Best pet insurance companies

When it comes to caring for our four-legged family members, the financial burden of unexpected veterinary bills can be overwhelming. As a result, many pet parents struggle to balance their desire to provide excellent medical care with the reality of their budget constraints. This is where pet insurance can come in as a valuable financial tool.

The mechanics of pet insurance are straightforward: Most plans follow a reimbursement structure where pet owners initially cover the vet costs out-of-pocket and then submit their expenses to the insurance company for repayment. While traditional reimbursement remains common, the industry has evolved to include providers who can pay veterinarians directly, eliminating the need for owners to front large sums of money.

Before committing to a policy, it's essential to carefully evaluate different insurance providers since coverage options and premium costs can differ substantially. To assist pet owners in their search for the right policy, we've compiled a selection of top-rated pet insurance providers below.

Start by getting a free pet insurance price quote today to learn more.

Best pet insurance companies 

According to our comprehensive analysis, here are our picks for the best pet insurance companies.

• Best for cost: ManyPets
• Best for comprehensive coverage: Embrace
• Best for flexibility: Spot
• Best for dogs: Lemonade
• Best for cats: Figo
• Best for quick reimbursement: Fetch by The Dodo
• Best for direct vet payments: Pets Best

Best for cost: ManyPets

According to ManyPets, insurance coverage starts at $20 per month for dogs and $15 for cats.

In our research, ManyPets edged out Lemonade with slightly lower costs for coverage. We got quotes for a 5-year-old mixed dog of medium weight and good health in Boulder, Colorado. For a maximum coverage pet insurance policy with a $500 deductible and a reimbursement rate of 80%, you'd pay a $48.84 monthly premium with ManyPets and $56.62 per month with Lemonade.

ManyPets also offers a 15% premium discount if you insure more than one pet with the insurer. 

No matter which pet insurance company you choose, you can lower your monthly premiums by raising your deductible or lowering your annual limit and reimbursement percentage. 

Find out how affordable pet insurance can be today.

Best for comprehensive coverage: Embrace

Embrace pet insurance provides the most comprehensive coverage with first-rate benefits. Embrace covers a broad spectrum of conditions, including breed-specific and orthopedic conditions, cancer treatments and emergency surgeries. Policies also include coverage for prescription drugs for covered conditions and treatments your pet receives at emergency vet clinics.

While many pet insurance providers limit their maximum annual coverage to $100,000 or less, Embrace maximum coverage is unlimited. If you don't anticipate needing that much coverage, you can choose a reduced maximum limit of as low as $5,000.

Start by getting a quote from Embrace online now.

Best for flexibility: Spot

A pet insurance policy with numerous deductibles and maximum coverage amounts is essential if you want to customize your coverage to meet your budget. By raising your deductible or lowering your coverage amounts, you can dial in your coverage to maximize your benefits without breaking the bank.

Spot Pet Insurance provides you with the most flexibility to customize your policy. The company offers several annual limit options:

• $2,500
• $3,000
• $4,000
• $5,000
• $7,000
• $10,000
• Unlimited

Spot also offers numerous deductible options ranging from $100 to $1,000, so you can find the best balance of premium cost with affordability when you file a claim. You can get a pet insurance quote from Spot in 30 seconds now.

Best for dogs: Lemonade

Lemonade is a popular insurance company that issues homeowners, rental and auto insurance. The company is also among the best pet insurance companies, with affordable premiums and comprehensive coverage for your dog or cat.

One unique feature of Lemonade pet insurance is that it groups mixed breeds together rather than as a specific breed, such as a Labrador Mix. With many pets identified as mixed breeds, this feature may save you money on your pet insurance policy. Remember that mixed dogs are generally less expensive to insure than specific breeds. 

Check Lemonade's prices here to find out how much it would cost to insure your dog.

Best for cats: Figo

Some pet insurance companies don't provide insurance for pets above a specific age, often between seven and 14 years. This age stipulation can present a problem when looking for cat insurance since our feline friends typically live 13 to 17 years on average. It's not uncommon for some cats to live beyond 20 years.

The age of your cat (or dog) isn't a concern with Figo pet insurance. The insurer covers cats and dogs without any upper-age restrictions. This is a great relief for pet owners struggling to find insurance for their senior pets.

Check Figo's prices here to find out how much it would cost to insure your cat.

Best for quick reimbursement: Fetch by The Dodo

When you're shopping for pet insurance, be sure to ask each insurer about their average reimbursement time frame. With some pet insurance companies, you may not receive reimbursement for your pet care expenses for 30 days or longer. Long waiting times can strain your budget, especially after forking out a substantial sum to cover an unplanned procedure or treatment.

That said, Fetch by The Dodo is our pick for the quickest reimbursement time. You can typically receive reimbursement within two business days via direct deposit. Receiving your reimbursement quickly can help you withstand the impact of a large vet bill, especially if you choose the 90% reimbursement rate.

Get a free price quote from Fetch by the Dodo online now and learn more.

Best for direct vet payments: Pets Best

Unlike most pet insurance companies, Pets Best insurance provides an option called Vet Direct Pay which allows Pets Best to pay your vet directly for an amount equal to your claim reimbursement.

By paying the vet directly, you don't have to pull money from your savings or charge the vet bill on your credit card to pay for your pet's care. This unique feature allows you to concentrate more on your pet's treatment and recovery and less on the payment for vet services.

Learn more about this unique feature here now.

The bottom line

As with most financial products and services, the benefits of each are unique to the individual. So while we find the above companies the best for individual features it still pays to do your own research to find the best plan for you and your furry friend. Use the table below to get started today.