Home / Breeds / Compare / Boston Terrier vs French Bulldog
Nicknamed the American Gentleman for its tuxedo markings and lovely manners, the Boston Terrier is a cheerful, compact companion. The French Bulldog is a compact companion with trademark bat ears and a clownish, affectionate personality. This page puts the two side by side on the numbers that actually differ: size, exercise, grooming, what each costs to keep, and the health tests a breeder should show you.
The biggest gap is monthly cost: the modeled total is about $113 a month for the French Bulldog against $71 for the Boston Terrier.
The next biggest gap is lifespan: the middle of the Boston Terrier range is 12 years against 11 years for the French Bulldog.
The third gap worth noting is energy: the Boston Terrier is rated 4 of 5 against 3 of 5 for the French Bulldog.
| Boston Terrier | French Bulldog | |
|---|---|---|
| Group | Non-Sporting | Non-Sporting |
| Origin | Boston, United States | France (developed from English toy bulldogs) |
| Height | 15 to 17 in | 11 to 13 in |
| Weight | 12 to 25 lb | 17 to 28 lb |
| Lifespan | 11 to 13 years | 10 to 12 years |
| Coat | Short, smooth, fine tuxedo coat. | Short, smooth, fine coat that is easy to keep. |
| Temperament | Friendly, bright, amusing and gentle | Playful, adaptable, funny and people focused |
| Energy | 4 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Trainability | 4 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Grooming needs | 2 of 5 | 2 of 5 |
| Shedding | 3 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Barking | 2 of 5 | 2 of 5 |
| With children | Good with children | Good with children |
| With other dogs | Good with dogs | Usually good with dogs |
| With strangers | Friendly with strangers | Friendly with strangers |
| Apartment fit | Well suited | Well suited |
| Daily exercise | 30 to 60 min | 30 to 60 min |
| Food per month (model) | $15 (1.4 cups a day) | $18 (1.7 cups a day) |
| Insurance per month (model) | $40 to $72 | $70 to $120 |
| Monthly total (model) | $55 to $87 | $88 to $138 |
| Yearly total (model) | $663 to $1,047 | $1,052 to $1,652 |
| Lifetime total (model) | $7,291 to $13,608 | $10,525 to $19,830 |
| Breeder health tests | 4 recommended tests | 5 recommended tests |
| Health watch | Breathing problems, eye issues (cataracts, corneal ulcers), patellar luxation and allergies are the main concerns, plus a spinal malformation in screw tailed lines. Breathing and eye testing matter when choosing a breeder. | The flat face means breathing and heat need respect: never exercise hard in heat and never leave one in a hot car. Common issues include breathing problems, skin allergies, spine defects and eye problems. Choose breeders who test breathing and spine health. |
Boston Terrier: scores 18 on the first-time-owner rule (trainability weighted double, then calmer energy, grooming and barking), against 17 for the French Bulldog.
Boston Terrier: matches the French Bulldog on the apartment rating ("Well suited") and edges ahead on the tie-breaks: barking, then daily exercise, then size.
Boston Terrier: matches on the children rating and edges ahead on trainability and stranger friendliness.
Level on shedding. Shedding is only a proxy for loose hair in the home; no breed is allergen-free, so time spent with the breed matters more than this row.
Boston Terrier: runs about $42 a month less than the French Bulldog on modeled food plus insurance ($71 against $113 at the midpoints).
Verdict rules, in full: first-time owner scores 2 x trainability + (6 - energy) + (6 - grooming) + (6 - barking). Apartment ranks the apartment rating, then barking, exercise and weight. Children ranks the children rating, then trainability and stranger friendliness. Allergy ranks lowest shedding, then grooming. Budget ranks the lowest monthly modeled total. Level scores are declared ties.
The published breeder panel for the Boston Terrier lists 4 recommended tests; the French Bulldog panel lists 5. 2 test areas appear in both panels.
Listed for the Boston Terrier and not in the French Bulldog panel: BAER hearing test; Juvenile hereditary cataract DNA test (HSF4).
Listed for the French Bulldog and not in the Boston Terrier panel: Cardiac evaluation (basic or advanced); Hip evaluation (OFA or PennHIP); Respiratory Function Grading Scheme (RFGS) assessment.
Full panels: Boston Terrier health testing and French Bulldog health testing.
On the modeled figures the French Bulldog costs more month to month: about $113 a month at the midpoint of food plus insurance, against $71 for the Boston Terrier. Run across the lifespan ranges, the model gives $10,525 to $19,830 for the French Bulldog and $7,291 to $13,608 for the Boston Terrier. These are planning estimates, not quotes.
They are level: both plan on 30 to 60 minutes a day, and energy is rated 4 of 5 for the Boston Terrier against 3 of 5 for the French Bulldog.
On our ratings, yes: both are rated 3 of 5 for shedding. The coats still feel different in the house. Boston Terrier: Short, smooth, fine tuxedo coat. French Bulldog: Short, smooth, fine coat that is easy to keep.
Both are rated "Well suited" for apartment life and tie on barking and exercise as tie-breaks, so the building, the floor and your routine decide more than the breed does.
The Boston Terrier rates higher for trainability at 4 of 5 against 3 of 5 for the French Bulldog. Temperament notes describe the Boston Terrier as: Friendly, bright, amusing and gentle
The French Bulldog: its published breeder panel runs to 5 recommended tests, against 4 for the Boston Terrier. A longer panel is not a mark against a breed; it usually means the breed club has identified more inherited risks that testing can screen for, and it gives you more paperwork to ask a breeder for.
Choosing between more than two? Open the comparison tool and put up to four breeds side by side, or read all written breed comparisons.
Breed facts follow the standards and club guidance summarized on each breed profile. Cost figures are modeled estimates for planning, labeled with their basis, and are not quotes or veterinary advice. Health test panels are the recommendations published by the breed clubs and CHIC, as set out on each breed's health testing page.