Furbo vs Petcube: Which Treat-Tossing Pet Camera Should You Get?
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Furbo and Petcube are the two pet cameras that come up most when people search for a camera that tosses treats. They look like they do the same job, but they're built differently. The short version: the Furbo 360 rotates to follow your pet around one open room and holds more treats; the Petcube Bites 2 Lite uses a fixed wide-angle lens and flings treats a distance you choose. The bigger difference is often the plan: some Furbo versions on Amazon need a paid plan to activate and some don't, while Petcube's plan is optional.
Below we compare them side by side, using what Furbo and Petcube say about their own cameras and what the Amazon listings say, then cover the Furbo Mini 360 and a few alternatives. For every type of pet camera, including ones without treats, see our full best dog cameras guide.
Furbo vs Petcube, camera by camera
1Furbo 360° Dog Camera: best for one big open room
Furbo's flagship sits on a table or shelf and rotates a full 360°, and Furbo says it auto-tracks your pet by rotating and zooming. Furbo lists 1080p video with 4x digital zoom, color night vision, two-way audio, a barking alert and a treat hopper that holds about 100 small treats. It is designed for dogs, and there is a separate cat version with a feather wand toy.
The detail that matters most: on Amazon this exact camera is sold in two versions. The one linked here is listed as "Core Features, No Ongoing Cost", so live view, talking and treat tossing work without a plan. The smart alerts, video history and the AI features are part of Furbo Nanny, which is an optional paid subscription for this version.
Best for: a living room or open-plan space where one rotating camera can see everything.
Skip it if: your pet hangs out in a narrow hallway or small room, where a wall-mounted wide-angle camera sees just as much.
2Petcube Bites 2 Lite: best wide-angle view and adjustable treat toss
Petcube takes the opposite approach. Instead of rotating, the Bites 2 Lite uses a fixed 160° wide-angle lens, and Petcube lists 1080p video, 8x digital zoom, night vision and two-way audio. Petcube says you can control how many treats it flings and how far, and there's an autoplay mode that tosses treats on a schedule to keep a pet busy while you're out. It works with Alexa, and it's light enough that many owners mount it on a wall or shelf rather than leaving it on the floor.
Petcube Care is an optional subscription: Petcube says it adds sound- and motion-triggered video recording and history. Without it, the camera still streams live and tosses treats.
Best for: owners who want a wide view of one room without moving parts, or who like the idea of throwing treats across the room for a game of fetch.
Skip it if: you want the camera to follow your pet around a big room. A fixed lens can't turn to look.
3Furbo Mini 360°: best for small apartments and travel
The Mini 360 is Furbo's compact model. Furbo lists 2K video with 8x digital zoom (sharper than the full-size Furbo on paper), 360° rotation with auto tracking, color night vision and two-way audio, and it's designed for both dogs and cats. The trade-off is the treat feature: Furbo calls it a "Lite Treat Toss" that fits up to about 10 small treats, so it's a nice extra rather than the main event.
Note that the Amazon listing linked here says "Paid Plan Required to Activate", so budget for Furbo Nanny before you buy this version.
Best for: studio apartments, bedrooms, a second camera in another room, or taking along to a rental.
Skip it if: treat tossing is the main reason you want a pet camera.
4Furbo 360° with Furbo Nanny: best if you want alerts and recordings
This is the same Furbo 360 camera, sold in the version that requires the Furbo Nanny plan to activate. Furbo says Nanny adds smart alerts (Furbo lists examples like howling and smoke alarm alerts), video history and AI-powered features such as activity reports.
If you already know you want recordings and alerts, this version makes sense. If you're not sure, the "No Ongoing Cost" version above gives you the camera and treat tossing, and you can still decide on a plan later.
Best for: owners who want to be pinged when something happens, not just check in when they remember.
Skip it if: a monthly plan is a dealbreaker.
5PETLIBRO 360° pet camera: the budget alternative without treats
If you mostly want to see your pet and talk to them, you don't need a treat tosser. The PETLIBRO camera is a lower-cost 360° auto-tracking camera with a phone app and two-way audio, and it's one of the most-reviewed pet cameras on Amazon (over 20,000 ratings at the time of writing).
Best for: a second room, or anyone who wants a simple check-in camera.
Skip it if: rewarding your pet from work is the whole point.
6TKENPRO 2K treat camera: another treat tosser to compare
A pan-and-tilt camera with 2K video, night vision, two-way audio and a treat tosser you trigger from the app. The listing notes that some extras need a cloud subscription, so check which features are free before you buy.
Best for: comparing features if neither Furbo nor Petcube feels quite right.
Skip it if: you prefer a well-known brand with a bigger support team.
7Automatic feeder with a camera: if mealtime is the real worry
If you're buying a pet camera mainly because you're late home at dinnertime, a feeder with a built-in camera may solve the actual problem. This PETLIBRO feeder schedules dry-food meals from an app and has a 1080p camera with night vision, so you can watch your pet eat. It's listed as a cat feeder; for big dogs, see our automatic feeders for large breeds.
Best for: cats, small dogs and owners with unpredictable hours.
Skip it if: your pet only eats wet food.
8A treat-dispensing ball: keeps them busy between check-ins
A pet camera lets you toss a treat or two, but most of the day your pet isn't watching the camera. A treat-dispensing ball that releases kibble as it rolls can fill some of that time. Pick a size your dog can't fit fully in their mouth, and try it while you're home first to see how they play with it.
Best for: food-motivated dogs who get bored when left alone.
Skip it if: your dog chews toys apart rather than rolling them.
Furbo vs Petcube at a glance
- View: Furbo 360 rotates a full 360° with auto tracking. Petcube Bites 2 Lite has a fixed 160° wide-angle lens.
- Video: both list 1080p. Furbo lists 4x digital zoom; Petcube lists 8x. The Furbo Mini 360 lists 2K with 8x zoom.
- Treats: Furbo 360 holds about 100 small treats. Petcube lets you set how many treats and how far they go, plus an autoplay mode. The Furbo Mini only fits about 10.
- Placement: Furbo is a tabletop camera. Petcube is light and often wall- or shelf-mounted.
- Plans: Furbo Nanny adds alerts, video history and AI features; on Amazon, some Furbo versions say a paid plan is required to activate. Petcube Care is optional.
- Smart home: both list Alexa compatibility.
How to choose
Start with the room. Stand where the camera would go and look at where your pet actually spends the day. If it's a big open living room with a couch at one end and a dog bed at the other, a rotating camera that follows your pet makes sense. If it's one smaller room, a wide-angle lens mounted high in a corner often sees the whole space at once.
Check the listing title, not just the brand. The same Furbo camera can be sold with or without a required plan. That one line in the Amazon title changes the cost over a couple of years more than the box price does.
Think about the treats you use. Treat tossers are built for small, dry, round-ish treats. Soft or sticky treats can jam any dispenser, so plan on a small dry treat and count them toward your pet's daily food.
Check your Wi-Fi where the camera goes. Pet cameras stream video all day, so a weak signal at the far end of the house means a choppy picture. Test the signal there with your phone first.
Treat it as a check-in tool. A camera lets you see, talk and toss a treat. It doesn't replace a dog walker or sitter on long days, and if your pet seems stressed when left alone, talk to your vet.
Frequently asked questions
Is Furbo better than Petcube?
Neither is better for everyone. The Furbo 360 rotates and tracks your pet around one big room and holds more treats. The Petcube Bites 2 Lite has a fixed 160° wide-angle view, lets you set how far treats fly, and is easy to mount on a wall. Pick Furbo for open spaces and Petcube for a wide view without moving parts.
Does Furbo need a subscription?
It depends on the version. On Amazon, the Furbo 360 is sold as a "Core Features, No Ongoing Cost" version (live view, audio and treat tossing work without a plan) and as a version that says "Paid Plan Required to Activate". Furbo Nanny adds smart alerts, video history and AI features. Read the listing title before you buy.
Does Petcube work without a subscription?
Yes. Petcube describes Petcube Care as optional. Without it, the Bites 2 Lite still streams live video, has two-way audio and tosses treats. Care adds recorded clips triggered by sound and motion, plus video history.
Is a Furbo worth it?
It's worth it if your dog spends regular stretches home alone and you'll actually check in and toss treats. If you only want to glance at your pet now and then, a simpler 360° camera without a treat tosser does the job for less.
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