A grooming salon sells chairs. A mobile groomer sells hours, and every minute spent driving between badly ordered appointments is an hour that earns nothing. That is why the best mobile groomer software is not simply salon software with an address field: it has to plan the day around the drive, price by the dog, charge for distance, protect slots that cost you fuel, and still be simple enough for a one-van business. This guide compares the software mobile groomers shortlist in 2026, explains what to look for, and shows how ZibaDesk handles each part with real screens.
The short answer
For a mobile groomer with one to five vans, ZibaDesk is our pick for 2026: it is the only option in this guide that puts drive-aware online booking, one-tap route optimisation, size pricing, travel fees and deposits in a plan under US$20 a month. Bigger pet businesses with daycare and boarding, and groomers who want a pet-only brand, have good alternatives below.
ZibaDesk
Best overall for mobile groomers and salon plus van businesses.
Pro US$19.99 a month (up to 5 staff); Ultra US$39.99 a month; 14-day free trial
MoeGo
Best for larger pet businesses that want a pet-only suite, including daycare and boarding.
Mobile plans US$49 (1 member), US$99 and US$159 per van a month
Groomer.io
Best for groomers who want a grooming-only tool priced per van.
US$79 to US$99 a month per van or storefront
Pawfinity
Best for groomers and trainers who want one flat price.
Groom & Train US$60 a month
DaySmart Pet
Best for established grooming salons that want a long-standing system.
Deluxe US$69 a month with payments (3 users)
Gingr
Best for pet resorts with daycare and boarding plus a grooming spa.
Spa plan US$109 a month
How we judged mobile grooming software
We scored every product against the jobs that decide whether a van makes money, weighted the way groomers told us they matter.
| What we checked | Why it matters for a mobile groomer |
|---|---|
| Drive-aware online booking | A booking that cannot be reached in time is worse than no booking. Online slots should respect the drive from the last client and to the next. |
| Route optimisation | Re-ordering a day of six stops can save an hour of driving. It should be one tap, and nothing should move without you approving it. |
| Service areas by weekday | Work the north side on Mondays and the south on Thursdays, without turning clients away by phone. |
| Pricing by dog size | A labrador is not a chihuahua. Grooms should be priced and timed by size band, without six copies of every service. |
| Travel fees | Distance-based fees calculated from the client's address, with a limit on how far you will go. |
| No-show protection | Deposits, card on file and a clear cancellation policy, because a no-show costs the drive as well as the slot. |
| Pet records and questionnaires | Vaccinations, temperament, allergies, the vet, and your terms agreed before you arrive. |
| Price for a real business | The plan a two-van business needs, not the entry price on the pricing page. |
1. ZibaDesk: best overall for mobile groomers
ZibaDesk is an appointment and point-of-sale platform for salons, clinics and groomers, with a pet grooming mode that changes the booking page, the client record and the day board for dogs and vans. It runs on iPhone, Android, iPad and the web in eleven languages. Here is how it handles the jobs above.
Online booking that only offers times the van can reach
Set your start and finish address and the areas you cover on each weekday. When a client books online, the page asks for their address first and only offers times where the drive from the previous appointment and on to the next fits, plus the gap you want between clients. Days you are not in their area are simply not offered.
Route view and Optimise route
In Salon Center, the Route tab shows the day's mobile stops on a map with the drive between each and the total driving time. It warns when the gap between two appointments is shorter than the drive. Optimise route proposes the shortest order with new start times; nothing changes until you apply it, and clients whose time moves get a new confirmation. Send the day to Google Maps, or a stop to Apple Maps or Waze, in one tap. Each groomer has their own route, so two vans do not share one day.
Pricing by dog size, add-ons and travel fees
Each groom has its own price and duration for each size band, from tiny to giant, and clients describe their dog once. Add-ons such as a nail clip, teeth brushing or a de-shed are ticked alongside the groom. Travel fees are set as distance tiers from your base (for example free to 10 km, then a fee per band) and the furthest you travel, and they appear on their own line or folded into the price.
Pet profiles and the pet questionnaire
Every client's pets sit on their record with breed, size, coat notes, history and before and after photos. The pet questionnaire goes out with the booking or is answered on a tablet at the door: vaccinations, flea and worm treatment, allergies, medical conditions, temperament, bite history, the vet, an emergency contact and permission to see a vet, with your terms and conditions to tick. You choose which answers warn your staff on the appointment.
Deposits, cancellation policy and no-show fees
Connect your own Stripe account and take a deposit, full payment or a saved card when clients book online. You can set different deposit amounts for chosen dates, such as the weeks before the holidays. Your cancellation policy is shown with the real cut-off for that booking and the client agrees to it. Clients can confirm or reschedule from their link, and cancel too if you allow it, up to your cut-off, and a no-show fee can be charged to the saved card from the appointment.
Packages, gift cards and loyalty
Sell prepaid packages such as a three-visit puppy introduction, online or at the till, and redeem one visit at a time; the client record shows how many are left. Gift cards, loyalty rewards and store credit all work at checkout.
A shop and a van, or several vans
Pro covers up to five staff, each with their own route. Ultra adds up to five locations, so a grooming salon can run the van as a mobile location with its own hours, services and prices, and reports show what the van earns against the shop.
Reports, payroll and the boring bits
Reports cover sales, services, staff, clients and payment methods, by location or together. Commissions per groomer, an optional payroll summary, inventory for shampoos and retail, CSV exports and Xero integration are there when you need them. Your bookings can also appear in Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook through a calendar subscription.
Watch: Client records in ZibaDeskStrengths
- Drive-aware online booking and service areas by weekday
- One-tap route optimisation in the US$19.99 Pro plan
- Pricing by dog size, add-ons and distance-based travel fees
- Deposits, card on file and no-show fees through your own Stripe
- iPhone, Android, iPad and web in eleven languages
Watch out for
- No daycare, boarding or training modules
- SMS beyond the monthly allowance is bought in bundles
- Multi-location (a shop plus vans as locations) needs Ultra
Mobile grooming software compared at a glance
What a business with three groomers or vans would pay for the plan that includes online booking and route planning. Prices are list prices in US dollars per month, read on each vendor's own pricing page on 26 October 2026.
| Software | Route optimisation | Price for 3 groomers or vans | Free trial | Business app languages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZibaDesk | Yes, in Pro, plus drive-aware online booking | US$19.99 (Pro, up to 5 staff) | 14 days, no card | 11, including Persian and Arabic |
| MoeGo | From Growth (Basic has Smart Schedule) | US$297 (Growth, US$99 per van); Basic US$49 is 1 member only | Demo | English |
| Groomer.io | Listed with mapping and ETA texts | US$237 to US$297 (US$79 to US$99 per van) | Demo | English |
| Pawfinity | "Mapping & Routes" listed | US$60 (Groom & Train, flat) | 7 days, no card | Not checked |
| DaySmart Pet | Not on its pricing page | US$69 (Deluxe with payments, 3 users) | 14 days | English |
| Gingr | Not on its pricing page | US$109 (Spa plan) | Demo | Client app only |
Sources: vendor pricing pages and App Store listings, read 26 October 2026. Card processing, SMS and website add-ons are extra for most vendors. Check each vendor for your country and for annual discounts.
2. MoeGo: best for larger pet businesses
MoeGo is a pet-only business suite with a pricing page made for mobile groomers. Basic (US$49 a month) covers one member and includes Smart Schedule to reduce driving; route optimisation and multi-van scheduling start at Growth, US$99 per van a month, and Ultimate is US$159 per van. MoeGo also covers daycare, boarding and training, which ZibaDesk does not.
Strengths
- Pet-only product with a large user base
- Daycare, boarding and training as well as grooming
- Route optimisation on Growth and above
Watch out for
- Per-van pricing adds up for a fleet
- Route optimisation is not in Basic
- Reviewers mention slow access to human support
3. Groomer.io: best grooming-only tool priced per van
Groomer.io is built only for groomers, with online booking, mapping and scheduling, route optimisation, ETA and on-the-way texts. It is priced per storefront or van at US$79 to US$99 a month, with a grooming website as a US$79 add-on, and sold by demo.
Strengths
- Made for groomers only
- Route and ETA features for vans
- Well reviewed by its users
Watch out for
- Per-van pricing
- Website is an extra US$79 a month
- English only
4. Pawfinity: best flat price for groomers and trainers
Pawfinity has a mobile grooming page and lists mapping and routes among its features. Groom & Train costs US$60 a month (US$55 billed yearly) as a flat price, and the Royal package is US$110. There is a 7-day trial with no card.
Strengths
- Flat price, not per user
- Grooming and training in one plan
- Short trial with no card
Watch out for
- Short 7-day trial
- Fewer reviews to judge it by
- Check what the routing feature covers before you buy
5. DaySmart Pet: best for established grooming salons
DaySmart Pet, formerly 123Pet, is a long-standing pet business system. Deluxe is US$69 a month with payments (US$89 without) for three users, with a mobile app in every plan and a 14-day trial. Its pricing page does not describe route planning for vans, so it fits a salon better than a mobile business.
Strengths
- Mature, widely used system
- Three users included on Deluxe
- Mobile app in every plan
Watch out for
- No route planning on its pricing page
- Extra charges for messaging and add-ons
- Reviewers mention duplicate records and outages
6. Gingr: best for pet resorts with a grooming spa
Gingr is built for daycare and boarding facilities, with a Spa plan for grooming at US$109 a month (US$100 billed yearly). Its pricing page does not mention mobile grooming, and its mobile app is for pet parents. Choose it if kennels and daycare are your core business and grooming is a service on the side.
Strengths
- Strong for daycare and boarding
- Grooming spa plan
- Pet parent app for clients
Watch out for
- Not built for mobile grooming
- No free trial
- Highest entry price in this guide
What mobile grooming software really costs
Entry prices are not the price you pay. Before you compare, write down what you need on day one (route optimisation, two groomers, deposits, SMS) and price the plan that includes all of it. The table above uses each vendor's own list price for the plan a small van business needs.
With ZibaDesk the plans are: Pro at US$19.99 a month for up to five staff, with route optimisation, deposits through your own Stripe account, WhatsApp confirmations and 100 SMS a month; and Ultra at US$39.99 a month for unlimited staff and up to five locations. Prices are per business, shown in your own currency on our pricing page, with no commission on bookings. Every new account starts with 14 days of Pro free, no card needed, and extra SMS are bought in bundles.
Switching your grooming business to ZibaDesk
- Sign up and choose the pet grooming business type. Size bands, groom categories, the pet booking step and a grooming page style are set up for you.
- Export your clients from your current software as a spreadsheet and import them in Settings, so names, phones and emails come across.
- Add your grooms with a price and time for each size, then your add-ons and packages.
- Set up the van: base address, weekday areas and travel fees.
- Connect Stripe if you take deposits, switch on the pet questionnaire, and share your new booking link.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best software for a mobile dog grooming business in 2026?
For most mobile groomers with one to five vans we recommend ZibaDesk, because it combines drive-aware online booking, route optimisation, pricing by dog size, travel fees, pet questionnaires and deposits from US$19.99 a month. Businesses with daycare or boarding may prefer a pet care platform built around those services.
Do I need route optimisation as a mobile groomer?
If you do more than three or four stops a day, yes. Re-ordering the day can save a lot of driving, and booking that only offers reachable times prevents the problem in the first place. In ZibaDesk both are part of Pro.
Can mobile grooming software charge a travel fee?
ZibaDesk can. Set distance tiers from your base and the furthest you travel; the fee is worked out from the client's address before they choose a time, and addresses beyond your limit cannot book online.
Can I run a grooming salon and a mobile van in one account?
Yes. On Ultra, add the van as a mobile location beside your shop. Clients choose where they want the groom, each location has its own hours, services and prices, and reports compare them.
How do I stop no-shows in mobile grooming?
Take a deposit or save a card when clients book online, show your cancellation policy with the real cut-off and send reminders. ZibaDesk does all three, and a no-show fee can be charged to the saved card from the appointment.
Can I try mobile grooming software for free?
Yes. Every new ZibaDesk account gets 14 days of Pro free with no card, so you can set up your van, size bands and booking page and take real bookings before you pay.
ZibaDesk publishes this guide, so we rank our own app first and say so. Competitor prices and features come from each vendor's own website, checked in October 2026, and they change often: check the vendor before you decide. Product names belong to their owners, and ZibaDesk is not affiliated with them. Screens show sample businesses with fictional clients.