Rover fees calculator: what does Rover really cost you?
Free tool · Updated August 13, 2026
Rover is testing a 30% tiered sitter fee in Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue, Chicago, Naperville, Elgin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington. Rover also charges the pet owner an 11% booking fee. On a booking that stays entirely in the 30% tier, those two fees equal 41% of the sitter's listed rate, although only the 30% sitter fee comes out of the sitter's payout.
Under Rover's standard US model, Rover deducts a 20% service fee from the sitter's listed rate. In nine selected metros, a client relationship starts in the 30% tier, then moves to 15% and 10% as completed booking history grows. A crossing booking can use more than one rate. This calculator compares flat 20% and 30% scenarios, not actual client-history progression. The Rover tier-system guide has the exact thresholds and per-$100 math.
Enter what you charge and how often you book below, and see what the marketplace cut adds up to in a year, versus business software with a monthly membership and no marketplace booking commission on clients you acquire independently.
On Rover
Fees on a $450 booking
41%
of the listed rate in total fees
This scenario uses a 30% sitter fee ($135) from your payout and charges your client an additional 11% booking fee ($49.50).
This flat-rate illustration does not model repeat-client progress or bookings that cross a tier. Rover splits crossing bookings across rates. Check your account for the actual fee. Monthly and annual totals repeat the selected rate; they are not a forecast of your roster.
Client pays
$499.50
You take home
$315
Platform receives
$184.50
On Houndtrust
Fees on a $450 booking
2.1%
of your rate
The $24/mo membership is about $2.67 per booking at 9 a month. Houndtrust card checkout adds 1.5% of the care subtotal ($6.75 here). Stripe processing is separate. No marketplace booking commission.
Client pays
$450
You take home
$440.58
Houndtrust costs
$9.42
Immediate difference on this booking
You keep
$125.58 more
Rover's $135 sitter fee minus $9.42 of Houndtrust membership and the selected payment path.
Your client pays
$49.50 less
No Rover owner booking fee. Taxes and Stripe processing are excluded.
One direct booking covers the monthly membership.
A direct $450 booking saves $128.25 after the selected Houndtrust payment cost. That covers the $24 monthly membership 5× over. Every additional self-sourced booking that month keeps more of its listed rate.
What you take home in a year
Same 9 bookings a month, same $450 each, with the Houndtrust membership and selected payment path included.
$34,020
On Rover
$2,835/mo
$47,583
On Houndtrust
$3,965.25/mo
You keep $13,563 more a year, or $1,130.25 a month after the Houndtrust costs shown above.
Keep more, get startedMethod: Rover take-home subtracts the selected sitter service fee. Houndtrust take-home subtracts the $24 monthly membership and, when selected, the 1.5% Houndtrust card automation fee. Owner booking fees are shown separately and are not counted as sitter income. Estimates exclude taxes, tips, and Stripe processing costs.
Rover's tiered-fee pilot cities (2026)
Rover is testing a per-client tiered service fee, based on your completed booking history with each client: 30% when history is $599 or less, 15% from $600 to $1,199, then 10% at $1,200 or more. Rover says the test is automatic, with no opt-out, in these metros. Bookings crossing a tier are split across rates. Training and grooming are excluded:
Washington
- Seattle
- Tacoma
- Bellevue
Illinois
- Chicago
- Naperville
- Elgin
Texas
- Dallas
- Fort Worth
- Arlington
Rover also charges the pet parent an 11% booking fee on top of the sitter's listed rate. When a stay remains entirely in the 30% tier in Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue, or another selected city, the two fees together equal 41% of the listed rate. Rover deducts 30% from the sitter and charges 11% to the owner. Check your account because tests and terms can change.
How the marketplace cut works
Under Rover's standard US model, the platform deducts 20% from the sitter's listed rate and separately charges the owner an 11% booking fee. The sitter fee applies to each booking, so its dollar cost grows with booking volume. In the selected-city test, the percentage changes as completed booking history grows with each client.
Business software is a different model entirely. You pay a monthly membership for the tools (bookings, waivers, a client portal, your money in one place). Houndtrust takes no marketplace booking commission. Flexible fees and billing terms are listed on Pricing. Solo is $24 a month at the founding rate for a first subscription with unlimited manual completions and no $5 Flexible fee. Taxes, the 1.5% connected-card automation fee, and Stripe processing are separate.
The catch worth naming: a marketplace brings you clients, and software doesn't. Houndtrust is built for pros who already have independently acquired clients or want one system for new self-sourced relationships from the first contact.
Try it with one self-sourced client
You don't have to move your whole book or leave anywhere. Pick one client who first found you outside a marketplace, such as a referral or a neighbor, and use Houndtrust for their next stay. Keep every Rover-arranged stay on Rover.
- 1
Pick a direct client
Someone who found you by word of mouth, not through a platform. Their next booking is a perfect first test.
- 2
Send one link
They fill out intake, e-sign the waiver, and pay you directly. About two minutes to set up, nothing to install.
- 3
Keep the listed rate
Houndtrust takes no marketplace booking commission. On Solo, manual payments have no Houndtrust transaction fee; card checkout has a separate 1.5% automation fee. Taxes and Stripe processing stay separate.
Keep the line clear. Use your direct system for referrals, neighbors, and other clients who first contacted you outside Rover. Section 4.1 of Rover's current terms bars arranging care through Rover and then completing that transaction outside Rover. If you are unsure where a relationship began, keep the booking on Rover and check your current agreement.
Keep more of each self-sourced booking.
One flat subscription price and no marketplace booking commission. Solo free trial, card required. Flexible has no free trial.
Get startedCommon questions
How much does Rover take from sitters?
Under Rover's standard US model, Rover deducts a 20% service fee from sitter earnings. Pet owners also pay an 11% booking fee. A selected-city pilot uses a 30%, 15%, and 10% sitter fee based on completed booking history with each client. California uses a separate pricing model, so check the fee details shown in your own account.
How do I avoid Rover's booking fees?
For clients you found independently, use your own intake, terms, and payment method from the first contact. Do not arrange care through Rover and then complete that transaction outside Rover; section 4.1 of Rover's current terms bars that. Houndtrust has a monthly membership and takes no marketplace booking commission. On Solo, manual payments have no Houndtrust transaction fee. Houndtrust card checkout adds a 1.5% automation fee, and Stripe processing is separate.
Is Houndtrust a marketplace like Rover?
No. Rover is a marketplace that helps people find sitters and charges booking fees. Houndtrust is business software for running independently acquired client relationships. It provides direct intake, e-signed waivers, calendars, and a money view through a monthly membership with no marketplace booking commission.
How much could I save by leaving Rover?
It depends on volume and payment method. At $2,000 a month in bookings, a 20% sitter fee totals $4,800 a year. With manual payments, Houndtrust's current $24 monthly Solo membership totals $288 a year, a difference of $4,512 before taxes and payment processing. Houndtrust card checkout adds a 1.5% automation fee on the care subtotal. Enter your own numbers above to see both payment paths.
Which cities is Rover's 30% fee in?
As checked October 27, 2026, Rover's US tiered-fee pilot covers Seattle, Tacoma and Bellevue; Chicago, Naperville and Elgin; and Dallas, Fort Worth and Arlington. The client-history bands are $599 or less at 30%, $600 to $1,199 at 15%, and $1,200 or more at 10%. Crossing bookings split across rates. Training and grooming are excluded. Check your account.
Is Rover really taking 30% in Seattle, Chicago, and Dallas?
The starting pilot tier is 30%. When an entire booking stays in that tier, adding the separate 11% owner fee gives 41% of the listed rate in total fees. Only the sitter fee is deducted from the sitter's payout. A booking crossing a tier can have a lower blended sitter rate.
Am I in the 30% pilot in Seattle?
As checked October 27, 2026, Washington's pilot covers Seattle, Tacoma and Bellevue. Participation is automatic with no opt-out. The client-history tiers are 30%, 15% and 10%, but a booking crossing a tier can use more than one rate. Training and grooming are excluded. Read the tiered-fee guide →
Am I in the 30% pilot in Chicago?
As checked October 27, 2026, Chicago, Naperville and Elgin are the Illinois pilot metros. Participation is automatic with no opt-out. A booking crossing a tier can use more than one rate. Training and grooming are excluded. Read the guide for the published crossing-booking example. Read the tiered-fee guide →
Am I in the 30% pilot in Dallas?
As checked October 27, 2026, Dallas, Fort Worth and Arlington are the Texas pilot metros. Participation is automatic with no opt-out. A booking crossing a tier can use more than one rate. Training and grooming are excluded. Read the guide for the published crossing-booking example. Read the tiered-fee guide →
When did Rover's tiered fee take effect?
As checked on August 13, 2026, Rover's official help page describes the tiered fee as a selected-city test. Rover says it is automatic with no opt-out for sitters in those markets. The public page does not promise how long the test will run, so check your account for the current fee that applies to you.
Are Rover fees different in California?
Yes. Rover's California help page says providers enter the base rate they want to take home, then Rover adds a 25% marketplace fee to the price shown to pet owners. Pet owners also pay the 11% booking fee. Because that model starts with sitter take-home rather than deducting a standard sitter fee, this calculator does not present California as a standard 25% sitter-fee option.
What's the best Rover alternative for sitters in a pilot city?
For clients you acquire independently, direct-business software can replace a marketplace commission with a monthly membership. Houndtrust provides Trust Link intake, separate e-signed waivers, calendars, and a money view for $24 a month, with no marketplace booking commission. On Solo, manual payments have no Houndtrust transaction fee; Houndtrust card checkout adds a 1.5% automation fee. Keep any care arranged through Rover on Rover and use your direct system for self-sourced relationships from the start.
These estimates use Rover's official public fee pages as checked August 13, 2026. Your account controls the actual fee that applies. Set your own numbers in the calculator and see a fuller comparison of Rover, Wag & pet-care software.