Pawfinity handles retail inventory, which we don't. It's US-billed, so Australian cards carry conversion and international card fees. If selling shampoo and product lines is a real part of your revenue, buy theirs. If you want Australian rates and one system for grooming, daycare and boarding, we're the closer fit.
The USD subscription attracts your card's international transaction fee, and Pawfinity adds its own 2% fee for non-USD currencies. Processing only differs if you take payments through Pawfinity
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
Pawfinity vs Petboost
Pet Owner Booking Experience
Self-service booking flow for pet owners
Petboost has frictionless phone-first auth; Pawfinity requires account setup
Stripe AU 1.65% + $0.30; Petboost booking fee 1.2-1.4%
SMS Payment Links
SMS payment links
Both: Pawfinity Online Bill Pay notifies clients of an invoice by email or SMS, and they pay on a web form
P
Pawfinity
P
Petboost
Route Optimisation
Mobile route planning with traffic
Pawfinity Mapping & Routes plus Precision Location is generally available. Petboost Magic Optimise is a paid add-on (Trips Booster), capped at 25 stops in one run
P
Pawfinity
P
Petboost
Trips Booster add-on
Inventory Management
Retail stock tracking and POS
Pawfinity has a full inventory system. Petboost sells products but does not track stock levels
P
Pawfinity
P
Petboost
Products on invoices and in-store, no stock control
Time Clock/Payroll
Employee time tracking and payroll
Pawfinity has built-in employee management
P
Pawfinity
P
Petboost
Course Management
Training course lifecycle
Petboost has purpose-built course management
P
Pawfinity
Basic (as appointments)
P
Petboost
Native courses with templates/instances
Package Management
Prepaid package credits
Petboost more customer-friendly for package purchases
P
Pawfinity
Credit packages available
P
Petboost
Self-service 24/7 purchase + coffee-card tracking
Automation
Workflow automation levels
Petboost offers more control over automation
P
Pawfinity
Standard automation
P
Petboost
5 automation settings
SMS/Notifications
Appointment reminders and alerts
Both offer 2-way SMS (Petboost through Communications Booster); Petboost uses Australian +61 numbers
P
Pawfinity
2-way SMS (US-focused)
P
Petboost
SMS from Australian +61 numbers, 2-way inbox via Communications Booster add-on
Accounting Integration
Financial software sync
Petboost via Stripe bank feeds; Pawfinity has direct QuickBooks
P
Pawfinity
QuickBooks Connect
P
Petboost
Stripe (bank feeds to Xero)
Review Management
Customer review collection
Both collect reviews. Pawfinity Review Booster automates the sending; Petboost review requests are sent per appointment by your team
P
Pawfinity
P
Petboost
Report Card star rating with private-feedback routing, plus email review requests and SMS ones with Communications Booster
Document Storage
Digital paperwork and files
Both support secure document storage
P
Pawfinity
P
Petboost
Multi-Location
Multiple business locations
Petboost supports multi-location via Enterprise
P
Pawfinity
Contact for options
P
Petboost
Yes (Enterprise)
Mobile App
Mobile access
Similar web-based mobile approach
P
Pawfinity
Modern App (web-based)
P
Petboost
Pet owner + business full screen web apps
Feature comparison
Pawfinity vs Petboost
P
Pawfinity
USA
P
Petboost
Australian-built
Pet Owner Booking Experience
Self-service booking flow for pet owners
Petboost has frictionless phone-first auth; Pawfinity requires account setup
Stripe AU 1.65% + $0.30; Petboost booking fee 1.2-1.4%
SMS Payment Links
SMS payment links
Both: Pawfinity Online Bill Pay notifies clients of an invoice by email or SMS, and they pay on a web form
Route Optimisation
Mobile route planning with traffic
Pawfinity Mapping & Routes plus Precision Location is generally available. Petboost Magic Optimise is a paid add-on (Trips Booster), capped at 25 stops in one run
Trips Booster add-on
Inventory Management
Retail stock tracking and POS
Pawfinity has a full inventory system. Petboost sells products but does not track stock levels
Products on invoices and in-store, no stock control
Time Clock/Payroll
Employee time tracking and payroll
Pawfinity has built-in employee management
Course Management
Training course lifecycle
Petboost has purpose-built course management
Basic (as appointments)
Native courses with templates/instances
Package Management
Prepaid package credits
Petboost more customer-friendly for package purchases
Credit packages available
Self-service 24/7 purchase + coffee-card tracking
Automation
Workflow automation levels
Petboost offers more control over automation
Standard automation
5 automation settings
SMS/Notifications
Appointment reminders and alerts
Both offer 2-way SMS (Petboost through Communications Booster); Petboost uses Australian +61 numbers
2-way SMS (US-focused)
SMS from Australian +61 numbers, 2-way inbox via Communications Booster add-on
Accounting Integration
Financial software sync
Petboost via Stripe bank feeds; Pawfinity has direct QuickBooks
QuickBooks Connect
Stripe (bank feeds to Xero)
Review Management
Customer review collection
Both collect reviews. Pawfinity Review Booster automates the sending; Petboost review requests are sent per appointment by your team
Report Card star rating with private-feedback routing, plus email review requests and SMS ones with Communications Booster
Document Storage
Digital paperwork and files
Both support secure document storage
Multi-Location
Multiple business locations
Petboost supports multi-location via Enterprise
Contact for options
Yes (Enterprise)
Mobile App
Mobile access
Similar web-based mobile approach
Modern App (web-based)
Pet owner + business full screen web apps
Last checked 19th October 2026 • Based on publicly available information
Built for Australian businesses
US-based software simply can't match these Australian-specific advantages.
$0.035-$0.05 USD tiered by volume. Inbound replies free
Credit packs in AUD, never expire
2-Way Messaging
Available. Conversations in dashboard
Communications Booster add-on with dedicated AU number
Australian Phone Number
Dedicated numbers available via lease. AU availability unconfirmed
Australian number with Communications Booster
SMS Payment Links
Online Bill Pay: invoice link by email or SMS
SMS payment links
Currency
USD primary. AUD billing available with 2% FX fee
AUD native (no FX fees)
Plan Cost (with SMS)
$55-110 USD/mo + $0.035-$0.05/msg overage
Business Pro, Flex or Max plan (AUD)
Who each platform suits
Consider Pawfinity only if
There are limited scenarios where Pawfinity may suit you better:
Mobile groomers needing route optimisation (Mapping & Routes)
Businesses wanting built-in inventory management
Operations needing time clock and payroll features
US-based businesses wanting local support
QuickBooks users (native integration)
Those who prefer fixed monthly subscription pricing
Multi-vertical operations from day one
Recommended
Petboost?
Purpose-built for Australian pet businesses with a design-first approach our customers rave about:
Australian pet businesses wanting local support and compliance
Multi-service operators wanting a subscription waived at $7,500+/month in card payments
Businesses wanting Stripe's Australian rates, billed in AUD
Owners who value granular automation control (5 settings)
Training businesses needing native course management
Anyone wanting SMS Payment Links
Xero users (vs QuickBooks)
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
Pawfinity
Petboost
Annual Subscription
~$950-1,901 AUD (~$660-1,320 USD)
$780/year (waived at $7,500+/mo)
Subscription FX Fees (~2%)
~$19-38 AUD
$0 (AU-based)
Payment Processing (est. 2.9-5%+ with intl fees vs 1.65% on $240K)
~$6,960 AUD
Stripe 1.65% + $0.30 online, 1.65% + $0.10 in person
Petboost Booking Fee
N/A (included above)
1.2-1.4% on card payments
Total Annual Cost
~$7,929-8,899 AUD
The subscription and rates above, applied to your volume
You may be paying twice with Pawfinity
$55-110 USD/month subscription (plus 2% FX fees for Australian payments), plus US-based payment processing: 2.9-5%+ (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 Pawfinity, 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 Pawfinity.
Migration Complexity
Customer Data
Standard data export; import assistance provided
Easy
Booking History
Loaded for you from your go-live date; you review and confirm it
Medium
Package Balances
Credit balances can be migrated
Easy
Inventory Data
Products can be recreated as Petboost retail line items. Stock levels and cost of goods have no equivalent, so keep those in a separate system (e.g., Xero)
Easy
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: 19th October 2026 | Pricing and features sourced from www.pawfinity.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.
Pawfinity® is a registered trademark of its respective owners. This comparison is based on publicly available information and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Pawfinity.
