Modkat vs Frisco Top Entry Litter Box: What’s the Difference?

The Modkat Flip costs $99.99. The Frisco Top Entry Cat Litter Box (XL, 23-inch) costs $30.99 at Chewy. For that $69 gap you get a magnetic three-position lid, a reusable tarp liner and charcoal odor filters, and you give up the top entry, because the Flip is a front-entry box.

That mismatch catches a lot of people searching for a Modkat vs Frisco top entry litter box. Modkat also sells a true top-entry model (the original Modkat, $109.99, sized for cats up to 12 lbs), so this guide sets both Modkat boxes against the Frisco and against the Amazon Basics top entry box. We cover price, size, lid design, liners, odor control and which cats each one suits. If you haven’t settled on an entry style yet, read our guide to top-entry vs front-entry litter boxes first.

Specs and prices were checked on September 21, 2026 against Modkat.com, Chewy and Amazon. They change, so confirm the current price before you buy. Some links on this page are affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you.

⚡ Quick Verdict

The Modkat Flip is our overall pick. It scoops faster, holds in spray and litter better, and looks like furniture. It also costs about three times what the Frisco does and isn’t a top-entry box. If litter scatter is your only problem, the Frisco Top Entry XL at $30.99 is the better buy, especially for a cat over 12 lbs. The Amazon Basics box is a fine spare or first try. Skip all three if your cat is a stiff-jointed senior.

The Four Litter Boxes at a Glance

Two naming points first. The Modkat Flip has a front entry: your cat steps in over a 6.75-inch lip, and the lid flips open on top for scooping. Modkat’s top-entry box is a separate model, and it’s the fairer match for the Frisco.

Prices from Modkat.com and Chewy on September 21, 2026. I couldn’t confirm a current Amazon Basics price, so check the listing.

Analysis: Modkat Flip Covered Litter Box

Built for people who want a litter box that’s easy to live with and easy to look at. If you scoop daily, keep the box in a bathroom or living area, and don’t mind paying extra for liners and filters, the Flip is aimed at you.

The Flip is a covered, front-entry box with a tall one-piece base, which Modkat calls seamless. There are no corner joints for urine to find, and the walls are high enough for cats that dig hard or pee upward. The entry is 8.25 x 9.5 inches and sits 6.75 inches off the floor, so most cats walk in instead of jumping. The box weighs 7 lbs and measures 20.5 x 15.75 x 16.8 inches.

The lid is the reason to buy it. It’s magnetic and has three positions: closed for privacy, half open for daily scooping, fully open (or off) for litter changes. It holds up to 24 lbs, so a cat can sit on top. The Type F liner clips onto the lid pillars with Modkat’s patented TabFit tabs, so there are no separate hooks to lose. Modkat lists each liner at up to three months.

Build Quality & Design

Owners with high-peeing cats mention the wall height more than anything else. One says an adolescent male that used to find the seams in three other boxes finally stopped leaking with this one. The build isn’t flawless, though. A three-cat owner reported a front lid section that sat crooked, and Modkat’s reply pointed to an uneven floor throwing off lid alignment. Level the spot before you set it up. Retailer listings give the material as polypropylene.

Performance & Speed

Daily scooping is where the Flip earns its price. Open the lid halfway, scoop, let it close. One owner says scooping from the top beats scooping through a side opening and scatters less litter. The tall base and front step hold back most kicked litter, but some still escapes, and Modkat’s own advice is to add a litter mat. Its Katch mat is $24.99.

Features & Functionality

The box ships with a Type F reusable liner, a hanging scoop, a charcoal filter holder and two charcoal odor filters. A front pull tab locks the liner under the step, which helps keep litter from slipping between liner and base. Modkat lists 2-pack odor filter refills at $11.99. The three lid positions matter more than they sound. One owner started with the lid off, then moved to half open. Another keeps it half open because their cat feels cramped with the lid closed.

User Experience

Owners describe cats taking to it fast. Size is the recurring complaint. Modkat’s own review summary says some owners wanted it slightly larger for big cats, and one reviewer returned it because an extra-large shorthair couldn’t turn around. Another owner with a 16 lb cat says it’s as wide as their old extra-large boxes. Measure your cat before you decide (see the checklist below).

Value for Money

The box is $99.99, and liners are the running cost. A 3-pack of Type F liners is $29.99, about $10 each. Replace one every three months and that’s roughly $40 a year. You can skip liners, since Modkat says the Flip works without one, but the liner is a big part of why cleanup is quick. Modkat also sells disposable paperboard liners, six for $24.99, each good for about a month.

Analysis: Amazon Basics Top Entry Box

A first top-entry box, a spare for a guest room, or a second box in a small home. It does one job, keeping litter from scattering, and doesn’t try for more.

The Amazon Basics box measures 20.5 x 14.75 x 14.38 inches. Your cat drops in through an opening in the lid and leaves the same way, so most kicked litter lands on the lid or slides back in. Amazon’s listing describes BPA-free, recyclable plastic, a removable top, an onboard scoop and a filtered lid. For more on how this style compares with other designs, see our covered litter box with top entry guide.

Build Quality & Design

This is molded plastic in a plain grey finish. It’s light and easy to move, which suits a laundry room or a spare bathroom. Expect it to scuff with use. The listing I checked doesn’t give a lid weight limit, so don’t count on it as a perch for a heavy cat.

Performance & Speed

The top entry does the containment work. Scooping costs you a step, because the top is removable rather than hinged: lift it off, scoop, set it somewhere, put it back. That’s fine once a day. It gets old by month three.

Features & Functionality

A matching scoop comes with the box and hangs on the side. Amazon’s listing also mentions a filtered lid, but it doesn’t say what the filter is or whether replacements are sold, so check before you count on it for odor control. There’s no liner system.

User Experience

Setup takes a minute: no liner to fit, no hardware. One Amazon reviewer who owns both this box and an IRIS top-entry box says the two look nearly identical apart from price and color, that their cat took to both, and that this box’s scoop has holes too wide, so small clumps slip through. Their fix was a finer scoop, which hangs on the box’s hook without trouble.

Value for Money

You get a top-entry box and a scoop, and nothing to restock but litter. Amazon prices move, so check the current number against the Frisco’s $30.99 before you click.

Analysis: Frisco Top Entry Cat Litter Box (XL, 23-inch)

Chewy’s house-brand top-entry box, sized for cats that need room. It costs about a third of the Flip and it’s the longest of the four.

The Frisco Top Entry XL is a gray or black plastic box measuring 23.2 x 15.4 x 15 inches, with a top opening of 8.66 x 9.68 inches. A swivel lid on hinges lifts for scooping, and Chewy says litter left on the lid slides back into the box as you raise it. The lid holds up to 33 lbs, and its textured surface is meant to knock litter off paws as your cat climbs out.

Chewy lists it as made in the USA from BPA-free, recyclable plastic. Liners are not included and not required. The listing doesn’t mention a scoop or a filter, so plan on buying a scoop. It carries 4.3 out of 5 stars from 1,640 ratings on Chewy as of September 2026, with 73% giving five stars and 8% giving one.

Build Quality & Design

Lid support is the complaint that repeats. Three Chewy reviewers with heavy cats disagree with each other. One says the lid latches firmly and holds a very heavy cat if you clip it properly. Two describe the sides bowing outward under heavy cats on the lid (one household has 16 and 20 lb cats), which can let the lid slip off its rest edge with only a small plastic clip holding it. Chewy’s Q&A lists the interior base at 18.5 x 10.5 inches with 14.5 inches of height.

Performance & Speed

Owners of diggers report the biggest drop in floor litter. One with a digging kitten says the crunch underfoot stopped within two weeks. Another says two younger cats took to it at once while a 4-year-old refused. Some adult cats simply won’t use a top-entry box, and no spec sheet predicts which.

Features & Functionality

Chewy says the wide top opening helps keep dogs out, and the tall enclosed sides contain spray for cats that dig and spray. Assembly is a lid you hinge in: line the lid up vertically with the half-circle hinges facing down, push them into the sockets, fold it closed. Clean it with warm soapy water, and wipe between washes.

User Experience

It’s a simple box. There’s no liner to fit and no magnet to line up, and owners praise the swivel lid for cleanup. One reviewer with a 19-year-old cat cut a low side opening into it and blocked the top hole, a DIY fix for the jump that older cats struggle with.

Value for Money

At $30.99 in gray or black, there’s no liner subscription to pay for, and Chewy lists free 365-day returns. That return window matters with any top-entry box, since a cat that refuses it is the biggest risk.

Modkat Top-Entry vs Frisco Top-Entry: Head to Head

For a true top-entry matchup, put the original Modkat against the Frisco XL. Here’s how they line up.

Read the size row first. Modkat’s own page says its top-entry box suits cats up to 12 lbs and may not work for large cats or cats that have trouble jumping. The Frisco is 7.2 inches longer. One Modkat owner says their 14 lb cat fits fine, while another returned it because a long cat found 15 inches of height cramped. If your cat is heavy or long, the Frisco gives you more room, and Modkat’s XL (front or top entry) is the step up inside the Modkat range.

Major Factors to Consider

Six things decide whether a litter box works in your home. Run through them before you compare prices.

Quick Checklist: Which Litter Box Fits Your Cat?

Feature Comparison

This table compares the Modkat Flip, the Frisco Top Entry XL and the Amazon Basics box feature by feature. If you’re leaning toward a lid on top, our covered litter box with top entry guide covers the wider field. “Not listed” means the maker’s page doesn’t say, not that the feature is missing.

Specifications Comparison

Measurements decide fit, both for your space and for your cat. Read the notes under the table, because makers don’t all measure the same way.

Modkat lists the Flip’s base at 17.5 x 13 inches. Chewy lists the Frisco’s interior base at 18.5 x 10.5 inches with 14.5 inches of interior height. Different methods, so measure your cat and your space instead of trusting a side-by-side.

What Each Box Costs Over Two Years

Liners turn a $100 box into a $190 one if you use them. Here’s the math, with prices as of September 21, 2026.

Assumes one liner replaced every three months (Modkat’s stated maximum life, and one liner comes in the box) and 3-packs at $29.99. Modkat lists odor filter 2-packs at $11.99, and replacement timing depends on your home. Modkat says the Flip works without a liner.

🏆 Winner: Modkat Flip Covered Litter Box

The Modkat Flip wins on scooping speed, spray containment and looks. The liner turns a messy job into a lift-and-rinse one, and the lid adapts to cats that dislike enclosure. The price is the catch: $99.99 up front, plus about $40 a year in liners if you use them. It’s the right box for a single-cat home where the box is on show. If you specifically want top entry, look at the Frisco instead.

Choose the Frisco Top Entry XL If…

Choose Amazon Basics Top Entry Box If…

Top-Entry Litter Boxes: Pros, Cons and Who Should Skip Them

Top entry solves one problem well: litter tracked across the floor. It creates two others, the jump in and the lid you have to lift. Weigh both.

Skip top entry for seniors and cats with joint pain. Modkat itself says its top-entry model may not suit cats that struggle to jump or are large. A low door does the same job for those cats, and our low-entry covered litter box guide covers options. Also worth knowing: Modkat says research suggests most cats don’t show a strong preference between covered and uncovered boxes. A clean, roomy, easy-to-reach box matters more than the lid.

How to Get Your Cat to Use a Top-Entry Litter Box

Most cats figure it out in a day or two. These steps follow Modkat’s setup advice plus what owners report.

1. Put the new box where the old one sits. Don’t move the location and the box type on the same day.
2. Fill it with 3 to 4 inches of litter (Modkat’s guidance for its top-entry box) and mix in a scoop of used litter from the old box so it smells familiar.
3. Take the lid off for the first few days. Several owners did this, then put the lid back on after about a week.
4. Keep the old box available until your cat uses the new one every time.
5. If your cat still refuses after two weeks, stop pushing. Some adult cats won’t use top entry, and a return window (Chewy lists 365 days on the Frisco) is cheaper than a house full of accidents.

Cleaning and Maintenance

Modkat’s liner guidance says daily scooping and a litter depth of 2 to 3 inches help liners last longer, and that liner life depends on how many cats use the box and how hard they scratch.

🎯 Final Recommendation

Buy the Modkat Flip if you’ll scoop through the lid every day, care how the box looks, and can live with buying liners. Buy the Frisco XL if you want top entry at about $31, have a cat over 12 lbs, or just want to see whether your cat accepts a top-entry box without spending $100. Take the Modkat top-entry only for a cat under 12 lbs in a small space. Pick Amazon Basics for a spare. Whichever you choose, keep the old box out for a week and watch what your cat does.

Summary

• The Modkat Flip is a front-entry box with a magnetic three-position lid, a one-piece base and TabFit liners. It costs $99.99 and suits single-cat homes where looks and quick scooping matter.
• The Frisco Top Entry XL is a true top-entry box at $30.99. It’s 23.2 inches long, made in the USA per Chewy, and has no liner, filter or scoop listed. Bigger cats get more room in it than in Modkat’s top-entry model.
• Modkat’s original top-entry box is $109.99 and best for cats up to 12 lbs, so it’s the fairer match against the Frisco than the Flip is.
• Over two years the Flip with liners costs about $190. The Frisco with a scoop costs about $33. Modkat says the Flip works without a liner if you’d rather skip that cost.
• The Amazon Basics box includes a scoop and lists a filtered lid, though it doesn’t say what the filter is. The top comes off completely to scoop.
• Skip any top-entry design for seniors with stiff joints, and expect some adult cats to refuse it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources and How This Was Checked

Specs, prices and ratings on this page were checked on September 21, 2026 against the manufacturer or retailer pages listed here. Owner quotes are paraphrased from public reviews. Prices and ratings change, so treat the numbers as a snapshot.

• Modkat Flip product page (dimensions, lid capacity, price, FAQ)
• Modkat top-entry product page (dimensions, cat size guidance, price)
• Frisco Top Entry XL on Chewy (dimensions, features, price, Q&A, ratings)
• Amazon Basics Top Entry listing (dimensions, features)
• Modkat Type F liners (liner life, TabFit compatibility, price)