The Pawport Smart Pet Door made waves at CES 2025 and came back to CES 2026 with upgrades. At $699, it’s the most premium smart pet door on the market — but is it actually worth the price tag?
After researching this door extensively, comparing it against the competition, and digging through owner feedback, here’s our full verdict.
What Is the Pawport Smart Pet Door?
The Pawport Smart Pet Door is an app-controlled, Wi-Fi-connected pet door that uses a lightweight collar tag to identify your pet and unlock automatically. It’s designed to retrofit over virtually any existing pet door — no professional installation needed.
Key specs at a glance:
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Price | $699 USD (door) + $49 per Smart Pet Tag |
| Material | Aircraft-grade aluminum doors, steel frame |
| Locking | Dual steel deadbolts |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz) |
| Voice Assistants | Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant |
| Power | USB-C (hardwire kit or solar panel optional) |
| Installation | Retrofit over existing pet door |
| App | iOS and Android |
What We Like
Rock-Solid Security
This is where Pawport crushes the competition. Dual steel deadbolts and aircraft-grade aluminum mean wildlife, strays, and intruders aren’t getting through this door. Most traditional pet doors are basically an open invitation for raccoons. The Pawport fixes that problem entirely.
The door only unlocks when it detects the Pawport Smart Pet Tag on your pet’s collar, then re-locks automatically after they pass through. You get real-time smartphone alerts every time your pet enters or exits.
Effortless Retrofit Installation
Pawport’s biggest selling point might be the installation. It mounts directly over your existing pet door frame — no cutting, no construction, no hiring a contractor. The company guarantees it fits virtually any existing pet door, and they have a Guaranteed to Fit program to back it up.
Smart Home Integration
Full integration with Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant means you can lock/unlock with voice commands or build automations. Want the door to lock automatically at sunset? Done. Want to unlock it remotely when the dog walker arrives? Also done.
The Pawport app lets you:
- Set schedules for when the door is accessible
- Lock/unlock remotely from anywhere
- View entry/exit history for each pet
- Get real-time notifications
- Manage multiple pet tags
The Smart Pet Tag
The Pawport Smart Pet Tag ($49 each) is lightweight and waterproof, designed to clip onto any standard collar. It uses proximity detection to trigger the door — no microchip scanning required (which is slower and less reliable in our experience with competing products).
Additional tags mean multi-pet households can give each animal independent access, with per-pet scheduling if needed.
What Could Be Better
The Price
There’s no getting around it: $699 for the door plus $49 per tag is steep. A SureFlap Microchip Pet Door Connect runs about $200-250 CAD, and the PetSafe SmartDoor is around $300.
That said, neither of those competitors offers the same build quality, dual deadbolts, or smart home ecosystem integration. You’re paying for premium materials and genuine security.
No Built-In Battery
The Pawport requires a power source — either the included USB-C cable, an optional hardwire kit, or the solar panel accessory. There’s no internal battery backup, so a power outage means the door stays in its last state (locked or unlocked). The optional Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery accessory solves this, but it’s another add-on cost.
Only Works With Pawport Tags
Unlike the SureFlap, which reads your pet’s existing microchip, the Pawport requires its proprietary Smart Pet Tag. If your pet already has a microchip for identification purposes, you still need the separate tag. It’s an extra thing on the collar, and $49 per pet adds up for multi-pet households.
Pawport vs the Competition
| Feature | Pawport | SureFlap Connect | PetSafe SmartDoor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $699 USD | ~$200-250 CAD | ~$300 CAD |
| ID Method | Proprietary tag | Microchip or RFID | SmartKey (collar) |
| Security | Dual steel deadbolts | Twist-lock | Single lock |
| Material | Aircraft-grade aluminum | Plastic | Plastic |
| Smart Home | Alexa/Siri/Google | SureFlap app | PetSafe app |
| Installation | Retrofit (no tools) | Cut-in or retrofit | Cut-in |
| Voice Control | Yes | No | No |
Who Should Buy the Pawport?
It’s a great fit if you:
- Live in an area with wildlife concerns (raccoons, coyotes)
- Want genuine security — not just a flap with a microchip reader
- Already have a pet door and want a no-construction upgrade
- Care about smart home integration and scheduling
- Have a larger dog (the opening supports dogs up to 100+ lbs)
Skip it if you:
- Are on a tight budget — the SureFlap does the basics for much less
- Have cats only and no wildlife concerns (a microchip flap is probably fine)
- Don’t want another tag on your pet’s collar
The Bottom Line
The Pawport Smart Pet Door is the most premium smart pet door we’ve seen, and it earns that premium with legitimate security features, dead-simple installation, and a polished smart home experience. At $699, it’s not for everyone — but if security and build quality are priorities, nothing else comes close.
For most pet owners, we’d say start with the SureFlap Microchip Connect if you just need basic smart access control on a budget. But if you’ve dealt with raccoons in your kitchen or you want the Tesla of pet doors, the Pawport is the one to get.
Our Rating: 4.2/5 — Excellent hardware and security, held back slightly by the premium price and proprietary tag requirement.