Is Pet Manager the Best Gingr Alternative? An Honest Comparison

In the competitive world of pet care software, Gingr stands out as a leader. It’s a comprehensive, feature-rich platform used by countless facilities, especially in the North American market. Its reputation is built on its ability to handle almost any task you can throw at it. But “biggest” doesn’t always mean “best” for everyone.

Many business owners, particularly those outside the US or those looking for a different user experience and pricing philosophy, find themselves searching for a Gingr alternative. This search often leads them to Pet Manager. So, is it the best alternative? The answer depends entirely on what you value most in a software partner.

Let’s have an honest look at how Pet Manager compares to Gingr, helping you decide which platform aligns with the unique needs of your business.

Where Gingr Shines

You don’t get to be a market leader by accident. Gingr’s strengths are significant:

• Feature Depth: It has an incredibly vast feature set covering reservations, a detailed customer portal, employee management, and integrated marketing tools.
• Scalability: It’s built to handle the demands of very large, high-volume facilities with hundreds of pets per day.
• Established Presence: It has a long track record and a large user base, which means it’s a well-tested and mature product.

For a large US-based facility that needs every possible bell and whistle and has the team to manage a complex system, Gingr is a formidable choice.

Where Pet Manager Emerges as a Powerful Alternative

Pet Manager competes not by trying to be a Gingr clone, but by offering a different, often more flexible and user-centric, approach.

1. The Philosophy of Customisation and Usability:

While Gingr is powerful, some users find its vastness can lead to a steep learning curve.

• Pet Manager: Focuses on combining power with intuition. The user interface is designed to be clean and easy to navigate, even with its extensive feature set. More importantly, it’s built to be moulded to your business. You can change the terminology in the customer portal to match your brand’s voice, create custom dashboard tiles for the metrics you care about, and build your own reports for specific extras. It’s less about giving you a million features and more about giving you the right features that you can easily adapt.

2. The Game-Changing Pricing Engine:

This is a frequent pain point that leads users to seek alternatives.

• Gingr: Has a capable system for setting prices and packages.
• Pet Manager: Features an exceptionally powerful rules-based pricing calculator. This system is designed to automate the most complex pricing structures. Think automatic surcharges for public holidays, tiered discounts for long stays, special pricing for different customer types (e.g., staff, VIPs), or additional fees for late check-outs. For businesses with variable pricing, this level of automation can save dozens of hours a month and prevent thousands of dollars in invoicing errors.

3. Localised for Global Success (The Aussie Advantage):

If your business is in Australia or New Zealand, Pet Manager offers an undeniable “home ground” advantage.

• Gingr: Integrates with global payment and software partners.
• Pet Manager: Provides deep, seamless integrations with tools that are staples of the local business ecosystem. The two-way sync with Xero accounting software is a bookkeeper’s dream, while the direct integration with Tyro EFTPOS for in-person payments streamlines the checkout process in a way non-localised software can’t match. This built-in understanding of the local market is a significant differentiator.

Let’s Talk About “Dogfooding”

In the software world, there’s a concept called “dogfooding”—it means using your own product. The Pet Manager team is deeply embedded in the pet care community. The platform’s evolution is famously driven by its users through a built-in feature request and voting system. This creates a product that isn’t just designed for pet businesses, but in many ways, by pet businesses. This collaborative approach ensures the features being developed are the ones that solve real-world problems for the people on the ground.

4. All-in-One, For Real:

While both platforms are “all-in-one,” Pet Manager’s architecture is designed with distinct, specialised modules for a wider range of services. It’s not just boarding, daycare, and grooming. It has purpose-built functionality for trainers, dog walkers, canine hydrotherapists, and even mobile dog parks. If you run a truly diverse pet care empire, this specialised approach ensures no part of your business feels like an afterthought.

So, is it the Best Alternative?

If you’re a business that values:

• A user-friendly interface that doesn’t sacrifice power.
• The ability to automate complex pricing and operational rules.
• Seamless integration with Australian/NZ business tools like Xero and Tyro.
• A platform that evolves based on direct user feedback.

Then yes, Pet Manager is not just a great Gingr alternative—it might just be a better fit for you.

The best way to know is to see for yourself. The philosophies may differ, but the goal is the same: helping your business thrive. Step into a world of intuitive power and flexibility. Start your free 30-day trial of Pet Manager and see what the buzz is all about.