# Petkey vs Pawbase

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pawbase at 100% against Petkey's 44%. Pawbase also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Petkey's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ratings volume (823 vs 4). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pawbase sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. Petkey asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pawbase holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Petkey has 823 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of Petkey's written reviews are positive against 100% of Pawbase's.

Petkey ships an update every 5 weeks, Pawbase every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Petkey | Pawbase |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (823 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/petkey/id1536342236/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pawbase/id6748346705/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **823** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 44.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 38 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Petkey LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1536342238) | [Pawbase Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1825343545) |

## 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


### Pawbase

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pawbase/id6748346705)

This app helps pet owners manage their pet's microchip information and health records. It provides real-time scan alerts with GPS location if a pet is lost and allows for easy reporting of missing pets. Users can also store and share medical records, and manage multiple pets under one account.

**Highlights:** Real-time microchip scan alerts with GPS, Instant lost pet poster generation, QR and tap-to-scan collar tag integration, Digital pet medical record storage, Multi-pet profile management, Co-owner and backup contact setup

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pawbase Premium | $14.99 | per year |
| Pawbase Premium | $24.99 | per year |
| Pet Registration for Pet Pro | $10.00 | one-time |
| Pet Registration | $24.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Petkey free?

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

### Is Pawbase free?

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

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

Pawbase is rated higher. Petkey averages 4.8 out of 5 from 823 ratings, while Pawbase averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Petkey or Pawbase have ads?

Neither Petkey nor Pawbase shows ads.

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

Petkey ships an update every 5 weeks, and Pawbase every 2 weeks. Most recently, Petkey was updated on September 29, 2026 and Pawbase on September 19, 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.*