What $49 a Month Gets a Solo Groomer on Teddy

Most groomers who start out on their own run the business from their phone. Clients text your personal number, appointments live in a paper planner or a Notes app, and pet details live in your head. It works fine until the day you double-book a Shih Tzu and a Bernedoodle, or forget which client's Lab has the ear infection.

That's usually the moment people start looking for grooming software for solo groomers. And the first question is always the same: how little can I spend and still get something real?

This article is a straight answer for Teddy's cheapest plan. We'll cover what you get for $49 a month, what you don't, and the signs that tell you it's time to move up. We'll also say where another tool might suit you better, because a plan that's wrong for you isn't a bargain at any price.

The Budget plan in one paragraph

Teddy's Budget plan costs $49 a month per location and is designed for one groomer. It includes a calendar with unlimited appointments, client and pet records, unlimited two-way texting, card payments with tips and receipts, intake forms and digital agreements, and Ask Teddy, an assistant you can talk to by text or voice. There's no contract and no setup fee, and you can try any plan free for 14 days without entering a card. Full details are on the pricing page.

What's included, in plain terms

Why unlimited texting matters more than it sounds

Texting is the part of grooming software that groomers underestimate most. A single appointment can easily involve six or seven messages: the booking, a confirmation, a "can we push to 10?", your reply, "ready for pickup," and a thank-you. Many platforms include a monthly bucket of texts and charge you when you go over. MoeGo's mobile Basic plan, for example, is also $49 but includes roughly 200 texts and one user, according to its published pricing (we break that down in our MoeGo pricing guide).

On Teddy, there's no counter to watch. You can send the before-and-after photo, answer the "is she okay?" text while a nervous Maltese is on your table, and never think about it.

What Ask Teddy actually does

Ask Teddy is the assistant built into every plan. Instead of tapping through menus with wet hands, you can text or say something like "move the Johnsons' poodle to Thursday at 2" or "text Maria that Biscuit is ready." Teddy shows you what it's about to do and waits for your OK. It can also pull up revenue numbers when you ask. If you want the longer tour, there's a full walkthrough in Teddy, grooming software that actually works for you.

What the Budget plan doesn't include

This is the section most software companies skip. Here's what you won't get at $49:

• 24/7 online booking. On Budget, clients book by texting or calling you. Online booking starts on Core.
• Automated reminders. You can text reminders yourself (and texting is unlimited), but automatic reminder messages are a Core feature.
• Route optimization. If you're mobile and want Teddy to order your stops, that's Core.
• More than one groomer. Budget is for one person. Core covers up to five.
• Missed-call and after-hours handling, review boosting. These are on the $199 Plus plan.

That list is the honest trade-off. Budget is a solid home for a groomer who's still building a book and is happy to handle bookings personally. It's not built to run a business on autopilot.

A week on Budget: an example

Here's what a typical week could look like for a solo home-based groomer doing about 20 dogs. This is an illustration, not a specific customer.

Monday. A new client texts asking about a first groom for a 6-month-old Cavapoo. You send your intake form link. By the evening, the puppy's details, vaccination info, and signed agreement are in her file.

Tuesday. Between dogs, you say "Ask Teddy, what does Thursday look like?" It reads back your three Thursday appointments. You ask it to slot the puppy in at 1pm. It confirms, you approve, and the client gets a text.

Wednesday. A regular asks if Max can come in a week early. You text back from the business line, not your personal phone, so your evening isn't full of client messages.

Friday. You take card payments with tips as each client picks up, and every receipt goes out automatically. On Friday night you ask Teddy how much you made this week instead of adding it up in a spreadsheet.

Nothing here is flashy. That's the point. The Budget plan is about getting the business out of your head and off your personal phone.

When it's time to move up to Core

Core is $99 a month per location. These are the signs you've outgrown Budget:

1. You're losing bookings after hours. If people try to book at 10pm and give up, online booking pays for itself fast.
2. No-shows are costing you real money. One missed full groom on a doodle can cost you a big part of a day's income. Automated reminders exist for exactly this. Our guide to reducing grooming no-shows covers the rest of the playbook.
3. You've hired a bather or second groomer. Budget is one groomer; Core covers up to five.
4. You've gone mobile. Route optimization will save you more in fuel and drive time than the $50 difference.

You can switch plans any time, so there's no penalty for starting on Budget and upgrading when the business tells you to.

How it compares with other entry-level options

If you're shopping on price, you'll likely look at a few tools. Here's a fair snapshot:

The honest read: if online booking from day one matters more to you than unlimited texting, MoeGo's mobile Basic plan is worth a look. If you live on your phone with clients, Teddy's Budget plan is the better fit for the same money.

What groomers say

We'd rather let groomers speak than write our own praise. A few comments from our reviews page, shown word for word:

• "Looooooving Teddy! Seriously life changing." (Natasha Harris)
• "I LOVE Teddy!!" (LilaJean Olpp)

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the best grooming software for solo groomers on a budget?

It depends on how you work. If you text clients a lot, a plan with unlimited texting like Teddy's $49 Budget plan avoids surprise fees. If you want online booking from the start, MoeGo's mobile Basic plan or Teddy's Core plan are better fits.

Does Teddy's $49 plan include online booking?

No. Online booking, automated reminders, and route optimization start on the $99 Core plan. On Budget, clients book with you by text or phone, and you manage everything from the calendar.

Is texting really unlimited on Teddy's cheapest plan?

Yes. Unlimited two-way texting is included on every Teddy plan, including Budget at $49, with no per-text fees.

Can I try Teddy before paying?

Yes. You can try any plan free for 14 days with no credit card. Teddy will also import your existing clients and schedule for free so you can test it with your real book.

Can I upgrade from Budget to Core later?

Yes, you can switch plans any time with no contract. Many solo groomers start on Budget and move to Core when they add online booking, automated reminders, or a second groomer.

The bottom line

For $49 a month, Teddy's Budget plan gets a solo groomer a real calendar, proper pet records, unlimited texting from a business line, payments, forms, and an assistant that does the clicking for you. It doesn't give you online booking or automatic reminders, and we'd rather you know that now than discover it in week two.

If that sounds like the right starting point, you can try it free for 14 days at tryteddy.com, with your clients imported for you. And if you're still comparing, our roundup of the best pet grooming CRM software puts Teddy next to MoeGo, DaySmart, Pawfinity, and Gingr so you can decide with everything in front of you.