Pets Best Pet Insurance Review

Find answers to common Pets Best pet insurance questions below.

Among the 18 pet insurance providers in our analysis, Pets Best ranks second for dogs and third for cats overall, earning its position through top-tier affordability and coverage. It offers the best value for small dog breeds weighing 10 to 20 pounds, where breed-level savings against competitor averages consistently reach 47% to 55%, with Australian Terriers and Cairn Terriers among the standout examples. However, Pets Best lands in the bottom tier for customer experience, placing 14th out of 18 for both pets. 

My team and I evaluated all categories against a base profile of a 6-year-old Labrador Retriever and a 7-year-old Ragdoll, each at a $5,000 annual limit, $500 deductible and 80% reimbursement rate.

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Check how Pets Best compares with other pet insurers to determine the best option for your pet's needs.

Pets Best earns its first-place affordability ranking for dogs and third-place ranking for cats through average monthly premiums of $40 and $23, which come in 34% and 27% below the respective national averages. The savings are consistent enough to make Pets Best one of the more affordable options for pet insurance, though how much you save depends on your pet's profile:

My team and I broke down Pets Best's pet insurance costs by breed, state and age so you can identify where its pricing is strongest for your pet. If Pets Best ranks in the top three for affordability for your pet's profile, its quote will likely be one of the lowest you'll come across.

Pet owners can qualify for a 5% pet insurance discount with Pets Best through four ways, with eligibility tied to insuring multiple pets, having a military background, working at a veterinary clinic or joining through a participating employer group plan.

Pets Best lands in 14th place out of 18 providers for customer experience for dogs and cats, with most sub-categories trailing in the bottom third of our study. It performed most competitively on price transparency during the buying process and claims appeals, so pet owners can expect the quote experience to be relatively clear and disputed claims to have a reasonable chance of a fair second look. However, those who prioritize a smooth digital experience or quick claims turnaround will find the gap between Pets Best and higher-ranked providers most noticeable in submission ease, where it finishes last among all 18 providers we evaluated.

My team scored buying, policy management and claims separately to give a complete picture of what holding a Pets Best policy looks like in practice. The scores are close across all three stages, with buying at 13th and both policy management and claims at 14th out of 18 providers.

Pets Best ranks 13th out of 18 providers for buying experience due to onboarding communication that lags behind most of the field and pulls down an otherwise serviceable pre-purchase process. Price transparency is the company's clearest strength in this category, while sales support and onboarding both land in the bottom third of our analysis.

• Onboarding (17th out of 18): Pets Best's enrollment process itself is quick and self-service, and our team found that coverage options and effective dates are clearly accessible through the customer portal. Post-enrollment communication around waiting period waivers is the friction point, specifically that confirming whether a waiver had been applied required contacting support rather than finding that information proactively communicated.
• Price Transparency (8th out of 18): This is Pets Best's strongest sub-category in the buying experience, and in our testing, we found that the quote tool lets you adjust deductibles, reimbursement percentages and annual limits with pricing updating in real time.
• Sales Support (15th out of 18): Most pet owners complete the buying process with Pets Best entirely online without needing to speak with anyone, plus the self-service quote tool is functional enough that support is rarely required. Nuanced coverage questions are the exception, as our testing produced general answers and references back to policy documents rather than definitive guidance, leaving some coverage uncertainty heading into enrollment.

Pets Best finishes 14th overall for policy management experience, a ranking that reflects a consistent pattern across all four sub-categories. Routine self-service tasks work reasonably well, but the experience becomes less predictable when policyholders need human assistance or run into anything beyond standard account functions.

• Account Servicing (13th out of 18): Our team found that the customer portal handles everyday tasks like viewing policy documents, updating payment details and retrieving claim history without difficulty. The experience becomes more variable when account changes require support intervention, such as coverage adjustments or multi-pet account questions, where resolution often takes more than one contact.
• Admin Support (15th out of 18): Representatives were generally courteous in our testing, and straightforward questions about policy terms and account access were handled adequately. The friction shows up in operational responsiveness, with delayed replies, extended hold times and department handoffs creating situations where policyholders need to repeat their issue across multiple interactions before reaching a resolution.
• App UX (15th out of 18): Pets Best's app covers the core functions pet owners need, including claim submission, document access and policy review. While the app is easy to navigate for basic tasks, it doesn't match the depth of more technology-focused providers in our study,.
• Billing and Renewals (9th out of 18): This is Pets Best's strongest policy management sub-category, and our team found that automatic payments process reliably and renewals proceed with little intervention required. The main gap is in communication, where proactive renewal notifications and explanations of policy updates are less consistent than the billing process itself.

Pets Best ranks 14th out of 18 providers for claims experience, and the score has less to do with whether claims get paid than with how long the process takes. It performed least competitively in our study for submission ease, while appeals is its strongest at 8th. Pet owners with complete documentation and straightforward coverage situations are least likely to notice the gaps, but those dealing with complex medical histories or pre-existing condition questions should expect a longer resolution timeline.

• Submission Ease (18th out of 18): Filing a claim with Pets Best is straightforward, since the portal accepts uploaded invoices and medical records digitally. We found that the friction begins when there are requests for additional documentation, which extend the process and add uncertainty about what's still required.
• Claims Speed (15th out of 18): With Pets Best, straightforward claims with complete documentation can move through review in one to two weeks, and long-term policyholders with established records on file sometimes see faster turnaround. The more common experience in our testing involved multi-week review periods and limited visibility into where a claim stood or what remained.
• Claims Fairness (14th out of 18): Pets Best paid covered claims, including surgeries, emergency visits, diagnostics and chronic condition treatments, when documentation was clear and coverage terms were straightforward. The consistent source of disputes in our evaluation involved pre-existing condition terms, where how prior medical history is interpreted can shift a claim outcome even when the condition seems clearly covered.
• Appeals (8th out of 18): Appeals at Pets Best are genuinely reviewed rather than automatically declined. Submitting additional veterinary documentation or clarifying notes from the treating clinic can change an initial decision, though the process often require multiple rounds of document requests.

Pets Best secures first place in pet insurance coverage for cats and second for dogs by offering to pay licensed veterinarians directly for covered claims on request, which most competitors don't do. Through its Vet Direct Pay feature, Pets Best can send any eligible reimbursement amount to your vet's office after you submit a claim along with a signed veterinarian release form. This is ideal for pet owners who suddenly receive a large, unexpected vet bill and cannot comfortably cover it out of pocket while waiting for reimbursement, which in practice describes most emergency situations where pet insurance gets used.

Pets Best offers the BestBenefit accident and illness plan that includes hereditary and congenital conditions, behavioral conditions, chronic disease management, cancer treatment, in-clinic medications and emergency care at no extra cost. That said, it only covers take-home medications, exam fees and physical therapy through optional add-ons, all of which come standard with other providers.

Pets Best's coverage starts at the policy's effective date for accidents, 14 days for illnesses and 30 days for cruciate ligament events and related conditions. While the immediate accident coverage is quicker than most competitors, Pets Best's 30-day cruciate ligament wait is longer compared to other providers that only impose 14 days and is worth a thorough consideration for owners of breeds with a higher joint injury risk, such as German Shepherds and Labrador Retrievers. The company has no upper age limit during enrollment, so owners of senior pets who might be turned away elsewhere can still obtain coverage regardless of how old their pet is.

*Coverage varies by state and policy terms. Review your policy documents and contact your insurance provider to understand coverage terms, exclusions, limitations and waiting periods before enrollment.

Pets Best offers four add-ons that supplement its base accident and illness plan, covering exam fees, take-home prescription medications, physical therapy and wellness care such as vaccinations and dental cleanings. Each add-on raises the monthly premium and must be selected at enrollment. Some of these add-ons are included as standard coverage with other insurers, so pet owners evaluating Pets Best should build out a fully loaded quote with the add-ons they need before comparing it against competitors, since the base premium advantage can shrink or disappear once equivalent coverage is priced in.

Learn more about Pets Best's coverage add-ons below.

Knowing what Pets Best covers is only part of the picture. Understanding how the policy works day to day, from reaching customer support and filing a claim to adjusting your coverage or canceling, gives you a clearer sense of what to expect once you're enrolled.

To build our Pets Best rankings, my team and I analyzed more than 67,000 pet profiles across breeds, ages and states, collecting quotes, testing the buying and claims experience firsthand and reviewing policy documents line by line. Our national scores are based on a 6-year-old Labrador Retriever and a 7-year-old Ragdoll, each with a $5,000 annual limit, $500 deductible and 80% reimbursement rate. This profile reflects the most common pet owner scenario but won't apply equally to every pet, so we encourage you to use the breed, state and age breakdowns in this review to find where Pets Best lands for your specific situation.

We applied the same framework to Pets Best as every other provider in our study. For a full breakdown of how we score each category, visit our methodology page.

Get back to the main review:

• Ratings
• Competition vs. Pets Best
• Affordability
• Customer Experience
• Coverage