Rover App Review: Is Working for Rover Worth It in January 2026?

Rover is an app and web platform that connects pet parents with pet sitters and dog walkers. As a Rover worker, you can use the app to easily find and schedule clients, get payments sent directly to your bank account, and find helpful resources and a support system for all your side hustle needs.

Getting started on the app is easy. First, you complete your profile, offering useful information regarding your services and experiences to help you attract potential clients.

Once you’ve met Rover’s requirements and created your profile, you’ll indicate the types of pets you want to care for and the services you can offer, as well as your rates and the dates you want to work. Rover will display these options to potential clients, who can then send you a request for services, which you can accept or reject.

Types of services

The more services you offer, the more opportunities you’ll have to make money through the Rover app. Below are the options you can choose from:

• Dog walking
• Pet boarding and sitting (cats, dogs, puppies)
• House sitting
• Pet drop-in visits
• Doggy day care

In addition to these services, Rover now also offers dog training through their subsidiary app, GoodPup. However, GoodPup operates as a completely separate app, and it’s not suitable for finding gig work.

How you get jobs on Rover

On Rover, it’s up to the pet parents to choose their own dog walkers and sitters. They’ll browse through available pet caregivers in their area who meet their search criteria, and then they’ll send a booking request to the caregiver of their choice.

As a pet care provider, you then have the option to accept or decline a client’s booking request. You have 72 hours to respond before the booking request expires.

Rover isn’t free for workers offering pet care services, but this isn’t uncommon for a gig app. You’ll need to pay two main fees to use the Rover app:

• Profile review fee: When you sign up, Rover will charge you $49–$79 to create your profile (with the exact amount depending on your location).
• Service fee: When you use Rover to get pet care jobs, the platform will take a 20% cut of your earnings (or 25% if you have RoverGO).

Rover claims that the service fee covers marketing costs, app support, and costs related to The Rover Guarantee (which provides insurance benefits protecting both pet owners and pet sitters). However, the protection offered is very basic, and you’ll still be best off getting your own insurance.

You get to set your own rates on Rover, although you’re not allowed to charge more than $250 per unit. Each type of pet care service on the platform has its own going rates. In general, you can expect to make around $15–$20 per hour, after taxes and fees.

The table below gives a breakdown of what you can expect to earn for different pet care services on the Rover app.

Standard Rover Rates for Pet Sitting and Dog Walking

Note: These estimates do not factor in Rover’s 20% cut of your pay.

Thankfully, you’ll get to keep 100% of any tips you receive. Rover doesn’t charge their 20% commission on tips, meaning they can substantially boost your earnings.

Factors influencing how much you make on Rover

Bolinger says there is very little overhead when it comes to working for Rover. The biggest cut to your earnings will be Rover’s 20% service fee. Nevertheless, it’s rare to find a job with no expenses.

Several factors can detract from your income from Rover:

• Fuel and transportation costs: Like the case with any job that requires a commute, you’ll need to cover transportation-related expenses, such as gas, car repairs, parking, or bus fare.
• Insurance: If you are doing house sitting, pet boarding, or doggy day care, then a third-party insurance and bond policy is highly advisable, since the Rover Guarantee doesn’t offer pet sitters much protection. Bolinger says these types of insurance policies start at around $300 per year.
• Travel time: Travel time between house visits or walks reduces the amount of time you have available to take on other gigs, reducing your effective hourly rate.
• Demand in your area: It’s harder to make money in less densely populated areas. If you live in a remote location, you may have fewer available jobs or be forced to expand your service area, and the longer commutes would eat up valuable time.

These factors will all affect your actual earnings with any pet care app, not just Rover. But they’re still worth considering to determine whether Rover is really worth it for you or if you’re better off staying off apps or choosing a new side hustle altogether.

In terms of how much you can make as a Rover dog walker, an important consideration is the amount of time you’ll spend traveling. If you book a gig that requires three visits per day and your client is a 15-minute drive away, then that’s an extra 1.5 hours of travel time per day that you’re not getting paid for (plus the cost of gas).

Also bear in mind that some services require additional work. For example, if you’re doing long-term pet sitting, the pet parent may expect photo updates.

Most sitters charge more for sitting dogs than cats or for sitting multiple pets in one household. Additionally, clients are often willing to pay more for sitting in larger cities or for sitting over the holidays.

How you’ll get paid

The app will calculate your earnings on your behalf, adding up how much you can expect to be paid based on both completed and future booked services. Rover uses Stripe to process payments via direct deposit into your bank account.

Stripe automatically processes payments from your Rover clients, as they’re available. It can take up to 5 business days for your payment to be deposited into your bank account after you’ve completed a job. One Rover app worker we spoke to says that payments usually take around 2–4 business days to process.

Cancellation policy

Last-minute cancellations can be a threat to your earning potential as a pet sitter or dog walker. Thankfully, Rover allows you to choose your own booking cancellation notice period from four options: same-day, 1-day, 3-day, and 7-day. If a client cancels a booking without sufficient notice, you’ll be entitled to partial compensation.

Here’s an overview of what happens when a client cancels a booking with you on Rover:

• Within your notice period: Client gets a full refund, and you get nothing.
• After your notice period ends: You get 50% pay of the booking amount for first 7 days only, and the client gets a full refund for any remaining days.

The only exception is for recurring clients—these recurring bookings are automatically set to the same-day cancellation policy.

Here’s what online chatter from sitters on Reddit and Indeed reveals about Rover right now:

• Rover is still a viable side hustle: Sitters in major hubs like Seattle praise Rover’s flexibility. Like most gig apps, it lets you set your own hours, which is a big boon for the busy.
• Pet parents can be hard to deal with: If you’re an animal lover, you’ll probably enjoy your work with the actual pets—but several people have complained in the past month about the increasing prevalence of indoor cameras and “helicopter” pet parents. One college student reported that one family watched them 24/7 and criticized them for “making themselves at home” (sitting on the couch and watching TV while cuddling their anxious dogs).
• There are still no ratings for owners: Compounding the difficulty with demanding pet parents, Rover only lets sitters rate pets, not owners. This makes it hard to parse at a glance which owners are problematic and which are easy to work with (although there is a section where sitters can leave general comments).
• Fees are higher in California: Sitters in California recently realized that Rover charges higher fees in their state. One user broke down a recent stay and noted that between the 25% marketplace fee and the 11% booking fee, Rover pocketed nearly 40% of the transaction.

The current consensus among high-earners is that you can use Rover to find clients, but if possible, you should transition them to private clients (once you have your own insurance).

Overall, how do people feel about using the Rover app in January 2026?

Most agree it’s okay to use Rover to build your reputation, but don’t rely on it forever—especially if you live in California. Treat it as a lead-generation tool for your own private pet-sitting business.

Rover is arguably the most popular dog-walking and pet-sitting app, and this popularity adds to its appeal—after all, a high number of users means more job opportunities. The main drawback for pet caregivers is Rover’s hefty fees, but the earning potential you’d get may be enough to make the cost of Rover worth it.

If you have some availability during the week, you should be able to earn enough through the Rover app to make it worthwhile. And regardless of whether you want a casual side hustle or you want to start your own pet care business, Rover may be the best place to start your journey.

Pros and cons of working for Rover

There are certain things sitters and walkers like and dislike about using the Rover app. Considering these advantages and disadvantages will help you decide if it’s the right choice for you or if you’re best off going with a competing pet care app or offering your own services without help from any gig app.

How Rover compares to other pet care apps

Rover’s main competitor is Wag!, which is another pet care app that you can use to find dog walking and pet sitting jobs. They offer slightly different work options—Rover allows you to do doggy day care, and Wag! offers dog training.

As you can imagine, there are a lot of debates online about the pros and cons of Wag! vs. Rover, which can sometimes come down to personal preference. For example, Bolinger told us she doesn’t use Wag! because they require you to accept bookings without meeting the client first, which she isn’t comfortable with.

If you’re not sold on Rover, don’t fret. There are several other similar apps that you can use to find dog walking and pet sitting jobs.

Pet Care App Comparison Chart

Some of these sites and apps also offer opportunities to sign up for other types of gigs, which may appeal to you if you want to do more than just pet care.

We asked Ariella Lisker, a different pet caregiver who’s tried using both Rover and TaskRabbit, which app she preferred using. She told us she prefers Rover since it specifically covers pet care. “That’s their whole business,” she added. TaskRabbit, by contrast, is a more general gig app. She also likes that she has more control over her territory map and rates.

Alternatively, if you’re thinking pet care might not be the ideal side hustle for you, then rest assured there are plenty of other types of work you can do. For example, you could try out other caregiving-related side hustles, like becoming a caregiver or babysitter.

We spoke with Lainie Bolinger, a pet sitter and dog walker who’s been using the Rover app since 2021. Here’s a look at her experience using Rover, including its best and worst features and what you can expect as a new app user.

You don’t have much control over your jobs or schedule

All bookings for pet care services on Rover are requested by the pet owner. An owner will send you a request that includes their requested dates and times, the services required, and a little note about the pet or what they’re looking for. You can accept or reject their request, but you can’t search and request clients on your own.

When it comes to setting your availability, you can’t select specific times or customize your availability depending on the day of the week. You can only select a predetermined time block, which will apply to all of the days you’ve marked that you’re available for bookings.

For example, let’s say you work a full-time day job during the week. You won’t be able to use Rover to fill out your weekends since you’ll only be able to set your availability to before or after your typical working hours.

Example Rover Availability Options

You also can’t customize your service radius according to the booking type. This means whatever distance you’re willing to travel for check-ins and dog walks will also apply to pet sitting and house sitting gigs.

You get more job offers if you have a higher Rover ranking

Bolinger says that Rover uses certain metrics to rank your profile. The better you perform, the higher up you’ll appear in search results when someone in your area is looking for a pet sitter or dog walker.

All the following factors affect your standing in the Rover app:

• How quickly you respond to requests
• How many requests you accept
• How many requests you reject
• How many bookings you cancel
• Reviews from clients (especially first-time clients)

You need to understand these metrics to succeed on the Rover app and avoid making mistakes that could make it harder to find work.

Meet-and-greets aren’t required, but they are necessary

When Bolinger gets offered a gig she wants, she replies right away to ask a few clarifying questions and propose a meet-and-greet within the next couple of days. To her, the meet-and-greets are pretty much essential, and she rarely takes bookings without one.

Meet-and-greets are the company’s way of making Rover safe for dog walkers and pet sitters, and failing to properly vet your clients could put you at risk. The best thing you can do is trust your instincts and reject the booking request if the client is giving off weird vibes.

Example Meet-and-Greet Request

The hardest part is dealing with pet owners

It may seem counterintuitive, but Bolinger says when it comes to using Rover to book pet care gigs, the animals are the easy part—it’s dealing with clients that she finds the most challenging.

In particular, she says clients sometimes have poor communication when it comes to sharing their address, remembering to provide door or lockbox codes, or giving feeding instructions. They may also forget to leave keys for you to enter their home.

You’ll do more than just pet care

Depending on the types of assignments you take through the Rover app, you could find yourself working as a pet photographer, personal assistant, and even house cleaner.

Most pet parents will expect photos of their pets and detailed updates, so this is something you’ll have to get used to. “Sending cute pictures is important, and I have gotten quite good at being an animal photographer,” says Bolinger. The photos you take are sent to the owner in what’s called a “Rover card,” which is like a report card for the visit.

If you’re pet sitting or house sitting, you may also be asked to water plants, bring in the mail or packages, or take out the trash. For house sitting, it’s worth noting that there is no “Rover card,” so you need to send updates and photos to the pet owner directly.

Bolinger has plenty of experience using the Rover app, and she’s figured out the best ways to maximize her earnings. Here are her top tips for new Rover workers.

1. Open up your availability

The wider your availability, the more bookings you’ll get. In particular, being open to working weekends and holidays is a great way to maximize your earnings. Just be careful not to open yourself up to more work than you can handle.

Bolinger warns that although “It is very important to book as many requests as possible to maintain your search position,” you’ll harm your ranking if you have to reject requests or cancel on a client you’ve already booked with. This is why it’s important to ensure your schedule is always up-to-date.

2. Respond to requests ASAP

It’s important to respond to requests as soon as possible (within minutes). Rover advises clients to send out multiple requests for pet care, so you’re not guaranteed a gig you’re offered.

“It often comes down to who is the quickest to respond,” Bolinger says. Keep an eye on your app notifications and act quickly to claim the gigs you want.

3. Get as many reviews as possible

Reviews are very important to your ranking on the Rover app. Getting good reviews will boost your ranking and increase the number of requests you receive.

Reviews from first-time clients have a particularly high influence on your ranking. When Bolinger is working with a new client, she usually reaches out after the booking and asks for a review if they were happy with her services.

4. Offer multiple services

According to Bolinger, pet sitting and boarding are the two “biggest money makers,” but offering multiple services is a great way to maximize the money you make. This way, you’ll show up in more search results, and clients you’re already working with regularly can easily book you for other services they might need.

5. Build good relationships with your clients

The number of repeat clients you have will show up on your Rover profile for potential clients to see, and each one attests to the quality of your services and satisfaction of your clients. “Repeat clients make up almost 80% of my bookings,” says Bolinger.

But securing repeat business isn’t the only benefit of pursuing good working relationships. You could also significantly increase your income by earning tips, which aren’t subject to Rover’s 20% service fee.

Additional pointers for getting more jobs on Rover

Here are some other general tips for booking more gigs on the Rover platform:

RoverGO

You can’t normally apply for jobs on Rover, unless you’re enrolled in RoverGO. There is little information about this program on the Rover.com website, but it appears to be a special program (available in select locations) that allows you to use the Rover app to bid on nearby pet sitting and dog walking jobs.

This has certain advantages, but there is one notable drawback: RoverGO users have to sacrifice a 25% cut of their earnings instead of Rover’s standard 20% commission fee.

Star Sitter program

If you live in an eligible location, you can potentially stand out from the crowd by becoming a Star Sitter. To qualify, you’ll need to meet several criteria:

• Booked with at least 5 unique clients in the last 6 months.
• Booked with at least 2 repeat clients in the last 6 months.
• Maintained a 4.9+ average star rating based on reviews from clients.
• Responded to 95% of your last 25 requests within 24 hours.
• Booked at least 33% of your last 25 requests from pet owners you’ve never booked with before.
• Have a last-minute booking cancellation rate (within 5 days of the start date) of 2% or less.

Rover will notify you by email if you’re eligible. Star Sitter status won’t impact your visibility in search rankings (unless pet parents filter search results to only see Star Sitters), but it will distinguish you as a high-performing caregiver.

You can sign up to be a dog walker or pet sitter with Rover if you are at least 18 years old, are a US citizen with a Social Security number, pass a background check, and complete their safety quiz.

To sign up and get started on Rover, you’ll need to download the app, create your profile, and undergo verification. The whole process is pretty simple and straightforward. Here’s what it involves:

1. Download the Rover app: Start by downloading the Rover app via the Apple Store or Google Play.
2. Create your profile: You can create your profile either in the app or online on Rover’s Become a Sitter landing page. Click “Get Started” to begin the application and profile creation process. You’ll be asked to provide basic information like your name, address, contact information, and Social Security number.
3. Pay a fee: You’ll need to pay $49–$79 to have your profile verified.
4. Take a safety quiz: To get approved, you’ll need to watch some videos and answer a few safety questions on dog handling and best practices.
5. Undergo a background check: You’ll have to complete a background check. You can choose a basic check or pay extra for an enhanced check, which is more comprehensive. Each check has its own badge, which will be added to your profile for pet parents to see once you’ve passed.

Rover says the application review process takes 5–10 business days, but actual Rover app users say you can get approved in under 1 week. After that, you’ll be able to start signing up for pet care gigs.

Where to download the Rover app

App Store Google Play

Supported areas

Rover is an international platform. In addition to the US, it’s available in many other countries, such as:

• Canada
• The United Kingdom
• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Spain
• The Netherlands

You can use the Rover app just about anywhere in the US. However, like the case with most gig apps, popularity may vary from one location to another. It’s possible that another pet care app may be more popular where you live or that there’s low demand for pet care services in your area.