Six months after Rover's acquisition of Mad Paws, we get this question more than any other: should I switch? Most articles answering it have a clear agenda, either to keep you on Mad Paws or to move you off. This one tries not to. There's no universally right answer, but there is a useful framework, and we'll walk you through it.
Step 1: Decide Who You Are in This Question
The decision looks completely different depending on whether you're a pet owner or a sitter, and whether you transact frequently or rarely. Be honest with yourself about which group you're in before reading further.
If you're an occasional pet owner
You book pet care two or three times a year, max. Switching costs are low, you're not migrating a business, just an account. The main question for you is: can you find a sitter you trust on whatever platform you choose? Supply density matters more than fee structure here. Trusted Housesitters, Pawshake and Mad Paws all have plenty of sitters in major Australian cities. New platforms like Sitterly are building density. If your usual Mad Paws sitter is staying, the simplest thing is often to stay too.
If you're a frequent pet owner
You book pet care five or more times a year, maybe weekly walks, regular boarding, or extended trips. The cumulative effect of platform fees adds up here. Compare what you'd pay across platforms over a typical year, including any owner-side service fees on commission models. You may want to use multiple platforms, many homeowners do.
If you're an active sitter
Switching costs are highest for you, your reviews, repeat clients, and platform reputation are real assets. Don't move impulsively. But also don't stay out of inertia. Run the numbers on what Rover's eventual fee structure will mean for your annual income, and compare it to the subscription platforms.
If you're a casual sitter
Maybe you do 5 to 10 sits a year. Subscription platforms might price you out, depending on the annual fee versus your earnings. Commission models with no upfront cost are often more accessible for casual sitters, but that depends on the commission rate.
Step 2: Run the Honest Numbers
This is the step most people skip, and it's the one that matters most. Take a typical 12-month period of your activity and calculate what you'd pay or net on each platform.
Worked example: a sitter doing 15 sits per year
On a 20% commission platform with average bookings of $250, that sitter pays $750 in fees per year. On an annual subscription of around $150, they pay $150, and keep the difference. If they only do 4 sits, the commission ($200) is cheaper than the subscription. The break-even is somewhere between 5 and 8 sits per year.
Rover hasn't published its final Australian fee structure yet. Until they do, you're estimating. But you can run the numbers on different scenarios and see at what point each option becomes more attractive.
Step 3: Weigh the Non-Financial Factors
Money matters, but it's not the only thing. Be honest with yourself about what else you're weighing.
- Trust signals: Insurance, vet line, dispute resolution, ID verification, different platforms offer different levels.
- Australian ownership: Some users care about this on principle. Others don't. Both are valid positions.
- Supply density in your area: A platform with 20 sitters in your suburb is more useful than one with 2,000 nationally. Test before you commit.
- Existing relationships: If you have repeat sitters or homeowners you trust, what platform are they staying on?
- Time to set up: A new sitter profile takes time to build credibility. Don't underestimate this cost.
- Platform stability: Newer platforms can fold. Older platforms can change ownership and direction. Diversification reduces single-platform risk.
Step 4: Don't Pick One, Pick Two or Three
The single most common mistake we see is treating this as an either/or decision. It almost never is. Most active Australian sitters operate on multiple platforms. Most engaged pet owners try a couple before settling. Listings cost nothing extra. Subscriptions are usually the only real cost variable, and most sitters can comfortably justify two if they're earning meaningful income.
Practical recommendation
If you're an active sitter, list on Mad Paws/Rover plus one subscription platform. If you're a pet owner, look on two platforms before committing, sitter availability varies enormously even in the same suburb.
When Switching Is Genuinely the Right Call
Switching fully, closing your Mad Paws account, usually makes sense in three situations:
- Rover's final fee structure makes your business uneconomic, after running the actual numbers.
- You experience a specific support, dispute or insurance issue that the new platform structure handles poorly.
- Your values are strongly aligned with Australian-owned platforms and you're not getting commercial benefit that outweighs that.
Even then, we'd argue against deleting your account. Pause it, leave it dormant, but keep the option open. Platforms change, ownership changes, fee structures change, re-evaluation in 12 months is reasonable.
How Sitterly Fits Your Decision
We won't push you to switch, we'll point out that we exist, we're Australian, we're free for everyone during our growth phase, homeowners will always be free, and our long-term model for sitters is a flat-fee subscription rather than per-booking commission. If those things matter to you, we're worth a look. If they don't, that's fine too.
Most readers who reach the end of this article come back to it once or twice over the following weeks. That's actually the right behaviour. Don't rush. Compare the platforms, read what other Mad Paws sitters are weighing up, and decide deliberately.
Rover, Mad Paws, Pawshake, Trusted Housesitters, Aussie House Sitters and Happy House Sitters are trademarks of their respective owners. This article reflects our analysis of the Australian pet-sitting market in May 2026. Sitterly has no affiliation with any of the other platforms named.
