OpenDog vs 123Pet: test the route, team, and full cost.

The honest short version.

DaySmart’s official page says “123Pet is now DaySmart Pet.” The current product covers more business functions than OpenDog, including digital forms, payroll, commissions, loyalty, marketing, reputation tools, retail and gift cards, and more than 50 reports. OpenDog is the more focused choice when the owner wants a simple mobile-grooming path from request to route, pet record, appointment, invoice, payment status, report, and next visit.

• Consider DaySmart Pet when you want a broader salon or pet-care platform and its current scheduling, communications, payments, employee, marketing, and reporting tools fit your operation.
• Consider OpenDog when mobile routes, owner-reviewed schedule decisions, connected field details, and a shorter operating path matter more than broad feature depth.
• Do not choose from the old 123Pet name or a feature checklist. Test the current DaySmart Pet plan and version beside the current OpenDog workflow.

First confirm which DaySmart Pet product you are buying.

DaySmart currently publishes support paths for both cloud and desktop versions, while its current sales pages emphasize the cloud platform and mobile app. A buyer coming from the older 123Pet desktop product may not be looking at the same screens, setup, storage, access, or feature bundle shown in a new DaySmart Pet sales demo.

• Ask the vendor to write down the exact product, version, plan, billing term, user count, and included services in your quote.
• Confirm whether daily work happens in a browser, installed Windows software, the business mobile app, or a mix.
• Test how changes sync across office and phone, what happens during an internet outage, and how backups and updates work.
• If you already use 123Pet, ask what is an upgrade, what is a migration, what changes for staff, and what data remains available.

What DaySmart Pet currently says it includes.

DaySmart Pet’s official product, grooming, pricing, and support pages, reviewed September 7, 2026, describe a digital appointment book, reminders, online booking, forms, client and pet profiles, a mobile app, route maps and directions, two-way texting, marketing, integrated payments, deposits, invoices, payroll, commissions, loyalty, retail and gift cards, reports, reputation tools, and a website builder. Features, allowances, add-ons, and payment requirements vary by plan.

• Basic is listed at $29 per month with DaySmart Payments or $39 without payments for one user.
• Deluxe is listed at $69 with payments or $89 without for three users; Deluxe Growth is $149 or $169.
• Premium is listed at $199 with payments or $219 without for six users; Premium Growth uses custom pricing and unlimited users.
• The website builder is listed at $15 per month and reputation management at $49 per month. Text marketing and two-way texting say to contact sales for pricing where not included.
• DaySmart offers a 14-day trial with no credit card. Confirm taxes, processing, hardware, onboarding, migration, message overages, and contract terms separately.

What OpenDog currently includes.

OpenDog is browser-based and built around the connected mobile-grooming day: request review, route-aware scheduling, groomer and van context, client and pet records, complete appointment details, invoices, recorded payment status, supported Stripe card payments after setup, reports, exports, and rebooking. Confirmation and reminder emails are live; SMS, two-way texting, and automatic ETA texts are Coming Soon.

• Solo is $49 per month for one active, bookable groomer and up to 125 completed appointments.
• Team is $99 per month for up to 500 completed appointments.
• Business is $149 per month for up to 1,500 completed appointments.
• Every plan includes all core OpenDog features with no per-van or ordinary per-user fee.
• Every plan starts with a 14-day trial and no card at signup.

Run one difficult route day in both products.

DaySmart’s mobile-grooming materials describe a daily route, embedded maps, turn-by-turn directions, live traffic, estimated arrival times, address access, and mobile payments. OpenDog shows service-area status, Google-backed drive context, groomer and van assignment, a saved stop order, a suggested order, and an explicit owner review before route changes are confirmed. Both deserve a real test rather than a route-feature checkbox.

• Build eight stops with a fixed window, multi-pet household, distant request, van change, cancellation, lunch, and urgent added stop.
• Compare how addresses enter the schedule, how order is suggested or changed, and whether the final route remains understandable to the owner and groomer.
• Open every stop on the phone and check dog, owner, service, care warning, price, deposit, notes, directions, and next action.
• Treat travel times and ETAs as planning help, not guarantees of traffic, parking, road safety, or arrival time.

Compare booking control and client communication.

DaySmart says its 24/7 online booking lets pet parents request appointments while the business controls scheduling; another current page describes accepted online appointments entering the appointment book and cancellations being removed. OpenDog keeps every submitted request separate from the appointment until the business reviews the client, dog, service, address, timing, and route fit. Verify the exact DaySmart settings you would use.

• Try a new client, repeat client, multi-pet household, unavailable time, distant address, missing form, and service needing clarification.
• Confirm what is only requested, what becomes booked, who approves it, and what happens after a client cancels.
• Read every request, confirmation, reminder, change, payment, and follow-up message on the client’s phone.
• DaySmart publicly offers reminders, email marketing, text marketing, and two-way texting by plan or add-on. OpenDog currently sends confirmation and reminder emails; its SMS features are not live.

Compare money and team work with the full cost visible.

DaySmart publicly describes integrated card payments, Apple Pay and Google Pay, deposits, stored cards, invoices, reconciliation, tips, commissions, payroll calculations, employee scheduling, time clocks, loyalty, retail, gift cards, and QuickBooks Online on Premium. OpenDog keeps the appointment, invoice, deposit, tip, balance, supported Stripe payment, operational report, and export connected but does not replace payroll or accounting.

• Run cash, card, tip, deposit, partial payment, refund, receipt, no-show fee, open balance, failed payment, and payout examples.
• Test owner, manager, front-desk, and groomer access with separate logins and only the permissions each role should have.
• Define appointment value, invoice gross, recorded payment, processor fee, deposit, tip, refund, balance, payroll, tax, settlement, and bank payout before comparing reports.
• Price the exact DaySmart plan both with and without its payments condition, then add message, website, reputation, hardware, processing, onboarding, and migration costs.

Protect the live business during migration.

A move from any 123Pet or DaySmart Pet version depends on the exports available and the quality and structure of the source data. Do not promise a complete transfer until a sample proves the result. Keep the old system available until future appointments, client and pet links, money records, and daily operations have been checked.

• Inventory clients, households, pets, notes, vaccinations, services, prices, staff, routes, recurring appointments, future bookings, forms, invoices, balances, gift cards, loyalty, commissions, and retained history.
• Test a small export and import first, then compare totals and inspect records with special characters, duplicate names, multiple pets, and long notes.
• Confirm who cleans the data, what is excluded, training time, support hours, cutover timing, cancellation terms, and access after leaving.
• Never move full card details through ordinary files, notes, email, or text.

Run the same business-day test in both products.

Use one sample household, repeat dog, new request, route exception, employee handoff, invoice, payment problem, owner report, and next-visit decision. Score only the current workflow your team can complete on its real devices and explain without help.

• Request, approval rule, and final calendar entry
• Route suggestion, owner decision, address, directions, and groomer view
• Dog record, care warning, forms, and appointment history
• Client reminder, reply path, marketing consent, current message allowance, and overage
• Invoice, payment, deposit, tip, refund, balance, payroll handoff, and report
• Migration, setup, training, support, export, cancellation, and total first-year cost

Sources, date, and independence.

DaySmart Pet details on this page were checked against DaySmart’s official 123Pet, product, grooming, pricing, features, and support pages on September 7, 2026. OpenDog is not affiliated with or endorsed by DaySmart, and 123Pet and DaySmart Pet are trademarks of their owner. Products, versions, prices, bundles, limits, processing, integrations, and policies can change; verify every material detail with each provider before buying.

• Use DaySmart’s official 123Pet page to confirm the current product name.
• Use the official pricing page for current plans, user counts, message allowances, payment conditions, and add-ons.
• Use the official pet and mobile-grooming pages for current scheduling, route, communication, payment, employee, and reporting claims.
• Use the support center to distinguish cloud and desktop support paths.
• Use OpenDog’s live product tour, pricing, and trial to verify OpenDog directly.

Workflow

Which business is each product likely to fit?