Australian businesses have run on Petboost since 2022, including teams from Cuddles
The short version
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.
Why businesses choose Petboost
Purpose-built for Australian pet businesses. No compromises.
Built for Australian Businesses
AUD pricing, No FX Fees
AUD
No FX
1 system, 1 plan, multi-category
Grooming, daycare, boarding, walking, training. All included.
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.
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 Petboost Shines
Built for Australian Businesses
US-based software simply can't match these Australian-specific advantages.
Both send marketing SMS. Cuddles adds saved templates; Petboost has no automated drip sequences
Native with templates (Premium+)
Bulk Marketing SMS with consent handling, with Communications Booster
Review Collection
Built-in review/feedback system
Both collect reviews. Cuddles adds an aggregated dashboard and trend reporting
Built-in with dashboard and trends
Report Card star rating plus email review requests and SMS ones with Communications Booster
Memberships
Recurring membership billing
Both platforms offer full membership systems
Full membership system with auto-billing
Full membership system with configurable benefits, window-based usage tracking, overage handling, and Stripe billing
Promo Codes
Promotional discount codes
Cuddles has promo codes; Petboost does not yet
With usage and revenue tracking
Retail Inventory
Product inventory and POS
Both sell products. Cuddles adds barcode scanning and stock control on Elite
With barcode scanning (Elite)
Products on invoices and in-store, no stock control
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
Both support multi-location; Petboost via Enterprise
Elite plan ($179/mo)
Yes (Enterprise)
Mobile App
Mobile access
Both approaches have trade-offs
Native mobile app
Progressive web app with passwordless login, no download required
In-App Messaging
Direct messaging with clients
Petboost has proper messaging; Cuddles relies on SMS campaigns
SMS-based only (no in-app messaging)
Native messaging
Last checked 31st August 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:
SMS marketing campaigns
Available
Bulk 1-Way SMS (with Communications Booster) includes a Marketing SMS mode with consent management, opt-out handling and content analysis. Automated drip sequences and A/B testing are still out of scope.
Built-in review collection
Available
Every Report Card carries a star rating: 4 or 5 stars routes the owner to your Google review page with a suggested template, below 4 routes them to a private feedback form that comes straight to you. Per-appointment Text and Email Review Request quick actions and a business-wide Google Review URL are also built in. An aggregated review analytics dashboard is still under consideration.
Promo codes
Considering
Promotional discount system under consideration.
Retail product inventory
Focused elsewhere
Petboost sells products as retail line items you add to an appointment invoice or sell in-store. What we do not do is stock control: no stock levels, reorder points or cost of goods. Use Square or Shopify for stock control.
Feature
Status
Our Approach
SMS marketing campaigns
Available
Bulk 1-Way SMS (with Communications Booster) includes a Marketing SMS mode with consent management, opt-out handling and content analysis. Automated drip sequences and A/B testing are still out of scope.
Built-in review collection
Available
Every Report Card carries a star rating: 4 or 5 stars routes the owner to your Google review page with a suggested template, below 4 routes them to a private feedback form that comes straight to you. Per-appointment Text and Email Review Request quick actions and a business-wide Google Review URL are also built in. An aggregated review analytics dashboard is still under consideration.
Promo codes
Considering
Promotional discount system under consideration.
Retail product inventory
Focused elsewhere
Petboost sells products as retail line items you add to an appointment invoice or sell in-store. What we do not do is stock control: no stock levels, reorder points or cost of goods. Use Square or Shopify for stock control.
If any of these are dealbreakers today, Cuddles may be better suited for your current needs.
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)
~$991 AUD (~$708 USD)
$780/year (waived at $7,500+/mo)
Subscription FX/Foreign Tx Fees (~10%)
~$99 AUD
$0 (AU-based)
Payment Processing (Card-Present 30% on $200K GMV)
~$2,040 AUD (2.79% + $0.20 with intl fees)
Stripe 1.7% + $0.10
Payment Processing (Online 70% on $200K GMV)
~$5,346 AUD (2.79% + $0.20 with intl fees)
Stripe 1.7% + $0.30
Petboost Booking Fee
N/A
1.2-1.4% on card payments
Total Annual Cost
~$8,476 AUD
The subscription and rates above, applied to your volume
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 Stripe 1.7% + $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.
What Could You Save?
Calculate your potential savings
Your savings depend on your business size and payment volume. Use the calculator below for a personalised estimate.
Business Pro starts at $65/month with 450 appointments included. Business Max at $240/month gives you unlimited appointments.
Total customer payments (all methods)
$1k$25k$50k
Appointments you expect each month
50450 (Pro)2,5005,000
Reminders and notifications sent
0500 (Pro)1,000 (Max)2,000
What percentage of payments go through card on file?
$2,000 cash/EFTPOS
80%card on file
$8,000 card
All cash/EFTPOSAll card on file
Business Pro
Subscription waived
Subscription waived. Your $65/month fee is $0.
Monthly fee$65$0
Appointments (100/month)Within limit
Team members$0
SMS (300 messages)Within 500 limit
Booking fee (1.4% on card payments)~$112
Stripe processing (card payments)~$160
Your Total Cost~$272
Hidden Costs of Non-Card Payments
$408/mo
20 of your 100 appointments are paid without card on file
Your card-on-file fee: $28/mo→Saves: $408/mo
$1 in fees saves $15 in hidden costs
Annual impact: $4,892/year in recoverable losses
Generous SMS Limits
Business Pro includes 500 SMS/month. Most businesses never hit these limits. You've set 300 SMS/month. You're well within your limit!
When to Upgrade
At your current revenue, Business Max becomes better value at 1,000 appointments/month. You're at 100.
Your Savings
Save $569+ per month compared to typical competitors.
Quick Plan Comparison
Business Pro
• $65/month (waived at $7,500+ card payment volume)
• 450 appointments included
• $0.40/appointment after 450
• 500 SMS/month included
• 1.4% booking fee on card payments
Business Flex
• $135/month (waived at $13,500+ card payment volume)
• 650 appointments included
• $0.50/appointment after 650
• 700 SMS/month included
• 1.4% booking fee on card payments
Business Max
• $240/month (waived at $20,000+ card payment volume)
• Unlimited appointments
• No per-appointment overage fees
• 1,000 SMS/month included
• 1.2% booking fee on card payments
All plans include SMS Power-Up Packs at $15 for 100 additional SMS if needed.
* Estimates based on $10,000 total revenue (80% card on file), 100 appointments, and 300 SMS. Hidden cost estimates use industry averages for no-show rates, cancellation losses, and admin time. Actual costs vary.
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$307/mo
Int'l card fee (+1.5%)+$150/mo
Currency conversion (+1%)+$100/mo
Total$668/mo
3 users per location. Two-way SMS included, 500 credits/month. Cuddles Pay (Adyen) rate unverified, see notes. US merchant: int'l card + FX fees apply for AU cards.
Save $328/mo
Petboost
Business Pro
Subscription$0 (waived)
Stripe processing (AU 1.7% + $0.30)$200/mo
Booking fee (1.4%)$140/mo(build into pricing)
Staff fees$0 (unlimited)
Foreign card fees$0 (AU Stripe)
Total$340/mo
If the booking fee is built into pricing: $200/mo
Annual savings: $3,938
Compared to Cuddles Starter at 100 transactions/month
Cuddles pricing from their pricing page. Verified 2026-08-31. USD converted to AUD at current exchange rates.
Some fees estimated
From solo operators to multi-location groups
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.
You want Cuddles Pay bundled with the software rather than your own Stripe account
Built-in SMS marketing campaigns are critical to your workflow
You're US-based and want US support and USD payments
An aggregated review collection dashboard is a must-have feature
Recommended
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 and AUD payments
You want a subscription of $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.
Last verified: 31st August 2026 | Pricing and features sourced from www.cuddlesapp.com
Exchange rate: AUD figures converted at 1 USD = $1.4 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.
Petboost vs Cuddles | AU Pet Business Comparison | Petboost
