DogBoarder
A practical category comparison

Choose the system around the job you need it to do

A marketplace, a broad kennel platform and a spreadsheet can each be the right answer for a different business. This comparison makes the trade-offs explicit without pretending every supplier in a category is identical.

Named comparisons

Compare DogBoarder with what you use now.

Four practical questions each, from published sources — including where the alternative does more.

Rover is a marketplace that can introduce pet owners and handle marketplace bookings. DogBoarder is an operating and record-keeping system for providers who manage their own client relationships. The right choice depends on whether discovery or running the work is the main gap.

How the provider pays

DogBoarder
£15 a month or £150 a year for the Licensed plan; no booking commission.
Rover
A percentage service fee applies. Rover’s UK help pages describe 15% for standard bookings and 5% for eligible weekly recurring care; the provider should confirm the rate shown in their own account.

Customer discovery

DogBoarder
Not a marketplace. The provider brings their own customers and keeps the relationship.
Rover
Marketplace profile, search and advertising can introduce new pet owners.

England licensing records

DogBoarder
Statutory-register fields, care logs, consents and an annual-plan inspection pack are built around day-to-day records.
Rover
Marketplace records may help, but providers should check their own licence and local-authority requirements and keep any additional records they need.

Payments

DogBoarder
Invoices and payment records sit with the provider; customer-booking payments are not routed through a DogBoarder marketplace.
Rover
Rover charges the owner and releases the provider payment after the service under its published payment process.

Checked against the linked sources on 10 October 2026. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Rover.

Full comparison and sources
Choosing your system

Not every tool is trying to do the same job

These categories solve different parts of the work. Suppliers vary, so use this as a shortlist of questions rather than a verdict on every product.

DogBoarder

Focused operations and licensing records for dog-care businesses in England.

Main job
Run the day and produce England-focused licensing records from the same data
Commercial model
Subscription; no commission on client payments
Inspection preparation
Live register on every plan; inspection pack on annual plans
Moving across
Founding-pilot migration done with you; records stay readable and exportable

Booking marketplace

Useful when customer discovery and marketplace bookings are the main need.

Main job
Customer discovery and marketplace bookings
Commercial model
Fees and commission vary by supplier
Inspection preparation
Check statutory-register coverage and record-retention terms
Moving across
Check exports, introduced-client rules and payment terms

General kennel software

Broad pet-care operations across several services, sites or facility types.

Main job
Broad pet-care and facility operations
Commercial model
Pricing and transaction fees vary by supplier
Inspection preparation
Check England-specific statutory fields and outputs
Moving across
Check migration help, export formats and cancellation access

Paper and spreadsheets

A flexible system you assemble, maintain, back up and hand over yourself.

Main job
A flexible record system you assemble yourself
Commercial model
No dedicated software subscription
Inspection preparation
You maintain completeness, versions, backups and handover
Moving across
Portable, but preparation and duplicate entry remain manual

Category summaries only. Features and commercial terms vary by supplier; verify current details directly.

Fee calculator

What a marketplace fee would cost on your own clients.

Clients who find you through your website or word of mouth don't need a marketplace. Move the slider to see what a percentage fee would cost on those bookings, compared with DogBoarder's fixed Licensed subscription.

Estimated difference over 12 months

£2,100

less in percentage service fees after the DogBoarder subscription

Rover's sitter guide says stays with owners you met through Rover, new or repeat, are booked through Rover. This figure is for your own clients, not those.

Marketplace service fee

Rover UK publishes both rates: service fees, weekly recurring care. Checked 10 October 2026.

DogBoarder billing

The calculation

Marketplace fee each month
£187.50
DogBoarder monthly equivalent
£12.50
Break-even monthly bookings
£83.34

Illustration only. Excludes VAT, card-processing costs and the value of marketplace discovery, guarantees or support. Fee structures vary by service and booking type; check your current terms before making a decision.

Questions worth asking

Compare the evidence, not just the feature list

  1. 1Can it produce every field your current licence and local authority ask for?
  2. 2Who controls the client relationship, payment flow and customer contact details?
  3. 3What fees apply to the subscription, booking, owner or payment?
  4. 4Can you export readable records during the subscription and after cancellation?
  5. 5How are records backed up, corrected, retained and retrieved on inspection day?
  6. 6Will the system still fit if you add day care, walking, staff or another premises?

See how DogBoarder fits your current records

Try it with real bookings for 14 days, with no card. Founding-pilot boarders also get free spreadsheet migration and a guided 30-day run. There is no need to take a claim on trust.

Start free

14 days free · No card · No booking commission

Licensed home boarder in England? Apply for the founding pilot and we set it up with you.