The reference box
What BarkBox costs and includes
BarkBox is BARK’s monthly box for dogs: two toys, two bags of treats, and a chew, built around a theme that changes each month. BARK now ships it in a bag rather than a box, a change it says it made to hold the price. The comparison below uses the classic tier on BARK’s 6- and 12-month plans, because those are the prices BARK publishes.
- Contents
- Two toys, two treat bags, and one chew on a monthly theme. Super Chewer swaps in two tough, fluff-free toys and two full-size treat bags.
- Price and billing
- $24 a box on a 12-month plan or $27 on a 6-month plan, charged per delivery on a term that renews unless you switch auto-renewal off. Super Chewer runs $29 and $35 on the same terms. A month-to-month plan exists, but BARK doesn’t publish its price on the pages we could read.
- Delivery
- Monthly, to the 48 contiguous states only. No shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, or Canada. BARK says most recurring orders arrive by the 20th.
- Customization
- Three sizes at one price (under 20 lb, 20 to 49 lb, 50 lb and up), allergy versions for beef, chicken and turkey, or poultry, and a choice of plush, durable, or combo toys. You can’t pick the specific toys.
- On Cratejoy
- No. BARK sells direct at bark.co, and none of the boxes below are BARK products.
One detail worth knowing before you compare: on the classic plan, BARK won’t replace a plush toy your dog shreds. Super Chewer does replace a toy that wasn’t tough enough. BARK’s FAQ has the current terms.
Compare the boxes
| Box | Best fit | Cost and commitment | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| BarkBox, classic Reference box |
Most dogs, themed plush and treats | $24 a box on a 12-month plan, $27 on 6 months. Month-to-month price unpublished. | Monthly, 48 contiguous states |
| Pooch Perks Dog Box | Closest match, multi-dog homes | About $33 a month, no term. $49 deluxe tier. | First box within 2 business days, then monthly. US and Canada. |
| PupJoy Power Chewers Box | Tough chewers | $37 to $39 a month by dog size, no contract. Free US shipping. | Ships within 1 business day. US and Canada. |
| Ziva’s Surprise Pack | Treats only, lowest price | $22.50 a month, no term. Free shipping. | Ships around the 1st. US, Canada, UK, Australia, Switzerland. |
| Papa Pupsie’s Snax N Treats | Chews, grooming, and walking gear | About $40 a month, no term. | First box within 3 business days, then monthly. Ship-to countries not listed. |
| Pup and Pawrent Box | You and your dog | $44 a month, no term, or a 3-month prepay. | Ships 3 to 5 days after order, then around the 10th. |
| PupBox | Puppies | $39 month to month, down to $29 on a 12-month term. Tax and shipping added. | Monthly. US and US territories. |
Every Cratejoy box here can also be prepaid for 3 months, and all but Pup and Pawrent for 6 or 12.
The alternatives
Closest match to BarkBox
Pooch Perks Dog Box vs BarkBox
Best for: A household that wants BarkBox’s rhythm from a small seller, or two dogs of different sizes sharing one box.
The standard Pooch Box holds two treats, two or three plush toys, and a chew, on a theme that changes monthly. Pooch Perks has sold on Cratejoy since 2022, carries the Ships Fast badge, and has 53 reviews on its listing, including a five-star one from a BarkBox convert.
What feels familiar
The count is nearly identical to BarkBox’s classic tier, the toys are plush, the treats come from US makers, and you choose a size so a Chihuahua and a Lab don’t get the same rope.
What changes
The fourth size is Mixed, meant for homes with dogs of different sizes, which BarkBox doesn’t offer. Themes are the seller’s own rather than licensed characters. The $49 Pampered Pooch Box adds a third treat, a second chew, a roll of poop bags, and an accessory.
Tougher toys
PupJoy Power Chewers Box vs BarkBox
Best for: The Super Chewer household that wants the durable-toy idea without a 6- or 12-month commitment.
This is the pick for the dog who treats plush as a two-minute project. The box comes in five sizes from Tea Cup to Huuuge, and the treats and toys are chosen against a profile you fill out at signup. PupJoy has sold on Cratejoy since 2020 and lists a Purina Pet Care Innovation Award on its page.
What feels familiar
It answers the same question Super Chewer does, tougher toys plus treats, and it still arrives as a monthly surprise sized to your dog.
What changes
There’s no term to sign and no cancellation window to wait out. PupJoy states a no-strings satisfaction guarantee, ships to Canada for $5, and supports shelter animals through its Helping Paws program with the Bissell Pet Foundation.
Costs less
Ziva’s Surprise Pack vs BarkBox
Best for: Multi-dog homes and treat-motivated dogs whose people want to spend less than BarkBox.
Plenty of dogs have a toy basket that’s already full and a treat jar that never is. Ziva’s Surprise Pack drops the toys and sends two bags of treats a month from Scout & Zoe’s, the seller’s sister company. The seller describes the treats as made in the US from human-grade ingredients, with no wheat, corn, soy, or preservatives.
What feels familiar
The treats are the part of BarkBox most dogs have an opinion about, and here they arrive in full-size bags on the same monthly cadence.
What changes
No toys and no chew, so this adds to a toy habit rather than replacing one. If the squeak is your dog’s favorite part of the month, look at Pooch Perks or PupJoy instead. Order by the 14th to catch the current month’s box.
More than toys and treats
Papa Pupsie’s Snax N Treats vs BarkBox
Best for: The owner who’d rather the monthly box replace a store trip than add to the toy pile.
BarkBox is a toy box with treats in it — this one is closer to a monthly supply run. AlchePharma’s standing list for the box covers treats, toys, bones, grooming gear, and walking tools, leaning toward healthy and eco-friendly picks, and the seller values the contents at $65 or more. The box is named for Papa Pupsie, the first dog in the seller’s foster home.
What feels familiar
Treats and a toy still show up every month, and the first box ships within three business days of your order rather than on a fixed calendar.
What changes
The mix is wider and more practical: a bone, a grooming item, something for the walk. Expect things you’d otherwise pick up at the pet store alongside the toys.
Something for you too
Pup and Pawrent Box vs BarkBox
Best for: Someone who wants the dog’s box to come with a small gift for the human who opens it.
Normie’s Boutique splits the box down the middle. Each month brings five to seven items on one theme: one or two toys, one or two treats, and a handmade bow or bandana for the dog, then two or three things for the person, a tote, a tee, a mug, a scrunchie, a candle. You can email to swap any item, and the shop gives to local animal shelters.
What feels familiar
A themed monthly reveal with toys and treats at the center of it.
What changes
Roughly half the box is for you, so the dog’s share is smaller than a BarkBox and the price is higher. Matching accessories, a bandana for the dog and a scrunchie or tee for you, are the point.
A puppy that’s still growing
PupBox vs BarkBox
Best for: A new puppy in a one-dog home, especially with a first-time owner who’d use the training guides.
BarkBox sends the same kind of box to a four-month-old and a four-year-old. PupBox doesn’t. You build a profile with the pup’s birthday, expected adult size, and any dietary restrictions, and the box changes as the dog does: teething chews and cuddly plush in the puppy months, tougher toys and brain games in the young-pup stage, health and wellness picks once the dog is grown. Every box carries five to seven items and a training guide for that stage. PupBox isn’t sold on Cratejoy, so the link goes to the brand’s own site.
What feels familiar
Toys, treats, and chews on a monthly cadence, sized to the dog, from a brand with a size chart and a plan ladder that looks a lot like BARK’s.
What changes
The stage system comes with commitments of its own. Plans auto-renew for the same length you chose, prepaid terms aren’t refunded if you cancel, and it offers no two-pup option and no grain-free treats. PupBox says it will replace any item you don’t love.
The honest part
When BarkBox is still the better fit
Keep BarkBox if the licensed themes are the draw — no small seller is going to send a Scooby-Doo or Star Wars box, and those collaborations are BARK’s alone. Keep it if you want the lowest price for a full toys-and-treats box and you’re willing to sign a term: at $24 on 12 months, nothing on this list with toys in it costs less per box. And if your dog has a beef or poultry allergy, BARK sells allergy versions of the box at the same price, while only some of the boxes here say how they handle one.
If you’re leaving because Super Chewer toys didn’t survive, the specialist is Bullymake, which isn’t on Cratejoy either. Its Toys & Treats box sends two or three nylon or rubber toys made in the US with three treats, replaces any toy that fails within 45 days, and comes in a toys-only version. It runs $45 month to month and $29 a month on a 12-month term, with a $4 shipping charge on multi-month plans.
How we chose these boxes
We started from what BarkBox sends and why a subscriber might want something different, then went through every dog listing on Cratejoy with a working buy button and kept the ones that answer one of those reasons better than the original does. That left five marketplace boxes from five different sellers. We added PupBox because the marketplace has no stage-based puppy plan, and we mention Bullymake for the same reason on the tough-chewer side. The photo at the top is BARK’s own product image of a Scooby-Doo BarkBox.
Questions before switching
Which alternative is closest to BarkBox?
Pooch Perks Dog Box. Its standard box has two treats, two or three plush toys, and a chew on a monthly theme, with small, medium, and large sizes, which is the same shape as BarkBox’s classic tier. The added Mixed size and the two-business-day first shipment are the main differences.
Which one costs less than BarkBox on comparable terms?
Only Ziva’s Surprise Pack, at $22.50 a month with shipping included, and it does that by sending treats without toys. Every toys-and-treats box here is priced above BARK’s $24 and $27 term rates, but each bills month to month with no commitment. BARK’s month-to-month plan exists, but BARK doesn’t publish its price.
Can I send one of these as a gift?
The Cratejoy boxes can be given as a gift from the listing page. Gift orders are non-recurring, and some sellers let you pick a gift length. The seller ships on its own schedule, so check the listing’s ship window before you plan around a date. BARK’s FAQ says BarkBox can be gifted too.
Is there a treats-only box with organic ingredients?
Yes. PAWsitively Organic Dog Bakery bakes bakery-style dog treats in New Jersey after each billing and ships them mid-month with free US shipping, for $33 a month. It’s newer to Cratejoy than the boxes above, which is why it isn’t in the main list.
