Finding pet insurance used to be a hassle. Most pet parents relied on their veterinarian for information, and it was almost impossible to get a clear picture of the entire market.
Now, there are online services that can help you find the perfect pet insurance plan for your budget and your pet’s needs. Two of the most popular are Pawlicy Advisor, a new service that lets you shop online exclusively for pet insurance, and Policygenius, a company founded in 2012 that lets you shop for many different types of insurance online.
Disclaimer: Pawlicy Advisor is not affiliated with Policygenius in any way.
Both services are similar, but there's several key differences you'll want to consider when shopping for pet insurance.
Policygenius vs. Pawlicy Advisor Pet Insurance Comparison At A Glance
Policygenius and Pawlicy Advisor are similar in that they provide pet insurance quotes based on a few quick questions about your pet. Still, there are some differences in how they list quotes, how they quantify their results, and what pet health insurance plans they have available.
If you don’t have time to read the full article, check out our handy table below to spot the differences.
The comparison chart
| Features | Pawlicy Advisor | Policygenius |
|---|---|---|
| # of pet insurance partners | 8 | 5 |
| Generates quotes based on questions about your pet | Yes | Yes |
| # of pet insurance brands that generate quotes simultaneously | 5 | 2 |
| # of quotes generated from search | 158+ | 6 |
| See top recommended plan based on coverage, price, breed, zip code, and more | Yes | No |
| Personalized ranking for coverage level and lifetime value | Yes | No |
| Personalized comparison charts | Yes | No |
| Lists types of coverage for each plan | Yes | Yes |
| See in-depth coverage details for each plan | Yes | No |
| See real emergency examples for specific types of coverage | Yes | No |
| Real human support | Yes | Yes |
Starting so see some real differences? Let’s explore each of these solutions and their features in more depth.
Pet Insurance Partner Companies
Both Pawlicy Advisor and Policygenius partner with 5 different pet insurance brands. This is what enables the platforms to search, analyze, and list the brands’ pricing information on their websites.
The key difference between the two platforms is that Pawlicy Advisor lists those partnerships at the footer of their website (scroll to the very bottom of this page to see them), AND Pawlicy Advisor is partnered with ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, Hartville Pet Insurance, Fetch by The Dodo, Pets Best Pet Insurance, and PetFirst Pet Insurance.
With Policygenius, there isn’t any immediate information about which brands they're partnered with, and various queries only revealed plans for Fetch and Pets Best. The other partners were merely linked to at the bottom of the search results.
Knowing this information ahead of time is helpful if you already know which insurance provider you want use, or which ones you’d like to avoid.
Pet Profiles
Both services ask you questions about your pet to determine which plans are suitable. They cover topics like your pet’s age, breed, and location (zip code). But there are a few notable differences in the two services’ questionnaires.
Pawlicy Advisor automatically builds a portfolio of breed-specific risks based on the breed your select. This is used to highlight certain coverage options that stand out, and to recommend the best plan.
For example, two plans from distinct providers might look identical - but one as a long waiting peroid on knee injuries. If you have a large dog, you won't want that plan! And you'd only be awre of the breed-specific coverage ecxclusion if you dove into the fine-print of each policy (something Pawlicy Advisor does for you).
Policygenius, on the other hand, asks a few questions around whether your pet is spayed or neutered, if they are microchipped, and if they are a service animal. They also ask whether you are a member of the military, a veterinary professional, or if you belong to an organization that provides discounts to members. I asssume this is becuase if your pet in not spayed/neutered or microchipped, than they'll recommend a Wellness add-on (though that is not confirmed). The questions asking if you're a military or veterinary professional likely will bring up unique discounts (Pawlicy Advisor also help vets get eligible discounts, but does so through 1-to-1 training with vet clinics and animal hospitals).
Number of Quotes Generated
Using the exact same search parameters, Pawlicy Advisor delivered significantly more pet insurance quotes than Policygenius.
Pawlicy Advisor listed 150+ personalized quotes, whereas Policygenius only listed only 6.
While too many options might seem overwhelming, Pawlicy Advisor also provides users with tools to easily sort quotes based on level of coverage, lowest monthly payment, and top plans recommended for your specifc breed, age, location, and financial standing. You can also filter by reimbursement percentage, annual deductible, annual coverage, and monthly premium payments.
For example, if you want to pay $75 per month maximum, get an annual deductible of $500, and get unlimited annual coverage, you can filter your results based on those options to find a handful of quotes that suit your needs.
Policygenius lets you filter results based on annual deductible and reimbursement rate, but you must select either “High,” “Mid-level,” or “Low” annual coverage limits, which is somewhat vague. You can’t select specific amounts.
Coverage Details
If there’s one area where Pawlicy Advisor really stands out against Policygenius, it’s in the coverage details it provides for each plan.
Perhaps the most significant feature is Pawlicy Advisor’s “Top Recommended Plan,” which is the first thing you see after you submit information about your pet.
Your Top Recommended Plan is the best quote available based on your pet’s needs and your financial situation. Pawlicy Advisor’s algorithm uses all your answers and breed-specific data points in its search. This ensures you get the quote with the best level of coverage at a price you can afford.
Meanwhile, Policygenius takes you directly to your list of quotes:
Another significant difference between the two platforms is that Pawlicy Advisor provides a “Coverage Score” and a “Lifetime Value Score.”
These scores make it easier to quickly compare plans. If these scores are high, you know you’re getting a plan with a high level of coverage and that the price for that plan won’t change dramatically as your pet ages.
You can also see breed-specific highlights about each plan by clicking on the plan overview.
Both platforms allow you to explore more details about your coverage, but Pawlicy Advisor also stands out in this area as well. The platform provides you with real emergency examples in which the plan was used to cover costs.
Now, Policygenius does also tell you what’s covered and what’s excluded in your plan.
What’s covered and not covered are displayed in two lists. Policygenius doesn’t organize coverage details based on categories like accidents, hereditary conditions, and dental care, then break down specific types of treatment within those categories:
They also offer customer reviews seemingly copied from the insurance companies’ websites, but these appear to be generic testimonials about customers of the pet insurance brand, not testimonials about the plans themselves.
Pet Insurance Plan Comparisons
Policygenius allows you to compare plans online, but you must do most of the legwork to do it. There’s no feature that allows you to compare plan details side by side. Your best course of action is to take notes about each plan as you view them, then decide that way.
Pawlicy Advisor makes it 100x easier with a built-in feature that allows you to compare high level details and specifics about two different plans side-by-side. You can even compare plans from different insurance providers. This is a great way to save time (and paper).
Customer Service
Part of the reason shopping for pet insurance online is so attractive is that you don’t have to play phone tag with insurance providers. There’s no waiting on hold, and you don’t have to make several calls just to collect a list of quotes.
Both Pawlicy Advisor and Policygenius have a customer service phone number and an online chat feature on their websites.
Policygenius answered their chat request quickly, but it was clear that the response was automated:
This isn’t unusual, but the automated response wasn’t accompanied by the declaration that the user was speaking with a bot. A human did pick up the slack once it was clear that the query hadn’t been answered. It’s important to note, however, that Policygenius eventually required a phone call to answer the query posted in the chat window, which was the same query posed to Pawlicy Advisor.
Pawlicy Advisor also came back with an automated response, but only to say that a human would respond within a few minutes. Sure enough, Woody Mawhinny, who happens to be the company’s co-founder and CEO, answered the query within two minutes with just the right information:
What Customers are Saying
Policygenius has been around longer than Pawlicy Advisor, and has had a chance to generate more customer reviews. It also caters to users shopping for many different types of insurance (home, auto, renters).
Pawlicy Advisor was built entirely for pet insurance.
Nonetheless, both companies have received good reviews.
Policygenius has favorable reviews on most customer review sites. According to Venessa, a recent review on Trustpilot, “They made the process of finding a great company so easy. Very pleased with my policy.”
Several users on Trustpilot note that Policygenius was “quick and easy,” had “great service,” and that they made the insurance-buying experience “smooth and efficient.”
Pawlicy Advisor has received high marks from its customers as well. Bianca, a Facebook reviewer and first-time pet parent, said the following: “I was terrified trying to find the right insurance. Pawlicy made it super seamless and detailed everything that I needed to know, and then some. The user experience is absolutely top notch, and 100% put my anxiety at ease. Thanks, Pawlicy!”
Other reviewers say Pawlicy Advisor is “easy to use,” “helpful,” and “fast.”
Additionally, Pawlicy Advisor is the only pet insurance marketplace endorsed by veterinarians. As doctors, veterinarians love the objective, data-driven approach that Pawlicy Advisor takes when guiding and educating pet parents.
"Pawlicy Advisor is a great tool because they provide objective education & simplicity to patients comparing pet insurance options.”
- Dr. William Hodges, DVM
"Pawlicy Advisor allows me to recommend pet insurance to my clients while making sure they are getting the best policy for their individual pet - no matter the provider. It is easy to use and provides the education needed to make our clients happily covered.”
- Dr. Ricky Walther, DVM
So Which Is Best For Pet Insurance?
If you want to compare pet insurance quotes online, Pawlicy Advisor is the clear winner (in my opinion) - and actively recommended by veterinarians. The platform makes it easy to find plans that fit your needs and budget, and the filtering and comparison tools make the process fast. Pawlicy Advisor also generates more quotes, providing you with a wider view of the pet insurance market.
Generating a personalized analysis takes less than 5 minutes, and you can get started here.
Or, if you’re looking for an all-in-one platform to buy multiple types of insurance all in one go, you may want to use Policygenius. Just keep in mind that you may not have a clear view on which plans are right for your specific breed.
