Houndtrust vs Scritches: Which Fits a Solo Home Boarder? (2026)
Honest comparison · Updated July 2026
Scritches is a genuinely good tool, and it's well reviewed: 4.9 stars across 25 Capterra ratings. But a lot of what it's built for (staff scheduling, walking-route assignment, per-staff seats) is aimed at businesses with a team. If you're one person boarding dogs out of your home, most of that is overhead you never touch. Houndtrust is built for exactly that business: you, alone, with everything a solo boarder needs and nothing you have to grow into.
The short version
If you're a solo home boarder or sitter, Houndtrust is the tighter, cheaper fit: $24/mo founding price, everything included, no per-seat or per-booking fee, and clients pay you directly. If you run a walking business with multiple sitters and need staff scheduling and routes, Scritches is built for that and does it well, keep it. This page is for the solo pro who doesn't need the team half of a team tool.
Side by side, July 2026
| Feature | Scritches | Houndtrust |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $15/mo (entry tier) | Free, forever, no card |
| Solo-operator price | $15 / $35 / $51 per mo by tier | $24/mo, everything included |
| Per extra staff member | +$12/mo each | Solo-only - no staff seats |
| Third-party reviews | 4.9★, 25 reviews (Capterra) | Newer - no third-party reviews yet |
| Built for | Solo through multi-staff teams | One person, solo home-boarding first |
| Multi-staff scheduling / walking routes | Yes - a core strength | Not needed, not built |
| Intake: booking + waiver + vet auth | Booking + agreements | One link: booking, e-signed waiver, e-signed emergency-vet authorization |
| Client payments | Handled in-app | Clients pay you directly (your own Venmo, PayPal, Cash App, or Stripe) |
| Cut of your bookings | None (flat subscription) | None, ever, 0% |
| Collectible Stay Cards | Not advertised | Every stay mints a collectible Stay Card pack your client opens and shares |
| AI update writing | Not advertised | Pip drafts warm client updates you review and send |
| Free tier / trial | Paid tiers (check site for a trial) | Free tier forever, plus 7 days full access and 30 more on activating Solo |
Scritches details from its public site and Capterra listing, July 2026. “Not advertised” means we couldn't find it there, not a claim it doesn't exist. Check both before you decide.
The price math for a solo
Scritches lists three monthly tiers, $15, $35, and $51, plus $12 for each additional staff member. A true solo skips the per-staff add-on, but the tier you land on depends on the features you need, and the whole pricing model is shaped around growing a team. Houndtrust is one plan: Solo at $24/mo with the waiver flow, Pip AI updates, Stay Cards, the money dashboard, and everything else included, no seats and no add-ons. That $24 is the founding rate, and the first 300 pros lock in founding status for life.
What a solo home boarder actually uses
Scritches puts its depth into scheduling a team. Houndtrust puts that same energy into the handful of things a solo boarder touches every single day:
- One intake link that books the stay, e-signs the liability waiver and emergency-vet authorization, and shows your month's money.
- Pip turns a quick note into a warm client update, delivered as a collectible Stay Card. Every card rolls a 1-to-99 pull, rare pulls go gold and the 1-in-500 Best in Show goes full holo, so clients actually open and share them.
- Clients get a free portal with two-way messaging and GPS walk maps. No app to download.
- When they pay, they pay you directly through your own Venmo, PayPal, Cash App, or Stripe. Houndtrust never touches the money, and takes 0% of your bookings.
When Scritches is the right choice
If you employ other sitters or walkers, run a walking business with routes to assign, or need to schedule and track a team, Scritches is built for exactly that and has the reviews to back it up. Houndtrust doesn't do staff scheduling or route assignment, on purpose. We'd rather say plainly that a walking team belongs on team software than sell you seats and scheduling you'll never use. If that's your business, Scritches is the honest recommendation, not us.
Common questions
Is there a Scritches alternative for solo home boarders?
Yes. Scritches is a strong tool, but a lot of it (multi-staff scheduling, walking-route assignment, per-staff seats) is aimed at teams. Houndtrust is built for one person running home boarding: $24/mo flat with everything included, plus a free tier with no card. It's a founding price the first 300 pros lock in for life before it moves to $49.
How much does Scritches cost for one person?
Scritches lists monthly tiers at $15, $35, and $51, plus $12 per additional staff member (vendor site, July 2026). For a true solo with no staff, the per-staff add-on doesn't apply, but which tier you need depends on the features and client volume you're after. Houndtrust is a single $24/mo Solo plan with everything included and no per-seat or per-booking add-ons.
Is Scritches or Houndtrust better for a solo dog boarder?
It depends on your business. If you're a one-person home-boarding operation, Houndtrust is the tighter fit: one intake link that books the stay and e-signs the liability waiver and emergency-vet authorization, a money dashboard, and collectible Stay Cards, with nothing built for staff you don't have. If you run or plan to run a walking team with multiple sitters, Scritches is built for exactly that and does it well.
Does Scritches take a cut of my bookings?
No. Like Houndtrust, Scritches is software, not a marketplace, so it charges a flat subscription and doesn't take a percentage of what your clients pay you. The difference is fit and price, not commission: with Houndtrust your clients also pay you directly through your own Venmo, PayPal, Cash App, or Stripe, so the money never routes through us.
When is Scritches the right choice over Houndtrust?
When you employ other sitters or walkers. Scritches has genuine strengths for multi-staff walking businesses: staff scheduling, route assignment, and per-staff seats. If that's your operation, it's a mature, well-reviewed tool (4.9 stars across 25 Capterra reviews as of July 2026) built for that job. Houndtrust doesn't do staff scheduling on purpose, so a team belongs on Scritches, not us.
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Scritches pricing, reviews, and features are drawn from its public pages and Capterra listing as of July 2026 and can change, check the source for the latest. Scritches is a trademark of its owner; this comparison is our honest opinion for a solo dog-care audience. Not affiliated with Scritches.
Questions? hello@houndtrust.com · (385) 246-2984