9 Best Apps for Finding Babysitting Jobs

Sittercity is one of the best free apps for babysitters. There is an optional paid subscription to become a “Featured Sitter,” which requires a basic (free) criminal background check.

This platform’s large client pool means that you can secure gigs often, and it’s easy to build more long-term relationships with them if you’d like to babysit more regularly—a major reason why it just barely edges past UrbanSitter for the number one spot this season.

Standout features of the app include community groups for sitters to network with their colleagues on the app, and a health care partnership that allows sitters to easily shop for health insurance as independent contractors.

What you need to know about Sittercity

• Memberships: Again, you can either choose the free account option or sign up for a featured sitter subscription, which costs $14.99 per month. The company claims that featured sitters are four times more likely to book sitting jobs than nonfeatured sitters.
• How you’ll get paid: Clients pay you directly, outside of the app, via the payment method of your choice.
• Background check: Background checks are free if you have a featured sitter membership, but they cost money if you have a free account. You can still keep your account and apply for jobs if you fail the background check—you just won’t receive the “background check badge” that many parents will be looking for.
• How you get jobs: Clients create job postings, you apply or get an invite, and then you undergo an interview and provide references.
• Jobs you can do: Nannying, childcare, special needs care, senior care, and pet care.

UrbanSitter is one of the nation’s best apps for finding babysitting jobs and starting a babysitting side hustle. While the app does come with a set fee, it’s overall one of more affordable apps for babysitters to use.

Like Sittercity, there’s a large clientele, but online discussions seem to hint that this platform is better for finding last-minute or occasional jobs rather than long-term gigs.

You can also find a wide range of care-related jobs beyond babysitting on UrbanSitter, so if you want to broaden your services to include pet sitting or house sitting, this is a good app to try.

What you need to know about UrbanSitter

• Memberships: Unlike many other apps for babysitting jobs, UrbanSitter charges a membership fee. However, this fee is offset by the lack of commission or payment processing fees.
• How you’ll get paid: You get paid through the app via direct deposit.
• Background check: UrbanSitter requires a background check, but it’s free for sitters. They also run background checks on parents, showing that they care about your safety just as much as they care for the safety of the families who use the app.
• How you get jobs: There are two ways to get jobs on UrbanSitter. Clients can search for babysitters and send you a booking request, or they may post on the UrbanSitter job board, and then you can apply for jobs you’re interested in.
• Jobs you can do: Childcare, pet sitting, senior care, housekeeping, and tutoring.

Care.com is a hugely popular caregiving platform. It’s widely considered one of the best babysitter websites out there, although you’ll find a range of caregiving opportunities that go beyond childcare. Because it’s so popular, you can find lots of jobs on it. Another major benefit is its hands-off approach, which gives you ultimate control over your babysitting career.

What you need to know about Care.com

• Memberships: You can set up a free profile on the app or upgrade to a premium profile (for which we couldn’t verify the exact current cost). If you choose to become a premium sitter, you’ll get free annual screening, be among the top-featured sitters on the site, and have the option to talk directly to families.
• How you’ll get paid: Payments are processed through Care.com and deposited into your bank account.
• Background check: To apply for jobs on Care.com, you need to pass the platform’s background check, known as CareCheck. This comes with a background check fee if you have a free account, but it’s free with a premium account. You’ll need to complete a new background check every year.
• How you get jobs: You can either apply to jobs or wait to get booking requests from employers who have seen your profile and decided to message you directly.
• Jobs you can do: Babysitting, nannying (you can read our piece about the differences between a babysitter and a nanny), senior care, special needs care, housekeeping, pet sitting and boarding, dog walking, pet grooming, personal assistance, and tutoring.

Nextdoor is a local social networking platform where users connect with their neighbors. You can discuss issues, share information, sell items, and of course, advertise your services, like babysitting, to your community.

The platform verifies that users are real people in your neighborhood, so it’s a good option for finding legitimate jobs and for building reputable childcare connections.

What you need to know about Nextdoor

• Memberships: There is no fee to join or use Nextdoor.
• How you’ll get paid: Nextdoor does not process payments for peer-to-peer services (e.g., babysitting). You need to negotiate your rate and payment method directly with the family, whether that’s cash, check, mobile payment such as Venmo, etc.
• Background check: Nextdoor requires users to verify their identity and physical address but doesn’t conduct background checks on its users. Be prepared to provide your own references to parents.
• How you get jobs: You can browse the newsfeed for neighbors asking for childcare recommendations or post your own advertisement to the “Services” or “For Sale & Free” sections.
• Jobs you can do: Babysitting, nannying, dog walking, and various other neighborhood tasks.

Helpr is a unique app that not just any parent can sign up for. Instead, businesses register with Helpr to provide backup care services as a benefit to their employees.

Because of Helpr’s unusual business model, the app may not be as widely used as other platforms and may make it a little harder to find work. However, since it’s tied to employers, you may also find higher-quality and higher-paying clients. Overall, it’s a good backup platform to have for on-demand gigs, and you’re less likely to run into badly behaving parents.

Just as Helpr only serves select parents, they’re also fairly restrictive when it comes to who they allow to sign up as a babysitter. You must have at least 2 years of professional childcare experience, three relevant references, and a CPR certification (or plans to acquire one).

What you need to know about Helpr

• Memberships: There’s no fee to join Helpr.
• How you’ll get paid: Payments are made via direct deposit.
• Background check: You need to pass criminal and federal background checks as well as a social media check, but the screening process is free for sitters.
• How you get jobs: Helpr sets the hourly job rates (averaging $27 per hour), and you can choose whether to accept a job based on the rate.
• Jobs you can do: Babysitting and nannying.

Bambino is exclusively designed for babysitting, and it emphasizes experience more than many other apps for babysitting. For this reason, it may not be the best option if you’re looking for your first babysitting gig, but it has plenty of benefits that make it well worth trying out if you’re an experienced sitter.

While most states don’t have a minimum babysitting age, many babysitting apps require users to be at least 18 years old. Here’s where Bambino stands out—it’s open to babysitters as young as 13 years old.

Before you can begin booking jobs, you need to have a recommendation from a client. However, once you qualify, you’ll find that booking those jobs is incredibly easy.

Bambino also has a pretty nifty rewards program. The more money you make through the app, the more rewards points you earn. Once you hit 1,500 points, you get an Amazon gift card.

What you need to know about Bambino

• Memberships: You don’t have to pay any membership fees. However, Bambino has four membership levels, and a level will be assigned to you based on factors like your age, experience, and whether you have your own transportation.
• How you’ll get paid: Bambino payments are processed through the app and then sent to you via Venmo or direct deposit.
• Background check: Background checks aren’t required with Bambino, but they are encouraged.
• How you get jobs: Unlike the case with other apps for babysitters, you can’t apply for jobs on Bambino. Instead, you have to wait for parents to find you and reach out if they think you’re a good fit.
• Jobs you can do: Babysitting only.

SeekingSitters is technically a sitter referral service, and the company expects any sitters who use the platform to represent the brand appropriately. This includes wearing a branded uniform to sitting jobs.

Babysitting through SeekingSitters is a bit more like working as an employee for an agency, which might be preferable, depending on your needs and goals. You also need to be at least 18 years old to join.

What you need to know about SeekingSitters

• Memberships: You don’t need to pay for a membership to receive jobs through SeekingSitters, but you’ll need to pay for your uniform and any certifications required (like CPR and first aid certifications).
• How you’ll get paid: SeekingSitters sets the job rates, and you get paid weekly via direct deposit.
• Background check: You need to pass a robust screening and approval process, which is conducted by in-house licensed private investigators.
• How you get jobs: You set your own schedule, and SeekingSitters connects you with suitable families in need of your services.
• Jobs you can do: Babysitting and nannying.

Babysits is a relatively hands-off platform. One of the biggest draws of the app is that it’s one of the few babysitting apps available to teens under 18 years old. You only need to be 16 years old to sign up.

If you meet certain criteria, you can become a “supersitter” on the app and receive extra visibility and more job opportunities. Unlike other platforms, you won’t need to pay for this extra visibility—instead, you earn it through great reviews and responsiveness.

What you need to know about Babysits

• Memberships: Signing up is free, and there are no fees.
• How you’ll get paid: It’s up to you to set your own rates.  Payments are processed through Stripe within 5–10 business days after a babysitting appointment. 1
• Background check: Background checks are optional but not required. The background check costs $10.20 and allows you to get a “background checked” badge on your profile.
• How you get jobs: Parents browse sitter profiles and reach out to you if they think you’re a good match. You then communicate and negotiate the terms of your work arrangement off of the platform.
• Jobs you can do: Babysitting only.

Juggle uses families’ social networks to help them find sitters that their network already uses, knows, or trusts. It’s worth noting that Juggle is only available in select locations, so it may not be a suitable option for all babysitters.

What you need to know about Juggle

• Memberships: There are no fees to join, but Juggle charges parents an extra $2 per hour above your specified rate as a commission fee.
• How you’ll get paid: While at a job, the Juggle app tracks your time for payment. After you wrap up a gig, you’ll get paid via direct deposit within 5 days after your first job and within 1–3 business days for every gig you do after that. 2
• Background check: The app does not require a background check, but having one will make you more appealing to parents.
• How you get jobs: You can either advertise your availability and families can request you, or you can look for open jobs and apply to them.
• Jobs you can do: Overnight babysitting (Note: overnight babysitting rates usually differ from daytime babysitting rates), pet sitting, housekeeping, tutoring, and nannying.

There are a range of babysitting websites and apps out there, all offering different features. As you think about which platform to use, consider the following factors:

• Qualifications and experience: Some platforms are pickier than others. You may be required to have prior childcare experience or pass a background or social media check.
• Schedule: Certain apps are designed for short-notice babysitting gigs, allowing parents to book within a matter of hours and allowing sitters to get jobs on the fly when their availability changes.
• Location: Perhaps one of the most important factors to consider is which babysitting job apps are most popular where you live. An app will be no use to you at all if you don’t live in a covered area.
• Fees: Take fees into account, including fees that an app may charge to increase your profile visibility. Many of the top choices are free babysitting apps, although paid apps may offer more benefits.

If you want occasional gig work, opt for a platform that’s more flexible and allows babysitters to manage their own business. If you prefer more stable income and a platform that will provide training or networking opportunities, then there are also apps that will offer you those more comprehensive features.

Other options to explore

If you’re already doing a bit of babysitting or you want to become a babysitter, babysitting apps aren’t your only option. You can also get a job working for a babysitting agency, which could offer you more stable hours and income and even employee benefits like paid time off (PTO).

Alternatively, if you’re not sure you want to be a babysitter but you’d love a job that involves caring for others or working with children, you could consider one of these other side hustle options:

• Nannying
• Caregiving
• Substitute teaching
• Pet sitting

Plenty of independent workers choose to take up multiple side hustles, so mixing and matching is also an option. This type of side hustle lifestyle is even easier when you use gig apps—and as you may have heard, there’s an app for just about everything these days.