An On-demand Pet Care Solution
As much as we love spending time with our dogs, taking them on walks and bringing them along on road trips, tight schedules, and varying circumstances might make this difficult. Companies like Wag! and Rover provide essential pet care services such as dog walks, pet sitting, and other pet care services. It’s a partnership created through an intermediary company that gives you safety and ease of mind.
Thanks to technology, arranging a dog walk can be as easy as downloading an app and booking a dog walker near you. But what are the main differences between Wag! and Rover?
Wag! and Rover in a Nutshell
Wag! and Rover are both companies that provide “on-demand” pet care service by connecting pet owners with independent contractors. The services offered in both of these companies include dog walking, pet sitting and dog-training. All of these services are branched into different modalities, each serving different purposes.
Services offered by Wag! and Rover:
- Dog Walking services
- Drop-in visits
- Sleepover pet sitting
Extra services include:
- Dog training
- Wellness plans
How does an on-demand pet care service work?
“On-demand” pet care services work similarly to other on-demand services such as Uber and AirBnB. You either use the platform as a pet-owner searching for a pet care provider, or as an independent contractor who provides pet care. Basically, Wag! or Rover will connect the pet-owner with a pet care provider through a reliable online platform with a mobile app that you can download to your phone. It’s that simple.
Wag! and Rover are both reliable companies that aim to function as an intermediary between pet owners and pet care providers who are carefully vetted and can be located by area. So, if you live in downtown Minneapolis and you need a dog walker, Wag! and Rover will search and localize a partner dog walker in your area who is available for the gig. Through the platform, you can check profiles, read reviews and even message your care provider.
Comparing Wag! and Rover
Wag! and Rover have differences and similarities. Both are reliable companies that you can trust, requiring each pet care provider to undergo a background check, and gathering critical information from each pet owner. All parties have to sign-up and create a profile. Users can rank service providers, adding an extra layer of security.
Wag! vs. Rover Comparison Chart
| Wag! | Rover | |
| Business Model | • Pet care providers can bid on clients• Pet owners get matched with providers | • Providers are found through a local search based on zipcode |
| Main Strengths | • Dog-walking services• Focus on speed • Emphasis on convenience • Easy to use | • Pet-sitting services• Offers initial meet-and-greets • Better for relationship building • Good for creating recurring partnerships • Enhanced pet sitting experience |
| Price of Care provider account | Free or $149 annual Pro account | Free |
| Fee for Care Provider | 40% commission | 20% commission |
| Screening Process for Pet Care providers | • Background check • Knowledge test • Submit five endorsements (for faster approval) • Application approval by a team of specialists • Download the app• Pay background check fee. | • Background check • Knowledge test • Submit at least one customer testimonial• Application approval by a team of specialists• Download the app • Pay background check fee |
| Pet Care Services | • Dog walking (20, 30, or 60 minutes) • House and pet sitting • Drop-in visits • Doggy daycare • Dog boarding only• Grooming • Dog training • Dog photography • Medical (medicine administration) • Excursions (running, hiking, swimming) | • Dog walking (30 or 60 minutes) • House and pet sitting • Drop-in visits • Doggy daycare • Dog & cat boarding • Grooming • Dog training (virtually via GoodPup)• Rover pet sitters define their own specialty services like excursions and administering medicine |
Wag!: Best app for Dog Walks
Wag! was the first dog walking on-demand service provider platform starting in 2015. Through the years they have established themselves as one of the leaders in on-demand pet care. Wag! stands-out for its convenience and ease of use, emphasizing on speed and security.
Pet owners can quickly find available walkers and caregivers in their area through a GPS system. Here’s how it works:
- Create a profile with details specific to you and your pet.
- Type in your zip code and select the date for which you want the service.
- Use the app’s GPS system to find dog walkers and caregivers near you
- Choose from 20, 30 or 60 minute walk durations
- Make sure to filter the options and only hire caregivers who have good reviews.
- Confirm your service and walker and then pay
- You can track the walk through the app
Wag!’s Strengths: Dog Walks
- Convenience
- Speed
- Ease of use
Rover: Best app for Pet Sitting
Rover works similarly to Wag! when it comes to dog walks, but offers more when it comes to pet sitting. Rover offers meet-and-greet opportunities that are great for getting to know pet care providers before the services. This feature is perfect for relationship building and seeing how your dog bonds with the sitter.
Like Wag!, you must download the app and create a user profile to book services. Once this step is completed, you can search for pet sitters by selecting the pet sitting service you want, the date, zip code, and size of your pet. The pet sitting services you can choose are boarding, house-sitting (sleepover), drop-in visits and Doggy Daycare.
Pet Sitting Services provided by Rover:
- Boarding: Your pet can stay overnight at a sitter’s home.
- House-sitting: Pet sitters sleepover in your home and watch your pet.
- Drop-in visits: Pet sitters drop-in your house for 30 minutes to feed and play with your pet.
- Day-care: You can drop-off your pet at the sitter’s house and pick-up your pet in the evening.
Rover Strengths: Pet Sitting
- Relationship building
- Reliability
- Ease of mind
Wag vs Rover: Pet Wellness
When it comes to Pet Wellness, all hats come off to Wag! who offers an insurance plan with three tiers.
Wag! Wellness Plans
Wag! offers three wellness plans that serve as stand-alone pet insurance covering health expenses not limited to occurrences taken place when pets are under a Wag! pet care provider. The plans are Gold, Platinum and Diamond. These plans offer a series of benefits plus optional add-ons that are very convenient for keeping your pet healthy.
The benefits offered by Wag! Wellness Plans:
- 24/7 live chat with a vet
- A physical wellness exam.
- Annual shots and booster shots
- blood work testing
- deworming plans
- anal gland expression
- urine and fecal tests.
Optional Add-ons
- Flea, tick and heartworm medication
- Grooming
- Dental cleaning
- Spay/neutering services
Rover Guarantee
Rover does not offer pet insurance, but rather a feature called the “Rover Guarantee” that is offered to pet sitters to reimburse for incidents occurring during pet sitting services. This service is offered with a 24/7 support line, offering reimbursements for up to $25,000 in vet care. This feature covers costs only after the first $250, covering care for up to 30 days.
Wag! vs Rover: Pricing
How Pricing works in Wag!
In Wag!, pricing will vary between each pet care provider. When doing a search you’ll see an estimated price-range for the service type and length. The price range is adjusted based on the service type, duration, holidays and high demand times.
Walks, Drop-ins, and Training sessions have varying rates. Each service provider decides their rate, which can be viewed in their profile. Pet Sitting and Pet Boarding services start at $14.99 per booking, if you make a booking within three hours of the service start time you’ll get charged a higher fee.
Wag! Premium:
Wag! offers a premium subscription called Wag! Premium which is a monthly subscription service offering waived platform fees, priority support, VIP matching with top providers, and exclusive discounts across all pet services. Benefits apply to all household pets.
How Pricing Works in Rover
In Rover, each pet care giver sets their own rate. Both boarding and house-sitting services are per night, after 24hs. You may be charged extra if you pick-up your pet later than agreed. Rover adds a 5-7% service fee on top of the entire booking amount (without exceeding $50).
Wag! Vs. Rover: Training
Both Wag! and Rover offer dog training services through vetted trainers, offering private, group, and virtual sessions. They cover everything from basic obedience to behavior modification, with flexible scheduling and customized training plans for all skill levels.
The main differences are that Wag! offers in person one-on-one dog training sessions in addition to virtual training sessions. As with Rover, training sessions are virtual, through a platform called GoodPup. Rover is, however, offering in-person training sessions in select pilot cities.
Wag! vs Rover: Working as a Pet Care Provider
If you are an experienced pet owner who loves pets and is looking to earn an extra income working at your schedule then you may consider signing up as a Pet Care Provider in Wag! or Rover. Both of these platforms give you the freedom to create a profile, choose your rate, and decide on your schedules. They have similar screening and payment processes with some differences.
Providing Pet Care Through Wag!
If you want to be on the service provider end of the Wag! platform, you’ll be charged with a $49.95 one-time-only subscription fee, which is used to cover mandatory background checks. Additionally, you’ll be required to submit five endorsements and take a 5-10 minute test on dog safety and be 18+ years old. The platform offers flexible scheduling and multiple service options, but takes 40% commission.
Providing Pet Care Through Rover
Similarly to Wag! After signing-up to be a pet care provider in Rover you’ll be charged with a $25 subscription fee that covers the mandatory background check. Like Wag! you must be 18+ years old and pass a test, in addition to submitting a customer testimonial.
Rover charges pet care providers 20% of the total amount (minus the booking fee). Some cities offer the option to tip care providers. In Rover pet care providers who provide onboarding services earn twice as much as providers offering other services.
RoverGo
Rover offers a premium-style database called RoverGo that pet care providers can sign up for. They charge an extra 5% of the fee and provide pet care providers with some additional benefits. These benefits include help from Rover to find more clients, a professionally written profile, a boost in search ranks and even a welcome package with dog bandanas and thank you cards.
Final Thoughts: What are you truly looking for?
If you come to a crossroads and find yourself in the position of choosing between Wag! and Rover, take a moment to think about what you’re really looking for and what you want out of the experience.With the advent of technology, “on-demand” companies provide convenient solutions for pet parents looking for care, as well as for pet care providers seeking to make an income.
Both Wag! and Rover are trustworthy sites and apps that help make a pet owner’s life easier. By taking your time to create detailed profiles, and setting clear goals, you can take great advantages to both of these companies
