Cuddles has a tidy tag system and its own integrated payments through Adyen. It's US-billed, priced per location, and caps staff on the entry plan. If you're a single US salon, it's neat. If you're Australian and adding staff or sites, the caps and the exchange rate both cost you.
Bulk Marketing SMS with consent handling, with Communications Booster
Review Collection
Built-in with dashboard and trends
Report Card star rating plus email review requests and SMS ones with Communications Booster
Memberships
Full membership system with auto-billing
Full membership system with configurable benefits, window-based usage tracking, overage handling, and Stripe billing
Promo Codes
With usage and revenue tracking
Retail Inventory
With barcode scanning (Elite)
Products on invoices and in-store, no stock control
Package Management
Self-service 24/7 purchase with visual credit tracking
Multi-Location
Premium and Elite, per location
Yes (Enterprise)
SMS Reminders
Included in all paid plans, 500-2,000 credits/month by tier (USD)
Included with Business Pro, Flex & Max plans
2-Way Messaging
Premium and Elite only (not on Starter)
Communications Booster add-on with dedicated AU number
Marketing SMS
Included in all plans
Bulk Marketing SMS with consent handling, with Communications Booster
Australian Phone Number
Not confirmed. No mention of international support
Australian number with Communications Booster
Currency
USD. Plans from $79-199/mo
AUD (no conversion fees)
Last checked 31st August 2026. Every row in full is in the comparison notes.
Calculate your potential savings
Enter your business numbers and compare total costs including international card and currency conversion fees.
Cost Comparison Calculator
See exactly what you save with Petboost
Start from a business like yours
$2K$50K$100K
11020
Cuddles
Starter
Subscription$111/mo($79 USD)
Payment processing$332/mo
Int'l card fee (+1.5%)+$150/mo
Currency conversion (+1%)+$100/mo
Total$693/mo
3 users per location. 500 SMS credits/month (two-way SMS on Premium and Elite only). Cuddles Pay (Adyen) 2.9% + $0.30. US merchant: int'l card + FX fees apply for AU cards.
Save $358/mo
Petboost
Business Pro
Subscription$0 (waived)
Stripe processing (AU 1.65% + $0.30)$195/mo
Booking fee (1.4%)$140/mo(build into pricing)
Staff fees$0 (unlimited)
Foreign card fees$0 (AU Stripe)
Total$335/mo
If the booking fee is built into pricing: $195/mo
Annual savings: $4,300
Compared to Cuddles Starter at 100 transactions/month
Cuddles pricing from their pricing page. Verified 2026-09-22. USD converted to AUD at current exchange rates.
Cuddles vs Petboost FAQs
Common questions about switching and comparing these platforms.
Comparison notes
The full detail behind the table above, section by section.
The USD subscription attracts your card's international transaction fee. Processing only differs if you use Cuddles Pay rather than your own terminal or your own Stripe account
P
Petboost
Built in Sydney
Australian
Founded
2022
Headquarters
Sydney, Australia
Focus
Multi-vertical pet services
Customers
Australian pet businesses, running since 2022
Australian presence
Native. Built in Sydney, with Australian data residency, same-timezone support and pricing in AUD.
Scale
300+ pet businesses and 500,000+ bookings processed.
Pricing
$65-240/mo plus a 1.2-1.4% booking fee on card payments. Subscription $0 once your card volume reaches $7,500 a month on Pro, or $20,000 on Max.
No lock-in, cancel anytime
Where each platform excels
An honest look at how each platform handles key functionality.
Feature comparison
Cuddles vs Petboost
Dashboard / Operations View
Day-of-operations management interface
Petboost significantly more powerful for operational management
C
Cuddles
Basic booking list with status tabs (Upcoming, Here, Completed)
P
Petboost
Mission Control with kanban, group-by, a run sheet and an hourly graph of the day
Scheduling
Appointment and resource scheduling
Petboost has much deeper scheduling intelligence
C
Cuddles
Basic day calendar with two modes (Work Schedule or Multi-Slots)
P
Petboost
Availability debugger, resource scheduling, session-based capacity, team scheduling
Course Management
Training course and class scheduling
Petboost has course templates with multi-session enrolment
C
Cuddles
One-on-one sessions, group classes and training packages
P
Petboost
Native courses with templates and enrolment
Pet Owner Booking Experience
Self-service booking flow for pet owners
Petboost eliminates registration friction with phone-first auth
C
Cuddles
Online booking with basic flow
P
Petboost
Passwordless phone login, progressive info collection, smart eligibility filtering
Pet & Owner Profiles
Pet and owner record management
Both solid; Petboost has more tabs and policy overrides
C
Cuddles
Good profiles with emergency contacts, authorized pickups, notification toggles
P
Petboost
Nine tabs, plus Messages and Care & Grooming Templates when they apply, with per-customer policy overrides & collaborative management
Pet Tags / Attributes
Pet-level behavioural and characteristic tags
Petboost has larger library; Cuddles has nice sentiment categorisation
C
Cuddles
Positive/negative tag system with ~20 defaults (Biter, Cage Shy, Friendly, etc.)
P
Petboost
1,600+ pre-built attributes across 48 categories
Payment Processing
Card payment rates
CuddlesPay bills in USD; Petboost uses Stripe in Australia
Included in all paid plans, 500-2,000 credits/month by tier (USD)
Petboost
Included with Business Pro, Flex & Max plans
2-Way Messaging
Cuddles
Premium and Elite only (not on Starter)
Petboost
Communications Booster add-on with dedicated AU number
Marketing SMS
Cuddles
Included in all plans
Petboost
Bulk Marketing SMS with consent handling, with Communications Booster
SMS Payment Links
Cuddles
Pay by link (delivery channel not stated)
Petboost
SMS payment links
Australian Phone Number
Cuddles
Not confirmed. No mention of international support
Petboost
Australian number with Communications Booster
Currency
Cuddles
USD. Plans from $79-199/mo
Petboost
AUD (no conversion fees)
Total SMS Cost (2-way)
Cuddles
$79-199/mo plan, with two-way SMS and 500-2,000 credits included (USD)
Petboost
Business Pro, Flex or Max plan + Communications Booster add-on (AUD)
SMS Functionality
Cuddles
Petboost
SMS Reminders
Included in all paid plans, 500-2,000 credits/month by tier (USD)
Included with Business Pro, Flex & Max plans
2-Way Messaging
Premium and Elite only (not on Starter)
Communications Booster add-on with dedicated AU number
Marketing SMS
Included in all plans
Bulk Marketing SMS with consent handling, with Communications Booster
SMS Payment Links
Pay by link (delivery channel not stated)
SMS payment links
Australian Phone Number
Not confirmed. No mention of international support
Australian number with Communications Booster
Currency
USD. Plans from $79-199/mo
AUD (no conversion fees)
Total SMS Cost (2-way)
$79-199/mo plan, with two-way SMS and 500-2,000 credits included (USD)
Business Pro, Flex or Max plan + Communications Booster add-on (AUD)
Who each platform suits
Consider Cuddles only if
There are limited scenarios where Cuddles may suit you better:
US-based grooming salons wanting a simple, grooming-first platform
Groomers who want built-in review collection
Businesses comfortable with US-based support
Recommended
Petboost?
Purpose-built for Australian pet businesses with a design-first approach our customers rave about:
Multi-service operators needing grooming + daycare + boarding + training in one platform
Australian pet businesses wanting local support and AUD payments
Businesses wanting intelligent scheduling with availability debugging and resource management
Operators who need a modern, fast UI (Cuddles has noticeable 2-4 second page loads)
Businesses that want courses and multi-session class management
Operators wanting mission control dashboards with kanban views and a run sheet
From large daycares to solo groomers, businesses Australia-wide
Real cost comparison
Based on typical Australian pet business transaction volumes. * For illustrative purposes only, based on industry averages. Your actual costs may vary.
Cost Type
Cuddles
Petboost
Annual Subscription (Premium)
~$2,748 AUD (~$1,908 USD)
$780/year (waived at $7,500+/mo)
Subscription FX/Foreign Tx Fees (~10%)
~$275 AUD
$0 (AU-based)
Payment Processing (Card-Present 30% on $200K GMV)
~$2,289 AUD (2.9% + $0.30 with intl fees)
Stripe 1.65% + $0.10
Payment Processing (Online 70% on $200K GMV)
~$6,219 AUD (2.9% + $0.30 with intl fees)
Stripe 1.65% + $0.30
Petboost Booking Fee
N/A
1.2-1.4% on card payments
Total Annual Cost
~$11,531 AUD
The subscription and rates above, applied to your volume
You may be paying twice with Cuddles
$79-199 USD/month per location subscription (plus FX fees for Australian cards), plus CuddlesPay: 2.9% + $0.30 USD (vs Stripe 1.65% + $0.30 through Petboost; Petboost booking fee 1.2-1.4%). With Petboost, you pay $65/month (waived at $7,500+ in card payments), a booking fee on card payments (1.2% to 1.4% by plan), and Stripe's Australian rate as a separate Stripe charge.
Any saving depends on your business size and payment volume, and is an estimate. If you take cards on your own EFTPOS terminal rather than through Cuddles, the processing difference does not apply to you. Use the calculator above for a personalised estimate. See your numbers
Making the switch
It's easier than you think. Here's what to expect if you decide to move from Cuddles.
Migration Complexity
Customer Data
Export available; import assistance provided
Medium
Booking History
Loaded for you from your go-live date; you review and confirm it
Medium
Pet Profiles
Pet data including weight, breed, and notes can be migrated
Medium
Timeline
Core data typically across within 24 hours of access (terms apply), calendar loaded for you, you confirm it
Still unsure?Book a no-pressure demo and we'll help you figure out if we're the right fit, even if that means recommending someone else.
Honest about change
The little bit of pain is generally 4 to 6 weeks. Then it clicks.
Switching to any new system is a big adjustment. Buttons are in different places, naming might be different, and the muscle memory you have built does not transfer overnight. We tell every customer the same thing: give it 4 to 6 weeks. Then, one day, you realise it is so much better.
Petboost fits your business. Whether you're a one-person mobile groomer, running a large facility with multiple staff and spaces, or managing several locations at once.
Solo Superstars
One-person operations with streamlined scheduling and automated payments.
1-tap booking management
Automated invoicing & receipts
After-hours self-service booking
SMS reminders on autopilot
Growing Teams
3-10 staff with resource management, shared calendars, and team coordination.
Multi-staff scheduling
Per-resource capacity limits
Team permissions & roles
Shared customer database
Large Operations
Multi-space daycare and boarding, high-volume salons, and busy multi-service businesses.
Bulk operations & admin
Multi-space capacity tracking
Volume pricing available
Advanced automation rules
Petboost Enterprise
Multi-location groups and franchises running every site from one HQ dashboard.
Last verified: 31st August 2026 | Pricing and features sourced from www.cuddlesapp.com
Exchange rate: AUD figures converted at 1 USD = $1.44 and 1 GBP = $1.91, the European Central Bank via Frankfurter rate as at . Rates move daily, so the AUD amounts above are indicative; we re-check them every week.
GST: every price on this page is what you actually pay. Where a competitor quotes before GST, we have added the 10%. Where a competitor prices in another currency, the local tax treatment is theirs to set, so check it before you compare.
Found an error? Let us know and we'll correct it promptly.
Cuddles® is a registered trademark of its respective owners. This comparison is based on publicly available information and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Cuddles.
