The best free animal shelter software is PawPlacer. Every feature is included for every shelter at no cost: intake, medical records, adoptions, fosters, volunteers, donors, reports and listings. There is no trial that expires, no paid tier and no per-adoption fee.
"Free" means different things in shelter software. Some tools offer a free starter plan with paid add-ons, some are free only with another purchase, and some skip the subscription but charge for every adoption. For a shelter running on a tight municipal or nonprofit budget, those details decide the real cost.
This guide from the PawPlacer team explains what to look for in free shelter software and what PawPlacer includes at $0.
At a Glance
- The answer: PawPlacer, free animal shelter software.
- What free means: the full product, for every organization, with no tiers, per-adoption fees, user limits or conditions.
- What you may still pay: Stripe or Square standard processing fees on online payments. PawPlacer takes no cut.
- Included: intake and surrenders, medical suite, adoptions with QR checkout, fosters, volunteers, transports, events, donors, reports and listings.
- Switching: free white-glove migration and full CSV exports at any time.
What to Check in Free Shelter Software
Before moving your records, check what "free" covers:
- Trials: whether the free period ends.
- Tiers: whether key features require an upgrade.
- Per-adoption fees: whether outcomes create charges.
- Conditions: whether free access depends on another product or program.
- Coverage: whether medical, reporting and permissions are included.
- Exports: whether you can take your data with you.
Free Shelter Software Options Compared
| Software | Features | Pricing | Differences |
|---|---|---|---|
| PawPlacer | Intake and surrenders, medical suite, adoptions with QR checkout, fosters, volunteers, transports, events, donors, reports, listings and website widgets | Free for every organization | No tiers, per-adoption fees, user limits or conditions |
| Shelterluv | Shelter and rescue management with phone-based adoption checkout | No subscription; $2 per adoption plus checkout processing fees | Per-adoption pricing |
| Petstablished | Web-based rescue and shelter management | Free with its microchip program; monthly plans otherwise | Free access is tied to its microchip program |
| RescueGroups.org | Free adoption portal with paid services | Free portal; website, data management and forms services are paid | Management features are paid add-ons |
Competitor pricing is based on each vendor's public pricing information at the time of writing and can change.
1. Free With No Conditions
PawPlacer is free for every animal welfare organization without a trial, tier, user limit or product requirement. Shelters can choose their own vets, microchips and suppliers, and add as many staff and volunteers as they need.
2. Intake and Owner Surrenders
PawPlacer follows each animal from intake to outcome with custom statuses that match your workflow. Public surrender forms collect owner surrender requests, which staff triage by stage and priority and convert into pet profiles.
3. A Complete Medical Suite
Vaccinations, exams, procedures, diagnostics, conditions, weight logs, preventatives and treatments are tracked for every animal. Prescriptions include dose schedules and compliance tracking, and recurring care creates reminders on the dashboard and calendar.
4. Adoptions and Payments
Adoption applications arrive in an applicant inbox, where counselors approve or decline and schedule meet and greets. QR checkout lets adopters sign the contract, add a donation and pay on their phone, with receipts and follow-up plans saved automatically.
5. Fosters, Volunteers and Transports
Foster homes have capacity limits and transfers. Volunteers have recurring schedules, one-time shifts and hours tracking. Transports record routes, drivers, mileage and costs.
6. Reports and Permissions
Built-in dashboards cover population, medical, length of stay, outcomes and financials, with custom reports that export to CSV or Excel. Six team roles and multi-factor authentication keep access controlled.
7. Listings and Your Website
Eligible pets sync to Petfinder and Adopt-a-Pet, and adoptable pets are shared with GetBuddy automatically. Website widgets embed your adoptable pets gallery and application forms on your own site.
8. Free Migration and Full Exports
The PawPlacer team offers free white-glove migration, and the Data Uploader imports records from CSV or Excel with a full preview. Full CSV exports of every supported record type are available at any time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PawPlacer free forever?
PawPlacer is free for every animal welfare organization, with no trial period or paid tier.
How does PawPlacer stay free?
PawPlacer is self-funded, shows no ads and never sells or brokers organization data.
Is PawPlacer secure?
PawPlacer includes six team roles with granular permissions and multi-factor authentication, and organization data stays under the organization's control with full exports available.
Get Started With PawPlacer
PawPlacer is free animal shelter software in the plain sense: the whole product, for every shelter, with nothing to upgrade to. Intake, medical care, adoptions, fosters, volunteers and reporting are all included.
Create your free PawPlacer account today.