See how RunLoyal's setup fee, add-ons and card fees compare.
RunLoyal will build you a branded app in the app stores, which we don't do. It charges a setup fee and puts SMS, memberships and kiosk behind paid add-ons, so the real bill lands well above the headline. If a branded app is what you're buying, buy theirs. If you want SMS, memberships and kiosk in the box, they're already in ours.
$119-339 USD/month subscription + $25-99/month per add-on + $499 setup fee (plus FX fees for Australian cards)
US Stripe: 2.9% + $0.30 base + 1.5% intl card + 1% FX = ~5.4% (vs Stripe 1.65% + $0.30 through Petboost; Petboost booking fee 1.2-1.4%)
The USD subscription, the add-on fees and the one-off setup fee apply whatever you do about payments, and the subscription attracts your card's international transaction fee. Processing only differs if you take payments through RunLoyal
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
RunLoyal vs Petboost
Monthly Subscription
Base software cost
RunLoyal's subscription is per location in USD; Petboost's is in AUD and waived at $7,500+/month in card payments
R
RunLoyal
$119-339 USD/month per location
P
Petboost
$65/month (waived at $7,500+ in card payments)
Setup Fee
One-time onboarding cost
RunLoyal requires a mandatory setup fee
R
RunLoyal
$499 USD (required)
P
Petboost
$0
Appointment Limits
Monthly appointment caps per tier
RunLoyal appointment limits require higher tiers as businesses grow
R
RunLoyal
500-5,000 per month (varies by tier)
P
Petboost
No appointment cap (an overage fee applies past your plan's allowance)
Staff App Licences
Mobile staff app access
RunLoyal limits staff mobile access per plan tier
R
RunLoyal
1-10 licences per tier; additional $10/month each
P
Petboost
Unlimited staff access
Booking Engine
Appointment scheduling system
Both strong; Petboost has AI-assisted scheduling
R
RunLoyal
Calendar with drag-and-drop, colour coding
P
Petboost
Magic Schedule + Quick Force dual modes
Payment Processing (AU)
Card payment rates for Australian businesses
Significant savings for Australian businesses with Petboost
Different AI focuses; RunLoyal Scout AI is well-developed for report cards
R
RunLoyal
Scout AI (report cards, messaging, insights, vaccination verification)
P
Petboost
AI-assisted scheduling, marketing intelligence
Native Mobile Apps
App store presence
RunLoyal has native apps; Petboost uses PWA approach
R
RunLoyal
Branded iOS + Android apps
P
Petboost
Progressive web app (add to home screen)
Kiosk Check-In
Self-service facility check-in
Both offer counter self-service. RunLoyal charges $39/month per kiosk licence; Petboost Kiosk Mode is included
R
RunLoyal
Express kiosk ($39/month add-on per licence)
P
Petboost
Kiosk Mode on any tablet, included
Phone System
Integrated VoIP calling
RunLoyal has integrated VoIP; niche facility feature
R
RunLoyal
LoyalVoice (add-on)
P
Petboost
Camera Integration
Facility camera feeds in app
RunLoyal supports facility cameras accessible via their app
R
RunLoyal
($25/month + $99 setup)
P
Petboost
Staff Management
Payroll, timesheets, commissions
RunLoyal deeper staff management (paid add-on); use dedicated payroll software with Petboost
R
RunLoyal
Advanced Staff Features in a paid bundle (contents not itemised; payroll, timesheets and commissions not published)
P
Petboost
4 roles with permission matrix, capacity management, working hours, leave management, service eligibility, revenue per hour analytics
Retail POS
In-app retail product sales
Both sell products in-app. RunLoyal's Loyal Cart is a $25/month add-on; Petboost includes products and has no stock control
R
RunLoyal
Loyal Cart ($25/month add-on)
P
Petboost
Products on invoices and in-store, no stock control
Review Management
Automated review requests
RunLoyal automates the sending. External Reviews no longer carries a standalone price and is only listed inside the Growth ($140/mo) and Pro ($239/mo) bundles. Petboost's requests are sent per appointment by a person
R
RunLoyal
External Reviews add-on (Growth or Pro bundle)
P
Petboost
Manual review requests, included: by text with Communications Booster, or copied into an email
Visual Facility Map
Drag-and-drop kennel/room map
RunLoyal has visual kennel management
R
RunLoyal
Available
P
Petboost
Considering
Multi-Location
Multiple business locations
Both support multi-location; Petboost via Enterprise
R
RunLoyal
Per-location pricing
P
Petboost
Yes (Enterprise)
Reporting
Business analytics and insights
Different strengths; Petboost more prescriptive with domain-specific insights
RunLoyal charges for Mailchimp; Petboost connects to Xero via Stripe Bank Feeds
R
RunLoyal
Mailchimp ($25/month + $199 setup)
P
Petboost
Xero-ready via Stripe Bank Feeds, Stripe, more coming
Dynamic Pricing
Occupancy-based pricing adjustments
RunLoyal adjusts by occupancy as a $39/month add-on. Petboost Dynamic Pricing is included and prices by date instead: public holidays, weekdays, date ranges such as school holidays, and per-pet rates
R
RunLoyal
Occupancy Based Pricing ($39/month add-on)
P
Petboost
Holiday, weekday, date-range and per-pet rates
Feature comparison
RunLoyal vs Petboost
R
RunLoyal
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
P
Petboost
Australian-built
Monthly Subscription
Base software cost
RunLoyal's subscription is per location in USD; Petboost's is in AUD and waived at $7,500+/month in card payments
$119-339 USD/month per location
$65/month (waived at $7,500+ in card payments)
Setup Fee
One-time onboarding cost
RunLoyal requires a mandatory setup fee
$499 USD (required)
$0
Appointment Limits
Monthly appointment caps per tier
RunLoyal appointment limits require higher tiers as businesses grow
500-5,000 per month (varies by tier)
No appointment cap (an overage fee applies past your plan's allowance)
Staff App Licences
Mobile staff app access
RunLoyal limits staff mobile access per plan tier
1-10 licences per tier; additional $10/month each
Unlimited staff access
Booking Engine
Appointment scheduling system
Both strong; Petboost has AI-assisted scheduling
Calendar with drag-and-drop, colour coding
Magic Schedule + Quick Force dual modes
Payment Processing (AU)
Card payment rates for Australian businesses
Significant savings for Australian businesses with Petboost
Different AI focuses; RunLoyal Scout AI is well-developed for report cards
Scout AI (report cards, messaging, insights, vaccination verification)
AI-assisted scheduling, marketing intelligence
Native Mobile Apps
App store presence
RunLoyal has native apps; Petboost uses PWA approach
Branded iOS + Android apps
Progressive web app (add to home screen)
Kiosk Check-In
Self-service facility check-in
Both offer counter self-service. RunLoyal charges $39/month per kiosk licence; Petboost Kiosk Mode is included
Express kiosk ($39/month add-on per licence)
Kiosk Mode on any tablet, included
Phone System
Integrated VoIP calling
RunLoyal has integrated VoIP; niche facility feature
LoyalVoice (add-on)
Camera Integration
Facility camera feeds in app
RunLoyal supports facility cameras accessible via their app
($25/month + $99 setup)
Staff Management
Payroll, timesheets, commissions
RunLoyal deeper staff management (paid add-on); use dedicated payroll software with Petboost
Advanced Staff Features in a paid bundle (contents not itemised; payroll, timesheets and commissions not published)
4 roles with permission matrix, capacity management, working hours, leave management, service eligibility, revenue per hour analytics
Retail POS
In-app retail product sales
Both sell products in-app. RunLoyal's Loyal Cart is a $25/month add-on; Petboost includes products and has no stock control
Loyal Cart ($25/month add-on)
Products on invoices and in-store, no stock control
Review Management
Automated review requests
RunLoyal automates the sending. External Reviews no longer carries a standalone price and is only listed inside the Growth ($140/mo) and Pro ($239/mo) bundles. Petboost's requests are sent per appointment by a person
External Reviews add-on (Growth or Pro bundle)
Manual review requests, included: by text with Communications Booster, or copied into an email
Visual Facility Map
Drag-and-drop kennel/room map
RunLoyal has visual kennel management
Available
Considering
Multi-Location
Multiple business locations
Both support multi-location; Petboost via Enterprise
Per-location pricing
Yes (Enterprise)
Reporting
Business analytics and insights
Different strengths; Petboost more prescriptive with domain-specific insights
RunLoyal charges for Mailchimp; Petboost connects to Xero via Stripe Bank Feeds
Mailchimp ($25/month + $199 setup)
Xero-ready via Stripe Bank Feeds, Stripe, more coming
Dynamic Pricing
Occupancy-based pricing adjustments
RunLoyal adjusts by occupancy as a $39/month add-on. Petboost Dynamic Pricing is included and prices by date instead: public holidays, weekdays, date ranges such as school holidays, and per-pet rates
Occupancy Based Pricing ($39/month add-on)
Holiday, weekday, date-range and per-pet rates
Last checked 17th October 2026 • Based on publicly available information
Built for Australian businesses
US-based software simply can't match these Australian-specific advantages.
Businesses wanting no setup fee and a subscription waived at $7,500+/month in card payments
Owners who want memberships, packages and courses on their plan rather than as paid add-ons
Solo operators or small teams looking for simple, modern software
Multi-species pet businesses (not dog-only)
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
RunLoyal
Petboost
Annual Subscription (Sprint + typical add-ons)
~$6,722-9,383 AUD (~$4,668-6,516 USD)
$780/year (waived at $7,500+/mo)
Setup Fee (Year 1)
~$719 AUD ($499 USD)
$0
Subscription FX/Foreign Tx Fees (~10%)
~$672-938 AUD
$0 (AU-based)
Payment Processing (Online 80% on $300K GMV)
~$12,960 AUD (5.4% + $0.30 USD)
Stripe 1.65% + $0.30
Payment Processing (Card-Present 20%)
~$3,240 AUD
Stripe 1.65% + $0.10
Petboost Booking Fee
N/A
1.2-1.4% on card payments
Total Annual Cost
~$24,313-27,240 AUD
The subscription and rates above, applied to your volume
You may be paying twice with RunLoyal
$119-339 USD/month subscription + $25-99/month per add-on + $499 setup fee (plus FX fees for Australian cards), plus US Stripe: 2.9% + $0.30 base + 1.5% intl card + 1% FX = ~5.4% (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 RunLoyal, 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 RunLoyal.
Migration Complexity
Customer Data
Export available; import assistance provided
Medium
Booking History
Past appointments stay in RunLoyal. Notes written on them come across as dated diary entries on each pet where RunLoyal holds them, and upcoming appointments are loaded for you to confirm
Medium
Package Balances
Migrated by our team
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: 17th October 2026 | Pricing and features sourced from www.runloyal.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.
RunLoyal® is a registered trademark of its respective owners. This comparison is based on publicly available information and is not affiliated with or endorsed by RunLoyal.
