners as of October 2, 2026. Prices change, so check their site before you decide. See something out of date? Let us know.