PetTag vs Crumb: £10 once or a free tag plus plan? (2026)
Updated 5 November 2026 · 4 min read
We make PetTag (pet-tag.app), so read this knowing that. Crumb (crumb.pet) is a popular QR pet tag that works differently from ours: the tag is free, and some features come with a paid Premium plan. Everything about Crumb below comes from its own website and help centre, checked on 1 November 2026 (postage and cancelling on 5 November), and where it doesn't say something, neither do we.
The short answer
Crumb costs less to start: you pay only postage for the tag and use its free plan. Its Premium plan, £6.95 a month or £5.80 a month paid yearly, adds things like location texts when the tag is scanned, alerts to vets and rescue centres, and phone number privacy. PetTag is £10 once, with no plan: hiding your number and a finder sending you their location are included.
- Choose Crumb if you want a free tag to start with, or you'd use what Premium adds, like vet and rescue alerts and its community.
- Choose PetTag if you'd rather pay once and never again, keep your number private without a plan, or want your surname, house number and postcode on the back for the UK dog tag law.
Side by side
| PetTag | Crumb | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £10 one, £18 two, £26 three, £32 four, with free UK delivery | Free tag (up to 5), you pay £2.95 postage, not refunded |
| Subscription | None needed | Free plan with limited features; Premium £6.95 a month, or £5.80 a month paid yearly |
| Material and size | Printed plastic, 40 mm, about 4 g (Small 34 mm and Mini 29 mm too) | Waterproof and scratch-proof, about the size of a 10p coin (material and weight not stated) |
| App | None: finders and owners use a web browser | Owners use its app; billing is in a browser dashboard |
| Scan alerts | An email on every scan with the rough area, free, and finders can send their location with one tap | A text with the finder's GPS location when they share it, on Premium |
| Privacy | Your number stays hidden unless you show it, included | Phone number masking is a Premium feature |
| Delivery | Posted the next working day | Same-day dispatch by 3pm, 2 to 5 working days |
| Cancelling | Nothing to cancel | In the Crumb Dashboard in a web browser, not the app |
What it costs over time
On Crumb's free plan, the tag costs only its postage. If you take Premium, £5.80 a month paid yearly is about £70 a year, and £6.95 a month paid monthly is about £83. PetTag is £10 once, for the life of the tag. Premium can be worth it for what it adds, so compare the features you'd actually use.
Where Crumb does more
- On Premium, it alerts vets and rescue centres and the Crumb community when your pet is missing, and texts you a finder's location.
- Premium includes unlimited tag replacements.
- Its tags are free, so trying one costs only the postage.
Where PetTag does more
- Hiding your phone number is included, with no plan to pay for.
- Your surname and house number or postcode can go on the back for £3 more, which is what UK law asks a dog to wear in public. See personalised dog tags.
- Nobody needs an app: you manage your pet's page in a web browser.
Which to buy
If you want to pay once and have privacy included, a QR code dog tag or QR code cat tag from PetTag is £10. If a free tag and an optional plan suit you better, Crumb is a good choice. Our UK QR pet tags compared guide covers six more, and what smart pet tags cost explains the plans.
Quick answers
Is Crumb really free?+
The tag is: you can order up to five and pay only the postage (£2.95, which isn't refunded), and there's a free plan. Its Premium plan, £6.95 a month or £5.80 a month paid yearly, adds features such as location texts, vet and rescue alerts and phone number privacy (checked 1 November 2026).
Does PetTag have a subscription like Crumb Premium?+
No. PetTag is £10 once, and every lost-pet feature, including hiding your number and lost mode, is in that price.
Do finders need an app to scan Crumb or PetTag?+
PetTag needs no app for anyone: the finder's phone camera opens your pet's page. Crumb's owners set up their pet in its app; its site describes a share-location button on the pet's profile.
How do I cancel Crumb Premium?+
Crumb's help centre says to cancel in the Crumb Dashboard in a web browser, not the app: Settings, Plan & Billing, Manage, then Cancel Membership. Premium stays on until the end of the period you've paid for. Our guide to cancelling a pet tag subscription has the steps, and what to do if payments carry on.
What's a good alternative to Crumb with no subscription?+
One-off UK QR tags include PetTag (£10, free UK delivery, number hidden and an email on every scan included), CollarCode (£4.99 plus delivery), Pet-Tags and Tagged Pets (£19.99) and Paw ID (£29.99). Our Crumb alternatives guide sets them side by side, with what each costs over three years.
Which works for the UK dog tag law?+
A dog in public needs its owner's name and address on its collar or tag. A personalised PetTag (£13) carries your surname, house number and postcode on the back. With a plain QR tag, you'd add an engraved tag as well.
Sources (6)
This guide is general information, not legal or veterinary advice. How we write our guides
