PetBacker Review (2026): Honest Look at the Global App

PetBacker is a global pet-sitting and boarding marketplace built around an app that connects pet owners with independent sitters in around 50 countries. It is often pitched as an international alternative to Rover, and that framing is accurate: PetBacker's real strength is geographic reach, while its weakness is thin coverage in much of the United States. This independent review covers how PetBacker works, how sitters are vetted, what it costs, the mixed ratings, and who should actually use it.

QUICK VERDICT
Is PetBacker worth it?

It depends where you live. PetBacker is a legitimate marketplace with sitters in about 50 countries, a selective vetting process that accepts only around 30 percent of applicants, verified reviews, and accident-only booking protection. For international travelers and owners in countries where Rover does not operate, it is genuinely useful. For most US owners it is a weaker pick: availability is thin outside major cities, ratings are mixed (mid-3 to mid-4 stars depending on platform), and some sitters report payment frustrations.

Best for international pet owners and travelers. US owners should usually check Rover or Wag first for local depth.

Sitter listings and the booking process are on the official PetBacker site.

For a deeper dive, see our guide to how to become a pet sitter: skills, certifications, insurance, and your first clients (2026 guide).

PetBacker is one of several Rover alternatives worth considering we compare.

What is PetBacker and how does it work?

PetBacker is an app-based pet-services marketplace. Rather than running its own sitters, it connects owners with independent providers and handles discovery, messaging, payment, and reviews. The booking flow is familiar if you have used Rover: you enter your location, dates, and the service you need, then browse local sitters with profiles, prices, photos, and verified reviews.

Once you find a sitter, you send a booking request, message them through the app, and pay in-platform. PetBacker holds that payment and releases it to the sitter only after the booking is completed without a major dispute. The app also supports photo and video updates, and even video calls between owner and sitter, which is a feature international travelers tend to value when they are many time zones away from home.

What services does PetBacker offer?

Pet boarding - your pet stays at the sitter's home.

Pet sitting - the sitter cares for your pet in your home, including drop-in visits.

Dog walking - scheduled walks.

Grooming - available in many markets.

Day care and pet taxi - offered by some sitters depending on location.

Coverage of each service depends entirely on which sitters are active near you. If you are deciding between visit-based care and an overnight stay, our guide on drop-in pet sitting versus overnight care is a useful companion read.

How are PetBacker sitters vetted?

This is one of PetBacker's better selling points. The company states that all sitters go through a vetting process run by its trust-and-safety team, and that only about 30 percent of applicants are approved. A selective acceptance rate is meaningful: it means the marketplace is not simply listing anyone who signs up.

On top of vetting, PetBacker hosts verified reviews tied to completed, paid bookings, which makes the ratings on sitter profiles harder to fake than open review systems. It also offers Premium Protection, an accident-only coverage applied to bookings paid through the platform. Read that wording carefully: Premium Protection is accident-only and is not full pet insurance, and PetBacker itself states it is not a substitute for your own pet or liability insurance. Treat it as a safety net, not a guarantee.

How much does PetBacker cost?

PetBacker has no fixed pricing. Each sitter sets their own rates, which vary by country, city, service, and pet size. You see the price on each sitter's profile before you request a booking. For a sense of what in-home care costs more broadly, our pet sitting cost guide breaks down typical ranges.

What is fixed is the commission. PetBacker takes a cut of the sitter's earnings on a sliding scale, generally 15 to 25 percent. New sitters pay the top of that range, and the rate drops as they build a track record on the platform. That commission is paid by the sitter, not added as a separate line on your bill, though sitters naturally factor it into the rates they set.

PetBacker pros and cons

Pros

Genuine global reach with sitters in around 50 countries.

Selective vetting: only about 30 percent of applicants accepted.

Verified reviews tied to completed bookings.

Photo, video updates, and in-app video calls.

Accident-only Premium Protection on platform-paid bookings.

Useful where Rover and Wag do not operate.

Cons

Thin availability across much of the US outside major cities.

Mixed ratings, mid-3 to mid-4 stars depending on the platform.

Poor communication is a recurring pet-owner complaint.

Some sitters report payment delays or withheld earnings.

Premium Protection is accident-only, not real insurance.

The real weaknesses: thin US coverage and mixed ratings

PetBacker is honest about being a global platform, and that is exactly where the trade-off lives. Its presence is strong in markets like Singapore, Hong Kong, and London, but across much of the United States the sitter pool is thin. In smaller US cities and suburbs you may open the app and find very few sitters, or none, where Rover would show dozens. If you live outside a major US metro, check availability for your exact address before you rely on PetBacker for a trip.

The ratings picture is also mixed. Across review platforms PetBacker lands somewhere in the mid-3 to mid-4 star range, decent but not exceptional. The most common pet-owner complaint is poor communication. On the other side of the marketplace, some sitters report payment-processing frustrations, including earnings being delayed or withheld during disputes. A platform that frustrates its sitters tends, over time, to lose its best ones, so this is worth weighing rather than dismissing.

What do the app updates and protection actually cover?

During a booking, sitters can send photo and video updates through the PetBacker app, and owners can request video calls. For someone on holiday in a different time zone, seeing a short clip of their dog mid-walk is genuinely reassuring, and it is one of the features that distinguishes PetBacker from more text-only services. The quality and frequency of updates still come down to the individual sitter, so set expectations in your messages before the booking starts.

On protection, the important nuance is the wording. PetBacker's Premium Protection applies only to bookings paid through the platform, which is a strong reason never to settle a booking off-app to dodge the commission. But the cover is accident-only and limited, not comprehensive insurance. If your pet has ongoing health needs or you want real financial cover for a worst-case event, keep your own pet insurance in place and treat the platform protection as a small extra layer rather than the main safeguard.

How does PetBacker compare to Rover and Wag?

Feature | PetBacker | Rover | Wag
Geographic reach | ~50 countries, global | US-focused, some other countries | US only
US local depth | Thin outside major metros | Deep in most US areas | Strong in US cities
Sitter vetting | ~30% of applicants accepted | Background check, owner reviews | Background check, owner reviews
Booking protection | Accident-only Premium Protection | Rover Guarantee | Wag coverage on bookings
Commission from sitter | 15–25% sliding scale | ~15-20% | ~40% on some services
Typical rating | Mixed, mid-3 to mid-4 | Generally higher | Generally higher

For a US owner in a well-served city, Rover or Wag will almost always give you more sitter choice and a more proven local track record. PetBacker earns its place when you are traveling internationally, when you live in a country where Rover does not operate, or when you specifically want a platform with cross-border reach. For other alternatives, see our Care.com and TrustedHousesitters reviews, or browse the full pet sitting hub.

Who should use PetBacker?

PetBacker suits international pet owners, expats, and travelers who need care across borders and value the video-update and video-call features when they are far from home. It is also a sensible option in countries where the bigger US-focused apps simply are not available.

It is a weaker fit for owners in smaller US markets, where availability is unreliable, and for anyone who wants the deepest possible pool of vetted local sitters with the strongest track record. In those cases, start with Rover or Wag and treat PetBacker as a backup.

Frequently asked questions

Is PetBacker legit?

Yes. PetBacker is an established pet-services marketplace operating in around 50 countries since 2016. It vets sitters, accepting only about 30 percent of applicants, hosts verified reviews from completed bookings, and provides accident-only Premium Protection on bookings paid through the platform. It is a genuine service, though US coverage is thinner than Rover or Wag and ratings are mixed.

How does PetBacker work?

PetBacker is an app-based marketplace. You enter your location, dates, and the service you need, then browse local sitters with profiles, prices, and verified reviews. You request a booking, message the sitter, and pay through the app. PetBacker holds the payment and releases it to the sitter after the booking is completed without a major dispute.

How much does PetBacker cost?

Prices are set by individual sitters and vary by country, city, service, and pet size, so there is no fixed national rate. Dog boarding, pet sitting, dog walking, and grooming are all priced per sitter. PetBacker takes a commission from the sitter's earnings on a sliding scale, typically 15 to 25 percent, with new sitters paying the higher rate and established sitters paying less.

Is PetBacker safe to use?

PetBacker vets sitters and offers accident-only Premium Protection on platform-paid bookings, plus verified reviews and in-app messaging with photo and video updates. Note that Premium Protection is accident-only coverage, not full pet insurance, and is no substitute for your own pet or liability insurance. As with any marketplace, read recent reviews and arrange a meet-and-greet before booking.

Is PetBacker good in the United States?

It is a weaker choice for most US owners. PetBacker's strength is international coverage, and its US presence is thin outside major metros, so you may find few or no sitters in smaller cities and suburbs. For US bookings, Rover and Wag usually offer far more local options. PetBacker is most useful for international travel or owners in countries where Rover does not operate.

What are the main complaints about PetBacker?

Reviews are mixed. The most common pet-owner complaint is poor communication. On the sitter side, some report payment-processing frustrations, including earnings being delayed or withheld during disputes. Overall ratings are decent but not exceptional, in the mid-3 to mid-4 range depending on the review platform, so check current reviews for your specific area before relying on it.

How we reviewed PetBacker

This review draws on PetBacker's own service and help-center materials, its app-store listings, aggregated customer ratings from Trustpilot and independent pet-app roundups, and reporting on its commission structure and sitter vetting. Pricing is set per sitter and varies widely by country and city; commission figures are typical ranges. Premium Protection is accident-only coverage and is not pet insurance. We have no affiliate relationship with PetBacker. Always check current sitter availability and reviews for your specific location before booking.