Guides
Pet sitting software ranked: which ones earn a place
Eight pet sitting platforms compared on scheduling, client apps and invoicing, with what each does best and how to trial one before you pay.
What to take away
- Eight platforms cover most of the marketTime To Pet, Precise Petcare, Scout for Pets, Pet Sitter Plus, LeashTime, DoTimely, PetPocketbook and Walkies.
- Typical monthly cost at 40 active clients runs from about $20 to $250, driven by client and seat counts.
- Precise Petcare suits a solo operator. Time To Pet earns the pick once you have three or more sitters.
- Trials are commonly 14 or 30 days, and a permanent free tier is rare.
- State breach-notification statutes set the data bar in the United States. PIPEDA covers Canadian clients.
The eight platforms and what each does best
Direct answer first: Time To Pet for a team, Precise Petcare for a solo sitter, Scout for Pets for a small operation watching spend.
Time To Pet handles scheduling, GPS check-ins with timestamps, client messaging and invoicing. Clients get an app with visit reports and photos.
Precise Petcare covers scheduling, invoicing and client records, with staff permissions that limit what each sitter sees.
Scout for Pets is lighter and cheaper, aimed at small teams. It manages scheduling, visit notes and client messages.
Pet Sitter Plus leans toward larger operations and franchises, with scheduling, invoicing and reporting. It rewards steady volume.
LeashTime has been used by established pet sitting companies for years, covering scheduling, client records and invoicing.
DoTimely covers scheduling, GPS tracking, client messaging and invoicing, with a client app. It fits mixed pet care and grooming.
PetPocketbook focuses on scheduling, invoicing and client communication, with automatic invoice reminders.
Walkies is built for dog walking, with route tracking and client updates. It fits walk-only businesses.
[figure 1]
Pet sitting software compared
Time To Pet
- Scheduling
- yes
- Invoicing
- yes
- Client app
- yes
- GPS check-ins
- yes
- Staff permissions
- no
- Best for
- multi-sitter teams
Precise Petcare
- Scheduling
- yes
- Invoicing
- yes
- Client app
- no
- GPS check-ins
- no
- Staff permissions
- yes
- Best for
- owner-operators
Scout for Pets
- Scheduling
- yes
- Invoicing
- no
- Client app
- no
- GPS check-ins
- no
- Staff permissions
- no
- Best for
- small teams
Pet Sitter Plus
- Scheduling
- yes
- Invoicing
- yes
- Client app
- no
- GPS check-ins
- no
- Staff permissions
- no
- Best for
- franchises
If your week is already full, how a pet sitting business plans its jobs is worth an hour before you buy anything.
Typical monthly cost at 40 active clients
Vendors price by active client, seat count or both.
Typical monthly range at 40 active clients
- Time To Pet
- $50 to $120
- Precise Petcare
- $40 to $90
- Scout for Pets
- $25 to $60
- Pet Sitter Plus
- $100 to $250
- LeashTime
- $50 to $110
- DoTimely
- $40 to $100
- PetPocketbook
- $30 to $70
- Walkies
- $20 to $50
Pick this if
- Time To Pet
- you have three or more sitters
- Precise Petcare
- you run the office alone
- Scout for Pets
- you are a small team watching spend
- Pet Sitter Plus
- you run a franchise or a large roster
- LeashTime
- you want a tool with a long track record
- DoTimely
- you combine pet care and grooming
- PetPocketbook
- you lose hours chasing invoices
- Walkies
- you walk dogs and nothing else
Figures are typical published ranges, not quotes. Ask two vendors for a written total at your own client count and seats.
Top pick for most readers: Time To Pet when you employ sitters, Precise Petcare when you take every visit yourself.
If software pricing is your first real cost decision, pet sitting rates that pay the bills covers the rest.
What each trial includes, and how long it runs
Fourteen days and 30 days are the lengths vendors commonly quote, and a permanent free tier is rare. Entry tiers often cap seats, so read the tier list before you commit.
Confirm four points in writing before loading real client data.
What each trial includes
- The exact trial length, and whether the clock starts at signup or at your first visit.
- Whether the client app is included during the trial.
- Whether trial clients carry into the paid tier.
- What the vendor does with your records if you do not convert.
Then run one real week.
What each trial includes
- Load your busiest week, not a quiet one.
- Send one test invoice to yourself and record the processor fee.
- Have a sitter who is not you finish a visit report on their phone.
- Export your client list and confirm you can take it back out.
- Ask what the vendor charges to delete your data on exit.
Ask about data export before the trial ends, not after a year of visit history sits in the system. The pet sitting software and KPI guide covers which numbers to pull once the system is live.
Data, records and the US rules first
No single federal privacy law covers a pet sitting business. Every state has a breach-notification statute, and California's, in force since 2003, was the first.
Client names, door codes and pet medication notes are personal information. Ask the vendor where it is stored and whether it is encrypted.
The NIST small business quick-start guides give a plain starting point.
The CISA small business guidance covers digital risk in similar terms.
[figure 2]
Data and records rules
- Ask where data is stored
- Ask who can access it
- Ask whether it is encrypted
- Check PIPEDA if in Canada
- Check state breach rules in US
- Confirm recordkeeping with accountant
Canadian clients fall under PIPEDA, so a US-only reading will not serve a Toronto list. For bookkeeping, the IRS recordkeeping guidance explains which records to keep and for how long.
Where the software stops helping
A platform schedules visits. It does not make a sitter turn up. A missed visit is a hiring and backup-cover problem, not a scheduling problem. If no-shows keep you awake, hiring reliable staff sets out the questions that predict them.
Software will not price your work. A 30-minute walk and an overnight stay are different products.
Boarding carries care, custody and control exposure that general liability may exclude. Ask your broker what the policy covers.
