Short answer: for a Canadian dog groomer, the right software depends on how you work. MoeGo and Groomer.io are built only for grooming and add route planning for mobile vans. Square Appointments is the best free option. PayDash — our product — suits solo groomers and small salons that want booking with deposits, GST invoicing and a free website in one account, priced in Canadian dollars.
Disclosure: PayDash wrote this article and makes one of the apps in it. Every fact about the other apps was checked on their own websites on September 25, 2026, and is linked. Prices change — check before you buy.
Quick picks
| App | Best for | Starting price | Deposits or no-show protection | Route planning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PayDash | Solo groomers and small salons in Canada | $19 CAD a month | Yes, deposits per service | No |
| MoeGo | Grooming-only software, from solo vans to fleets | $49 USD a month | Yes, every plan | From its Growth plan |
| Groomer.io | Mobile groomers who want map scheduling | $99 a month per van or storefront, as listed | Yes | Yes |
| Square Appointments | Paying $0 a month | Free | Yes, on the free plan | Not checked |
What a groomer needs from booking software
- Deposits or card-on-file. A 90-minute groom that doesn't show is most of a morning. See how to write a cancellation policy.
- Pet details on file. Breed, weight, vaccinations and temperament, there before the dog is.
- Coat photos at booking. The easiest way to price matting before the dog is on the table.
- Reminders. Most no-shows are owners who forgot.
- Route planning, if you're mobile with a full van schedule. Less driving means one more groom a day.
- GST on invoices. Grooming is taxable — see GST for dog groomers in Alberta.
PayDash
PayDash is booking and payment software for small Canadian service businesses. For groomers, owners book from your real availability, pay a deposit to confirm, and can upload a coat photo and answer your questions while they book. Each client holds a dog's name, breed, weight, vaccination status and behaviour notes. Reminders go out by text and email, invoices apply GST with your registration number and a pay-now link, and the business website — with booking built in — is free.
- Pricing: $19, $49 and $99 CAD a month; every plan has every feature. 30-day free trial, no credit card.
- Card fees: 3.3% + $0.90 on Canadian cards, online or in person, Stripe's processing fee included; 4.3% + $0.90 on cards issued outside Canada.
- Worth knowing: no route planning, and one dog's details per client record — a second dog goes in the notes. If either matters, look at MoeGo or Groomer.io.
See how PayDash works for groomers → · Pricing
MoeGo
MoeGo is software built only for pet grooming. Its pricing page lists Basic at $49 USD a month (for solo mobile groomers), Growth at $99 per van and Ultimate at $159 per van. Every plan includes online booking, integrated card payments and no-show protection with reminders, card-on-file, prepayment and pre-authorization. Basic includes 200 texts per van; Growth and Ultimate include 900. Route optimization starts on Growth.
- Best for: groomers who want grooming-specific software, especially mobile businesses with more than one van.
Groomer.io
Groomer.io is built for mobile groomers and grooming salons. Its software is listed at $99 a month per storefront or van (with a limited-time $79 offer when we checked), and includes online booking, deposits, payments, automated reminder calls, smart map scheduling, unlimited texts, and unlimited customer and pet records with photos. The page doesn't state a currency.
- Best for: mobile groomers who want map-based scheduling and unlimited texting.
Square Appointments
Square Appointments has a free plan in Canada with a booking site, text and email reminders, and prepayments and no-show fees through a card on file. Paid plans are $35 and $85 CAD a month per location. Its card rates are lower than PayDash's: 2.8% + 30¢ online and 2.5% for in-person credit cards.
- Best for: groomers who want to pay nothing monthly, or already use Square at the counter.
How to choose
- Solo, getting started, want the lowest cost: Square's free plan or PayDash Starter.
- Want booking, deposits, GST invoicing and a website in one place, in CAD: PayDash.
- Running vans and want route planning: MoeGo (Growth and up) or Groomer.io.
Starting out? How to start a mobile dog grooming business in Alberta covers licensing, insurance and pricing before you pick software.