# Petkey vs ByteTag

Petkey and ByteTag both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 85% of ByteTag's written reviews are positive against 44% of Petkey's. ByteTag also leads on ratings volume (9.7K vs 960). Petkey's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ByteTag sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Petkey asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Petkey against 4.8 for ByteTag. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ByteTag has 9.7K ratings behind it against 960, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 44% of Petkey's written reviews are positive against 85% of ByteTag's.

Petkey ships an update every 5 weeks, ByteTag every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Petkey | ByteTag |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (960 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/petkey/id1536342236/reviews)** | [4.8 (9.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bytetag/id1634260065/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 960 | **9.7K** |
| Positive reviews | 44.4% of reviews | **85.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 38 MB | 69 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Petkey LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1536342238) | [ByteTag, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1634260218) |

## What reviewers say

### Petkey

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/petkey/id1536342236)

This app connects pet owners with their lost animals through a nationwide network. Users can list missing pets or found pets on a live map to facilitate quick reunions. Create a pet profile for emergency access to vital information and receive notifications when your pet is found.

**Highlights:** Nationwide missing pet network, Live map of found pets, Create pet profiles, Virtual pet ID, Immediate notifications, Custom Petmoji creation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent customer service and support
- 📱 Easy account management through app
- 🐕 Effective microchip registration and pet recovery
- 🏷️ Quality pet ID tags
- ✅ Functional website platform

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App login functionality broken or non-existent
- 🗺️ Missing or inaccurate tracking/map features
- ❌ Poor app design and user interface
- 🔄 App crashes frequently
- ♿ Not accessible for visually impaired users (no VoiceOver support)

**Reported bugs**

- App login not working despite correct credentials
- Password reset feature fails
- App crashes during lifetime registration discount selection
- Sign-up process crashes when scanning code
- Email validation loop - keeps requesting email even when filled

**Requested features**

- Real-time pet location tracking with map display
- Upload and store vaccination records and certificates
- Multiple photo uploads for lost/found pet reports
- Improved sighting report workflow (ask possession status before photos)
- Better accessibility features for screen readers


### ByteTag

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bytetag/id1634260065)

This app provides advanced pet identification, allowing you to update your pet's information and receive real-time notifications when their tag is scanned. It offers unlimited contact details and passive GPS tracking to help reunite you with your lost pet quickly.

**Highlights:** Unlimited contact information updates, Real-time scanning notifications, GPS location sharing upon scan, Push, SMS, and email notifications, Passive GPS tracking, Directions to pet's location

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ByteTag Home+ (Monthly) | $3.99 | per month |
| ByteTag Home+ (Annually) | $34.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to set up and use
- 👍 Detailed pet profiles
- 🚀 Quick notification on pet scan
- 🚀 Efficient way to provide pet info
- 🚀 Lightweight and quiet tags

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Tag scanning issues in app
- 🔒 Security concerns with profile editing
- 🔒 Subscription required for some features
- 🐛 Inconsistent app performance
- 🐛 Shipping and order fulfillment problems

**Reported bugs**

- App unable to scan tags properly
- Profile information not saving correctly
- Repeated log-out issues in the app

**Requested features**

- Option to toggle order of pet details
- Ability to add multiple emergency contacts
- Improved camera integration for scanning tags
- Offline functionality for tag scanning


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Petkey free?

Petkey is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ByteTag free?

ByteTag is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Petkey or ByteTag?

Petkey is rated higher. Petkey averages 4.8 out of 5 from 960 ratings, while ByteTag averages 4.8 from 9.7K ratings.

### Do Petkey or ByteTag have ads?

ByteTag shows ads; Petkey does not.

### Which is updated more often, Petkey or ByteTag?

Petkey ships an update every 5 weeks, and ByteTag every 2 months. Most recently, Petkey was updated on October 27, 2026 and ByteTag on October 29, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*