The rise of pet cameras has now given the average pet owner the ability to check in on their pets throughout the day – and even fling them a few treats while they’re at it. However, there are now many different cameras available, so it can be difficult to choose the best one.
Both Furbo and Petcube Bites 2 are popular pet cameras. Petcube is a bit more expensive, but it offers many more features. Furbo is a solid budget option. Which one you choose depends on your budget and what features you’re looking for.
In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at both pet cameras.
Furbo vs Petcube At a Glance
- Designed primarily for dogs
- Tabletop placement only
- Made of plastic
- 4 GHz Wi-Fi required
- 86” x 4.72”
- Night vision
- One mic and a speaker
- Treat dispenser
- 5 pounds of treat capacity
- Designed for cats and dogs
- Tabletop and wall-mountable
- Made of plastic and aluminum
- 4 or 5.0 GHz Wi-Fi required
- 58” x 5.7” x 2.88”
- Night vision
- Four mics and a speaker bar
- Treat dispenser
- 5 pounds of treat capacity
Overview of Furbo
The Furbo is an interactive dog camera that allows you to interact with your dog and throw them treats while you’re away. It has a 160º view of the room in front of it and allows you to live-stream what’s happening at any given moment. You can also zoom if necessary.
You can pre-record our voice for when you dispense a treat. This allows you to play your voice to your dog without you needing to talk in real-time. You can change the noise level of the announcement depending on your house’s size—no need to wake the neighbors.
Furbo Alert System
Furbo comes with an alert system that will automatically record events it thinks you may want to see. There are several types of alerts. One lets you know when your dog is active. Another alerts you when a person comes into the room, which is useful if you have a dog walker or pet sitter. There is also a barking alert, so you’ll know when your dog is barking.
The barking alerts are entirely adjustable, so you can change the volume your dog has to get to before it sends you an alert.
Keep in mind, to access some of these alerts, you’ll need a subscription.
Furbo Subscription
To access all of the features, you will need a subscription. Luckily, this is pretty inexpensive. It comes to only $6.99 per month or $69 a year. This cost is mostly to cover the cloud storage for your daily “dog diary videos.” These are 90-minute time-lapse videos that let you see what your pet was up to throughout the day. They are only included with the subscription.
When you first purchase your Furbo, you do receive a 30-day free trial for the subscription.
- Less expensive than competing brands
- Special alert for human detection
- Many features require a subscription
- A few features require Alexa
Overview of Petcube Bites 2
On the surface, the Petcube Bites 2 may seem somewhat similar to the Furbo. However, it is slightly different and comes with unique features.
Like the Furbo, it allows you to connect remotely through 2-way communication and treats. This pet camera is designed to work with both cats and dogs. It provides a 160º view of the room and allows you to zoom as necessary. It also has night vision capabilities. The treat container is large. You can choose when to release each treat, or you can set the machine on a schedule.
This device can either be set on a table or be mounted to a wall. This can prevent particularly rambunctious pets from breaking it.
Petcube Bites 2 Alerts
This device can send various alerts depending on what the AI detects in its viewing range. For instance, it can recognize both barking and meowing and will notify you. It can also tell the difference between pets and people to let you know when there is a person in your home. This is useful for dangerous situations, of course, but it can also be helpful for those with dog walkers and pet sitters.
Petcube Bites 2 Alexa Capabilities
You can also use this device like an Alexa product. It has over 80,000 skills that it can perform, such as playing music or ordering treats. If you already have Alexa throughout your home, this can be a big plus. All you have to do is enable this compatibility through the phone app.
- Can be mounted to the wall
- Compatible with Alexa
- Thousands of skills to utilize
- Useful treat dispersal mechanisms
- Pricey
Comparison Between Petcube & Furbo
Sound and Motion Alerts
- Edge: Tie
Both provide some alerts. However, they go about this in a slightly different way. Petcube Bites 2 provides both sound and motion alerts without a subscription. Furbo only provides bark alerts without a subscription.
If you have a subscription, both devices will provide you with “smart alerts,” which tells you when there is a human in your home. Furbo goes a step further and provides “Dog Selfie” alerts with a subscription as well.
Treat Dispersal
- Edge: Petcube
Both machines do dispense treats; it’s one of their major selling points. However, the Petcube Bites two allows you to schedule the treats, which is excellent for busy owners. It also has a larger treat capacity and will let you know when the treats are getting low. This is all done within the app.
Furbo allows you to record a voice message to be played when you disperse the treats. However, automatic scheduling can only be done with the help of Alexa.
Subscription Services
- Edge: Petcube
If you want to take advantage of all the features, you’ll need to pay for a subscription with both companies. Furbo has one subscription tier at $6.99 a month. This provides you access to smart alerts, 24 hours of cloud storage, and records a “highlight” video for you every day.
Petcube provides two different tiers. The first one is only $3.99 a month and is comparable to Furbo’s subscription. It provides you access to smart alerts, three days of video history, and smart filters. The premium tier costs $9.99 a month. It provides everything in the previous tier plus 90 days of video history, unlimited video downloads, and unlimited camera coverage. It is most useful for those with multiple cameras.
Alexa Compatibility
- Edge: Petcube
The Petcube also functions as an Alexa device. It can do anything any other Alexa device can do. However, with Furbo, you will need an extra Alexa device to do things like schedule treat dispersal. This is a significant difference between the two systems.
Price
- Edge: Furbo
The Furbo is substantially less expensive than the Petcube. The Petcube is one of the most expensive pet cameras on the market at $200. The Furbo is only $169.
What the Users Say About Furbo & Petcube
The reviews for both products were overwhelmingly positive. However, those with the Furbo camera often complained about the lack of customer service and the app’s low quality. Many reported needing to change their password multiple times and the customer service not responding promptly to many of their questions.
The video quality of the Furbo isn’t the best, and many people mentioned it in their less-than-stellar reviews. The mic isn’t particularly loud either, so many people claimed that their dog had a hard time hearing them.
People did say that the barking notifications were spot-on. It seemed to alert them exactly when their dog was barking, not when something else loud was going on. While many people were afraid that this device’s motorized noise makes when shooting treats would scare their dog, everyone reported that their dog pretty much ignored it.
Many people were pleased with their purchase of the Petcube as well. They were relatively surprised by the number of features the camera came with. Many users reported that it did far more than they were initially expecting. For example, many were surprised you could change the distance that the treats fly out.
Those who had trouble connecting and setting up the Petcube said that the customer service was speedy and helpful. Many said they were knowledgeable and quickly helped them fix the situation.
Conclusion: Petcube vs Furbo
For those not on a budget, the Petcube is a reliable option. It provides plenty of features and has a slightly cheaper subscription service. Plus, if you decide not to use the subscription, you get many things for free.
The Furbo can be an excellent choice for some people. It is cheaper than the Petcube. However, it does come with fewer features and has a slightly more expensive subscription service. You also don’t get much if you do not subscribe to the extra services.
In the end, it depends mostly on what features you’re looking for and which ones you think you need. Both cameras are relatively similar, but their different features make them suitable for different people.
- You might be interested in checking out our comparison of the Furbo and the Pawbo pet cameras here.
