This content was reviewed by our licensed insurance agent, Michelle Schenker.
To keep the lights on, we receive affiliate commissions via some of our links. Our review process.
Fetch by The Dodo and Pets Best are two of the best pet insurance companies, offering excellent coverage, competitive prices, and easy claim repayments. So how do you choose between the two?
As always, be sure to get your own quote to get an idea of what each will cost you. Additionally, consider the criteria we include in this comparison.
Visit Fetch’s Website | Visit Pets Best’s Website
| Fetch | Pets Best | |
|---|---|---|
| Policy Coverage | Extensive | Extensive |
| Customer Service & Reputation | Uncertain, New | Good |
| Claim Processing Average | 12-22 Days | 7-14 Days |
| Price Of Policy | Highly Variable | Lower on Average |
| Plan Customizations | Many Options | Many Options |
| Overall Winner |  |  |
| Visit Website | Visit Website |
Policy Coverage
The table below shows specifically what Fetch and Pets Best cover. Both companies cover emergency care, surgery and hospitalization, specialized exams and specialty care, X-rays, blood tests, ultrasounds, cat scans, MRIs, rehabilitation, cancer, chronic conditions, euthanasia, hereditary conditions, congenital conditions, non-routine dental treatment, and prescription medications. Neither covers pre-existing conditions, cremation and burial costs, pregnancy and breeding, or unnecessary cosmetic procedures.
| Fetch | Pets Best | |
|---|---|---|
| Illness Waiting Period* | 15 Days | 14 Days |
| Accident Waiting Period* | 15 Days | 3 Days |
| Hip Dysplasia Waiting Period* | 6 Months | 14 Days |
| CCL Surgery Waiting Period* | 6 Months | 6 Months |
| Behavioral Therapies | | |
| Alternative/Holistic Therapy | | |
| Wellness Care For An Extra Fee | | |
| Exam Fees | | Extra Fee |
| Underwriter | XL Specialty Insurance Company AXIS Insurance Company | American Pet Insurance Company Independence American Insurance Company (IAIC) (CA only) |
| A.M. Best Rating | A+ A | Unrated A- |
*Waiting periods for Maine are as follows:
- Accidents - 0 days
- Illnesses - 14 days
- Cruciate Ligament Conditions - 30 days
- Routine Care - 0 days
Both Fetch and Pets Best offer exceptional coverage. Fetch doesn’t offer a wellness plan, but it provides coverage for more unique things like virtual vet visits, advertising and paying a reward for a stolen or lost pet, and more. Meanwhile, Pets Best offers an optional wellness plan, and you can choose whether or not you want to pay extra for exam fee coverage or not.
The biggest concern with Pets Best is that its primary underwriter is unrated by A.M. Best (a measurement of financial stability), which means it’s considered higher risk than a company like Fetch, whose underwriters have an A+ and A rating from A.M. Best.
Overall, we feel this category is a tie. If wellness coverage is essential for you, then we recommend Pets Best. However, if it isn’t as important to you and rather have coverage for more unique items like virtual vet visits, then we’d recommend Fetch.
Policy Coverage Winner: Fetch & Pets Best (Tie)
Customer Service & Reputation
Fetch has only been a consumer option since January 2022, the former brand name went through an underwriter change in 2016 that resulted in sharp price increases and upset customers. It’s not uncommon to see price adjustments when an insurance company switches underwriters. The company received a lot of negative backlash with this change. However, it has mostly bounced back since then, and negative reviews have subsided, but we will be interested to see how the rebranding and new partnership with The Dodo affect customers.
As for Pets Best, it has many negative reviews regarding a prolonged claim processing timeline. This is because Pets Best has received an influx of customers (due to its excellent coverage and low prices), which has caused an increase in claims. Unfortunately, Pets Best hasn’t been able to keep up with all the filed claims, which has delayed many repayments and caused some negative backlash from customers.
Because the majority of Pets Best’s claims are about a longer claim process, we choose it as the winner for this category because we hesitate to award a win to a company currently going through a major change (Fetch rebrand).
Customer Service & Reputation Winner: Pets Best
Claim Processing
Fetch average 22 days for claim processing. However, if you opt for direct deposit, they may get your money back to you 5-10 days sooner. Fetch used to have a shorter claim processing average (around five days) but is experiencing delays due to COVID-19.
Pets Best used to average claim processing in eight or fewer days, but they’ve fallen behind over the last two years due to a higher volume of customers. Now, their averages are 7-14 days.
Pets Best has a vet direct pay option, so you don’t have to pay a hefty vet bill in advance and wait for reimbursement. However, this may not be available everywhere, so check with your vet to see if this is an option for you. Fetch doesn’t offer a vet direct pay option.
Claim Processing Winner: Pets Best
Price Of Policy
Neither company has one-time fees, and Fetch has no transaction fees, while Pets Best charges $2 per transaction.
Your premium price quote is based on your pet’s details (age, breed, location, etc.). We recommend obtaining quotes from each company for your specific pet. You can also visit our pet insurance comparison quotes to see a few sample prices we’ve gathered.
Pets Best almost always came out less expensive than Fetch in the quotes we’ve run. However, remember that it’s always best to get quotes for your specific dog to compare what pet insurance could cost for you. You can use our pet insurance quote form to get multiple company quotes when you complete this one-quick form.
Both companies have annual deductibles, which is important if your pet experiences multiple accidents or illnesses during the policy period (one year).
Price Of Policy Winner: Pets Best
Coupons
Fetch
Fetch offers the following discounts:
- 10% off the first year for new customers
- Up to 10% off for animal shelter adoptees and employees, corporate benefit plans, medical services pets, strategic partners, military, veterinary staff, and students
- 15% off for each consecutive 12-month period without a claim
- 10% off premiums for Walmart shoppers
Use this link to take advantage of the best possible price. No promo code is needed. Alternatively, call 800-237-1123. You can also visit our dedicated Fetch promotions page to learn more.
Pets Best
Pets Best offers the following discounts:
- 5% off for multiple pets
- 5% off for military members and their families
Use this link to take advantage of the best possible price. No promo code is needed. You can also visit our dedicated Pets Best promotions page to learn more.
Plan Customization
The other significant differences between these two companies are the level of plan customization available.
| Fetch | Pets Best | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Payout Options | $5,000, $10,000, $15,000 | $5,000, unlimited |
| Deductible Options | $300, $500, $700 | $50, $100, $200, $250, $500, $1,000 |
| Reimbursement Options | 70%, 80%, 90% | 70%, 80%, 90% |
| Accident-Only Plan | | |
This category goes to Pets Best because it offers more customization options and an accident-only plan.
Plan Customization Winner: Pets Best
What’s The Verdict?
In the end, Pets Best is the winner because of its low prices and thorough policy coverage. However, if you didn’t find what you were looking for, our experts have gone in-depth with individual reviews of Fetch and Pets Best so you can expand your comparison.
Overall Winner: Pets Best
Our experts have spent thousands of hours researching to bring you our comprehensive and frequently updated pet insurance reviews, including our top picks, along with details on each of the most popular pet insurance companies. So, if you want to know how other providers compare against one another, you may find this review helpful in your pet insurance search.
Tagged With: Reviewed By Insurance Agent, Vs
