Wag! vs. Rover: Which App is Better for Earning Money?

If you want to become a pet sitter or dog walker, Wag! and Rover are likely going to be among the first apps you consider using to find clients. While these two apps have similar aims and target users, they have some crucial differences that can affect your pet care side hustle and earning potential.

We’ve already done deep dives into each of these apps in our dedicated Wag! review and Rover review. But a side-by-side comparison of their features may help you decide which dog walking app is best.

Wag! vs. Rover Comparison Chart

Rover has lower fees

Rover only charges a 20% commission fee, whereas Wag! takes double that amount. This is a huge difference.

What’s more, Rover is upfront about their cut, whereas Wag! doesn’t clearly advertise their fees. In addition to the difference in cut percentage, Rover also seems to have lower signup fees.

Wag! offers potentially better benefits, but at a cost

Wag! offers some benefits you can’t get with Rover, such as instant payments, but you need to pay an extra fee. They also give caregivers the opportunity to pay a premium fee to rank higher in search results.

This is a double-edged sword. On one hand, this means there is potential to get ahead of the competition by paying extra. On the other hand, it means that users without a premium membership will find it much harder to land gigs.

We spoke to long-time Wag! user Elizabeth Perez, who noted that since Wag! Pro was introduced, it’s a lot harder to get requests if you haven’t enrolled.

“Most requests are going towards those who have paid for the extra boost,” she said. “There is a type of preferential treatment to those who have been paying their way through to be able to get more requests and bookings.”

Rover lets you do a meet-and-greet before committing

On the Wag! app, you have to accept a booking request before you can ask a client for a meet-and-greet. Since you’ve already committed to the gig at that stage, you don’t have the freedom to change your mind if it’s not a good fit. Rover, on the other hand, allows dog walkers and sitters to request a meet-and-greet before committing.

Meet-and-greets are important for your safety, so this is an important factor to consider. One Rover sitter we spoke to, Lainie Bolinger, even said that this is her main reason for choosing Rover over Wag!

“Rover has a feature to schedule a meet and greet through the booking request so both you and the pet owner can confirm and add it to your calendar,” Bolinger said. “I personally try to never accept a booking from a new client without a meet and greet first to make sure that it will be a good fit for everyone involved.”

Wag! is more geared towards walks and quick gigs

Even though Rover and Wag! both offer pet sitting and dog walking services, users informally consider Rover to be the best dog sitting app and Wag! to be the best dog walking app to make money.

Additionally, Wag! is seen as a quicker money-making option and an app that’s primarily used to fill last-minute pet care needs. Rover, on the other hand, has a reputation for being a service for connecting pet parents and caregivers for long-term and recurring jobs.

While these may be minor points to some users, they are well worth considering in the context of your overall goals for your pet care side hustle and the types of services you want to focus on.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both Wag! and Rover. Let’s take a closer look at how their pros and cons compare.

Pros and Cons of Wag!

Rover’s higher and additional fees are a notable drawback, but it has several advantages that set pet caregivers up for success:

Pros and cons of Rover

Dog walkers and pet sitters generally prefer Rover over Wag!, but the answer to whether Rover or Wag! is better isn’t super clear-cut. Here’s an overview of what each app is really like to use according to pet caregivers who have experience using these apps.

Case A:

“From what I can tell, Rover is way better than wag. Rover costed me less. If you’re in a big city and available to do the holidays, you’d be highly likely to be hired right away. Walks are more popular in the summer whereas petsitting is more popular in the winter and holiday season.” (November 2023)

Case B:

“If the need is immediate cash then Wag would be a better option. You don’t have to wait around for someone to contact you. And sone people wai t months before they get their first request. If quick money is the immediate need then I’d say wag would be the better option. At least they can request as many walks as they want and hopefully they’ll get some quickly.” (November 2023)

Case C:

“Wag and Rover Target different markets. So their popularity is subjective. Wag caters to the immediate need, no meet and greets etc… type people. Rover is more of a process. People looking for specific dates or services. And more likely to find longer term jobs. So depending on your needs will determine what people think is more popular.” (November 2023)

Case D:

“In my area rover is more for pet sitting and wag is for walking. I’ve never had a walk request on rover and I’ve never had a boarding request on wag. I’m sure it depends on the area but I use Both apps the maximize my income for this reason!” (December 2022)

Case E:

“In my experience I get paid WAY more for my time on rover. But it takes a long time to build up clientele and it’s not as instant as wag because you have to wait for clients to contact you. From my perspective it seems nearly impossible to get paid a reasonable wage on wag, but it’s instant and quick money, to fill up days that aren’t as busy on rover.

“I much prefer rover because they only take 20% from your pay, but it took ages to build up clientele. If you do decide to do rover, holidays are a great time to build up clientele, and then I always ask for reviews if they don’t do them within a week (if I feel like they were happy with my services). The review section is also where the client gets asked if they want to tip, and most of the time the client does. That’s one of the things I love most about rover haha.” (December 2022)

Whether Wag! or Rover is the best pet care app for making money depends on several factors, including where you live (each one dominates in different regions), how quickly you need money (Wag! allows quicker earnings), what types of services you want to provide (Rover is known for pet sitting, and Wag! is known for dog walking), and your overall goals for your pet care side hustle.

A key consideration determining which app is better for you is exactly how much you can make on Rover compared to Wag! However, your earning potential on each app depends on where you live since their popularity varies by region.

To find out which app most pet owners use in your area, search for local Facebook groups for pet caregivers or relevant online forums (e.g., subreddits r/WagWalker and r/RoverPetSitting), and ask other people.

You can also try out both apps for yourself to see which one you have more success with. At the end of the day, only by actually using an app can you truly know if it’s the right one for your particular situation.

Tips to maximize your earnings on Wag! and Rover

Wag! and Rover are both good apps to start a dog walking or pet sitting side hustle. But beyond just figuring out whether Wag! or Rover is better to work for, there are a few other things you can do to increase your chances of success when finding and booking pet care gigs.

Follow these tips:

• Request reviews from clients: A high rating and good reviews attract potential clients. It’s worth reminding your clients politely to leave you a review after completing a gig.
• Share photos and updates: Pet parents usually love to see pictures and get reports on what their pet was up to while they were away. These small gestures can improve your app ratings and increase your chances of rebooking.
• Vet your clients: Once a client contacts you, message them to clarify specific details. It’s also advisable to arrange a meet-and-greet to ensure the client is a good match and that the pet doesn’t have any additional care needs.

Finally, for a truly successful pet care side hustle, consider building your own client list and trying out old-school marketing tactics to spread the word about your services rather than sticking strictly to pet care job apps. You’ll earn more in the long run by moving off these apps and keeping 100% of your earnings.

Alternatives to Wag! and Rover

Wag! and Rover aren’t the only apps you can find dog walking or pet sitting jobs. Below are a few other pet care apps and sites worth checking out.

Pet Care Apps Comparison Chart

Some of these apps and sites offer other types of gig opportunities, which may appeal to you if you’re not 100% set on pet care career.

Whichever app you end up using, remember to prioritize your own safety. If you feel uncomfortable when meeting a new client or their pet seems overly aggressive, trust your instincts and turn down the job. After all, it’s better to be safe than sorry.