PetGrid vs AVImark, in short: AVImark is ahead on inventory, pharmacy connections, texting today and support hours, and PetGrid is ahead on a published price, an included owner app, AI and having no server to run. This page sets the two side by side in 36 rows, grouped into eight tables, each with a one-line verdict.
Every AVImark cell comes from Covetrus's own pages or Capterra, checked on 26 September 2026, and every PetGrid cell is what the product does today. For the shorter read on why clinics leave the server and where AVImark is the better choice, see our AVImark alternative guide.
How this PetGrid vs AVImark comparison works
AVImark is Covetrus's server-based practice management system, installed on premises in a client-server setup; PetGrid runs in the cloud. The tables compare them on the same 36 rows every PetGrid comparison uses: everyday work, medical records, money, the owner app and messaging, AI, security, getting your data out, and price and contract.
- Sources. Covetrus's AVImark, support and data conversion, cost of ownership and Covetrus Comms pages, and AVImark's Capterra listing, all checked on 26 September 2026 and listed at the end.
- Not stated means we did not find it on Covetrus's public pages. It may exist, so ask Covetrus before you rule it out.
- PetGrid's cells are written once for every comparison and read from the product, including what it does not do yet: no lab integration, no independent audit and no clinic live on AI Front Desk.
Each PetGrid feature in the tables has its own page, for example AI Assist, prescriptions and import and export.
AVImark and PetGrid side by side
PetGrid and AVImark, feature by feature (AVImark details from Covetrus and Capterra, checked 2026-09-26).
Everyday work
AVImark is ahead on inventory, with reordering; PetGrid takes booking requests and syncs a Google calendar, which we did not find stated for AVImark, and has no lab integration.
| Feature | PetGrid | AVImark |
|---|---|---|
| Online booking | Yes, as requests your team confirms | Not stated |
| Staff calendar sync (Google, Outlook) | Google, both ways; Outlook and Apple by read-only feed | Not stated |
| Inventory and dispensing | Yes, basic | Yes, with reordering |
| Lab integration (IDEXX, Antech) | No | Not stated |
Medical records
PetGrid states an audit trail, a one-click record release and a rabies certificate; we found none of them stated for AVImark.
| Feature | PetGrid | AVImark |
|---|---|---|
| Audit trail and addenda on clinical entries | Yes | Not stated |
| Complete record export and release | Yes, one click | Not stated |
| Printable rabies certificate | Yes | Not stated |
Money
PetGrid states both: drugs billed apart from services and sales tax on invoices; we found neither stated for AVImark.
| Feature | PetGrid | AVImark |
|---|---|---|
| Drugs billed separately from services | Yes | Not stated |
| Sales tax on client invoices | Yes, GST/HST, PST, QST or a US rate | Not stated |
Owner app and messaging
PetGrid includes its owner app and email reminders; its two-way texting is part of the paid AI Front Desk add-on. AVImark texts through Covetrus Comms, and we found no owner app stated.
| Feature | PetGrid | AVImark |
|---|---|---|
| Pet owner portal included | Yes | Not stated |
| Appointment and care reminders by email | Yes | Not stated |
| Two-way SMS | Yes, with the paid AI Front Desk add-on | Through Covetrus Comms |
AI
PetGrid is ahead on AI, with note drafts, summaries and record reading included, though its phone receptionist is not live at a clinic yet; we found no AI features stated for AVImark.
| Feature | PetGrid | AVImark |
|---|---|---|
| AI note drafts (SOAP, with vitals) | SOAP drafts from shorthand or dictation, vitals filled in, a vet approves (included) | Not stated |
| AI phone receptionist | AI Front Desk add-on: answers, books and takes messages in English or French; rolling out as clinics' phone lines are connected, none live yet | Not described |
| Automated confirmation calls | Built, with AI Front Desk; no clinic live yet | Not stated |
| AI reply drafts for client messages | Yes, staff edit and send (included) | Not stated |
| AI patient history summary | Yes, AI Assist (included) | Not stated |
| AI reading of old records and paper files | Yes, PDFs and photos; staff accept each item (free) | Not stated |
| Clinic knowledge base the AI answers from | Yes, clinic memory, with AI Front Desk | Not stated |
| Plain-language visit summaries for owners | Yes, a vet approves (free) | Not stated |
| AI assistant in the owner app | Yes, Pip, plus a symptom helper the clinic turns on; never diagnoses | Not stated |
| Owner can opt a pet out of AI | Yes, per pet, at any time | Not stated |
Security
AVImark runs on a server in your clinic, with backups the clinic's job; PetGrid runs in a secure cloud, encrypted in transit and at rest, with nightly encrypted backups, and neither shows an independent audit.
| Feature | PetGrid | AVImark |
|---|---|---|
| Each clinic's data walled off in the database | Yes, row-level security forced on every table | Not stated |
| Two-step sign-in (MFA) | Yes, required for admins; can be required for all staff | Not stated |
| Encrypted backups | Nightly, encrypted, kept 35 days | The clinic's job, on its own server |
| Where the data is hosted | Secure cloud, encrypted in transit and at rest | A server in your clinic |
| Independent audit (SOC 2, ISO 27001, penetration test) | No, not yet | Not stated |
Getting your data out
PetGrid is ahead on getting data out, with CSV reports, accounting files, a whole-clinic ZIP and record transfers; AVImark exports to CSV.
| Feature | PetGrid | AVImark |
|---|---|---|
| Reports downloadable as CSV | Yes: revenue, daily close, aging, clients, reminders | Not stated |
| Accounting files (QuickBooks Online, Xero) | Yes, files they import; no live sync | Not stated |
| Whole-clinic data export | Yes, one ZIP any time: spreadsheets, a data file, PDFs and stored files | Exports to CSV |
| Record transfer to another clinic | Yes: the owner asks, staff approve, sent to the clinic's PetGrid inbox or by link | Not stated |
| Record copies for pet owners | Yes: the full record as a PDF on request, a vaccine record, share links | Not stated |
Price and contract
PetGrid publishes its price and imports for free; AVImark publishes no price, and Covetrus converts the medical history.
| Feature | PetGrid | AVImark |
|---|---|---|
| Price published on the vendor's own site | Yes | No |
| Setup or onboarding fee | None | Not stated |
| Client and pet import | Yes, free | Not stated |
| Visit history import | Yes, free | Medical history in Covetrus conversion |
What the table does not show
Several aspects cannot be compared from what Covetrus publishes. Its AVImark page does not describe vaccines or rabies certificates, how corrections to records are kept, or enough about invoicing to judge, so many of its cells read Not stated rather than No.
- Inventory and pharmacy. AVImark offers reordering, CUBEX integration, cloud-based Intelligent Inventory and the vRxPro online pharmacy. PetGrid's inventory is basic, with no purchase orders, automatic reordering or supplier price feeds.
- Support. Covetrus offers chat Monday to Friday 8am to 9pm ET, and phone and forms Monday to Friday 9am to 7pm ET. PetGrid offers email support from the PetGrid team, Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 17:00 Eastern Time, with no phone line.
- The server. Covetrus's own cost-of-ownership article puts server hardware for server-based software at US$3,000 to US$7,000, replaced every three to five years. PetGrid has no server to buy and keeps records encrypted in transit and at rest, but it has no SOC 2 audit or penetration test yet.
- Holding your data. AVImark's records sit on your own server, so you hold them physically. PetGrid writes down that records belong to the practice and lets an admin download everything as one ZIP at any time.
Which one fits your clinic?
Choose AVImark if its inventory, pharmacy connections and phone support are the heart of your clinic and you are content to look after a server. Choose PetGrid if you want the server gone, the price on the page, $259 CAD a month per practice plus $90 CAD per veterinarian, an owner app included and free imports.
The AVImark alternative guide sets out the reasons and the move step by step, and our guide to veterinary practice management software in Canada puts the other main systems beside both. The pricing questions in the clinic FAQ cover billing.
Questions people ask
What is the main difference between PetGrid and AVImark?
AVImark runs on a server in your clinic and is strong on inventory and pharmacy connections. PetGrid runs in the cloud with a published price, an owner app included and AI that drafts notes and reads old records. Covetrus does not publish enough about AVImark's records or invoicing to compare them closely.
Is PetGrid cheaper than AVImark?
Covetrus does not publish a price for AVImark, and Capterra lists it as contact vendor, so only a quote can tell you. PetGrid is $259 CAD a month per practice plus $90 CAD per veterinarian with no setup fee. When you compare, count the server too: its hardware, replacement and backups.
Does AVImark or PetGrid have better inventory?
AVImark does. It offers reordering, CUBEX integration and Intelligent Inventory, while PetGrid tracks stock by lot, received and dispensed, with no purchase orders or automatic reordering. If reordering runs your clinic, that gap matters.
Which is safer for records, a server or the cloud?
It depends on who looks after them. On an AVImark server, the records are as safe as that machine and the clinic's backups. PetGrid walls off each clinic's data with row-level security, requires a second sign-in step for admins and encrypts backups nightly, but it has no independent audit yet; the security page has the detail.
Can I move from AVImark to PetGrid?
Yes. AVImark exports to CSV, and PetGrid imports clients, pets and visit history free, showing every row before saving. Lab results, prescriptions, invoices and inventory are not imported; our post on switching veterinary software without losing data walks through it.
The short version
Row by row, AVImark wins on inventory, pharmacy, texting today and support hours, and PetGrid wins on a public price, the owner app, AI, getting your data out and having no server. Many of AVImark's cells are simply not published.
If PetGrid's side of the table fits your clinic, try it with 14 days free and no card, import your own AVImark export, and compare for yourself.
Switching to PetGrid
Questions about switching? Ask Theo
Theo, PetGrid's AI assistant, helps any clinic with switching, from moving your records to what comes across. When Theo cannot answer, someone from the PetGrid team calls you back.
Or call Theo now: (365) 217-9922
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Sources
Every fact about another product or organisation comes from these pages, read on the date shown.