Scout charges $33/mo for GPS tracking and scheduling — then $300/mo for a branded app. HeyDogWalker gives you scheduling, booking, AND a 24/7 AI receptionist for $29/mo. All-in. No surprises.
Start Free — No Card Needed →Scout looks affordable at $33/month. But look at their add-on pricing:
| Service | Scout | HeyDogWalker |
|---|---|---|
| Base software | $33/mo | $29/mo |
| Branded mobile app | +$300/mo | N/A |
| SEO-optimized website | +$42/mo | ✓ Included (booking page) |
| Paid ads management | +$1,000/mo | N/A |
| AI receptionist | ✗ Not available | ✓ Included |
| Free tier | ✗ Trial only | ✓ Free forever (5 clients) |
A Scout user who wants a branded app and SEO website pays $375/mo ($4,500/yr). A HeyDogWalker user gets scheduling + AI for $29/mo ($348/yr). That’s a $4,152/year difference.
Even comparing just the base plans: HeyDogWalker saves you $48/year AND includes AI that Scout doesn’t have at any price.
Every feature that matters — Scout vs HeyDogWalker, side by side.
| Feature | HeyDogWalker | Scout |
|---|---|---|
| 📞 AI Features | ||
| AI receptionist (answers calls 24/7) | ✓ Included | ✗ |
| AI text message responses | ✓ Included | ✗ |
| AI chat widget | ✓ Included | ✗ |
| Google review automation | ✓ Included | ✗ |
| Marketing automation | ✓ Included | ✗ |
| 📅 Scheduling & Booking | ||
| Online booking page | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scheduling calendar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Recurring bookings | ✓ | ✓ |
| Client notifications | ✓ (AI-powered) | ✓ |
| Overnight/sitting bookings | ✓ | ⚠ Walk-focused |
| Multi-service (walks + sitting + boarding) | ✓ | ⚠ Limited |
| 💰 Payments & Billing | ||
| Online payments (Stripe) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Automated billing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-dog pricing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Electronic service agreements | Coming Soon | ✓ |
| 🗺 Walk Tracking | ||
| GPS walk tracking | Coming Soon | ✓ (their strength) |
| Photo/video report cards | Coming Soon | ✓ |
| Walk route maps | Coming Soon | ✓ |
| Offline sync | N/A | ✓ |
| 💬 Communication | ||
| AI answers calls while you walk | ✓ | ✗ |
| AI responds to texts | ✓ | ✗ |
| In-app client messaging | ✓ | ✗ (#1 complaint) |
| Push notifications | ✓ | ✓ |
| 👥 Team Management | ||
| Multi-staff support | ✓ | ✓ |
| Per-staff pricing | $0 extra | $15/mo per staff |
| Staff payroll | Coming Soon | ✓ |
| Vaccination vault | Coming Soon | ✓ |
Scout has zero AI features. No chatbot, no automated responses, no AI calls. Every inquiry requires your manual response — even during walks.
Get in-app messaging (Scout’s #1 missing feature) plus an AI that answers calls and books clients 24/7. $4/mo less. No credit card required.
Start Your Free Trial →Scout’s base software is $33/mo. Reasonable enough. But they make their real money on add-ons:
| Scout Add-On | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost | HeyDogWalker Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Branded mobile app | $300/mo | $3,600/yr | N/A — we focus on web booking |
| SEO-optimized website | $42/mo | $504/yr | ✓ Included (booking page) |
| Paid ads management | $1,000/mo | $12,000/yr | N/A |
A solo walker who wants Scout + branded app + SEO website pays $375/month.
With HeyDogWalker, you get scheduling, booking, payments, AND an AI receptionist for $29/month. Period.
The question isn’t “Scout or HeyDogWalker for GPS tracking.” It’s: “Do you want to pay $33/mo for GPS, or $29/mo for GPS (coming soon) + an AI receptionist that never misses a client call?”
| Scout Solo | HeyDogWalker Pro | You Save | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software | $33/mo | $29/mo | $4/mo |
| Annual cost | $396/yr | $348/yr | $48/yr |
| AI receptionist | ✗ Not available | ✓ Included ($0) | $1,188/yr value |
| In-app messaging | ✗ Not available | ✓ Included | Priceless 😉 |
| Scout Team | HeyDogWalker Pro | You Save | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base | $33/mo | $29/mo | $4/mo |
| Staff charges | +$45/mo (3 × $15) | $0 | $45/mo |
| Annual total | $936/yr | $348/yr | $588/yr |
Even on the base plan, you save $48/year AND get AI that Scout doesn’t offer at any price. For teams, savings jump to $588+/year.
If you run a dog-walking-only business where GPS tracking and route maps are essential to your client communication — Scout’s walk tracking is genuinely excellent. Wait until we ship GPS.
If you’re tired of missing calls during walks, want in-app messaging (which Scout still doesn’t have), offer mixed services (walks + sitting), and don’t want to pay $300/mo for a branded app — HeyDogWalker is the move.
Never miss another client call. Start free, no credit card.
Start Free — No Card Needed →