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Independent comparisons

Pet insurance comparisons — no commissions, no bias.

Every comparison is based on published policy documents. We do not earn money from any insurer, so we can tell you the truth about each one.

Head-to-head comparisons

Trupanion vs Embrace
Per-condition vs annual deductible
The most important structural difference in pet insurance. Which model saves you more depends on your pet's history.
Healthy Paws vs Pumpkin
Age restrictions vs no limits
Healthy Paws has no annual payout limit but restricts coverage at age 5-6. Pumpkin has no age restrictions but caps at $20,000.
Lemonade vs Spot
6 month vs 14 day orthopedic wait
Both target younger pet owners. Spot's shorter orthopedic wait is a significant advantage for medium and large breeds.
Fetch vs Pets Best
Dental illness and behavioral coverage
Fetch covers dental illness and behavioral therapy in the base plan. Pets Best offers a lower entry price with fewer inclusions.
Embrace vs Pumpkin
Orthopedic wait vs dental illness
Pumpkin has a 14-day orthopedic wait. Embrace covers dental illness up to $1,000/year and offers curable pre-existing reconsideration.
Trupanion vs Healthy Paws
Both unlimited — very different models
Both offer unlimited annual payouts. Trupanion uses a per-condition deductible. Healthy Paws uses annual — and is significantly cheaper.
Lemonade vs Embrace
Lower cost vs dental + flexibility
Lemonade is cheaper and has a 30-day orthopedic wait. Embrace covers dental illness and has a diminishing deductible.
Spot vs Pumpkin
Same underwriter, different plan options
Both share the same underwriter. Spot has more plan flexibility and curable pre-existing reconsideration. Pumpkin includes exam fees.
Full comparison chart
All 15 major insurers
Waiting periods, deductibles, age restrictions, and annual limits for all major US pet insurers in one table.

Best pet insurance by category

No annual limit
Unlimited payouts
Which insurers offer unlimited annual payouts and when it matters most for your pet.
Best for French Bulldogs
BOAS, IVDD, skin conditions
Frenchies need specific coverage. Which insurer covers BOAS surgery and what to avoid.
Best for senior pets
Age restrictions, new enrollments
Pet insurance for dogs and cats over 7. Age restrictions, what gets excluded, and which insurers still accept senior pets.
Best under $30/month
Affordable options
How to find affordable coverage without sacrificing the protections that actually save money when something goes wrong.
Best for Golden Retrievers
60% lifetime cancer rate
Goldens need unlimited payouts and short orthopedic waits. Which insurer covers the most for this breed.
Best dental coverage
Fetch, ASPCA, Embrace compared
Dental disease affects 70% of pets over 3. Which insurers actually cover periodontal disease and extractions.
Best for multiple pets
Multi-pet discounts
Multi-pet discounts, which insurers offer them, and how to structure coverage across a mixed household.
Best for cats
HCM, dental, kidney disease
Cat insurance is different from dog insurance. Dental disease, hyperthyroidism, and CKD are the real cost drivers — here is what covers them best.
Best for puppies
Enroll before the first vet visit
The clean record window closes fast. Which insurer to choose and exactly when to enroll your puppy.
Best for large breeds
Great Danes, Berners, Rottweilers
Bloat, cancer, orthopedic — large breeds have very different risk profiles. Annual limit and orthopedic wait are the two factors that matter most.
Best for Labradors
CCL, hip and elbow dysplasia
Labs are the most popular breed in the US — and one of the most orthopedically at-risk. Short waiting period is the deciding factor.
Best for German Shepherds
DM, hip dysplasia, bloat
GSDs have multiple expensive chronic conditions. The insurer that handles recurring ongoing costs best wins for this breed.
Best for Dachshunds
25% IVDD lifetime risk
IVDD surgery costs $3,000-$8,000. The orthopedic waiting period is the single most important factor for Dachshunds.
Best for Maine Coons
HCM cardiac disease
Maine Coons have high genetic HCM risk. Enroll before any cardiac exam and choose an insurer with strong hereditary condition coverage.

Before choosing based on a comparison: The best insurer for your pet depends on what is already in their vet records. A waiting period that sounds long may not matter if your pet has no orthopedic history — and vice versa. Use the pre-enrollment scan to see which insurer excludes the least for your specific pet.

What to look for in any comparison

Every pet insurance comparison should cover these five factors. If a comparison site skips any of them, it is probably missing something important.

1
Orthopedic waiting period
Ranges from 14 days (Spot, Pumpkin) to 6 months (Embrace, Lemonade). For large breeds, this single factor can mean a $5,000 difference.
2
Deductible structure
Annual (you pay once per year) vs per-condition (you pay separately for each new condition). Trupanion is the only major insurer using per-condition deductibles.
3
Age restrictions
Some insurers reduce options at age 5, exclude hip dysplasia at 6, or limit new enrollments at 9. Pumpkin, Spot, and Trupanion have no age-based coverage restrictions.
4
Curable pre-existing conditions
Embrace and Healthy Paws will reconsider previously excluded conditions after a 12-month symptom-free period. Most others will not.
5
Annual payout limit
Healthy Paws and Trupanion have no annual limit. Most others cap at $5,000-20,000. Cancer treatment alone can exceed $20,000.

Skip the comparison — see what each insurer would exclude for your pet

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