Pet Grooming Software Pricing That Won’t Make You Feel Ripped Off
You Shouldn’t Need a Spreadsheet to Figure Out What Your Software Actually Costs
You signed up for grooming software because you wanted to spend less time on paperwork and more time with dogs. But somewhere between the subscription price, the per-employee charges, the processing fees, and the add-ons you didn’t know you needed, the monthly bill turned into its own kind of headache.
You started at the “basic” tier because you wanted to keep costs down. Then you found out appointment reminders cost extra. Or that you can’t track commissions unless you upgrade. Or that the QuickBooks integration you were counting on is locked behind the most expensive plan. By the time you’ve added everything you actually need, you’re paying double what the website promised.
And then there are the processing fees. Every time a client swipes their card, you’re giving up 2.7%, 2.9%, sometimes more. On a $120 full-groom day with three dogs, that’s over $3 in fees on a single transaction. Multiply that by every card swipe, every week, every month, and you’re watching hundreds of dollars disappear into processing charges that nobody mentioned on the pricing page.
It doesn’t have to work this way.
Three Plans. Every Feature. No Surprises.
BarkBook pet grooming software pricing is built on one principle: you get everything, no matter which plan you’re on. The only difference between tiers is how many employees you have. That’s it.
Solo
For independent groomers working on their own. One employee. Every feature.
Start Free TrialShop
Most PopularFor growing shops with 2 to 5 employees. Every feature.
Start Free TrialStudio
For established studios with unlimited employees. Every feature.
Start Free TrialEvery plan includes scheduling, client management, reminders, reporting, online booking, payment processing, and everything else BarkBook does. You’ll never open your settings and find a grayed-out feature telling you to upgrade.
Need to change plans as your business grows? You can upgrade or downgrade yourself, anytime, without calling support or waiting for someone to flip a switch. And only active and on-leave employees count toward your limit—if someone leaves, they stop counting immediately.
Every plan starts with a 14-day free trial. No credit card tricks, no surprise charges.
The Fee Nobody Talks About: Processing Costs
Here’s what most grooming software companies don’t put on their pricing page: the processing fees that quietly eat into every transaction you run.
The industry standard among grooming software platforms is 2.7% to 2.9% or higher on every card transaction. That doesn’t sound like much until you do the math.
What processing fees actually cost you per year:
| Monthly Card Revenue | At 2.9% (Typical Competitor) | At BarkBook’s Rates | You Keep More |
|---|---|---|---|
| $3,000/month | $87/month ($1,044/year) | Stripe’s 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction + $1 flat platform fee/month | Savings on platform markup |
| $6,000/month | $174/month ($2,088/year) | Stripe’s 2.9% + $0.30 + $1 flat platform fee/month | Savings on platform markup |
| $10,000/month | $290/month ($3,480/year) | Stripe’s 2.9% + $0.30 + $1 flat or 1% platform fee/month | Savings on platform markup |
BarkBook uses Stripe Connect with direct payouts to your bank account. You pay Stripe’s standard processing rate of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction—the same rate you’d get going directly to Stripe. On top of that, BarkBook’s platform fee is just $1 flat per month, or 1% on transactions over $100. No inflated processing rates. No hidden per-transaction markups. Your money goes to your bank, not to a middleman taking an extra cut.
What You’re Really Paying at Other Platforms
When groomers say they feel ripped off by their software, it’s usually because the advertised price is just the beginning. Here’s what the total cost of ownership actually looks like when you factor in feature gating, per-employee fees, required add-ons, and onboarding charges.
Total Cost of Ownership Comparison — Solo Groomer
| Platform | Base Price | What’s Missing or Extra | Real Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| BarkBook Solo | $39/mo | Nothing. Every feature included. | $39/mo |
| DaySmart Pet (Professional) | $69/mo | Commission tracking requires $129+ tier. QuickBooks integration requires $249 tier. SMS reminders require $249 tier. | $69–$249/mo depending on what you need |
| MoeGo (Essential) | $49/mo | SMS limited to 200/month. Branded phone number only on Ultimate ($239/mo). Separate pricing for mobile vs. salon. | $49–$239/mo |
| Groomer.io | $79/mo per facility | Review management add-on $9.99/mo. SMS campaign add-on extra. | $89+/mo |
| Gingr | $105/mo | Highest processing fees in the industry. No free trial. | $105+/mo + premium processing fees |
| PetExec | $105/mo | $200 onboarding fee. PetSnaps messaging add-on $10/mo + usage fees. | $105+/mo + $200 upfront |
Total Cost of Ownership Comparison — Shop with 3 Employees
| Platform | Base Price | Add-On Costs | Real Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| BarkBook Shop | $79/mo | None. All features. 2–5 employees included. | $79/mo |
| DaySmart Pet (Deluxe) | $129/mo | +$9/mo per additional employee. Daycare add-on $25/mo. Boarding add-on $25/mo. | $129–$208+/mo |
| MoeGo (Standard) | $99/mo | SMS capped at 500/month. Advanced reporting extra. | $99–$239/mo |
| Groomer.io | $79/mo per facility | Per-facility pricing means multi-location gets expensive fast. Add-ons stack. | $89+/mo per location |
| Gingr | $135/mo | Processing fee markup on every transaction. | $135+/mo + inflated fees |
| PetExec | $125/mo | $200 onboarding. Messaging add-on. Per-usage charges. | $125+/mo + $200 upfront |
The pattern is clear: competitors advertise a low starting price, then gate the features you actually need behind higher tiers, per-employee charges, and monthly add-ons. By the time you’ve assembled the tools to run your business, you’re paying far more than the number on the pricing page.
Your Payment Method, Your Way
Managing your subscription should be as simple as managing your appointments. With BarkBook, you can update your payment method anytime from your account settings. If a payment fails, the system automatically retries—no sudden lockouts, no panicked calls to support.
Payouts from client payments go directly to your bank through Stripe. You can see exactly what you earned and what the fees were, with no mystery deductions.
Stop Overpaying for Software That Holds Features Hostage
You got into grooming because you love dogs, not because you love comparing software pricing tiers. BarkBook gives you one price with everything included so you can get back to the work that matters. Start your 14-day free trial today. Every feature. Every tool. No credit card required.