Pets Best vs Lemonade
Lemonade scores 9.0 against Pets Best at 8.1 for dogs. Pets Best offers an unlimited annual limit and a waivable cruciate wait. Lemonade currently advertises no accident wait once the policy takes effect; check your state policy. Pets Best accidents wait 3 days, waivable with a qualifying vet exam. Pets Best holds cruciate events for 6 months; Lemonade currently advertises a 30-day orthopedic wait (check your state policy). As of August 2026 Lemonade is not sold in Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, or Wyoming. California and Florida are sold. Lemonade is the only live Get-quote partner on this site.
Get a Lemonade quote
Lemonade is the one insurer on this site we can send you to for a live quote. That does not make it the right plan for every pet. As of October 2, 2026, Lemonade Pet is not yet available in Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, or Wyoming.
Get a quote from LemonadeSide by side
| Pets Best | Lemonade | |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial score (dogs) | 8.1/10 | 9/10 |
| Annual limit | $5k-unlimited | $100k |
| Deductible | Annual, $50/$100/$200/$250/$500/$1,000 | Fully customizable, $100 to $750 (up to $1,000 on some policies) |
| Reimbursement options | 70%, 80% or 90% | 70%, 80% or 90% |
| Accident wait | 3 days (waivable entirely with a qualifying vet exam submitted within 30 days of enrollment) | Current marketing: no accident wait from the effective date, at 12:01 AM the day after purchase. State and policy terms can differ; check your policy |
| Illness wait | 14 days | 14 days |
| Orthopedic / cruciate wait | 6 months for cruciate ligament events. Waiting periods may be reduced or waived when a participating veterinarian certifies the pet (exam up to 3 days before or 7 days after the effective date; form back within 30 days of the exam) | Current marketing: 30 days, including cruciate injuries. The general FAQ also describes policies with a 6-month cruciate wait; your state and policy documents control |
| Wellness add-on | Available | Available |
| Direct vet pay | No, reimbursement only | No, reimbursement only |
Compare current quotes for the same pet and ZIP code, using the same deductible, reimbursement rate, annual limit, and add-ons. Older catalog price examples do not establish which insurer costs less today.
Pre-existing conditions
Pets Best: Not covered, standard exclusion for signs shown before enrollment or during the waiting period.
Lemonade: Base accident-and-illness coverage excludes conditions that showed signs before enrollment or during the waiting period. In most states, temporary or curable pre-existing conditions or injuries can be covered again after 12 consecutive months without recurrent symptoms or continued treatment. Chronic conditions and knee or ligament conditions cannot be covered as curable pre-existing conditions. Where offered, the separate Dental Care add-on covers pre-existing dental conditions; Dental Illness excludes them. The end-of-life add-on can cover vet-recommended euthanasia due to a pre-existing condition, subject to its terms.
Choose Pets Best if
You want an unlimited annual limit or a waivable cruciate path. Accidents wait 3 days, waivable with a vet exam. Cruciate events wait 6 months unless a participating veterinarian certifies the pet. Exam fees cost extra on the base Essential plan.
Choose Lemonade if
You live in a state where Lemonade is sold and want claims handled in its app. Current Lemonade marketing describes no accident wait once the policy takes effect (check your state policy). Illness waits 14 days. The currently advertised orthopedic wait is 30 days, including cruciate injuries (check your state policy), and the annual cap configures from $5,000 up to $100,000, not unlimited.
The exclusions cheat sheet
A plain-English guide to waiting periods and key exclusions across eight insurers, with links to the full reviews.
Questions
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Written by the WhichPetPlan editorial team. Scores are our own editorial ratings, not an industry standard. See our methodology for how scores are set.