GroomBook
GroomBook is an open-source platform for independent pet groomers and small salons, combining customer booking with business management and client relationsh…
What GroomBook is
GroomBook is an open-source platform for independent pet groomers and small salons, combining customer booking with business management and client relationship tools. Clients can book appointments through an online portal, while groomers can keep profiles with grooming history, coat type, behavior notes, preferences, and vaccination dates. Scheduling includes breed-aware appointment durations, calendar management, and conflict detection. The product also lists SMS and email reminders, a waitlist for cancellations, POS, invoicing, tips, payment processing, and reporting on revenue and utilization. Calendar events can sync with Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, or Outlook through iCal. GroomBook is self-hostable under the AGPL-3.0 license, with Docker Compose and Kubernetes deployment options; it can also work offline as a PWA on a phone. Its default Docker Compose setup disables authentication for exploration, and the guide says to disable that setting for internet-facing use and configure OIDC for production. Native iOS and Android apps, advanced reporting, and an integration hub are marked as upcoming, not current features.
Good
- Online appointment booking
- Pet profiles include grooming and vaccination details
- Scheduling includes conflict detection
- Self-hostable with Docker Compose or Kubernetes
Watch out
- No mobile app is listed
- Native iOS and Android apps are upcoming
- Default Docker Compose setup disables authentication
Who it suits
GroomBook suits independent groomers and small salons seeking online booking, pet records, reminders, and business tools. It may also suit operators who want to self-host and manage their own data.
Verdict
GroomBook covers booking, pet records, scheduling, reminders, and payments in an open-source, self-hostable product. Operators should configure authentication before exposing a deployment to the internet.
The facts
Each one read from GroomBook's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Authentication
- The maker describes OIDC authentication via Authentik and says authentication can be disabled for local development.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Authentication security
- The default Docker Compose configuration disables authentication for exploration, and the guide says to disable that setting for internet-facing deployments and configure OIDC for production.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Booking
- Clients can book appointments through an online portal at any time.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Calendar integration
- The site says calendar events can sync with Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, or Outlook via iCal.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Deployment and API
- GroomBook can run with Docker Compose or in a Kubernetes cluster, and its setup guide lists a web UI and API.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Hosting and license
- GroomBook is self-hostable and released under the AGPL-3.0 license; the maker documents Docker Compose and Kubernetes deployment options.checked 11 Oct 2026
- License and data control
- The project identifies its license as AGPL-3.0 and describes GroomBook as self-hostable, with data kept on the operator's server.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Offline use
- GroomBook is a PWA that the site says can work offline on a phone.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Payments and reporting
- The site lists POS, tips, invoicing, payment processing, and business reporting among its features.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Payments and reports
- The product pages describe POS, invoicing, tips, and reporting for revenue and utilization.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Pet records
- Client and pet profiles can include grooming history, coat type, behavior notes, preferences, and vaccination dates.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- GroomBook is an open source pet grooming business management and customer relationship platform for independent groomers and small salons.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Reminders and waitlist
- The site describes SMS and email reminders and a waitlist that fills cancellations.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Roadmap limits
- Native iOS and Android apps and an integration hub are listed as upcoming features.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Scheduling
- Scheduling supports breed-aware appointment durations, calendar management, and conflict detection.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Security configuration
- The Getting Started guide says the default Docker Compose setup disables authentication for exploration and instructs users to disable that setting for internet-facing deployments.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Support and community
- The site links to GitHub issues and a Discord community for reporting issues and joining discussions.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Upcoming features
- The homepage marks native iOS and Android apps, advanced reporting, and an integration hub as upcoming.checked 11 Oct 2026
The company
- Team tools
- For small teams, the site lists staff roles, access controls, scheduling, and groomer productivity tracking.checked 11 Oct 2026
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