Intensified pasture-based systems have proven to be the most profitable option for the Uruguayan dairy industry. However, it is unknown if their biophysical performance is attainable with voluntary milking systems (VMS), an alternative recently explored to make dairy more attractive to future generations. The aim of this study was to compare milk production (MP) of two pasture-based production systems: a conventional milking system (CMS), where cow flow is forced, and a VMS, where cow flow is voluntary. A farmlet study was conducted at the experimental dairy farm of the National Institute of Agriculture Research (INIA), Colonia, Uruguay.