Best Pet Insurance
Protect your pet with a pet insurance plan. Discover the best plans. You can trust us.
The boast
Any time you see sites boasting that they can direct you to the "best" pet insurance, know right away they're selling something.
♦ Do a little price comparison and you'll find the more expensive plans tend to be rated the highest. These plans often pay more in referral fees.
Of course, the "best" plans will have tons of glowing reviews and very few, if any, negative ones. Customer service will be great and claims will be processed quickly. These are all the things people hope they'll get, not what most people actually receive.
♦ All these sites weave in words to pressure the reader to buy insurance because it's the right thing to do if you love your pet.
There will be a story or two about a very ill pet needing very expensive treatment, all covered by insurance. There will be no mention of how often claims are denied, or the average amount paid out.
• All of these sites claim to have done an "in-depth investigation," so you can trust them. But curiously, there's never any mention of hefty premium increases a few years later. So hefty that many people end up dropping the insurance three to four years down the road.
Enough warning
Okay… you're worried about your pet and want to do your best for him or her. What to do besides putting a little money away for emergencies?
Below is a list of the better-known companies. Most have been around for a number of years.
There are some new players, but they're a bit risky. New players sell low to get clients hooked, then are fast and furious with price increases.
- 24PetWatch (no longer sells new policies)
- AKC Pet Insurance
- ASPCA Pet Health Insurance
- Chewy (resells Lemonade & Trupanion)
- Embrace
- Fetch (formerly PetPlan)
- Figo
- Healthy Paws (now owned by Chubb)
- Lemonade
- ManyPets (left the U.S.; customers moved to Odie)
- Odie
- MetLife
- Nationwide
- Pets Best
- PetFirst (eaten by MetLife)
- Pumpkin
- Spot
- Trupanion
♦ Shopping around isn't what it used to be. A single company, Independence Pet Holdings, now owns Embrace, Figo, Pets Best, AKC, ASPCA, Pumpkin and Spot. Different names and logos, same owner. Not a lot of real competition there.
We give a brief history of each company near the end of this article. Price comparisons are what most people want to see first.
Common denominator
These days almost all plans let you customize your plan for whatever deductible and benefit level you're comfortable with.
→ Different breeds mean different rates.
Every plan will ask you to identify your pet's breed. Insurance companies keep statistics on breeds and know which ones are more prone to hereditary conditions. Be truthful. They'll eventually see how your family vet identifies your pet, and your description and your vet's description should match.
• All plans have a waiting period. It's usually 14 days for illness, but it could be 6 months for something like an orthopedic condition. Some plans have a short waiting period for accidents, like 2 to 3 days.
♦ Standard pet insurance covers unexpected care, not routine checkups, vaccinations or teeth cleaning. Most plans offer add-ons for these services, but the cost is too high.
• You're required to tell your insurer if you move so they can adjust your premium. Don't skip this. If a large claim comes in later, they'll do everything they can to avoid paying it. Don't give them the chance to use your move against you.
♦ Installment fees are common. If you choose to pay monthly, most plans charge a fee, anywhere from $1 to $5. Pay attention to the final quote before you click BUY NOW.
There are age cutoffs for illness coverage with some insurers offering accident only coverage.
How we compared
We ran price comparisons for a cat enrolling at ages 1, 8 and 16. Ms. Coco, our Siamese cat, is 16 years old. She doesn't have an insurance card.
♦ To tell the truth, it really isn't practical to insure an older pet.
An older animal is going to have a medical history. You may not think it's terribly bad, but companies selling these plans will have a field day scouring medical records for even a hint of a pre-existing condition. Putting the money in a savings account beats enduring unyielding claims examiners.
That said...
The table below shows prices start out very similar for a young cat. By 8 years, prices vary considerably and benefits are getting reduced.
• Lemonade and Odie have better pricing for years 1 to 8. Lemonade has better reviews on Trustpilot.
After year 8, prices and benefits diverge so much that some plans aren't worth considering.
We compared using an annual max of $5,000. This is rather high for a stay-in-the-house cat.
♦ Whichever insurance you choose, review the policy carefully, looking for wiggle words they could use to get out of paying a claim.
Look for exclusions for conditions your pet's breed is prone to, like hip dysplasia.
How they define pre-existing conditions is critical to understand when insuring an older pet.
♦ The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has faced longstanding criticism and legal accusations that its business model creates a "pay-to-play" dynamic where paid accreditation or membership influences company ratings.
We do not quote their ratings for any companies. But we do encourage you to check out any company you are considering and to look at the actual filed complaints.
♦ Trustpilot rates companies based upon everyday customer feedback.
It has been reported that Trustpilot has had issues with review farms and automated bots creating fake accounts to post artificial 5-star reviews to inflate scores, or 1-star reviews to attack competitors. Trustpilot should be only one source out of many in you search for feedback on a pet insurance plan.
Prices quoted in [month, year] for a cat living in our area. Your prices will vary based on where you live, your pet's breed and the options you pick.
| Plan | Age | Monthly Premium | Deductible | Reimbursement | Annual Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASPCA | 1 | $26.71 | $500 | 80% | $5,000 |
| ASPCA | 8 | $50.08 | $250 | 80% | $5,000 |
| AKC | 1 | $29.63 | $250 | 80% | $5,000 |
| AKC | 8 | $62.74 | $250 | 80% | $5,000 |
| Embrace | 1 | site down | $250 | 80% | $5,000 |
| Fetch | 1 | $22.16 | $250 | 80% | $5,000 |
| Fetch | 8 | $36.27 | $250 | 80% | $5,000 |
| Fetch | 16 | $115.68 | $250 | 80% | $5,000 |
| Figo | 1 | $17.08 | $250 | 80% | $5,000 |
| Figo | 8 | $32.48 | $250 | 80% | $5,000 |
| Figo | 16 | $163.10 | $250 | 80% | $5,000 |
| Healthy Paws | 1 | $20.80 | $250 | 80% | $5,000 |
| Healthy Paws | 8 | $57.63 | $500 | 70% | $5,000 |
| Healthy Paws | 13 (oldest) | $369.73 | $500 | 70% | $5,000 |
| Lemonade | 1 | $15.91 | $250 | 80% | $5,000 |
| Lemonade | 8 | $25.24 | $250 | 80% | $5,000 |
| Lemonade | 14 (oldest) | $55.74 | $250 | 80% | $5,000 |
| MetLife | 1 | $29.58 | $250 | 80% | $5,000 |
| MetLife | 8 | $38.62 | $250 | 80% | $5,000 |
| MetLife | 16 | $89.24 | $250 | 80% | $2,000 |
| Nationwide | 1 | $29.01 | $250 | 80% | $5,000 |
| Nationwide | 8 | accident only | |||
| Odie | 1 | $19.81 | $250 | 90% | $10,000 |
| Odie | 8 | $28.61 | $250 | 90% | $10,000 |
| Odie | 16 | $79.76 | $250 | 90% | $10,000 |
| Pets Best | 1 | $29.36 | $250 | 80% | $5,000 |
| Pets Best | 8 | $32.38 | $250 | 80% | $5,000 |
| Pets Best | 16 | $143.72 | $250 | 80% | $5,000 |
| Pumpkin | 1 | $26.50 | $250 | 80% | $5,000 |
| Pumpkin | 8 | $49.70 | $250 | 80% | $5,000 |
| Pumpkin | 16 | $131.65 | $250 | 80% | $5,000 |
| Spot | 1 | $24.16 | $250 | 80% | $5,000 |
| Spot | 8 | $45.30 | $250 | 80% | $5,000 |
| Spot | 16 | $120.01 | $250 | 80% | $5,000 |
| Trupanion | 1 | $32.82 | $250 | 80% | unlimited |
| Trupanion | 8 | $98.88 | $250 | 80% | unlimited |
| Trupanion | 13 (oldest) | $197.77 | $250 | 80% | unlimited |
What to expect ….
Simply put, pet parents are happy, happy at first, when their pet is young, premiums are low and claims are small. But owners are pissed off when their pet is older, premiums are hefty and claims are high.
Read the details
If you're going to buy pet insurance, do it after you review the plans carefully.
• Read sample policies. Look for lists of things excluded and vague references to ways they can avoid paying.
• If you're concerned about certain tests being covered, like X-rays and MRIs, look for clarification in the policy documents.
♦ Make note of any waiting periods. There always are some.
• Most policies don't clearly say how they'll change premiums, but you should expect them to go up over time.
• How do they pay? Is it based on a percentage or a schedule of benefits?
Most plans will try to use the words "reasonable and customary" to give them wiggle room to pay less than what a lot of vets charge. It'll be tough to find this explained clearly in the policy documents, but look for it.
• Is there a maximum, and what is it? A yearly maximum, lifetime maximum or per-condition maximum? You need to understand this stuff before you buy, not years down the road.
Not insurance for life
Pet parents join these plans expecting to insure their family member for its entire life. Many have to make the heartbreaking decision to drop the insurance a few years down the road because they can't afford it.
• Most pet parents sign up when their pets are young and monthly premiums are low. Premiums rise gradually at first. In 2016, Trupanion reported to the Washington State Insurance Commissioner that the average policyholder insures their pet for only three years.
♦ Around four or five years, most companies start to aggressively raise premiums. That's because six seems to be the age when vet bills start to climb, and insurers would rather you drop coverage before that happens.
Don't be sad if you have to drop Woofy's insurance. Setting aside a little money every month for emergencies can work just as well for most people, especially if you have a smaller dog or cat.
For more on whether pet insurance makes sense for you, see Is Pet Insurance Worth the Cost?
Brief History
♦ 24PetWatch no longer sells its own pet insurance. If you already have a policy, you can keep it.
These days 24PetWatch works as a comparison site. Enter your pet's details and it sends you quotes from insurers like ASPCA, Pumpkin, Embrace and Figo. Notice anything? Those are all brands owned by Independence Pet Holdings. Expect plenty of emails from all of them once you give it your address.
24PetWatch is still best known for its microchip registry. Many animals adopted from rescue centers have microchips monitored by 24PetWatch.
When it did sell insurance, its plans and prices were identical to ASPCA's, down to the look of the website.
Hip dysplasia most commonly affects large dogs, but any size dog, and even cats, can be affected. Whichever insurer you pick, check how it handles hereditary conditions like this.
The ASPCA is not an insurer. They only lend their name to these policies for a royalty fee.
ASPCA plans are underwritten by the United States Fire Insurance Company and Independence American Insurance Company. These are the same two underwriters 24PetWatch used. Today ASPCA Pet Health Insurance is one of the brands owned by Independence Pet Holdings.
They also offer accident-only coverage. When 24PetWatch still sold insurance, ASPCA plans were identical in terms and cost. Their websites even looked the same.
They started in the United Kingdom in the 1980s. They teamed up with the American Kennel Club in 2003. In 2017, they were bought by The IHC Group. Today AKC Pet Insurance is one of the brands owned by Independence Pet Holdings.
If Coco were 8 years old she could buy injury and illness coverage, but at 9 years she could buy only accident coverage.
They offer a number of add-ons, like coverage for routine exams, special breed coverage, and hereditary and congenital conditions. Deep down in the policy, these are conditions they'll most likely claim are excluded unless you buy them as an add-on.
They say premiums will go up as your pet ages. Premiums may also go up if benefits increase, because of vet cost inflation, and for other vague actuarial reasons.
Trustpilot gives them a rating of 2.1 out of 5.
Chewy sells plans, but they don't have their own insurance. Chewy asks you to log into your account, and from there pulls the information you've already shared with Chewy about your pet.
Chewy still offers plans from two insurers: Trupanion and Lemonade. No, not the drink. Lemonade Insurance Company, located in New York.
Embrace is located in Cleveland, Ohio. They sold their first policy in 2006. Today Embrace is one of the brands owned by Independence Pet Holdings.
We tried many times to run a quote over many days and each time the site issued an error and requested we call. We gave up. (11/01/2026)
A search of the web finds many users reporting issues managing their accounts at Embrace.
They are said to still be active but we had no luck with their website. No data to report.
If you can’t get through to Embrace, you’re not missing much variety. Figo, Pets Best, Spot, Pumpkin, AKC and ASPCA are all owned by Independence Pet Holdsings.
Trustpilot gives them a rating of 3.7 out of 5.
Fetch used to be PetPlan, a sister company of PetPlan UK. PetPlan UK was founded in 1976 and was the largest pet insurer in the UK. PetPlan has licensed companies in Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, the Netherlands and France.
PetPlan was the fourth-largest MGU (insurance intermediary) in the U.S. and Canada dedicated to pet insurance.
PetPlan USA started selling policies in 2006. They insured dogs and cats of all ages. They covered exams as long as they're not routine.
In 2021, PetPlan partnered with AXIS Insurance. AXIS was looking for a way into the lucrative pet insurance business.
In March 2022, PetPlan officially rebranded as Fetch by The Dodo, following a partnership with the online animal platform The Dodo.
Fetch says they cover 500,000 pets but we could not confirm that.
Plans are now quoted through the Fetch website. They're quite expensive, and include some things you may not need, like kennel fees and vacation cancellation reimbursement.
♦ Fetch’s website shows off awards like “Most complete pet insurance” and “Best pet insurance.” Read the fine print: Forbes Advisor, Consumers Advocate and Consumer Rating are all listed as “Fetch partners.” Not exactly unbiased judges.
• Fetch says they cover hereditary conditions linked to breeds.
"Fetch's standard protocol is to review detailed medical records for the two years prior to the policy inception date, through the waiting period to the date of the treatment… We require these records to confirm whether the condition is a pre-existing condition…"
A two-year look-back is quite a long time. This sounds bad. At least a one-year look-back is to be expected on a large claim.
Read the policy in great detail after it arrives. If you're not comfortable with such a long look-back, cancel and find another insurer.
Trustpilot gives them a rating of 4.6 out of 5.
Figo is located in Chicago. They started offering plans in 2015. In 2021, Figo was bought by Independence Pet Holdings.
Figo offered our cat three levels of coverage: Most Popular, Higher Coverage and Value Plus. These can be customized by changing the deductible, yearly maximum and percent paid.
• The lowest annual coverage is $5,000. That's rather high for an indoor cat.
With a little effort, you can find an example policy. Pre-existing conditions have a 12-month period. Undiagnosed conditions may be considered pre-existing, so it's important to have an annual health exam for your pet.
If your pet's condition has been cured and free of treatment and symptoms for 12 months, it will no longer be subject to the pre-existing provision or exclusion. This does NOT apply to ligament and knee conditions.
Costco Gold members can get a 15% discount.
Trustpilot gives them a rating of 3.3 out of 5.
Healthy Paws Pet Insurance started in 2009. They're located in Bellevue, Washington. Insurance giant Chubb bought Healthy Paws from Aon. Chubb had been underwriting its policies since 2013.
Healthy Paws used to compete head-to-tail with Trupanion, but now Healthy Paws comes in cheaper than Trupanion in the younger years.
They say there are no annual or lifetime maximum payouts, just like Trupanion.
Healthy Paws' cutoff for cat insurance seems to be 13 years. Ms. Coco can't use this company.
• One main difference is that Healthy Paws has an annual deductible, while Trupanion's deductible is per condition, for life.
Healthy Paws is a good buy if you enroll when your pet is young. It's not a good buy if you enroll when your pet is 8.
• For pets younger than 6, you'll have to provide records of a complete physical within the last 12 months.
Pets older than 6 must have had a complete exam within the last 30 days. If not, they must have an exam no later than 15 days after the policy is issued.
Trustpilot gives them a rating of 4.1 out of 5.
Lemonade is the same company that sells renters, homeowners and car insurance. They started selling pet insurance in 2020. You can save up to 10% if you bundle pet insurance with other Lemonade policies.
Everything runs through their app, and they're known for fast claims. They're also one of Chewy's two insurance partners.
♦ Lemonade is a newer player. Remember what we said about new players: low prices to get you hooked, then fast and furious price increases.
We require a medical record that includes info that covers the last 12 and a half months of your pet’s life (this includes the illness waiting period on your policy). If your pet is less than a year old, the medical record should include info from birth through the illness waiting period.
Trustpilot gives them a rating of 4.2 out of 5.
• In 2020, MetLife gobbled up PetFirst.
MetLife used to sell Nationwide’s pet insurance as a workplace benefit.
That ended after MetLife bought PetFirst and started selling its own.
Now MetLife and Nationwide compete head-to-head for the same employers.
PetFirst had a pretty good record for handling complaints. It's not clear how well MetLife is doing with pet complaints.
Trustpilot gives them a rating of 4.7 out of 5.
Nationwide owns Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI). VPI was founded in 1980, and is most famous as the company that insured Lassie.
• VPI was the first to insure exotic pets, in 2000. In 2008, VPI joined Nationwide, and in 2015 the VPI name was retired.
♦ In 2024, Nationwide announced it would drop about 100,000 pet policies, blaming rising vet costs.
They still sell new policies, many through employers, but with fewer plan choices than before.
It’s a reminder that your insurer may not stick with you.
ManyPets started in the United Kingdom and moved into the U.S. in 2021. It didn't last. ManyPets stopped selling new U.S. policies in November 2024 and left the U.S. market at the end of 2025.
Its customers were handed off to a newer company called Odie. When a ManyPets policy came up for renewal, Odie took over as the administrator. The policies are still underwritten by the same insurer, Accredited Surety and Casualty Company.
♦ If you go to the ManyPets website today, it sends you to Odie. Another reminder that pet insurers come and go, and your policy can end up with a company you never picked.
Odie is a newer player. Remember what we said about new players: low prices to get you hooked, then fast and furious price increases.
Trustpilot gives them a rating of 2.5 out of 5 (based off only 257 reviews at this time)
PetFirst started in 2004. They are located in Jeffersonville, Indiana. They had no age limit.
They also stated something interesting, that most plans do not, about their review of past medical history. “We only require the last 12 months of veterinary records upon your first claim.”
They also stated, “We do not require pet parents to administer and treat their pets with all preventative care recommendations from their veterinarian, and we will not cancel your pet’s policy or deny a claim based solely on wellness care provided to your pet.”
All of this uniqueness came to an end. They were devoured by MetLife in 2020.
Pets Best was founded in 2005 in Boise, Idaho. In 2019, it was bought by Synchrony, a consumer finance company. Today Pets Best is one of the brands owned by Independence Pet Holdings.
Their plans allow for customizing the deductible and annual maximum. Routine bloodwork is optional.
Trustpilot gives them a rating of 3.7 out of 5.
Pumpkin started in 2020. It's often noted for having no upper age limit and for covering alternative therapies and behavioral issues.
♦ Pumpkin is owned by Independence Pet Holdings, the same company that owns Embrace, Figo, Pets Best, AKC, ASPCA and Spot.
Today, Pumpkin has grown into a major player in the pet care world, having covered over 230,000 dogs and cats across the country.
Trustpilot gives them a rating of 4.8 out of 5.
Spot started in 2019 and is often listed as a budget option, with no upper age limit.
♦ Spot is also owned by Independence Pet Holdings. Different logo, same owner.
Today, Spot is one of the biggest names in the space, managing hundreds of millions in premiums across both the U.S. and Canada.
Trustpilot gives them a rating of 4.6 out of 5.
Trupanion was founded in Canada in 1999, and expanded into the United States in 2005. They're what's called self-insured.
They created a separate underwriter called American Pet Insurance Company, which also underwrites for some other insurers.
Enrollment is limited to pets 13 and younger.
They advertise unlimited payouts for life.
• Trupanion has a lifetime per-condition deductible. That means you pay a deductible once for each condition. This is no longer explained on their website, and there's no link to an example policy on their enrollment page. A Google search led to an FAQ section on their website that explains this kind of deductible.
This could be cheaper if your pet needs repeated treatment for the same condition over more than one year. But this type of plan is usually too confusing for most people to budget for.
It's hard to know how many different conditions our pets may need to see a vet for in a year, let alone a lifetime.
Trustpilot gives them a rating of 4.4 out of 5.
Other names you may see
Smaller companies like Bivvy, Prudent Pet, Physicians Mutual Pet and Hartville also sell pet insurance. Bivvy is cheap and simple, but comes with a $3,000 annual maximum and no preventive coverage.
♦ You'll also see pet insurance sold under familiar names like Walmart, Petco, Liberty Mutual and Costco. These are usually another company's policy with a familiar logo on top. Always check who actually underwrites the policy.
Progressive
Progressive is a good example of how confusing this can get.
• Since 2009: "Progressive Pet Insurance" was really a Pets Best policy with Progressive's logo on it. The fine print says Pets Best and its insurers are not affiliated with Progressive. Pets Best is now owned by Independence Pet Holdings, so that's one more brand tied back to the same group.
• Since January 2026: Progressive started selling its own pet insurance, underwritten by Progressive and run by a company called Companion Protect. It's available in 43 states and D.C., with the rest of the country expected later in 2026.
The Pets Best version is still around for people who already have it.
♦ Same name, two very different policies. If you have "Progressive pet insurance," check your policy to see whether it's with Pets Best or Progressive. Claims, coverage and customer service all go through whichever company actually holds the policy.
Wagmo
• Wagmo shows up on a lot of lists, but it's mainly a wellness plan for routine care, not accident and illness insurance.
