Pets Best vs Spot
Spot wins for most dogs on score and orthopedic speed: 8.3/10 against 8.1 for Pets Best, with no separate orthopedic or cruciate wait beyond its 14-day illness period. Pets Best holds cruciate ligament events for 6 months unless a participating veterinarian certifies the pet. Pets Best wins on price and accident start: illustrative dog premiums from about $33/mo versus $38/mo, and a 3-day accident wait that can be waived with a qualifying vet exam. For cats, Pets Best scores higher (8.4 against 8.2) and is the cheaper catalog start at about $14/mo versus $21/mo. Those figures are starting estimates, not quotes. Spot offers the widest limit menu here, from $2,500 to unlimited, and treats both knees as linked. WhichPetPlan does not earn a commission from either insurer.
Side by side
| Pets Best | Spot | |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial score (dogs) | 8.1/10 | 8.3/10 |
| Illustrative starting price | dogs from $33/mo, cats from $14/mo | dogs from $38/mo, cats from $21/mo |
| Annual limit | $5k-unlimited | $2.5k-unlimited |
| Deductible | Annual, $50/$100/$200/$250/$500/$1,000 | Annual, $100/$250/$500/$750/$1,000 |
| 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) | 14 days (next-day in select states) |
| 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) | No separate orthopedic or cruciate wait , the standard 14-day illness period applies |
| Wellness add-on | Available | Available |
| Direct vet pay | No, reimbursement only | No, reimbursement only |
Starting prices are illustrative estimates for a healthy one-year-old animal, not quotes. Your real premium depends on breed, age, ZIP code, deductible and reimbursement rate.
Pre-existing conditions
Pets Best: Not covered, standard exclusion for signs shown before enrollment or during the waiting period.
Spot: Not covered, standard exclusion for signs shown before enrollment or during the waiting period.
Choose Pets Best if
Price or a short accident wait decides it, or you are insuring a cat. Pets Best starts around $33/mo for a young dog and $14/mo for a cat, scores 8.4/10 on the cat book, and waits 3 days for accidents (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 Spot if
You want orthopedic coverage sooner, or you want to tune the annual cap precisely. Spot applies no separate orthopedic wait beyond the 14-day illness period, scores 8.3/10 for dogs, and sells caps from $2,500 to unlimited. Accidents wait 14 days, next-day in select states. Two warnings: the same flexibility makes Spot the easiest plan to under-buy, and a prior cruciate injury on one side excludes the other.
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 August 2026, Lemonade Pet is not available in Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, or Wyoming.
Some links here are partner links. If you buy through one, the insurer may pay us a fee. It never changes your premium and it never changes a ranking.
Get a quote from LemonadeQuestions
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Written by the WhichPetPlan editorial team. Rankings are editorial, not paid placement. Some links (currently Lemonade) may earn a fee; it never changes the premium and never changes a ranking. Scores are our own editorial ratings, not an industry standard. See our methodology for how scores are set.