Both the Furbo and Petzi represent excellent options for treating your pet and keeping an eye on their well-being while away from home. While both options feature the basics like 24/7 video, night vision, and the ability to launch a treat for your pets, there are a number of differences that make the superior option pretty clear.
Below, we’ll look at Furbo vs. Petzi to see where these cameras excel, as well as their drawbacks, so you can make the best decision for yourself and your pet.
Furbo vs. Petzi — Differences
Difference #1: Video Quality – The Furbo records in full 1080p HD, allowing a crystal clear picture into the secret life of your pets while you’re at work or on vacation. The Petzi also delivers an excellent picture, but not quite to the extent as the Furbo, having only 720p capabilities.
The Furbo’s 160-degree field of view ensures that you’ll never miss any relevant action, and the 4x zoom allows you to zero in on a pet that’s lurking in the background.
The manufacturer for Petzi doesn’t provide many technical specifications, but it seems that the field of view is at least somewhat comparable to the Furbo. No word on zoom, however, and we feel that the Furbo takes the lead due to the significantly enhanced picture.
Difference #2: Two-Way Audio – One of the most useful features about the Furbo is that you can both speak and listen to your pet. Playing with your pet feels much more realistic when you can interact easily with one another — even if your only connection is through the camera mic and lens.
With the Petzi, your pet can hear you but you can’t hear your pet. Being able to talk to your cat or dog is a nice perk, but the camera not having a mic is an unfortunate downside.
Difference #3: Sound & Motion Alerts – The Furbo will alert you of any sound or motion, allowing you to make sure your dog is safe and happy. It also gives you information as to when your dog is near the camera, which can help you avoid those situations where you tune in for some play time and your cat or dog is off doing its own thing.
The Petzi does not feature sound or motion alerts, so you’ll have to open the app to be aware of any goings-on at home.
Difference #4: Live Time Recording – Only the Furbo has access to live video recording. As mentioned above, both models allow you to snap a picture from the video feed, but the recording functionality of the Petzi is non-existent.
Difference #5: Real-time Barking Alerts – While dogs bark for a variety reasons, sometimes it can mean that something is wrong at home. With real-time barking alerts, the Furbo will let you know when your dog is making a commotion. These alerts give you the peace of mind that you’ll be notified when your dog is in distress, allowing you to focus more on the task at hand rather than constantly checking in on a pet at home.
As the Petzi does not have a mic, you won’t have access to any of these alerts.
Difference #6: Smart Dog Alerts – Perhaps what makes the Furbo so unique is that the alerts actually grow and change with your dog. With Smart Dog Alerts, an AI-powered system will learn from your dog over time. By tracking habits both positive and negative, you’ll have a unique insight into your pet’s behavior that extends far beyond simple motion and sound-activated recording. Although, this feature comes with paid subscription along with video history and other perks.
Difference #7: Works with Amazon Alexa – Integrating your treat camera with a voice controller isn’t necessarily required, but having the ability to control the device hands-free is an excellent perk. With the Furbo, you can use the virtual assistant Amazon Alexa through devices like the Echo and Echo Dot. Giving the echo Furbo related commands will let you do things like have your dispenser give out a treat on demand or at a specific time.
The Petzi does not have any voice control integration.
Difference #8: Designed for – Petzi works with both cats and dogs. Whether you have a feline companion, a canine, or both, you can take advantage of the live video feed and easy treat dispensing to keep them happy and occupied. Whereas Furbo is designed specifically with dogs in mind.
Difference #9: Overall Look – Perhaps the most immediately noticeable difference between the Furbo and Petzi is the fact that they are quite different in terms of design. With 5.91 x 4.72 x 8.86 in dimensions, the Furbo weighs 2.1 pounds and is available in white. The Petzi is much lighter at just 1 pound and has a very different shape with dimensions of 14 x 8.25 x 6.25 in. Like the Furbo, it is also only available in white.
Furbo vs. Petzi — Comparison Chart
| Furbo | Petzi | |
|---|---|---|
| Video Resolution | 1080p HD | 720p |
| Field-of-view | 160° wide-angle | N/A |
| Zoom | 4x zoom | N/A |
| Video streaming | One-way | One-way |
| Has sound | Two-way | One-way |
| Night Vision | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11b/g/n, 2.4GHz | Yes |
| Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) | Yes | N/A |
| Built-in Laser Toy | No | No |
| Treat Dispenser | Yes | Yes |
| Sound Alerts | Yes | No |
| Motion Alerts | Yes | No |
| Real-time Barking Alerts | Yes | No |
| Smart Dog Alerts | Activity AlertSelfie AlertPerson Alert | No |
| Free Cloud Recording | No | No |
| Triggered Video Recordings | With subscription | No |
| Monthly fees | Yes | No |
| Works with Amazon Alexa | Yes | No |
| Designed for | Dogs | Dogs/Cats |
| Dimensions | 5.91 x 4.72 x 8.86 in | 14 x 8.25 x 6.25 in |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs | 1 lbs |
| Color | White | White |
Furbo vs. Petzi — Things in Common
Check on Your Pet any Minute – One of the primary advantages of having a remote treat camera for pets like the Furbo or Petzi is that you can check on your pet at any minute during the day. Through a simple smartphone app, you can access a live video feed and keep an eye on the situation while you’re away from home.
Night Vision – With the Furbo and Petzi, turning off the lights doesn’t mean turning off your camera. Night vision allows you to monitor your dog 24/7, regardless of the lighting situation.
Connectivity – Both and the Furbo and Petzi easily connect via WiFi, and this is the primary way in which they will transmit data to the app while you’re out and about. As long as you have a stable WiFi connection, you can tune in at any point in the day and see what’s going on at home.
Treat Dispenser – The Furbo holds over 100 pieces of any rounded treats, so you won’t have to worry about refilling it frequently. One of the coolest features of the camera is its ability to dispense treats into the air, allowing you to play a game of fetch with your pet from anywhere. Any round treat will do as long as they are smaller than the device’s opening, but we recommend treats that are around 1 cm (0.4 inches) in length.
The Petzi also has a universal treat launcher that is good for use with any sort of dry, crunchy treat that is less than 1 inch in diameter.
Snap a Pic – If you open the feed and your cat or dog is doing something particularly cute or hilarious, you can take advantage of the Furbo and Petzi’s ability to snap a real-time picture to save for later review.
Furbo vs. Petzi — Accessories
Zuke’s Mini Naturals Dog Treats or Crazy Dog Train-Me! Training Reward Dog Treats will work perfectly with the Furbo. With that said, you can use pretty much any small and round treat as long as it will fit through the hole.
We don’t have any specific recommendations for the Petzi. However, as long as the treats are small and dry you shouldn’t have many issues using your pet’s favorite snack.
Furbo vs. Petzi — Our Thoughts
It’s pretty clear that the Furbo is the superior remote treat camera for pets. Petzi is certainly a viable option, but user reviews on Amazon claim that there are sometimes connection issues with the smart camera. As staying connected and checking in on your pet at any point during the day is the primary function of the device, we strongly side with Furbo in the comparison between these two devices.
Last update on 2024-04-17 at 14:39 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
