Spot vs. Trupanion: Pet Insurance Comparison

	4.5 View Rates	4.4 View Rates
Reimbursement	70%, 80%, or 90%	90%
Reimbursement	Reimbursement
70%, 80%, or 90%	90%
Benefit limit	$2,500, $4,000, $5,000, $7,000, $10,000, or unlimited	Unlimited
Benefit limit	Benefit limit
$2,500, $4,000, $5,000, $7,000, $10,000, or unlimited	Unlimited
Deductible	$100, $250, $500, $750, or $1,000	$0 – $1,000
Deductible	Deductible
$100, $250, $500, $750, or $1,000	$0 – $1,000
	See the best pet insurance.

About Spot and Trupanion

Spot and Trupanion are two popular pet insurance providers, each offering distinct advantages for pet owners. Spot is known for its customizable coverage options and budget-friendly plans, appealing to those who seek flexibility in their pet insurance. Trupanion is popular for its comprehensive coverage and direct payment to veterinarians, making it an excellent choice for pet owners who want extensive protection and convenience.

You’re likely looking for reliable, affordable, comprehensive insurance to ensure your pets receive the best care. Spot offers a variety of plans you can tailor to fit your budget and needs. Trupanion provides a straightforward approach with its comprehensive plan covering a wide range of medical conditions and treatments.

In this comparison, we will explore the features, benefits, and potential drawbacks of each provider to help you decide which one best suits your pet’s needs and your financial situation.

Table of Contents Skip to Section

Does Spot or Trupanion offer better coverage?
Are policies from Spot or Trupanion more affordable?
Scenarios where Spot or Trupanion is better

Does Spot or Trupanion offer better coverage?

Spot and Trupanion both provide accident and illness policies for dogs and cats. However, Spot also offers accident-only and preventive care plans, which Trupanion does not.

In comparing the accident and illness plans, we found that Spot offers broader coverage than Trupanion, including exam fees, microchipping, and behavioral issues, in addition to accidents, illnesses, and hereditary and chronic conditions. While Trupanion also covers these basics, some benefits are available only as optional add-ons. Spot does not cover experimental treatments and boarding, similar to Trupanion.

For a detailed comparison, please click “coverage comparison” below.

Coverage comparison

Condition	Spot	Trupanion
Accidents	Yes	Yes
Alternative therapy	Yes	Yes
Behavioral issues	Yes	Optional add-on
Boarding	No	No
Breeding	No	Optional add-on
Cancer treatment	Yes	Yes
Chronic conditions	Yes	Yes
Congenital conditions	Yes	Yes
Cosmetic procedures	Yes	No
Dental injury	Yes	Yes
End of life expenses	Yes	Yes
Exam fees	Yes	No
Experimental treatment	No	Unknown
Hereditary conditions	Yes	Yes
Illnesses	Yes	Yes
IV fluids and medications	Yes	Yes
Microchipping costs	Yes	No
MRI, CT scans, and X-rays	Yes	Yes
Pre-existing conditions	No	No
Prescription food	Yes*	50% for up to two months
Prescription medication	Yes	Yes
Supplements	Yes*	Yes
Surgery and hospitalization	Yes	Yes
Tooth extraction	Yes	Yes (if vet recommended)

* Only to treat covered conditions.

Are policies from Spot or Trupanion more affordable?

We compared the cost of Spot and Trupanion by using each company’s free online quote tool. To ensure a fair comparison, we reviewed four different quotes, each with the same policy term, benefit limit, reimbursement rate, and deductible.

In three of the four quotes, Trupanion was the more affordable option. On average, a Trupanion policy was 6.08% less expensive than a Spot policy.

Here is a full breakdown of the quotes we obtained.

Dog quotes

Quote 1: Takka, a 5-year-old female Weimaraner in Cornwall, Connecticut

The policy details for this quote included unlimited payouts, a 90% reimbursement rate, and a $500 deductible.

Policy	Spot	Trupanion
Accident & illness	$105.25	$99.78*
Accident-only	$41.46	N/A
Wellness add-on	$9.95 or $24.95	N/A

*The cost is $112.49 if you add the Recovery and Complementary Care package to match Spot’s behavioral issues coverage.

Quote 2: Pudgy, an 8-month-old male Plott Hound in Pound Ridge, New York

The policy details for this quote included unlimited payouts, a 90% reimbursement rate, and a $250 deductible.

Policy	Spot	Trupanion
Accident & illness	$116.73	$126.97*
Accident-only	$62.43	N/A
Wellness add-on	$9.95 or $24.95	N/A

*If you add the Recovery and Complementary Care package to match Spot’s behavioral issues coverage, the cost is $143.41

Cat quotes

Quote 1: Francie, a 2-year-old female American Bobtail in Fargo, North Dakota

The policy details for this quote included unlimited payouts, a 90% reimbursement rate, and a $750 deductible.

Policy	Spot	Trupanion
Accident & illness	$19.34	$18.17*
Accident-only	$14.76	N/A
Wellness add-on	$9.95 or $24.95	N/A

*If you add the Recovery and Complementary Care package to match Spot’s behavioral issues coverage, the cost is $19.70

Quote 2: Madden, an 8-year-old male Persian in Stamford, Connecticut

The policy details for this quote included unlimited payouts, a 90% reimbursement rate, and a $100 deductible.

Policy	Spot	Trupanion
Accident & illness	$169.70	$141.12*
Accident-only	$51.40	N/A
Wellness add-on	$9.95 or $24.95	N/A

*If you add the Recovery and Complementary Care package to match Spot’s behavioral issues coverage, the cost is $159.50.

Scenarios where Spot or Trupanion is better

Now that we’ve examined the coverage and cost of each company’s policy, let’s see whether Spot or Trupanion would be the better option for pet owners in different situations.

If you…	Consider
Want exam fees to be covered	Spot
Want to be reimbursed for preventive care	Spot
Want an accident-only policy	Spot
Want your insurer to pay your vet directly	Trupanion
Want an annual deductible (rather than per condition)	Spot
Want a shorter waiting period	Spot
Have multiple pets	Spot

Here’s a closer look at how these scenarios might affect your decision.

If you want exam fees to be covered

One key difference in our comparison is exam fee reimbursement. Spot covers exam fees related to conditions covered under your policy. Trupanion doesn’t cover any exam fees, even if they are for a condition covered under your policy.

We compared Spot and Trupanion to several pet insurance providers, using hundreds of data points from company websites, public disclosures, customer reviews, and direct communication with company representatives. We weighted, scored, and combined each factor to produce a final editorial rating. This rating is expressed on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest possible score. Our take on each company is represented in our ratings and best-for designations, recapped below.

Product	Best for	Our rating
Spot pet insurance	Selection of terms	4.5/5
Trupanion pet insurance	Direct vet payment	4.4/5