Some shelter software charges a fee per adoption; some charges a flat monthly price. Neither model is wrong — but which one costs less depends entirely on your adoption volume, and the answer changes as you grow. Enter your numbers below to see the real annual cost of each model and your break-even point. Every field is editable; the pre-filled values are published rates with sources listed below (last verified July 2026).
Compare the two pricing models
Pet Friend plans:
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How the math works
Flat model: annual software cost = monthly price × 12
Break-even volume: (monthly price × 12) ÷ fee per adoption
At a $2.00 per-adoption fee, the break-even points against common flat prices are easy to remember:
| Flat plan | Flat cost / year | Break-even at $2.00 / adoption |
|---|---|---|
| $25 / month | $300 | 150 adoptions / year |
| $50 / month | $600 | 300 adoptions / year |
| $100 / month | $1,200 | 600 adoptions / year |
Below the break-even, per-adoption pricing genuinely costs less — a rescue doing 100 adoptions a year pays about $200 in per-adoption fees, less than any flat plan here. Above it, the flat model pulls ahead and keeps pulling ahead: at 600 adoptions a year, $2.00 per adoption is $1,200 against $600 on a $50 flat plan.
Cost at different volumes
The table below updates from the fees you entered above, so you can see where the lines cross for your own numbers:
| Adoptions / year | Per-adoption model | Flat model | Cheaper |
|---|
Why predictability is the real question
The cheaper model on paper isn't always the better line in a budget. Most shelters and rescues run on hard budgets — grant applications and board approvals that want a known number a year in advance. A flat price is the same figure in January and December. A per-adoption bill moves with your volume, which means your best adoption months are your most expensive months, and a record year shows up as a cost overrun on the software line.
On the other hand, if your volume is small or seasonal, usage-based pricing scales down with you — that's a genuine advantage, and the calculator above will show it honestly. For the full picture of what drives shelter software cost, see how much animal shelter software costs and the breakdown of Shelterluv's published pricing.
Methodology & sources
Every number in the calculator is editable; the defaults are published figures, compiled and last verified July 2026:
- $2.00 per adoption — Shelterluv, “Shelterluv Pricing and What it Includes” (published June 21, 2025), corroborated by Capterra's Shelterluv listing. Other outcomes are free, with no setup or support fees.
- 3.4% + $0.30 per card transaction — Shelterpay card processing per the same Shelterluv article, which attributes the rate to the payment processor. It applies to card payments run through Shelterpay.
- 2.9% + $0.30 — a typical standard processor rate (e.g. Stripe's published card rate). With Pet Friend you connect your own Stripe, Square, or PayPal account and pay that processor's rate directly — Pet Friend adds nothing on top.
- 2.6% covered fee — per Shelterluv's help center, applies only when the adopter opts in to cover fees at checkout, and is paid by the adopter, not the organization.
Pricing and rates change — confirm current figures directly with each vendor before making a decision. This page compares pricing models; it isn't a statement about any product's quality.
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Prefer a bill that never moves?
Pet Friend is a flat $25, $50, or $100 a month — published on the site, no setup fees, no per-adoption fees, and free white-glove migration from your current system.
See flat-pricing plans Free white-glove migration