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Ranked: These pet apps actually work (and pet parents love them)

Do you agree with this ranking of best pet apps?

There’s an app for that may be a phrase that’s turned trite and overused but, well, no matter what you’re looking for, there probably is an app for that. Now, whether there’s a good app for that is another story.

We’ve all been there. Whether you’re looking for a pet app, one to help you design the interior of your home, or just a game of solitaire to play, you can’t seem to find one with decent reviews or that works the way you want it to. Luckily the team at RentCafe, a nationwide apartment search website, combed through Android and iOS apps to find the best of the best (after all, we all know how tough being a pet parent who lives in an apartment can be).

RentCafe

The best pet apps for pet parents

How did RentCafe draw its conclusions? First, they eliminated any apps that weren’t on both Android and iOS (sure, you probably only use one, but most good apps cater to both kinds of phone users). Then, they eliminated any that weren’t designed for pet parents, but were actually meant for veterinarians.

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After that, all of the apps were ranked based on a 100-point system, giving weight to different aspects of the apps’ features and design:

  • iOS rating: 20 points
  • Android rating: 20 points
  • Easy navigation & clean design: 10 points
  • iOS number of reviews: 10 points
  • Android number of reviews: 10 points
  • iOS price: 10 points
  • Android price: 10 points
  • Available on iOS & Android: 5 points
  • Number of downloads: 5 points

The results? The top ten pet apps and their respective scores follow:

  1. Chewy: 100 points
  2. Rover: 98 points
  3. Puppr: 91 points
  4. Dogo: 90 points
  5. BringFido: 89 points
  6. Tractive: 87 points
  7. Good Pup: 82 points
  8. Whistle: 76 points
  9. Wag Labs: 76 points
  10. Every Doggy: 76 points

More information is available at RentCafe’s site — for instance, while Wag Labs got a total of 76 points, it got significantly better (and more) reviews for its iOS app than its Android app (a five-star rating with 43,500 reviews vs. a three-star rating with 7,300 reviews, respectively). If you’re an iOS user, you probably don’t care about Android ratings so much.

Of course, the best pet apps aren’t all about the ratings. No one is denying that Chewy is a great app if you need food, treats, or toys for your pup, but if you’re looking for a pet sitter, it won’t do you much good. As such, RentCafe also broke down the top apps into different categories:

  • Pet-sitting: Rover
  • Pet monitoring & tracking: Tractive
  • Pet health: Whistle
  • Pet care: DogLog
  • Pet training: Puppr
  • Traveling & shopping for pets: Chewy

Being a pet parent isn’t easy, but having the right tools at your fingertips can make it a little less stressful. With these pet apps, you’ll be well on your way.

Nicole Carlino
Former Digital Trends Contributor
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