Already using Cuddles?
Australian businesses save up to ~$500-2,000/year (more at higher volumes)
An honest, side-by-side comparison to help you decide what's right for your Australian pet business.
The Facts at a Glance
Cuddles
www.cuddlesapp.com- Founded
- 2020
- Headquarters
- Miami, Florida, USA
- Focus
- Grooming-focused pet business management
- Est. Customers
- ~2,000
- Pricing
- Freemium ($0 Free, $59 Premium, $195 Elite USD/month)
Double Fee Alert for Australian Businesses
- •$0-195 USD/month subscription (plus FX fees for Australian cards on paid tiers)
- •CuddlesPay: 2.79% + $0.20 USD (vs Petboost 1.7% + $0.3 + 1.2-1.4% booking fee)
Australian businesses pay USD subscription AND international payment processing fees
Petboost
Built in Sydney- Founded
- 2022
- Headquarters
- Sydney, Australia
- Focus
- Multi-vertical pet services
- AU Presence
- Native (built in Sydney)
- Pricing
- $65-240/mo + 1.2-1.4%or $0 with card volume*
*Subscription waived as a bonus reward: Pro at $7,500+/mo, Max at $20,000+/mo in card payments
Consider Cuddles only if
There are limited scenarios where Cuddles may suit you better:
- US-based grooming salons wanting a simple, grooming-first platform
- Solo groomers who need a free tier to get started
- Businesses that want built-in SMS marketing campaigns
- Groomers who want built-in review collection and memberships
- Businesses comfortable with US-based support
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, AUD payments, and GST compliance
- 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 AI summaries
From large daycares to solo groomers, businesses Australia-wide
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
Basic booking list with status tabs (Upcoming, Here, Completed)
Mission Control with kanban, group-by, AI summaries, flow graphs
Scheduling
Appointment and resource scheduling
Petboost has much deeper scheduling intelligence
Basic day calendar with two modes (Work Schedule or Multi-Slots)
Availability debugger, resource scheduling, session-based capacity, team scheduling
Course Management
Training course and class scheduling
Cuddles has no course/class management
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
Online booking with basic flow
Passwordless phone login, progressive info collection, smart eligibility filtering
Pet & Owner Profiles
Comprehensive profile management
Both solid; Petboost has more tabs and policy overrides
Good profiles with emergency contacts, authorized pickups, notification toggles
8 organised tabs 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
Positive/negative tag system with ~20 defaults (Biter, Cage Shy, Friendly, etc.)
2,000+ pre-built attributes with 8+ categories
Payment Processing
Card payment rates
Petboost lower rates for Australian businesses
2.79% + $0.20 USD (CuddlesPay)
1.7% + $0.3 + 1.2-1.4% booking fee
SMS Payment Links
One-tap payment links via SMS
Petboost differentiator
SMS Marketing Campaigns
Built-in SMS campaign builder
Cuddles has built-in SMS campaigns; Petboost uses Marketing Ideas + Mailchimp
Review Collection
Built-in review/feedback system
Cuddles has native review system
Memberships
Recurring membership billing
Cuddles has true recurring memberships; Petboost has prepaid packages
Packages (partial overlap)
Promo Codes
Promotional discount codes
Cuddles has promo codes; Petboost does not yet
Retail Inventory
Product inventory and POS
Cuddles has retail POS; lower priority for Petboost
Package Management
Prepaid package credits
Both have packages; Petboost enables pet owner self-purchase
Self-service 24/7 purchase with visual credit tracking
Reporting
Business analytics and insights
Petboost more capable reporting
Basic Insights dashboard (Premium+)
Reporting & Intelligence with multiple report types
Multi-Location
Multiple business locations
Cuddles has multi-location at highest tier
Mobile App
Mobile access
Both approaches have trade-offs
Native mobile app
Progressive web app with passwordless login, no download required
Referral Program
Built-in customer referral system
Petboost has referral system; Cuddles does not
In-App Messaging
Direct messaging with clients
Petboost has proper messaging; Cuddles relies on SMS campaigns
SMS-based only (no in-app messaging)
Feature Comparison Cuddles vs Petboost | C Cuddles | P Petboost🇦🇺Australian-Built |
|---|---|---|
Dashboard / Operations ViewDay-of-operations management interface Petboost significantly more powerful for operational management | Basic booking list with status tabs (Upcoming, Here, Completed) | Mission Control with kanban, group-by, AI summaries, flow graphs |
SchedulingAppointment and resource scheduling Petboost has much deeper scheduling intelligence | Basic day calendar with two modes (Work Schedule or Multi-Slots) | Availability debugger, resource scheduling, session-based capacity, team scheduling |
Course ManagementTraining course and class scheduling Cuddles has no course/class management | Native courses with templates and enrolment | |
Pet Owner Booking ExperienceSelf-service booking flow for pet owners Petboost eliminates registration friction with phone-first auth | Online booking with basic flow | Passwordless phone login, progressive info collection, smart eligibility filtering |
Pet & Owner ProfilesComprehensive profile management Both solid; Petboost has more tabs and policy overrides | Good profiles with emergency contacts, authorized pickups, notification toggles | 8 organised tabs with per-customer policy overrides & collaborative management |
Pet Tags / AttributesPet-level behavioural and characteristic tags Petboost has larger library; Cuddles has nice sentiment categorisation | Positive/negative tag system with ~20 defaults (Biter, Cage Shy, Friendly, etc.) | 2,000+ pre-built attributes with 8+ categories |
Payment ProcessingCard payment rates Petboost lower rates for Australian businesses | 2.79% + $0.20 USD (CuddlesPay) | 1.7% + $0.3 + 1.2-1.4% booking fee |
SMS Payment LinksOne-tap payment links via SMS Petboost differentiator | ||
SMS Marketing CampaignsBuilt-in SMS campaign builder Cuddles has built-in SMS campaigns; Petboost uses Marketing Ideas + Mailchimp | ✅ Native with templates (Premium+) | |
Review CollectionBuilt-in review/feedback system Cuddles has native review system | ✅ Built-in with dashboard and trends | |
MembershipsRecurring membership billing Cuddles has true recurring memberships; Petboost has prepaid packages | ✅ Full membership system with auto-billing | Packages (partial overlap) |
Promo CodesPromotional discount codes Cuddles has promo codes; Petboost does not yet | ✅ With usage and revenue tracking | |
Retail InventoryProduct inventory and POS Cuddles has retail POS; lower priority for Petboost | ✅ With barcode scanning (Elite) | |
Package ManagementPrepaid package credits Both have packages; Petboost enables pet owner self-purchase | Self-service 24/7 purchase with visual credit tracking | |
ReportingBusiness analytics and insights Petboost more capable reporting | Basic Insights dashboard (Premium+) | Reporting & Intelligence with multiple report types |
Multi-LocationMultiple business locations Cuddles has multi-location at highest tier | ✅ Elite plan ($195/mo) | 🚧 Coming 2026 |
Mobile AppMobile access Both approaches have trade-offs | Native mobile app | Progressive web app with passwordless login, no download required |
Referral ProgramBuilt-in customer referral system Petboost has referral system; Cuddles does not | ||
In-App MessagingDirect messaging with clients Petboost has proper messaging; Cuddles relies on SMS campaigns | SMS-based only (no in-app messaging) | ✅ Native messaging |
Last updated: January 2026 • Based on publicly available information
Our Focused Approach
We do fewer things exceptionally well rather than many things adequately. Our customers consistently tell us our design and user experience is miles ahead. Here's where we've intentionally focused elsewhere:
| Feature | Status | Our Approach |
|---|---|---|
| SMS marketing campaigns | Considering | Marketing Ideas provides templates; use Mailchimp for sending. Built-in SMS campaigns under consideration. |
| Built-in review collection | Considering | Post-appointment surveys and review dashboard under consideration. |
| Recurring memberships with auto-billing | Considering | Packages cover prepaid credits. True recurring memberships being evaluated. |
| Promo codes | Considering | Promotional discount system under consideration. |
| Retail product inventory | Focused elsewhere | Low priority unless customer demand warrants it. Use Square or Shopify for retail POS. |
| Multi-location management | FY26 | Single-location focus first |
If any of these are dealbreakers today, Cuddles may be better suited for your current needs.
Built for Australian Businesses
US-based software simply can't match these Australian-specific advantages.
Payment Processing
Card-Present Rate
Card-Not-Present Rate
SMS Payment Links
Monthly Subscription
Per-SMS Cost
| Payment Processing | Cuddles | Petboost🇦🇺 |
|---|---|---|
| Card-Present Rate | 2.79% + $0.20 USD | 1.7% + $0.1 + 1.2-1.4% booking fee |
| Card-Not-Present Rate | 2.79% + $0.20 USD | 1.7% + $0.3 + 1.2-1.4% booking fee |
| SMS Payment Links | ❌ Not available | ✅ 1.2-1.4% Petboost + 1.7% + $0.3 Stripe |
| Monthly Subscription | $0-195 USD/month | $65/month (waived at $7,500+ in card payments) |
| Per-SMS Cost | $0.05/message (beyond included allowance) | Included in plan |
SMS Functionality
Appointment Reminders
Booking Confirmations
SMS Payment Links
SMS Marketing Campaigns
2-Way Messaging
| SMS Functionality | Cuddles | Petboost🇦🇺 |
|---|---|---|
| Appointment Reminders | ✅ (Premium+ only) | ✅ Native AU support |
| Booking Confirmations | ✅ (Premium+ only) | ✅ Native AU support |
| SMS Payment Links | ❌ Not available | ✅ One-tap payment via SMS |
| SMS Marketing Campaigns | ✅ Built-in campaign builder with templates | ❌ Use Mailchimp integration |
| 2-Way Messaging | ✅ Two-way texting (Premium+) | ✅ Messaging Pro add-on with dedicated AU number |
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) | ~$1,056 AUD (~$708 USD) | $780/year (waived at $7,500+/mo) |
| Subscription FX/Foreign Tx Fees (~10%) | ~$106 AUD | $0 (AU-based) |
| Payment Processing (Card-Present 30%) | ~$2,040 AUD (2.79% + $0.20 with intl fees) | ~$1,710 (1.7% + $0.3 + 1.2-1.4% booking fee) |
| Payment Processing (Online 70%) | ~$5,346 AUD (2.79% + $0.20 with intl fees) | ~$3,990 (1.7% + $0.3 + 1.2-1.4% booking fee) |
| Petboost Booking Fee (on $200K GMV) | N/A | ~$2,800 (1.2-1.4%) |
| Total Annual Cost (incl. transaction fees) | ~$8,548 AUD | ~$8,500 |
You may be paying twice with Cuddles
$0-195 USD/month subscription (plus FX fees for Australian cards on paid tiers), plus cuddlespay: 2.79% + $0.20 usd (vs petboost 1.7% + $0.3 + 1.2-1.4% booking fee). With Petboost, you pay $65/month (waived at $7,500+ volume) and competitive AU payment processing rates.
What You Keep Instead of Paying in Fees
~$500-2,000/year
Based on $500K GMV, 80% online transactions
* For illustrative purposes only, based on industry averages. Your actual savings may vary.
Which plan is right for you?
Enter your numbers and see
Business Pro starts at -/month with 0 appointments included. Business Max at -/month gives you unlimited appointments.
How much customers pay you via card
Appointments you expect each month
Reminders and notifications sent
💡 Consider Business Max
At 100 bookings/month, Pro would cost $45/month (including $0 in overage fees). Max costs $45/month, which is $0/month more but includes unlimited appointments.
Business Pro
Hit -/month in card payments and your monthly fee is waived
Generous SMS Limits
Pro includes 0 SMS/month, Max includes 0. Most businesses never hit these limits. You've set 300 SMS/month. You'll need 3 SMS Power-Up Packs ($45).
When to Upgrade
At your current revenue, Business Max becomes better value at ∞ appointments/month. You're at 100. Pro includes $0 in overage fees, but is still $0 cheaper than Max.
Your Savings
Save $636+ per month compared to typical competitors.
Quick Plan Comparison
Business Pro
- • -/month (waived at -+ card payment volume)
- • 0 appointments included
- • -/appointment after 0
- • 0 SMS/month included
- • - transaction fee
Business Max
- • -/month (waived at -+ card payment volume)
- • Unlimited appointments
- • No per-appointment overage fees
- • 0 SMS/month included
- • - transaction fee
Both plans include SMS Power-Up Packs at $15 for 100 additional SMS if needed.
* Estimates based on 100 transactions averaging $100 each, 100 appointments, and 300 SMS. Actual costs vary based on transaction volume, average ticket size, appointments, and SMS usage.
From solo operators to
multi-van fleets
Petboost fits your business. Whether you're a one-person mobile groomer or running a large facility with multiple staff and spaces.
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
Dog walking van fleets, multi-space facilities, and high-volume businesses.
- Fleet/van management
- Multi-space capacity tracking
- Volume pricing available
- Advanced automation rules
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
Booking History
Not imported; fresh start in Petboost
Pet Profiles
Pet data including weight, breed, and notes can be migrated
Timeline
2-3 weeks typical
Keep Your Existing Hardware
If you're using a Stripe WisePOS-E terminal with Cuddles, you can bring it across to Petboost. No new equipment needed.
We're here to help. We provide migration assistance for businesses switching from Cuddles.
Contact us for a migration assessmentWhich Is Right for Your Business?
Cuddles may suit you if:
- You need a free plan for a solo grooming operation
- Built-in SMS marketing campaigns are critical to your workflow
- You need recurring membership billing with auto-renewal
- You're US-based and want US support and USD payments
- Built-in review collection is a must-have feature
Petboost?
- You do grooming + daycare + boarding + training and need them to work together
- You need intelligent scheduling with availability debugging and resource management
- You want a modern, fast UI without 2-4 second page loads
- You want course and training management
- You're an Australian business wanting local support, AUD payments, and GST compliance
- You want to earn $0/month in subscription fees ($65/month (waived at $7,500+ in card payments))
- You need SMS payment links for outstanding invoices
- Mission control dashboards with kanban views matter to your operations
From large daycares to solo groomers, businesses Australia-wide
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.
Cuddles vs Petboost FAQs
Common questions about switching and comparing these platforms.
Explore Petboost by Service Type
Purpose-built features for every type of pet business.
Ready to see Petboost in action?
Start your 14-day free trial, then activate Business Pro for 30 days with 0% Petboost fees. Only pay Stripe processing fees.
Last verified: 16th March 2026 | Pricing and features sourced from www.cuddlesapp.com
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.