GroomRules vs
GroomRules vs GroomSlot
GroomSlot is the closest price-point rival to GroomRules: one £24 plan, a 30-day trial with no card, WhatsApp reminders and route planning for mobile groomers. The difference is what each one knows about the dog.
By Owen Fleming, founder of GroomRules · Published
Pick GroomSlot if you work from a van, want WhatsApp reminders and deposits included, and £24 flat matters. Pick GroomRules if you want the booking page to set the time and price from the breed and coat, recalls that bring dogs back on time, and your income grouped by tax quarter.
Prices, checked 10 October 2026
| GroomSlot | GroomRules | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | £24 a month, one plan | £29 Starter; £59 Professional |
| Free plan | No | Yes, up to 100 clients, no texts |
| Trial | 30 days, no card | 30 days, no card |
| Reminders | 150 texts and WhatsApp messages a month, unlimited email | 200 texts on Starter, 500 on Professional, then 6p; email unlimited |
| Deposits and card storage | Included | Not yet |
| Team | Not advertised | Up to 10 staff on Professional |
| Prices by breed and coat | No | Yes, before the slot is offered |
| Recalls when a dog is due | No | Text and email, with follow-ups |
| Income by tax quarter | No | Yes |
Five differences that matter
WhatsApp and the van
GroomSlot sends reminders over WhatsApp as well as SMS, and its day planner loads your route into Google Maps. If you are a mobile groomer, both are useful and GroomRules has neither. GroomRules has working hours and a buffer between appointments, but no route planning.
What the booking page asks
GroomSlot's booking page takes a service and a slot. GroomRules asks the breed, coat condition, size and last groom first, and the time and price come from your rules. The job that walks in matches the slot you sold.
Recalls
GroomSlot reminds clients about appointments they have booked. GroomRules also reminds the owner when the dog is due but not booked, by text and email, with a follow-up. On a hundred dogs that is the difference between a quiet month and a full one.
Deposits
GroomSlot includes deposits and card storage through Stripe, Lopay, Square or SumUp. GroomRules does not have deposits live yet. If no-shows are your biggest problem today, GroomSlot solves it now.
Tax and team
GroomSlot has no tax reporting and does not advertise team features. GroomRules groups your income by UK tax year and quarter on the £29 plan, and the £59 plan runs up to ten staff with their own schedules.
Stay on GroomSlot if
- You groom from a van and want route planning and WhatsApp reminders.
- You need deposits or card on file today.
- £24 flat with no extras is the point.
Move to GroomRules if
- You price by breed and coat and want the booking page to do it for you.
- You want dogs that are overdue chased automatically.
- You want your tax quarters grouped for you.
- You have, or will have, a second groomer or a bather.
How to move
- Export your clients from GroomSlot as a spreadsheet.
- Start a GroomRules trial (30 days, no card), add your services and hours, and load the breed rules.
- Upload the spreadsheet. Each dog's breed is captured the first time it books; returning clients are recognised by email.
- Share your GroomRules link where the old one lived, and keep GroomSlot until its last booked appointment has happened.
Where this page quotes GroomSlot's prices or features, they are what its site showed on 10 October 2026. If something has changed, email owen@groomrules.com and we'll correct it.