Best Pet Insurance Companies 2026: Comparison Chart

The chart below compares what 13 pet insurance carriers publish on reimbursement rates, annual limits, waiting periods, age rules and wellness add-ons, so you can match a plan to your breed, budget and dog's age. breedcosts.com/ has no affiliate deals with any insurer and has not tested these policies, so treat this as a starting list for quotes, not a ranking.

What Pet Insurance Costs

NAPHIA reports that dog accident-and-illness plans average $836 a year, or about $70 a month, while accident-only plans average $190 a year. Your breed, your dog’s age and your ZIP code can put a quote well above or below those averages. See premiums by breed and what changes a quote in the dog insurance cost guide.

Pet Insurance Comparison Chart

This pet insurance comparison chart summarizes the plan options each carrier publishes. “Not published” means the detail wasn’t available on the carrier’s pages; check the policy before you buy.

Carrier	Underwriter	Reimbursement options	Annual limits	Accident / illness waiting periods	Wellness add-on
Nationwide	Veterinary Pet Insurance Company or National Casualty Company	50%, 70%, 80% (90% in examples)	Adjustable; full menu not published	14 days / 14 days	Yes
Embrace	American Modern Insurance Group insurers	70%, 80%, 90%	$2,000 to unlimited	2 days / 14 days	Yes (Wellness Rewards)
Fetch	AXIS Insurance Company	70%, 80%, 90%	Customizable; $10,000 most common	15 days / 15 days	Yes
Lemonade	Lemonade Insurance Company or Metromile Insurance Company	70%, 80%, 90%	$5,000 to $100,000	None / 14 days	Yes
Spot	Independence American or United States Fire Insurance Company	70%, 80%, 90%	$2,500 to unlimited	Varies by state / up to 14 days	Yes
MetLife	Metropolitan General Insurance Company	50%, 70%, 80%, 90%	$500 to $25,000, or unlimited	Midnight after enrollment / 14 days	Yes
Trupanion	American Pet Insurance Company	90% only	No payout limits	5 days / 30 days	No
Healthy Paws	Chubb subsidiaries	Up to 90%	$5,000, $7,000 or unlimited	15 days in most states / 15 days	No
ASPCA Pet Health Insurance	Independence American or United States Fire Insurance Company	70%, 80%, 90%	$2,500 to unlimited	14 days / 14 days	Yes
Pets Best	American Pet Insurance Company and affiliated insurers	70%, 80%, 90%	$2,500, $5,000, $10,000 or no limit	3 days / 14 days	Yes
Figo	Independence American Insurance Company	Up to 100%	$10,000 or unlimited	Not published	Yes
Pumpkin	Independence American or United States Fire Insurance Company	90% (80% also referenced)	$5,000 to unlimited	14 days or less / 14 days or less	Yes (Preventive Essentials)
Prudent Pet	Not published on current pages	Customizable; 90% example	Customizable up to unlimited	5 to 14 days (sources conflict) / 14 days	Yes

Most of these carriers share the same core menu: 70% to 90% reimbursement, annual deductibles, and a 14- or 15-day illness wait. The differences that matter show up in the edges, such as how a carrier treats older dogs, knee and hip claims, and routine care.

Worth A Quote For Older Dogs

Trupanion is worth a quote if you want a premium that doesn’t climb with each birthday. It sets the price on your dog’s age at enrollment and doesn’t raise it for age, though it can still raise rates when the cost of care rises. That matters because most carriers reprice upward every renewal, and a Consumers’ Checkbook analysis found puppy-to-age-12 increases ranging from 155% to 1,195% across 12 insurers.

Spot, Pets Best, MetLife, Figo and Pumpkin all state that they have no upper age limit for enrollment, and Pumpkin adds that its coverage doesn’t shrink with age. Prudent Pet says it never denies coverage based on age or breed. If your dog is already a senior, these are the carriers to price first. Note that Embrace limits pets 15 and older to its accident-only plan.

Worth A Quote For Unlimited Coverage

If a five-figure cancer or orthopedic case is your main worry, look for a plan without an annual cap. Trupanion advertises no payout limits at all. Embrace, Spot, ASPCA, Healthy Paws, MetLife, Pets Best, Pumpkin and Prudent Pet all offer an unlimited annual limit as one option, and Figo‘s Ultimate plan is unlimited with no per-condition payout caps.

Unlimited plans cost more than capped ones, so it’s worth pricing the same dog at a $10,000 limit too. Healthy Paws has one quirk to know before you choose: you can lower your limit later but not raise it.

Worth A Quote For Wellness Add-Ons

Wellness add-ons pay toward routine care such as exams and vaccines, which standard policies exclude. ASPCA Pet Health Insurance is worth a quote if you want preventive care paid on a fixed schedule with no deductible, starting on the policy’s effective date. Lemonade offers preventative, preventative+ and puppy packages, starting at about $15 a month on top of the base policy.

Pets Best wellness also has no deductible and starts the day after enrollment. Trupanion and Healthy Paws don’t offer a wellness add-on, so if routine-care coverage matters to you, those two won’t fit.

Worth A Quote For Breeds With Orthopedic Risk

Large breeds and doodles often face hip dysplasia and cruciate ligament tears, so the orthopedic waiting period is a key number. Pumpkin is worth a quote if you want the shortest published wait: 14 days or less for everything, including knees and hip dysplasia. Spot lists no separate orthopedic waiting period.

By comparison, Lemonade has a 30-day orthopedic wait, while Embrace, Fetch, Pets Best and Prudent Pet use six months, though Fetch waives its knee wait with a vet exam in the first 30 days. Healthy Paws applies a 12-month hip dysplasia wait in most states and covers hips only if you enroll before age 6. Several carriers also exclude both knees for life if one shows signs before coverage, so enroll before any limp shows up.

Worth A Quote For Hereditary And Breed-Specific Conditions

Many insurers exclude hereditary and congenital conditions, according to the NAIC. Fetch is worth a quote if your breed is known for inherited disease, because it advertises coverage for hereditary and breed-specific conditions, along with sick-visit exam fees up to $250 a visit and dental disease in every adult tooth. Trupanion and Pumpkin also cover hereditary conditions when they aren’t pre-existing, and ASPCA‘s Complete Coverage plan includes hereditary conditions, behavioral issues and dental disease.

Worth A Quote For Flexible Deductibles

MetLife is worth a quote if you want fine control over the deductible. It offers $0 to $750 in $50 steps plus higher amounts up to $2,500, and the deductible drops by $50 for each claim-free policy year. It is also one of two carriers here offering a 50% reimbursement option, along with Nationwide, and that lower setting can bring the premium down.

Trupanion takes a different approach with a per-condition deductible of $0 to $1,000, paid once per condition for the life of the pet. For a breed likely to have one chronic condition, such as allergies or heart disease, paying the deductible once can beat paying it every year.

Worth A Quote For Fast Accident Coverage

If your dog is young, active or prone to swallowing things, a short accident wait helps. Lemonade coverage for accidents starts at 12:01 a.m. the day after purchase, and MetLife starts accident coverage at midnight after enrollment. Embrace uses a two-day accident wait and Pets Best three days. Spot’s accident wait varies by state, and in states that adopted the NAIC model law, there is none.

How To Choose Pet Insurance For Your Breed

Start with your breed’s risk profile, then match it to the plan feature that covers it. A Golden Retriever faces high cancer rates and frequent hip and ligament claims, so a high or unlimited annual limit and a short orthopedic wait matter most. A French Bulldog needs coverage that handles breathing, spine and skin claims, so check how each carrier treats hereditary conditions.

A Dachshund owner should focus on back disease, which is excluded for life once it shows up before coverage. A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel almost always develops mitral valve disease eventually, so enroll before a murmur is noted and favor plans that cover hereditary disease. For a giant breed like the Mastiff, premiums run highest, so compare deductible and reimbursement settings carefully to keep the monthly cost workable.

Whatever the breed, get at least three quotes with the same deductible, reimbursement rate and annual limit so you’re comparing like for like. Insurance can’t cover pre-existing conditions, so enrolling while your dog is young keeps the most options open. For averages by breed and age, see how much dog insurance costs.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Best Pet Insurance For Dogs?

No single carrier is best for every dog. Trupanion stands out for not raising premiums with age, Pumpkin for short orthopedic waits, Fetch for hereditary coverage and ASPCA for wellness paid with no deductible, so match the plan to your dog’s age and breed risks.

Which Pet Insurance Doesn’t Raise Rates With Age?

Trupanion sets the premium on your dog’s age at enrollment and doesn’t raise it for birthdays, though cost-of-care increases can still apply. Most other carriers reprice upward at each renewal.

Which Pet Insurance Has No Age Limit?

Spot, Pets Best, MetLife, Figo and Pumpkin all state that they have no upper age limit. Embrace limits pets 15 and older to accident-only coverage.

Do Any Pet Insurance Companies Cover Pre-Existing Conditions?

None cover incurable pre-existing conditions. Some will cover a curable one after a symptom- and treatment-free period: 180 days at Spot, Pumpkin and Prudent Pet, and 12 months at Embrace and Figo, with knee and ligament problems usually excluded.

How Much Does Pet Insurance Cost For A Dog?

NAPHIA reports an average accident-and-illness premium of $836 a year for dogs, or about $70 a month, with accident-only plans averaging $190 a year. Breed, age and ZIP code move individual quotes well above or below that.