Established workflows

Dog Walker Central vs Time To Pet

Time To Pet is one of the longest-running pet sitting and dog walking platforms. It charges by active client tier plus a per-staff seat fee, and is widely adopted by solo sitters and small teams. This guide uses pricing and feature information published by each vendor as of April 2026.

The commercial snapshot

Start with the pricing model, not the feature count.

The biggest long-term difference is often what makes the monthly bill change as your business grows.

Time To Pet

Tiered by active client count, plus per-staff add-on

From $35/mo (up to 50 active clients) + $9/staff

Dog Walker Central

Team-based pricing, not per active client

Free plan available; see current Pro pricing with no setup fee. View current pricing.

Feature by feature

Time To Pet vs Dog Walker Central

Vendor claims are based on published product and pricing pages. Dog Walker Central entries reflect current production features.

FeatureTime To PetDog Walker Central
Pricing model Per active-client tier + per-staff seat Free plan available; see current Pro pricing
Free tier 14-day free trial only Free plan available; see pricing for team limits
Mobile apps iOS and Android iOS and Android
Client portal Yes Yes
Recurring scheduling Yes Yes
GPS check-in / check-out Yes Yes
Photo visit reports Yes Yes
Route optimization Map view; manual ordering Automated route optimization for daily schedules
AI report quality control Not advertised AI scores visit reports and flags low-quality submissions
AI business assistant Not advertised Built-in AI assistant for scheduling and operational questions
Direct mail marketing Not built in (third-party only) Built-in postcard / direct mail campaigns
Public marketplace listing No public directory Public provider profile + bookable from /search
Stripe payments Yes Yes
QuickBooks export Yes Yes
API access Limited; on request Public API + webhooks
The honest read

Strong products can still be built for different businesses.

Where Time To Pet stands out

What Time To Pet does well

  • Long product history (since 2014) and a large existing user base.
  • Mature client communication features and templated messages.
  • Established integrations with several pet-industry tools.
The DWC difference

What Dog Walker Central adds

  • A permanent free plan is available; see current team limits on the pricing page.
  • No per-active-client tier; bills do not increase as the client list grows.
  • Public marketplace listing on /search drives inbound bookings without paid ads.
  • Built-in direct mail (postcard) marketing module.
  • Public REST API and webhooks for integrations and exports.
Migration reality

What moving from Time To Pet actually involves.

  1. Most Time To Pet exports (clients, pets, services, schedules) can be imported into Dog Walker Central via CSV with no manual re-entry.
  2. Recurring schedules and service definitions need to be re-confirmed after import to make sure cadence and pricing match the original.
  3. Past invoices can be brought over as historical records; ongoing Stripe billing is reconnected to the same Stripe account.
Explore Switch & Save

Frequently asked questions

Is Dog Walker Central a Time To Pet alternative?

Yes. Dog Walker Central covers the same core scheduling, client portal, GPS-verified visits, photo reports, and Stripe invoicing workflows as Time To Pet, with a free tier, a public marketplace listing, and built-in direct mail marketing.

How does Dog Walker Central pricing compare to Time To Pet?

Time To Pet charges by active-client tier plus a per-staff seat fee, starting at $35/mo. Dog Walker Central has a free plan and Pro pricing based on team size rather than an active-client tier. See the current team limits and rates on the pricing page.

Can I import my Time To Pet data?

Yes. Clients, pets, services, and schedules can be imported via CSV from a Time To Pet export. The Switch & Save program includes a guided import session.

Does Dog Walker Central have a free trial?

There is a permanent free plan, not just a time-limited trial. Check the pricing page for its current team limit and included features.

Do I have to switch payment processors when I migrate?

No. Dog Walker Central uses Stripe Connect, the same processor most Time To Pet customers already use, so the same Stripe account can be reconnected without re-onboarding clients.
Pricing and feature claims about Time To Pet are sourced from www.timetopet.com and their published pricing page (snapshot April 2026). Time To Pet is a trademark of its respective owner; this page is not affiliated with or endorsed by Time To Pet.
Your next step

See whether Dog Walker Central fits the way your team works.