SitterNation vs Rover: Fees, Coverage and Booking (2026)
By SitterNation Editorial Team
Published · Updated · 4 min read
Rover is the better choice when you are outside the Chicago suburbs or need a sitter with a vet-care guarantee behind the booking; SitterNation is the better choice inside them when you want the sitter to keep 100% of their rate and pay the same 11% owner fee, capped at $50. On a $400 booking the owner pays $444 on both platforms and the sitter receives $400 here versus $280 to $360 on Rover, as of October 2026.
At a glance
| Platform | Sitter fee | Owner fee | Where it operates | Booking model | Vetting | Guarantee / insurance | App rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SitterNation As of November 2026, our About page | 0% — sitters keep 100% of their rate | 11% service fee, capped at $50 per booking | Chicago suburbs today; expanding to new metros | Request-based marketplace: the sitter accepts each request and usually proposes a meet-and-greet on a first booking | Government-ID check (Stripe Identity), safety course and quiz, every profile reviewed by the team before it goes live | Full refund when a sitter cancels; our team mediates disputes. No vet-care guarantee program yet | iOS and Android apps; too new in the stores for a rating to show |
| Rover As of October 2026, per Rover help: What are the service fees? | 20% in most of the US; 30% / 15% / 10% per-client tiers in the pilot metros (Chicago–Naperville–Elgin, Seattle, Dallas) | 11% booking fee on top of the sitter's rate (a $50 cap is widely reported); California adds a 25% marketplace fee | US, Canada, UK and parts of Europe | Request-based marketplace: the owner messages or requests, the sitter accepts | Background check and profile review | Rover Guarantee: vet-care reimbursement for eligible injuries during a booking, per Rover's terms | 4.9 on the App Store (516K ratings) |
SitterNation's row comes from the fees and policies on our About page. Competitor cells are stated as of the month shown, per each platform's linked published page or, where a platform does not publish a figure, public reports; they may have changed since.
Where SitterNation stands
SitterNation is an online marketplace that connects pet owners with vetted local pet sitters, dog walkers and in-home boarders. Our sitters are in the Chicago suburbs today; we are expanding to new metros. Sitters keep 100% of what they earn (there is no sitter fee), and pet owners pay an 11% service fee capped at $50 per booking. Bookings, messaging, secure payments and visit updates happen in the web app and in the iOS and Android apps. SitterNation is run by SitterNation Inc.
A good fit if…
- You want a vetted local sitter in the Chicago suburbs.
- You want care in a sitter's home or in yours — boarding, house sitting, drop-in visits, dog walking or daycare.
- You want to see real rates, reviews and care details before you book.
- You are a sitter who wants to set your own rates and keep 100% of them.
Not a fit yet if…
- You need instant or same-day booking — requests wait for the sitter to accept.
- You need a kennel or a vet-staffed facility — care happens in a sitter's home or yours.
- You are outside the Chicago suburbs — we are expanding, but sitters are not everywhere yet.
Who each option suits
Rover
Good fit if
- You are outside the Chicago suburbs.
- You want a vet-care guarantee behind the booking.
- You are a sitter who needs new-client flow today.
Not a fit if
- You are a sitter in the pilot metros whose clients are walks and drop-ins, which sit in the 30% tier for months.
- You want the sitter you already trust to keep what you pay them.
This page compares the two platforms on the five things an owner or a sitter actually decides on: what each one costs, where it has sitters, how booking works, how sitters are checked, and what happens when something goes wrong. Everything about Rover is taken from its published help pages as of October 2026 and dated; everything about SitterNation is the same text we publish on our About page.
Fees, side by side
Rover (per its help page "What are the service fees?", October 2026): sitters pay a 20% service fee per booking in most of the US. In a pilot covering Seattle, Chicago–Naperville–Elgin and Dallas, the sitter fee is instead tiered by each client's booking history with that sitter: 30% under $600, 15% from $600 to $1,199, 10% from $1,200. Owners pay an 11% booking fee on top of the sitter's rate; a $50 cap on that fee is widely reported by owners. California owners pay an additional 25% marketplace fee.
SitterNation: sitters pay nothing and keep 100% of the rate they set. Owners pay an 11% service fee capped at $50 per booking.
The same bookings on each platform:
| Booking | Owner pays (SitterNation) | Sitter receives (SitterNation) | Owner pays (Rover, 11%) | Sitter receives (Rover, 20%) | Sitter receives (Rover pilot, 30% tier) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 nights boarding at $100 | $444 | $400 | $444 | $320 | $280 |
| 10 nights boarding at $100 | $1,050 (fee capped at $50) | $1,000 | $1,050 with the reported $50 cap; $1,110 without | $800 | $700 |
| 5 walks at $22 (one week) | $122.10 | $110 | $122.10 | $88 | $77 |
| 20 walks at $22 (one month) | $488.40 | $440 | $488.40 | $352 | $308 |
Rover figures as of October 2026 per the fee pages linked above; the ten-night row shows the Rover owner total both ways because owners report a $50 cap that Rover's help page does not state. The Rover fees guide walks through the pilot tiers in detail, and the earnings calculator runs your own numbers.
Where each one has sitters
Rover operates across the US, Canada, the UK and parts of Europe, and in most metros has more sitters than any other platform. SitterNation's sitters are in the Chicago suburbs today; we are expanding to new metros. If you are outside those suburbs, Rover will have sitters near you and we may not yet; the pet sitters hub lists the towns where we have two or more live sitters.
How booking works
Both are request-based marketplaces: you find a sitter, send a request for your dates, and the sitter accepts or declines. Neither offers instant booking. On SitterNation, on a first booking with a new sitter the sitter usually proposes a meet-and-greet inside the app before accepting, and payment runs through Stripe once the sitter accepts; the sitter never sees your card details. Sitters set their own rates and cancellation terms on both platforms.
How sitters are vetted
Rover's published process is a background check and a profile review. SitterNation's is a government-ID identity check through Stripe Identity, the sitter safety course with a passed quiz on dog body language and stress signals, and a review of every profile by a member of the team before it goes live. Neither process replaces a meet-and-greet; the questions to ask a dog sitter guide covers what to look for in person.
When something goes wrong
Rover offers the Rover Guarantee, which reimburses eligible vet care for injuries during a booking subject to its terms, and has a 24/7 support line. SitterNation refunds you in full if a sitter cancels and helps you find a replacement; disputes are handled by our team through the app and refunds go back through Stripe. We do not currently offer a vet-care reimbursement program, and we say so plainly because an owner choosing on that basis should choose Rover.
Who should pick which
Pick Rover if you are outside the Chicago suburbs, you want a guarantee program behind the booking, or you are a sitter who needs a national marketplace's new-client flow today.
Pick SitterNation if you are in the Chicago suburbs and want the sitter to keep everything you pay them at no extra cost to you, or if you are a sitter here who wants the rate on your profile to be the amount you receive. Find sitters near you or become a sitter.
Many sitters are on both. That is fine with us.
Rover® is a trademark of its owner; SitterNation is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Rover. Rover's fees are stated as of October 2026 per the sources linked in the table and may have changed; consult Rover directly for current terms.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Rover alternative with no fees?
For sitters, yes: SitterNation charges sitters nothing, so they keep 100% of their rate. For owners, no mainstream platform is free of fees; SitterNation charges owners an 11% service fee capped at $50 per booking, and Rover charges an 11% booking fee. Figures as of October 2026.
Is SitterNation cheaper than Rover for pet owners?
The owner fee is the same 11% on both. SitterNation caps it at $50 per booking, and owners widely report the same cap on Rover, though Rover's help page does not state it. The difference is on the sitter's side: here the sitter keeps all of the rate you pay. Sitter rates are set by each sitter on both platforms.
How much more does a sitter keep on SitterNation than on Rover?
The sitter's whole fee. On a $400 booking a SitterNation sitter receives $400; on Rover the sitter receives $320 at the standard 20% fee, or $280 to $360 in the pilot metros depending on the client's tier, as of October 2026.
Does SitterNation have a guarantee like Rover's?
Not yet. If a SitterNation sitter cancels you are refunded in full, payments run through Stripe, and our team mediates disputes; we do not currently offer a vet-care reimbursement program. Rover's guarantee covers eligible vet care during a booking subject to its terms.
Can a sitter be on both SitterNation and Rover?
Yes. Neither platform requires exclusivity as far as their published terms state; check the current terms of each. Many sitters keep a Rover profile for new clients.
Try it for yourself
Sitters keep 100% of their rate; pet owners pay an 11% service fee capped at $50 per booking.
Run your own numbers
- Pet sitting cost calculator — a typical total for your service, dates and town, with the owner fee shown separately.
- Pet sitter earnings calculator — your bookings at 0%, at a flat 20% and at a 30% tier.
- Pet sitters near you →
Related guides
More comparisons
Last updated . Competitor figures are refreshed quarterly; tell us through the contact page if one has changed.