DaySmart Pet vs Groomsoft (2026): Same $29 Price, Opposite Catches

Updated: September 30, 2026 · 11 min read · By Grooming Software HQ

Grooming Software HQ Editorial Team

Independent research on pet grooming software — we compare features, pricing, and real user feedback so groomers can choose with confidence.

The Short Version

DaySmart Pet and Groomsoft have the two lowest starting prices of any grooming software we cover: $29 and $29.95 a month. Almost nothing else about the two plans is alike. Each vendor is generous with exactly the thing the other one limits.

DaySmart Pet is generous with texts and strict about people and conversations. Its $29 Basic plan includes 500 texts a month, but it allows one user, the reminders are one-way, and the price assumes you use DaySmart's card processing. Two-way texting is bundled only from the Deluxe Growth plan at $149.

Groomsoft is the reverse. Its $29.95 plan has unlimited users and real two-way texting, and it publishes no surcharge for anything. But it includes only 100 free texts a month. After that you buy packs at 3.5¢ to 10¢ a message, and its pricing page says every message "sent or received" comes out of the pack, so client replies cost you too.

That makes this an unusual matchup. There is no single crossover point. Which one is cheaper depends on three questions: do you need to hold text conversations, how many people need to log in, and how many appointments do you text about each month? The rest of this page works through each one.

At a Glance

Side-by-Side Comparison

Three rows decide most cases: users included, texts included and two-way texting. DaySmart wins the middle one and Groomsoft wins the other two.

What You Actually Pay

Start with each price list in full.

DaySmart Pet publishes five plans, each with two prices. With DaySmart's payment processing: Basic $29, Deluxe $69, Deluxe Growth $149 and Premium $199 a month. Without it: $39, $89, $169 and $219. Premium Growth is quote-only. Basic includes one user and 500 texts. Deluxe and Deluxe Growth include three users and 1,000 texts. Premium includes six users and 2,500 texts. Additional users are $9 a month each on Deluxe and above, and the pricing page lists no way to add one to Basic. Two-way texting and text marketing are included from Deluxe Growth, and are "contact for pricing" add-ons on Deluxe. DaySmart does not publish what texts cost once you pass your allowance.

Groomsoft is $29.95 a month for a grooming shop and $39.90 for a mobile groomer, with unlimited users, customers and pets. Monthly billing includes 100 free texts and 100 free email reminders. Beyond that you buy packs: 100 for $10, 500 for $25, 1,000 for $45, 5,000 for $200 and 10,000 for $350. Its pricing page says "every text message sent or received is deducted from your total."

The figures below assume three texts sent per appointment (reminder, confirmation and ready-for-pickup) plus one client reply. Groomsoft is charged for all four. It is priced at its 500-pack rate under about 700 billable messages a month and its 1,000-pack rate above that. DaySmart does not say whether replies count against its allowance, so the table gives it the benefit of the doubt and counts three. DaySmart prices assume you use its payment processing, and one user per person on staff.

Four conclusions come out of that table.

One: for a solo salon groomer who only needs reminders, DaySmart Basic is the cheapest plan in grooming software. Groomsoft's base price is 95¢ higher and its 100 free texts cover about 25 appointments. Every appointment after that adds roughly 20¢. DaySmart's 500 texts cover about 166 appointments at no extra cost, so the gap grows from nothing at 25 appointments to about $28 at 160. Past 166 appointments DaySmart stops being predictable, because it does not publish overage prices and the next plan is $69.

Two: that result depends on using DaySmart's card processing. Keep your own processor and Basic is $39. Groomsoft is then cheaper below about 70 appointments a month and DaySmart is cheaper above it. DaySmart says it will match or lower your current processing fees when you switch, so get that quote before you decide the $10 matters.

Three: two-way texting reverses everything. Groomsoft Messenger sends free-form texts and receives replies on the $29.95 plan. DaySmart bundles two-way texting only from Deluxe Growth at $149. For a solo groomer that is a difference of roughly $90 to $105 a month, more than $1,100 a year. The Deluxe add-on may cost less than the jump to $149, but DaySmart lists it as "contact for pricing," so you need a written quote to know. If you often text clients about a late arrival, a matted coat or an extra charge, this is the row that decides it.

Four: for teams, it comes down to text volume. The second person forces DaySmart to $69, and each person past three adds $9. Groomsoft charges nothing per user. But Deluxe comes with 1,000 texts, and Groomsoft charges for every one past 100. For a team of up to three on reminders only, Groomsoft is cheaper below about 240 appointments a month and DaySmart Deluxe is cheaper from there up to its 1,000-text ceiling at about 333 appointments, by as much as $16. A four-person salon at 300 appointments is a tie. Above 333 appointments DaySmart needs either overage texts at an unpublished price or the $199 Premium plan, and Groomsoft is clearly cheaper again.

Two caveats. First, DaySmart's pricing page counts "users" without defining them. We assumed one per staff member. Ask whether a groomer who appears on the calendar but never logs in needs a paid user, because the answer moves a team's price by $9 a head. Second, if DaySmart does count client replies against its allowance, Basic's 500 texts cover about 125 appointments and Deluxe's 1,000 cover about 250, not 166 and 333. For how these line items compare across the whole market, see what grooming software really costs.

What Each One Gives You Beyond the Price

Groomsoft gives you nearly everything on one plan. Scheduling by groomer with conflict alerts and a waiting list, two-way and bulk texting, client and pet profiles with vaccination tracking, signable release forms, online booking, card processing with card-on-file, Google Calendar sync, MailChimp email marketing, and reports covering sales, expenses, tips, commissions and time clock hours. The mobile plan adds route optimization, mileage tracking, satellite views for checking parking, "I'm on my way" texts, and a tool that finds overdue pets near your stops. There are no tiers to climb. What you see at $29.95 or $39.90 is the product.

DaySmart Pet gives you more as you pay more. Basic covers scheduling, reminders, online and Facebook booking, integrated payments, gift cards, packages and reporting. Deluxe adds digital forms, payroll, a loyalty program, employee reminders and email marketing. Deluxe Growth adds two-way texting, text marketing and reputation management. Premium adds QuickBooks Online. Daycare and boarding calendars are $25 a month each on any plan. Every plan includes native iOS and Android apps and email, chat and phone support with onboarding. The company has been selling grooming software since 2005, under the 123Pet name for most of that time.

So the feature comparison changes by tier. Against DaySmart Basic, Groomsoft has the longer list: two-way texting, release forms, unlimited users and route optimization. Against DaySmart Deluxe and above, DaySmart has things Groomsoft does not publish at all: payroll, loyalty, native apps, QuickBooks and boarding calendars.

Where DaySmart Pet Pulls Ahead

• Five times the bundled texts: 500 a month on Basic against Groomsoft's 100. For a solo groomer on reminders only, that is the whole price difference.
• A predictable bill: Inside your allowance the price does not move. Groomsoft's changes every month with your text count and your clients' replies.
• Native iOS and Android apps: DaySmart's iPhone app is rated 4.8 stars from more than 1,000 ratings. Groomsoft runs in a browser.
• Payroll, loyalty and QuickBooks: Available from Deluxe and Premium. Groomsoft reports on commissions and hours but does not run payroll.
• Daycare and boarding: Add-on calendars at $25 each keep a salon that also boards in one system.
• Phone support on every plan: Including the $29 one.

Where Groomsoft Pulls Ahead

• Two-way texting at $29.95: DaySmart bundles it from $149. Nothing else in this comparison moves the price as much.
• Unlimited users: A new groomer or a front-desk hire costs nothing. On DaySmart the second person means leaving the $29 plan.
• Route optimization for vans: Included on the $39.90 mobile plan with mileage tracking and parking previews. DaySmart advertises maps, directions and traffic, but not route optimization.
• Use any card processor at the same price: Groomsoft publishes no surcharge. DaySmart adds $10 to $20 a month.
• Every price is published: Text packs are listed down to the cent. DaySmart leaves overage texts, two add-ons and its top plan as "contact for pricing."
• A longer, safer trial: 30 days against 14, and DaySmart deletes your trial data if you do not activate.

Testing Them: Neither Trial Shows You the Texting

Both vendors let you try the software without a card, and both hold back the feature this comparison turns on.

Groomsoft's 30-day demo covers scheduling, profiles, maps and reports, but its text messaging page says "SMS / Text Messaging is ONLY available to paid subscribers," and email reminders are for paid subscribers too. DaySmart's 14-day trial includes everything in Deluxe, and you can set up reminders and text marketing during it, but DaySmart says those tools need verification that its team completes once your account is activated. Card processing is also off until you pay.

Use the trials to judge the calendar, the client records and how the software feels on your phone. Then plan to treat your first paid month as the real test of reminders. One practical difference: Groomsoft offers to import your customer and pet data for free, while DaySmart warns that trial data is lost if you let the 14 days run out. Do not load your full client list into a DaySmart trial until you are fairly sure.

The Questions That Settle It

Answer these in order and stop at the first one that decides it.

First: do you need to text back and forth with clients inside the software? If yes, choose Groomsoft, or get DaySmart's Deluxe add-on price in writing before you go further. If automated reminders with a reply-to-confirm are enough, keep going.

Second: do you groom from a van? If route optimization matters to you, choose Groomsoft. DaySmart is cheaper for a solo van on paper, but it does not advertise the tool most mobile groomers buy software for.

Third: how many people need access? If it is only you, DaySmart Basic at $29 is hard to beat, as long as you take its card processing. If it is two or three people, compare DaySmart's $69 to Groomsoft at your real text volume: Groomsoft is cheaper under about 240 appointments a month. If it is more than three, add $9 each on DaySmart and check whether you will stay under 1,000 texts.

Fourth: is there something on DaySmart's higher plans you would pay for anyway? Payroll, a loyalty program, QuickBooks, a native app or boarding calendars can each justify DaySmart on their own. Groomsoft does not offer them at any price.

Whichever way you go, export your client and pet data before you cancel anything. And if no-shows are the problem you are really trying to solve, both send reminders that clients can confirm by reply. See our guide to reducing grooming no-shows.

Which One Is Right for You?

Bottom Line

DaySmart Pet and Groomsoft start at nearly the same price and limit opposite things. DaySmart bundles plenty of texts but restricts users and keeps two-way texting for its $149 plan. Groomsoft includes unlimited users and two-way texting but charges for every message past the first 100, replies included.

For a solo salon groomer on reminders only, DaySmart Basic is the cheaper choice by up to about $28 a month. For anyone who texts with clients, works from a van or is adding staff at modest volume, Groomsoft is cheaper, sometimes by more than $100 a month. Confirm current rates with both vendors before signing, and ask DaySmart for the three figures it does not publish: the two-way texting add-on, the price of overage texts, and what counts as a user.

Still comparing? Groomsoft vs GrooMore, Groomsoft vs Pawfinity and Groomsoft vs Groomer.io test Groomsoft's metered texting against bundled, reply-free and unlimited plans, and MoeGo vs Groomsoft puts it against the most expensive option. Our best pet grooming software guide ranks the wider field, and the best mobile grooming software roundup covers van-based operations specifically.

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