Best Pet Sitter Apps

Pros

• rover.com 2026-09-02 names boarding (sitter's home), house sitting (your home), drop-in visits, doggy day care, dog walking, and training. Screened sitters pass a third-party background check; every booking is backed by the Rover Guarantee, which includes up to $25,000 reimbursement for eligible vet care, plus 24/7 support. FAQ: Meet & Greets are in-person meetings; recommended, not required.
• rover.com/background-checks: every new sitter/walker undergoes an enhanced third-party criminal background check (NSOPW, national criminal database, county courts by address history). Basic badge is mostly pre-January 2022 sitters who have not upgraded. rover.com/app: iOS and Android; in-app messages, photo updates, and GPS maps of dog walks. Help Center: owner booking fee is 11% finalized at checkout; sitter take-home is 80% (20% provider fee) except California/pilot notes.
• Search by address/ZIP with filters (size, yard, weekly scheduling). Messaging before/during/after. Recurring services exist (help center: recurring services always use a same-day cancellation policy). Owner cancel refunds follow the sitter's same-day / one-day / three-day / seven-day policy.

Cons

• Sitters set their own rates. rover.com does not publish a sitting from-price in USD, so value named-from-price points are zero. Do not invent a nightly rate. Off-platform cash/check payment voids the Rover Guarantee and 24/7 support.
• The Rover Guarantee is a reimbursement program, not insurance (rover.com/terms/guarantee). Meet-and-greet injuries are excluded. Booking must be paid through Rover. Background checks have legal and reporting limits; Rover tells you to use your own judgment.
• An app is not a licensed kennel and not a guarantee the sitter is good. Meet the sitter. Ask about meds and escape. Boarding on Rover is a sitter's home, not a kennel chain. Claims have terms.

Score breakdown

Specs

Services

House sitting, boarding in the sitter's home, drop-ins, dog walking, doggy day care, training (rover.com).

Apps

iOS and Android (rover.com/app).

Updates

Photo updates and GPS maps of dog walks (rover.com/app). GPS is named for walks, not as a live overnight house-sit map.

Background Check

Third-party enhanced criminal check for new sitters; basic vs enhanced badges (rover.com/background-checks).

Guarantee

Up to $25,000 reimbursement for eligible vet care (rover.com homepage). Not insurance. Terms apply.

Meet And Greet

Free in-person Meet & Greet recommended, not required (rover.com FAQ).

Support

24/7 support named on rover.com.

Fees

Owner booking fee 11% at checkout; provider fee 20% / 80% take-home except CA/pilot (Rover Help Center).

Cancel

Sitter-chosen same-day / 1-day / 3-day / 7-day policies; recurring = same-day (Rover Help Center).

Msrp

No sitting from-price on rover.com 2026-09-02; 11% booking fee published

Score Notes

quality 10 = US PDP + sitting/boarding/walks/drop-in + photos + GPS + iOS/Android. safety 10 = bg check + $25k named + Meet & Greet + 24/7. ease 10 = U.S. + filters + messaging + recurrences. value 8 = 11% fee transparency, no sitting USD from-price, no required membership, cancel terms.

Pros

• wagwalking.com 2026-09-02: walks, drop-ins, sittings, boardings (also daycare/training). Download the Wag! app for GPS walk tracking, caregiver chat, and real-time photo and video updates. dog-walking page: available on iOS and Android; 5,300+ cities across all 50 states. Caregivers are screened and background checked; pet safety quiz named on walk FAQ.
• Published USD: walks start at $18 (20-minute Express), $24 (30-minute), $36 (60-minute); caregivers set prices so typical ranges are also listed. Flat $2.99 booking fee on walks; Premium page: $2.99 on walks/drop-ins and $14.99 on overnight stays, waived with Premium. Overnight stays average about $51 a night (homepage marketing average). Premium is optional: $5.99/mo, $59.99/year, or $299 lifetime.
• Recurring services can be canceled anytime without a cancellation fee (Wag help). After a caregiver is confirmed there is a 30-minute grace period, then a cancellation fee may apply; if the service has begun, contact Support. Safety page (updated 2026-02-18): Support 24/7; Live Emergency in-app during a service or within three hours before/after.

Cons

• Homepage markets 'up to $25,000 of coverage for your pet and your home.' Guarantee terms (safety.wagwalking.com): not insurance; $200 minimum contribution; pet-injury reimbursement lifetime limit $25,000 USD; property-damage lifetime limit $100,000 USD; 7-day claim window on the consumer Guarantee page. We quote those figures; we do not invent $1M coverage. 'All services are insured' on the walking page is marketing next to a page that says the Guarantee is not an insurance policy.
• No in-person Meet & Greet is named on wagwalking.com the way Rover names it (chat to match). Meet-and-greet safety points are zero. Homepage '500K+ Pet Caregivers nationwide' is Wag marketing, not our count.
• An app is not a licensed kennel. Meet the caregiver. Ask about meds and escape. Sitting/boarding is a person in a home, not a kennel license. Claims have terms.

Score breakdown

Specs

Services

Walks, drop-ins, overnight sitting, boarding, daycare, training (wagwalking.com).

Apps

iOS and Android (wagwalking.com/dog-walking).

Updates

GPS tracking, photo and video updates, in-app messaging.

Background Check

Third-party background check; adjudication of county/state records (wagwalking.com/safety). Walking page also says enhanced background check.

Guarantee

Homepage: up to $25,000. Terms: not insurance; $200 contribution; $25,000 lifetime pet injury; $100,000 lifetime property. 7-day invoice window on wag-guarantee.

Meet And Greet

Not named as a required in-person Meet & Greet on the pages we used.

Support

24/7 Support (safety page). Trust & Safety seven days a week also named on homepage.

Fees

Walks from $18; $2.99 walk/drop-in booking fee; $14.99 overnight booking fee; Premium optional.

Cancel

In-app; 10-minute lock then 30-minute grace after confirm; recurring cancel anytime; begun services need Support (Wag help).

Msrp

Walks from $18 as listed 2026-09-02

Score Notes

quality 10 = US PDP + all four service types + photos + GPS + iOS/Android. safety 8 = bg check + $25k named, no Meet & Greet, 24/7. ease 10 = 50 states + browse/chat + recurrences. value 10 = listed USD + from-price + optional Premium + cancel terms.

Pros

• meowtel.com 2026-09-02: in-home cat sitting; drop-ins and overnight stays; background-checked sitters; photos and message updates; iOS and Android named on how-meowtel-works. Nationwide presence named. Drop-in visits start at $20 for 20 minutes; 45- and 60-minute visits and 12-hour overnights also named. Sitters set rates.
• Meowtel Promise: Bellhop support 7 days a week; qualifying reservations may be eligible for up to $10,000 reimbursement for certain vet expenses or accidental property damage. Guarantee terms (updated 2026-01-20): NOT insurance; $10,000 aggregate cap; outdoor/indoor-outdoor/feral cats excluded; meet-and-greet injuries excluded; $20 minimum per visit; notify within 72 hours. FAQ: around-the-clock / 24/7 365 support also named. Meet & Greet recommended (15-30 minutes).
• Trust & Safety fee 10% per visit, rounded up to the nearest $0.25 (California also has a 30% service fee already in the display rate). Cancel: 100% within 24 hours of booking if not started; 100% if more than 48 hours before start; 50% at 24-48 hours; none within 24 hours of start. Credits first, then refund-to-card on request.

Cons

• No GPS is named on the official pages we used (photos/messages, not a walk map). Quality GPS points are zero. Meowtel explicitly does not offer cat boarding/kenneling, dog walking, or long-term 24/7 house sitting. Only cats on the reservation are eligible for the Promise.
• Select cities and states for sitter onboarding (how-meowtel-works) — we still score nationwide presence as marketed for cat parents, not a 50-state caregiver guarantee. Recurring-walk style bookings are not named.
• An app is not boarding and not a guarantee the sitter is good. Meet the sitter. Ask about meds and escape (hiding spots, doors, outdoor access). Outdoor cats void the Guarantee. Claims have terms.

Score breakdown

Specs

Services

In-home drop-ins (20/45/60 min) and overnight stays (~12 hours). No boarding, no dog walking (Meowtel FAQ).

Apps

iOS and Android (how-meowtel-works).

Updates

Photo/video and message updates. GPS not named.

Background Check

Third-party background check (meowtel.com / how-meowtel-works / FAQ).

Guarantee

Up to $10,000 aggregate vet + property. Not insurance. Outdoor cats, theft, sitter injury excluded. Terms apply.

Meet And Greet

Ask your sitter; 15-30 minutes recommended. Not a fit: Bellhop will cancel and refund (contact page).

Support

Promise: 7 days/week Bellhop. FAQ also names 24/7 365 / around-the-clock.

Fees

From $20 / 20 minutes plus 10% Trust & Safety fee per visit.

Cancel

Published 24h-of-booking / 48h / 24h windows (booking-modifications).

Msrp

From $20 drop-in as listed 2026-09-02

Score Notes

quality 8 = US PDP + sitting/drop-in + photos, no GPS, iOS/Android. safety 10 = bg + $10k + Meet & Greet + 24/7 named. ease 8 = nationwide named + search + messaging, no recurrences. value 10 = USD + from-price + no membership + cancel terms.

Pros

• trustedhousesitters.com/pricing 2026-09-02: Basic pet parent US$149/year, Standard US$229/year, Premium US$299/year. Unlimited home and pet care from verified sitters; sitters do not charge — they exchange care for a stay. join-now/pet-parents: U.S. consumer page; screen sitters face-to-face or via video before you commit; all sitters complete identity checks; 'We do background and/or ID checks'; pricing page: all U.S. sitters are background checked, global sitters ID checked.
• Standard and Premium include a Home and Contents Plan the company describes as covering you for up to $1 million against property damage, theft and sitter accidents (join-now page; Basic does not include it). Money Back Promise on Standard/Premium if you do not find a sitter within 14 days of posting your first sit. Booking-fee blog (2025-12-08): £9/$12 per confirmed sit for non-Premium members, web and app; 24/7 member support named there.
• No per-night sitter wage. Membership is the product. App is named on the official booking-fee page (web and app).

Cons

• This is a housesitting exchange, not on-demand local drop-ins or paid boarding. Photo/GPS visit reports are not named on the pricing/join pages we scored — quality photo and GPS points are zero. Annual membership is required to book, so value 'no required membership' points are zero. Monthly billing is not offered (company blog).
• The $1 million Home and Contents figure is official marketing for Standard/Premium only, with terms. It is not the Rover-stub $1M sitting insurance, and it is not on Basic. We do not treat it as a paid-sitter liability policy. Sitters are unpaid guests in your home.
• Meet the sitter (in person or video). Ask about meds and escape. An app is not boarding. A membership is not a kennel license. Claims have terms.

Score breakdown

Specs

Services

In-home house/pet sitting exchange. Sitters are not paid by the pet parent (official FAQ).

Apps

Web and app named (official booking-fee article).

Updates

Not named as GPS or required photo cards on the pages we used.

Background Check

U.S. sitters background checked; all sitters ID-checked (pricing / join-now).

Guarantee

Standard/Premium Home and Contents Plan up to $1 million as stated on join-now (terms apply). Not on Basic. Not insurance we independently verified.

Meet And Greet

Screen face-to-face or via video before you commit (join-now).

Support

Dedicated member support on Standard/Premium; 24/7 member support named on the booking-fee article. 24/7 vet advice line for sitters while sitting (join-now).

Fees

From US$149/year Basic. $12 / £9 booking fee per confirmed sit except Premium.

Cancel

Money Back Promise (Standard/Premium) if no sitter in 14 days. Annual membership; no monthly plan on the official blog.

Msrp

$149/year Basic as listed 2026-09-02

Score Notes

quality 6 = US PDP + sitting, no photo/GPS points, app named. safety 10 = bg + $1M named on Standard/Premium + meet + 24/7 named. ease 10 = global/US listings + search + messaging implied + unlimited sits. value 8 = listed USD + membership USD, required annual membership, published refund/booking-fee terms.

Pros

• care.com/pet-care 2026-09-02 is a dedicated pet-sitting official page: pet sitters (in-home feeding, companionship, potty breaks, medication if needed), dog walkers, pet boarding, trainers and groomers, cat sitters, bird sitters. Filters by location, experience, services, availability, and hourly rates. FAQ names messaging and a Meet & Greet.
• Leading-the-way-on-safety line: all individual caregivers on the platform start with a background check (asterisk on the page). FAQ names CareCheck as a background-check service. care.com homepage: plans start at $12.99/mo. Pricing page: optional extra criminal background checks $29.99 one-time; social-media report $19.99 one-time. Cancel in account settings; benefits through the billing period; typically non-refundable once paid.
• Nationwide U.S. consumer site. Search is free; Premium is required to hire/message (pet-care page: Hire with Premium).

Cons

• This is a caregiver directory, not a booked-in-app sitting marketplace. Payment terms are agreed between you and the caregiver (pricing FAQ); HomePay is optional. No photo/GPS visit product is named on the pet-care page — quality photo and GPS points are zero. iOS and Android are not named on that page. No platform sitting guarantee with a published dollar amount — safety $ points are zero. 24/7 support is not named there.
• Premium is required to hire, so value 'no required membership' points are zero. Extra CareCheck reports are add-on USD, not proof every sitter completed the same check you would buy. Do not treat the asterisk background-check line as Rover's enhanced criminal badge.
• Meet the sitter. Ask about meds and escape. Care.com is not boarding and not a kennel license. An app/directory is not a guarantee the sitter is good. Off-platform payment has no Rover-style guarantee.

Score breakdown

Specs

Services

Pet sitting, dog walking, boarding, trainers/groomers, cats, birds (care.com/pet-care).

Apps

Not named iOS+Android on the pet-care page we scored.

Updates

Photo/GPS visit reports not named on pet-care.

Background Check

Platform says caregivers start with a background check*. FAQ: CareCheck. Extra reports $29.99 on the pricing page.

Guarantee

No sitting-guarantee dollar amount published on pet-care.

Meet And Greet

Named in the pet-care FAQ as a step before hiring.

Support

Not named as 24/7 on pet-care.

Fees

Premium from $12.99/mo (care.com). Caregiver rates vary. Optional $29.99 background-check report.

Cancel

Cancel in account settings; remainder of billing period; typically non-refundable (pricing FAQ).

Msrp

$12.99/mo Premium as listed on care.com 2026-09-02

Score Notes

quality 5 = US pet PDP + services named, no photos/GPS, no iOS+Android on that page. safety 5 = bg check named, no $, Meet & Greet, no 24/7. ease 8 = nationwide + filters + messaging, no recurrences. value 8 = listed Premium USD + named membership, required Premium, cancel terms.