Pet Sitters Over the Holidays: Free Apps to Compare Rates

Yes, you can compare holiday pet sitters with free apps. Rover, Wag! and PetBacker each offer a free app that shows sitter rates, reviews and profiles before you book.

A pet sitter cares for your pet in your home or theirs while you travel. Holiday dates add seasonal fees and tight calendars, so comparing nightly prices, booking fees and surcharges early helps you plan.

Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on November 04, 2026.

What do the free apps show you?

Rover offers a free iOS and Android app where owners can read sitter reviews, browse photos, message sitters, and book and pay for walking, sitting and boarding in the app. Wag!'s free iPhone app books on-demand or scheduled walks, sitting, boarding and drop-ins, with profiles, chat, GPS tracking and report cards. PetBacker's free app works a little differently.

You send one request, matching sitters reply by chat, and each application shows an estimated price, customer reviews and ratings, and a sitter profile for side-by-side comparison. Use the same details in each app when you search. Enter matching dates, pet type and size, and care type so the from-prices and estimates line up.

How do Rover rates and fees work?

On Rover, sitters set their own base and add-on rates. Owners pay an 11 percent booking fee at checkout, while sitters pay a separate 20 percent service fee per booking. That split matters for holiday math.

According to Rover, its Holiday, FL boarding search shows about $33 per night as of November 2026, typically $27–$40, plus the 11 percent booking fee and taxes see Rover's Holiday boarding listings. Individual sitter cards list from-prices, ratings and repeat-client counts for comparison. Check the card, then the checkout total.

A lower nightly price can cost more after add-ons, fees and taxes.

How does Wag! price holiday care?

According to Wag!, the company discloses city base rates before booking — for example, Chicago boarding at about $60 per night — plus a flat $14.99 booking fee per booking see Wag!'s Chicago boarding rates. Extra-night, extra-pet or holiday fees appear before payment. That upfront display helps you compare cities and dates.

A flat per-booking fee hurts less on a weeklong stay than on one night.

• Compare the nightly base rate for your city.
• Add the flat booking fee to the whole stay.
• Look for extra-pet, extra-night and holiday lines before you pay.

What will holiday surcharges add?

According to Care.com, average posted U.S. holiday pet-sitting rates run around $15–$24 per hour, with typical holiday surcharges of $5–$20 per visit depending on pets, time and care needs read Care.com's holiday cost guide. Evening visits, multiple pets and medical needs push toward the high end.

According to Pet Sitters International, its 2024 survey of more than 450 member businesses found 67 percent charge a holiday surcharge, most commonly $8–$10 or $5–$7 per visit see the 2024 holiday survey results. Ask each sitter which holidays count and whether the fee is per visit, per night or per pet. Get the surcharge in writing before you confirm.

A short chat message with dates, total nights or visits, and all fees prevents checkout surprises.

When should you start comparing?

Start months before Thanksgiving and Christmas. According to Pet Sitters International, 53 percent of surveyed businesses opened holiday reservations at least six months early, so owners should book months ahead. Save two or three sitters with strong repeat-client counts and clear holiday terms.

Message backups early, confirm one, and keep the other chats open until payment clears.