Time To Pet alternative
A Time To Pet alternative that does not charge per sitter
Time To Pet is a solid product. Its Team plan bills for every active staff member, though, so growth costs more every month. Porchlight is $35 a month for the owner alone and $79 a month for unlimited staff.
Why companies look for an alternative
The bill grows with every hire
Time To Pet Team is $40 a month plus $16 for each active staff member, and the owner counts. Porchlight Team is $79 for everyone.
Payroll is a second bill
Time To Pet lists payroll at $40 a month plus $6 per worker. Porchlight includes payroll reports and a QuickBooks and Gusto export on both plans.
You want to test it longer
Time To Pet offers a 14-day trial. Porchlight gives you 30 days, no card, so you can run a full billing cycle.
Porchlight and Time To Pet side by side
Including the rows where Time To Pet wins.
| Feature | Porchlight | Time To Pet | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free trial | 30 days, no card | 14 days, no card | Porchlight |
| One-person business | Solo: $35 a month or $350 a year | Lite: $25 a month. Solo: $50 a month | Even |
| Team pricing | $79 a month, unlimited staff, flat | $40 a month plus $16 per active staff member | Porchlight |
| Six people (owner plus five) | $79 a month | $136 a month | Porchlight |
| Payroll | Included. Per-visit, percent or hourly pay, CSV export for QuickBooks and Gusto | Separate product: $40 a month plus $6 per worker, with tax filing and direct deposit | Even |
| Offline field app | Finish a whole visit with no signal | Not described on their public pages | Porchlight |
| Boarding and daycare facilities | Not built. In-home sitting and walking only | Facility plan at $79 a month | Time To Pet |
| Time in market | Newer product | Established product with a long track record | Time To Pet |
Prices checked Oct 2026 on timetopet.com. Sources: pricing, payroll, staff management. Porchlight competes with Time To Pet, so check their pages too.
More detail
Questions we get
What is the best Time To Pet alternative?
It depends on your business. If you do in-home sitting or dog walking and your team is growing, Porchlight is built for you: $79 a month flat for unlimited staff. If you run a kennel or daycare, Time To Pet’s Facility plan fits better.
Is Porchlight cheaper than Time To Pet?
For two or more people, usually. Time To Pet Team is $40 plus $16 per active staff member, so two people cost $72 and three cost $88. Porchlight Team is $79 for any number. For one person, Time To Pet Lite at $25 is cheaper than Porchlight Solo at $35.
Can I move my clients and schedule over?
Yes. Export your clients, pets, services, rates and recurring schedules as CSV, then drop them into the Switch Kit. A dry run shows what will be created before anything is saved, and you can roll the import back with one click.
Do I have to put in a card to try Porchlight?
No. The 30-day trial does not ask for a card.
What does Porchlight not do?
Boarding and facility management. We build for in-home pet sitting and dog walking companies. We are also a newer product than Time To Pet.
Try Porchlight free for 30 days
No card needed. Solo is $35 a month, Team is $79 a month with unlimited staff. Already on Time To Pet? The Switch Kit imports your CSV exports with a dry run first.