Pawdmin vs Square Appointments
Grooming software compared for solo and home-based groomers. Last checked 2026-10-17.
Short answer: Square Appointments is built for any appointment business; not pet-specific. Pawdmin is built for solo, home-based groomers who charge by time. If you groom alone and charge by time, Pawdmin fits; if you need what Square Appointments was built for, pick Square Appointments.
Square Appointments is a free general-purpose booking tool that many solo groomers start on. It handles a calendar, a booking site and card payments, but knows nothing about dogs, coats or grooming workflows.
Pawdmin
- Built for:
- Solo, home-based groomers who charge by time
- Free plan:
- Yes
- Paid from:
- $29/month billed yearly ($39 monthly)
Square Appointments
- Built for:
- Any appointment business; not pet-specific
- Free plan:
- Yes
- Paid from:
- Free plan; paid plans reported from about $29 to $49 per month
Pick Square Appointments if
- •You only need a free calendar and card reader and keep pet notes elsewhere.
- •You already use Square for retail and want everything on one dashboard.
Pick Pawdmin if
- ✓You want pet profiles, vaccine tracking and grooming-specific estimates in the same place as the calendar, still free to start.
- ✓You want to vet every request and offer penciled-in times instead of open booking.
- ✓You bill by time and want client tiers.
Feature by feature
| Feature | Pawdmin | Square Appointments |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Solo, home-based groomers who charge by time | Any appointment business; not pet-specific |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price (paid) | $29/month billed yearly ($39 monthly) | Free plan; paid plans reported from about $29 to $49 per month |
| Priced per | Per business, 1 groomer included | Per location or seat |
| Time-based (hourly) billing Prices on estimates and invoices calculated from time, not a flat or per-breed menu. | Yes | Fixed-duration services; no time-based invoice calculation |
| Client tiers (rate groups) Keep new and existing clients at different rates while you raise prices. | Yes | No |
| Offer several time options, client picks one | Yes | No |
| Clients never see your calendar | Yes | Booking site shows open availability |
| Every booking needs your approval | Yes | Optional: accept or decline requests |
| Build the order and estimate before scheduling | Yes | No |
| Email and SMS reminders | Unlimited email and SMS on Grow and above, no per-message fees | Email and SMS reminders included |
| Client portal / app | Yes | Booking site; no pet records or portal |
| Website builder | Included on Advanced and Plus | Free booking site |
| Multi-groomer staff, payroll or commissions | Extra staff accounts on paid plans; no payroll or commissions | On paid plans |
| Route optimization for mobile | No | No |
| Boarding and daycare | No | No |
| Card payments | Stripe, paid straight into your account, no markup | Square, about 2.6% + 15¢ in person and 3.3% + 30¢ online |
| Contract or setup fee | None. Cancel anytime, 30-day refund | None |
Pricing
Pawdmin
- Basic: Free forever
- Grow: $29/month billed yearly ($39 monthly)
- Advanced: $79/month billed yearly ($105 monthly)
- Plus: $399/month, by invitation
Square Appointments
Free plan; paid plans reported from about $29 to $49 per month.
Priced per: Per location or seat. Contract: None.
Check current Square Appointments pricing ↗Questions people ask
Is Pawdmin free like Square Appointments?
Yes. Pawdmin's Basic plan is free forever with unlimited clients, pets and appointments, invoicing and payments. Paid plans add reminders, the client portal, automated messages and the website builder.
Can I keep taking payments with Square if I move to Pawdmin?
Pawdmin integrates with Stripe for card payments and payment links, and also supports Square as a processor. Check the current integrations list in the app for details.
Who is Pawdmin for?
Solo, home-based pet groomers first, plus solo studio groomers and mobile or house-call groomers. It is not built for multi-groomer salons that need payroll or for boarding and daycare facilities.
Is the pricing on this page current?
Pawdmin prices come straight from our live pricing configuration. Competitor prices were taken from their public pricing pages and software directories on 2026-10-17 and can change; confirm on the vendor's site before deciding.
Switching? Read why groomers leave Square Appointments and what changes with Pawdmin →
Start free. Charge what you are worth.
Pawdmin’s Basic plan is free forever, no credit card. Upgrade when reminders, the client portal or the website builder start paying for themselves.
Competitor names are trademarks of their owners. Competitor details were taken from their public pricing pages and software directories on 2026-10-17 and may have changed; confirm on the vendor’s site. Pawdmin prices are read live from our pricing configuration. Spotted an error? Email support@pawdmin.com and we will fix it.