5 Cheapest Pet Insurance Companies Of 2024

For affordable dog insurance:

• Fetch has the cheapest dog insurance policies at $36 monthly on average for $5,000 in annual coverage, a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement level for dogs, based on our analysis.
• Pets Best has the cheapest pet insurance for dogs with an average monthly cost of $44 for unlimited annual coverage, a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement level.

For affordable cat insurance:

• Fetch has the cheapest cat insurance at $21 monthly on average for $5,000 in annual coverage, a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement level for cats, based on our analysis.
• Lemonade has the cheapest cat insurance at $22 monthly on average for unlimited annual coverage, a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement level.

Case Study: Butter's Bloat Scare
Butter	I came home from work one day and noticed Butter was in a lot of pain and screaming when he tried to relieve himself, so I rushed him to our nearest emergency vet. They diagnosed him with bloat (GDV), a life-threatening condition causing his stomach to expand to three times its normal size. I was terrified and would’ve done anything for him to get better. The total cost was around $3,000, but my pet insurance reimbursed about $2,800. I pay about $50 per month for the insurance—worth every penny! -  Casey D., California

Take these steps to find the cheapest pet insurance that’s right for you.

	Review the pet Insurance plan with your vet. Discuss the breed’s potential health issues before you buy a policy.
	Compare pet insurance plans. The best way to find a good price is to compare pet insurance quotes among multiple insurers. You can get free quotes online. You can also get quotes via email, phone or in-person by contacting a representative from a pet insurance company or an independent insurance agent.
	Adjust your deductible, reimbursement and coverage levels. The details of your policy will affect your cost. For example, unlimited annual coverage costs more than a plan that provides only $5,000 of annual coverage. You can also lower costs by choosing higher deductibles and lower reimbursement levels.
	Ask about discounts. The most common type of pet insurance discount is a multipet discount, which is generally between 5% to 10%. You can also find other types of pet insurance discounts such as annual pay discount, military discount and spay/neuter discount.

Pet insurance for a dog costs an average of $48 per month for $5,000 of annual coverage with a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement, based on our analysis of pet insurance rates. Unlimited coverage with a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement level costs an average of $68 per month.

The average pet insurance cost for cats is $28 per month for $5,000 of annual coverage with a $250 deductible and 80% deductible. Unlimited coverage with a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement level costs an average of $40 per month.

Your own pet insurance cost will depend on the type of plan you select, the annual coverage limit, deductible amount, reimbursement level and other factors, such as your pet’s breed and age.

How Much Is Dog Insurance Per Month?

Dog’s age	Pet insurance cost per month for $5,000 annual coverage, $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement	Pet insurance cost per month cost for unlimited annual coverage, $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement
Puppy (3 months)	$37	$56
2 years	$35	$55
5 years	$45	$70
7 years	$59	$91
Average	$44	$68

Costs are based on a plan with $5,000 annual coverage and unlimited annual coverage ($15,000 for Fetch and $100,000 for Lemonade), a $250 deductible ($300 for Fetch and $750 for dogs over age seven in several states for Healthy Paws) and 80% reimbursement level for mixed breed dogs.

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How Much Is Cat Insurance Per Month?

Cat’s age	Pet insurance cost per month cost for $5,000 coverage $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement	Pet insurance cost per month cost for unlimited coverage, $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement
Kitten (3 months)	$22	$30
2 years	$22	$31
5 years	$26	$38
7 years	$34	$49
Average	$26	$37

Costs are based on a plan with $5,000 annual coverage and unlimited annual coverage ($15,000 for Fetch and $100,000 for Lemonade), a $250 deductible ($300 for Fetch and $750 for cats over age seven in several states for Healthy Paws) and 80% reimbursement level for mixed breed cats.

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Pet insurance companies use a variety of pricing factors when setting rates, such as the factors below.

	Dogs are generally more expensive to insure than cats.
	Certain breeds that are predisposed to hereditary problems (such as a French bulldog) will typically mean higher vet costs. Also, larger dogs are generally more expensive to insure.
	The cost of vet care where you live will impact your pet insurance costs.
	Your coverage selections, such as annual coverage limit, deductible amount and reimbursement level will affect your cost. For example, a lower deductible will result in a higher cost.

To find out if cheap pet insurance is worth it, we recommend looking at the pet insurance coverage benefits you want versus focusing solely on price. Our analysis found that the average price of a policy for dogs with unlimited annual coverage, a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement level is $66 per month. You can find several pet insurers that cost lower than the monthly average, but they don’t all offer the same benefits.

For example, Lemonade pet insurance has the second cheapest rates ($46 per month) among the insurers we looked at, but you won’t find coverage for vet exam fees, or behavioral or alternative therapy included in its base coverage. That means you’ll have to pay out of pocket for these expenses. You also won’t find a 24/7 vet telehealth line with Lemonade.

If these coverage benefits are important to you, we’d recommend going with a more expensive company like Embrace pet insurance ($76 per month) that includes these benefits in its base coverage. Embrace also has a 24/7 vet telehealth line which can be invaluable if your pet gets sick in the middle of the night on a weekend.

We used data provided by PetInsurer.com to score each pet insurance company based on the following.

Average costs: 40% of score. We calculated average rates for medium sized mixed breed dogs age 3 months, 2 years, 5 years and 7 years for policies with unlimited coverage, a $250 deductible and a 80% reimbursement level, or the closest options available.

Plan benefits: 60% of score. We scored policies based on the following important features: Annual coverage choices, whether the plan can pay a veterinarian directly, access to a 24/7 vet line, availability of routine wellness coverage, whether the plan pays the vet exam fee, dental illness coverage, end of life coverage and multipet discount.

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