PetTag vs Paw ID: two no-subscription QR tags (2026)
Updated 4 November 2026 · 4 min read
We make PetTag (pet-tag.app), so read this knowing that. Paw ID (pawid.co.uk) is another UK QR pet tag with no subscription, and in some ways it does more than ours. Everything about Paw ID below comes from its own website, checked on 1 and 4 November 2026, and where its site doesn't say something, neither do we.
The short answer
Both are one-off purchases with free UK delivery, both email you when the tag is scanned, and a finder scans either one with a phone camera, with no app. PetTag costs a third of the price (£10 against £29.99), is light printed plastic, and can carry your surname, house number and postcode on the back (£13), so one tag meets the UK dog tag law. Paw ID is metal, keeps a scan history map on its free plan, and also alerts nearby Paw ID users, vets and shelters when your pet is lost.
- Choose PetTag if you want the lower price, a choice of three sizes and four colours, or your surname, house number and postcode on the back so one tag also covers the UK dog tag law (£13).
- Choose Paw ID if you'd rather have a metal tag, a scan history map without a plan, a phone app, or its community and vet alerts.
Side by side
| PetTag | Paw ID | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £10 one, £18 two, £26 three, £32 four | £29.99 one (shown as 25% off £39.99), £49.99 two, £69.99 three |
| Subscription | None needed | None needed; an optional Premium plan (price not shown on its site) |
| Material and size | Printed plastic, 40 mm, about 4 g (Small 34 mm and Mini 29 mm too) | Metal with an epoxy resin seal, 30 mm, 8 g |
| App | None: finders and owners use a web browser | None for finders; owners can use its app or a web app |
| Scan alerts | An email on every scan with the rough area, lost mode or not, at most once every 15 minutes | An email on every scan, with location if the finder shares it, and a scan history |
| Name and address for the law | £3 more: surname, house number and postcode printed on the back | Not on the current tag; a personalised tag was announced on 21 October 2026, not on sale yet |
| Privacy | Your number stays hidden unless you show it; finders message you from the tag's page | Hide your number and finders message you through Paw ID |
| Delivery | Free UK delivery, posted the next working day | Free UK delivery (express £4.99), same-day dispatch if ordered by 3pm on weekdays |
| Returns | 14 days for a full refund | 30 days, unused, and you pay the return postage; 1-year warranty |
Where Paw ID does more
- Its free plan keeps a scan history with a map. A PetTag emails you free when it's scanned (at most once every 15 minutes), with the rough area.
- When you mark your pet lost, it alerts nearby Paw ID users, vets and shelters, and makes a lost pet flyer (PetTag has a free lost pet poster maker that anyone can use).
- It's metal, if you prefer metal, and there's an iOS and Android app for owners who like one.
Where PetTag does more
- It's £10 for one tag, or £8 a tag in a four-pack, against £29.99 for one Paw ID.
- 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, so one tag does both jobs. See personalised dog tags.
- Three sizes, down to the 29 mm Mini for cats and toy breeds, in pink, blue, white or yellow.
- There's nothing to download for anyone, and nothing you need to upgrade: every lost-pet feature is in the £10.
Which to buy
If price matters most, or you want one tag that also carries your name and address for the law, a QR code dog tag or QR code cat tag from PetTag does the job for £10. If you want metal and alerts on every scan, Paw ID is a good tag and worth the extra. Either way, keep your pet's microchip details up to date. Our UK QR pet tags compared guide covers six more tags.
Quick answers
Does Paw ID have a subscription?+
No. Its site says the tag is a one-off payment, and every lost-pet feature works on the free plan. There's an optional Premium plan, but its price isn't shown on the site (checked 1 November 2026).
Is PetTag cheaper than Paw ID?+
Yes. PetTag is £10 for one tag and Paw ID is £29.99, and both have free UK delivery. In packs, PetTag is £32 for four and Paw ID £69.99 for three.
Which is better for a dog in the UK?+
By law (the Control of Dogs Order 1992) 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, so it can be the only tag. Paw ID's current tag doesn't show them, so you'd add an engraved tag or a collar with your details; its personalised tag was announced on 21 October 2026 but isn't on sale yet (checked 4 November 2026).
Do finders need an app for either tag?+
No. A finder scans either tag with their phone camera and the pet's page opens in the browser.
Sources (5)
This guide is general information, not legal or veterinary advice. How we write our guides
