Best pet insurance: 10 companies compared, line by line

No one company wins for every pet. Each plan is a set of trade-offs. One pays more back. One starts sooner. One pays your vet for you.

So the better question is: best for what? A young dog with a knee risk needs a short wait for knee problems. An older cat needs a company that still takes older pets. A family on a tight budget needs a plan it can afford every month.

Below we show what each company says about its own plans. Then we show which ones fit which needs, and why. If you are new to this, start with how pet insurance works.

We opened each company's own website or sample policy on October 29, 2026. We wrote down what each one says. We did not use review sites or ad pages from other companies.

We did not give scores. Scores hide the reasons. Instead we show each term side by side so you can see it yourself.

If a company did not post a term, we wrote "Not listed." We did not guess.

Goodsurance does not sell pet insurance. No insurer paid to be on this page. We earn nothing if you buy from any of them.

Terms change, and they can differ by state. Always check the sample policy for your state before you buy.

These are the parts of a plan that change what you get paid. Our guide on how to compare pet insurance goes deeper.

• Deductible: the part of the bill you pay first. Most plans here use a yearly one.
• Payback rate: the share of the bill the plan pays after the deductible. For example, Lemonade, Fetch and ASPCA each list 70%, 80% or 90%.
• Yearly limit: the most the plan pays in a year. Some offer no limit.
• Waiting period: the days after you sign up before coverage starts. See pet insurance waiting periods.
• Exam fee: what the vet charges just to look at a sick pet. Not every plan pays it.
• Age rules: some plans stop taking pets at a certain age.
• Who gets paid: most plans pay you back. A few can pay the vet.

Example math. Say the vet bill is $2,000. Your deductible is $250 and your payback rate is 80%. First you pay the $250. That leaves $1,750. The plan pays 80% of that, which is $1,400. You pay $600 in all. These are round numbers to show the steps, not a quote.

The three tables below show the same ten terms for each company. Read across a row to compare one term. Read down a column to see one company.

Some companies say different things on different pages. When that happened, we say so in the cell. Your policy is the contract, so it decides.

Trupanion is not in these tables. Its website blocked our checks, and we could not open a current Trupanion policy. If you are looking at Trupanion, ask it for its policy and compare it with the same checklist.

Nationwide is not in the tables. Its plan pages did not load for us on October 29, 2026.

Each pick below has a reason you can check in the tables. None is a sales pitch.

Dogs with a knee or hip risk. Big dogs often hurt their knees. Look hard at the knee wait. Pumpkin says 14 days or less, even for knees and hips. Spot's sample policy also says 14 days for knee problems. Embrace's policy terms say 6 months for dogs, though a vet exam can shorten it. Fetch lists 180 days. An exam can waive the knee part, but not the hip part. Healthy Paws lists 12 months for hip dysplasia in most states. More in pet insurance for dogs.

Cats. Cats are often sick, not hurt. So exam fees and the illness wait matter most. Fetch, Pumpkin and Spot say they cover the sick-visit exam. MetLife lists no wait for accidents and 14 days for illness. See pet insurance for cats.

Puppies and kittens. Sign up young, before any problem shows up. Fetch takes pets from 6 weeks. Pets Best takes them from 7 weeks. Spot, Pumpkin and Healthy Paws start at 8 weeks. Healthy Paws covers hip dysplasia only if your pet joins before age 6. Read pet insurance for puppies and kittens.

Senior pets. Spot, Pumpkin, Pets Best and Figo say they have no top age. MetLife says it has no top age, but options may be limited at certain ages. Embrace says some pets are too old for a new full plan and can get an accident-only plan instead. The pages we checked did not list that age. See senior pet insurance.

You want the vet paid for you. Healthy Paws can pay your vet if you ask before treatment. Pets Best offers Vet Direct Pay on all plans. Spot's sample policy says it can pay the vet if you ask on the claim. MetLife and Fetch say they do not pay vets directly. More in pet insurance that pays the vet directly.

A tight budget. MetLife shows the widest range of choices: deductibles from $0 to $2,500, a 50% payback option, and yearly limits from $500. A higher deductible and a lower payback rate usually mean a lower price, but you pay more when your pet is sick. See cheap pet insurance.

You want wellness care. Lemonade, MetLife, Fetch, ASPCA, Spot and Pets Best sell wellness add-ons. Healthy Paws says it does not cover wellness. Read pet wellness plans before you add one.

The highest payback. Figo is the only company here that lists a 100% option.

The North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA) tracks prices. In 2025, the average yearly cost of an accident and illness plan was $836 for a dog and $435 for a cat.

An accident-only plan averaged $190 for a dog and $112 for a cat. Adding wellness care raised the average to $1,414 for a dog and $859 for a cat.

Only 4.27% of US pets had insurance in 2025, NAPHIA found.

Your price will be different. It depends on your pet's age, breed and where you live. To see real prices, get a few pet insurance quotes with the same deductible, payback rate and limit.

Ads talk about what is covered. The policy also says what is not. Look for these before you buy.

• Pre-existing conditions. Spot's sample policy does not cover a problem your pet had before the plan started. Ask every company how it handles this. Read does pet insurance cover pre-existing conditions.
• A problem during the wait. Spot's sample policy and Lemonade's FAQ both treat a problem that starts during the wait as pre-existing.
• Exam fees left out. Healthy Paws says the exam fee is yours to pay.
• Payment is not a promise. Healthy Paws says that setting up a direct vet payment does not mean the claim will be covered.

Some states limit waiting periods by law. Rhode Island bans waiting periods for accidents and caps them at 30 days for illness and orthopedic conditions.

Many pet insurance brands are not the insurer. They sell a plan that another company backs. For example, ASPCA says it is not an insurer. Its plans are backed by Independence American Insurance Company or United States Fire Insurance Company. Figo, Spot and Pumpkin also name Independence American as an insurer.

The company that backs the plan is the one that must be licensed. It is named on the policy and on your declarations page.

To check it, use the NAIC Consumer Insurance Search. Type in the insurer's name. Then check with your state insurance department to confirm the insurer is licensed where you live.

Here is a simple plan.

1. Write down what your pet is most likely to need. Think about age, breed and past health.
2. Pick three companies from the tables that fit that need.
3. Get a quote from each with the same deductible, payback rate and yearly limit.
4. Open each sample policy for your state. Check the waits, exam fees and exclusions.
5. Check the insurer's license with the NAIC.

Still unsure if you need a plan at all? Read is pet insurance worth it.