Best Pet Insurance Companies Compared on Cost (2026)
There is no single best pet insurance company, but there is a best one for a given pet and budget, and it is found in the numbers rather than in star ratings. This comparison ranks the major US carriers on the data that decides what you actually pay and receive: average premium, deductible range, reimbursement options, annual limits and waiting periods. PetCostHub has no affiliate relationship with any company listed here and earns nothing from your choice; the ordering follows the cost data, and our methodology page shows how we compile it.
The Companies Compared on Cost and Terms
| Company | Avg premium, dogs | Avg premium, cats | Deductible options | Reimbursement | Annual limit | Waiting periods (accident / illness) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Figo | $38/mo | $22/mo | $100 to $1,500 | 70% to 100% | $5,000 to unlimited | 1 day / 14 days |
| Pets Best | $40/mo | $25/mo | $50 to $1,000 | 70% to 90% | $5,000 to unlimited | 3 days / 14 days |
| Fetch | $43/mo | $29/mo | $300 to $700 | 70% to 90% | $5,000 to unlimited | 15 days / 15 days |
| Lemonade | $46/mo | $21/mo | $100 to $750 | 70% to 90% | $5,000 to $100,000 | 2 days / 14 days |
| ASPCA | $46/mo | $23/mo | $100 to $500 | 70% to 90% | $3,000 to $10,000 | 14 days / 14 days |
| Embrace | $47/mo | $26/mo | $100 to $1,000 | 70% to 90% | $5,000 to unlimited | 2 days / 14 days |
| Spot | $49/mo | $24/mo | $100 to $1,000 | 70% to 90% | $2,500 to unlimited | 14 days / 14 days |
| MetLife | $50/mo | $27/mo | $0 to $2,500 | 65% to 100% | $2,000 to unlimited | Day after enrollment / 14 days |
| Pumpkin | $94/mo | $43/mo | $100 to $1,000 | 80% to 90% | $5,000 to unlimited | 14 days / 14 days |
Average premiums: MarketWatch Guides’ 2026 analysis of more than 17,000 quotes, updated October 2026. Deductible, reimbursement, limit and waiting-period ranges are compiled from carrier policy documents checked the same month. Two well-known carriers use different models and sit outside the average table: Trupanion charges a per-condition deductible with a fixed 90% reimbursement and direct payment to many vets, while Healthy Paws sells unlimited cover only, with 15-day waiting periods for both accidents and illnesses.
How to Read This Table Like an Actuary
Three columns decide most real outcomes. The deductible tells you how much of every claim year you fund yourself; note that Trupanion’s per-condition design, described in our deductibles guide, behaves very differently from the annual deductibles everywhere else in the table. The annual limit tells you whether the policy survives a catastrophic year: a $3,000 cap can be exhausted by one emergency surgery, which our vet costs data makes uncomfortably plain. And the waiting-period columns hide the orthopedic detail, cruciate waits of up to 6 months at several carriers, which is why we track them separately in the waiting periods comparison.
Best Picks by Situation
- Lowest average cost: Figo and Pets Best post the lowest dog averages in the 17,000-quote study, and Lemonade the lowest cat average. Our cheapest companies ranking digs into what drives those numbers.
- Fastest start: MetLife begins accident cover the day after enrollment, with Figo, Embrace and Lemonade at 1 to 2 days, useful for a newly adopted pet.
- Senior pets: ASPCA and Spot set no upper age limit on new enrollments, where several rivals cap entry in the early teens.
- Multi-pet households: MetLife’s family plan shares one deductible across up to three pets, and most carriers discount additional pets by 5% to 10%, detailed in our multi-pet guide.
- Chronic-condition security: Unlimited-limit carriers (Embrace, Spot, Pets Best, Fetch, Healthy Paws, Trupanion) remove the ceiling anxiety for conditions that bill every year for life.
- Puppies: speed beats price in year one. A fast accident start (MetLife, Figo, Embrace or Lemonade) plus a wellness tier for the vaccine series is the combination to beat; our puppy insurance cost guide prices that first year by breed size.
- Multiple pets: MetLife is the standout for households, with a family plan that shares one deductible across up to three pets; the full discount table sits in our multi-pet guide.
What This Comparison Cannot Tell You
It cannot tell you your price. Premiums are built pet by pet from breed, age and ZIP code, and the carrier that is cheapest for a two-year-old Beagle in Ohio can be mid-pack for the same dog in New Jersey. It also cannot judge claims service from the outside; we publish cost and terms data, not invented satisfaction scores. The right workflow is to shortlist two or three carriers from this table, run each one’s quote with identical settings, and compare the full claim maths on a hypothetical $3,000 bill before deciding. The averages on our cost hub and your own breed page will sanity-check whatever quotes come back.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a company the best on this page?
Position in the table is driven by published cost and terms data: average premiums from a 17,000-quote 2026 study, plus deductible ranges, reimbursement options, annual limits and waiting periods from carrier documents. We do not sell placements, and no carrier can pay to appear or to rank higher.
Do you earn money if I choose one of these companies?
No. PetCostHub currently has no affiliate agreements with any pet insurance carrier, and no company listed here has paid for inclusion. If that ever changes, paid relationships will be disclosed on this page and in our affiliate disclosure.
Is the cheapest company the best choice?
Not automatically. The cheapest averages often reflect thinner standard settings. A company is the right choice when its premium, at settings that would genuinely protect you (an affordable deductible, 80% or 90% reimbursement, a limit above $10,000 or unlimited), is the lowest of your shortlist.
How often is this comparison updated?
We review the premium data and carrier terms quarterly and stamp the check date in the text. Premium studies refresh on the publishers’ own cycles, so if a figure here and a live quote disagree, the quote is right for your pet; the table exists to rank and shortlist, not to promise prices.
All figures are estimates for planning and comparison only, not insurance quotes, offers, or guarantees of any premium. Actual premiums vary by carrier, pet, ZIP code and plan design. See our methodology page for how we build these numbers.
