RuffRuff Let's Play vs Rover: Why We Charge Less Than Rover (And Why It Matters)

TL;DR

• Rover charges sitters and walkers 20% commission on every booking.
• RuffRuff Let's Play charges only 12% — well under Rover's 20% cut.
• Same dog walking, sitting, and boarding services. Sitters keep meaningfully more per booking on RuffRuff Let's Play.
• Plus we offer dog park discovery, dog-owner connections, events, community, and travel features.
• For dog parents, prices are similar (sometimes lower on RuffRuff). For sitters and walkers, the math is dramatic.

The Quick Feature Matrix

The Commission Difference, Explained

This is the part that matters most for sitters and walkers.

When a dog parent books a $50 overnight stay on Rover, the sitter receives roughly $30-$33 after Rover's 20% cut (Rover charges a flat 20% commission on bookings).

The same $50 booking on RuffRuff Let's Play pays the sitter $44 after our 12% cut.

That's $7-$10 more per booking, every time. Across a year of regular sitting, the math is wild:

• 100 bookings/year × $50 average × 20% difference = $1,000 more per year in your pocket
• 200 bookings/year × $75 average × 20% difference = $3,000 more per year

We're not subsidizing this. We just made the deliberate choice to take less. We believe sitters and walkers do the work — they should keep more of the money.

If you're a sitter or walker, this is not a small thing. This is the difference between "this is a side hustle" and "this is a real income."

What Is Rover?

Rover is the dominant US pet sitting and walking marketplace. Founded in 2011, IPO'd in 2021, valued in the billions. They have the largest sitter network in the country and millions of dog parent users.

What Rover does well:

• Massive sitter network in nearly every US zip code
• Established brand and trust
• Solid app experience
• Strong insurance coverage
• Comprehensive review system

What Rover doesn't do:

• 20% commission cuts into sitter earnings
• No dog park locator
• No dog-owner connection features
• No community, events, or breed groups
• No pet-friendly travel directory
• No yard cleanup services

Rover is excellent at what it does. But it's a single-purpose app — and an expensive one for the people doing the actual work.

What Is RuffRuff Let's Play?

RuffRuff Let's Play is a full dog parent platform. We offer everything Rover offers — walking, sitting, boarding, daycare, drop-ins — at half the commission. Plus we built the rest of dog parent life into the same app.

What RuffRuff Let's Play offers:

• Dog walking, sitting, boarding, daycare, drop-ins (Rover parity, 12% commission)
• Yard cleanup / poop scooping (Rover doesn't offer)
• Dog park locator (public + private)
• Dog-owner connections and planned playdates
• Local meetups, breed groups, reactive-dog groups, puppy playdates
• Pet-friendly hotels, restaurants, patios, beaches
• Dog gig job board (find work or hire help)

Who it's for:

• Sitters and walkers who want to keep more of what they earn
• Dog parents who want one app for sitting, walking, AND parks/community
• Pet professionals who want to scale a real income, not a fee-eaten side hustle

Who Wins for Each Use Case

"I'm a dog walker. Where will I make more money?"

Winner: RuffRuff Let's Play. Our 12% commission undercuts Rover's 20%. Same job, more take-home per booking.

"I'm a dog parent. Where will I find a sitter faster?"

Tie — leans Rover for raw inventory, RuffRuff for quality. Rover currently has more sitters in major metros. RuffRuff Let's Play attracts sitters who specifically want to keep more of their earnings (often more experienced, more committed). Inventory is closing fast.

"I need a dog walker AND want to find a dog park"

Winner: RuffRuff Let's Play. Rover has zero park functionality.

"I want a sitter AND a community to ask dog parenting questions"

Winner: RuffRuff Let's Play. Rover has no community features.

"I'm a sitter who only wants the biggest possible network"

Winner: Rover. They still have more total sitters and more total users in 2026. We're catching up but not there yet on raw scale.

"I'm a sitter who wants better pay per hour worked"

Winner: RuffRuff Let's Play. 12% commission means more $ per booking. The math is paws-itively obvious.

"I need a dog walker, sitter, AND a poop scooper"

Winner: RuffRuff Let's Play. Rover doesn't offer yard cleanup. We do.

"I'm traveling and need a sitter AND a pet-friendly hotel"

Winner: RuffRuff Let's Play. One app handles both. Rover doesn't list hotels.

Pricing for Dog Parents

For dog parents, pricing on both apps is broadly similar — sitters and walkers set their own rates. But because RuffRuff Let's Play sitters keep 20% more of every booking, some price slightly lower while still earning more take-home.

Typical service rates (national average):

For dog parents, the difference at the booking is small. For sitters, the difference at the payout is huge.

Why We Charge 12% Instead of 20%

We get this question a lot. The honest answer:

We don't have shareholders to feed. Rover went public in 2021, which means they need to grow margins every quarter. The easiest way to do that? Take more from sitters.

We're a smaller, more focused company. Our economics work at 12%. Every percentage point we charge above what's necessary is money we'd be taking from people who do the actual work — and we're not interested in that business model.

This isn't charity. We still make money. We just decided sitters should make more, too.

Switching from Rover to RuffRuff Let's Play

For sitters, switching is straightforward:

1. Create a RuffRuff Let's Play sitter profile (~30 minutes, free)
2. Import your existing reviews via screenshots (we accept Rover review imports for trust signals)
3. Set your rates (most sitters keep them the same — and earn more per booking)
4. Run both apps in parallel for a few months while you build RuffRuff momentum
5. Once your RuffRuff bookings are steady, you can decide whether to stay dual-platform or go exclusive

We don't require exclusivity. Some sitters keep both apps active and just route higher-value bookings to RuffRuff for the better take-home.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the commission difference between RuffRuff Let's Play and Rover?

Rover charges sitters and walkers 20% commission per booking. RuffRuff Let's Play charges only 12%. That means sitters keep meaningfully more per booking on RuffRuff Let's Play.

Are services on RuffRuff Let's Play cheaper than Rover for dog parents?

Pricing for dog parents is similar on both platforms — sitters set their own rates. But because RuffRuff Let's Play sitters keep more of each booking, some price slightly lower while still earning more take-home.

Does RuffRuff Let's Play offer the same services as Rover?

Yes. RuffRuff Let's Play offers dog walking, dog sitting, dog boarding, doggy daycare, drop-in visits, and house sitting — same as Rover. Plus yard cleanup (which Rover doesn't offer), and a full dog park locator and community platform.

Is RuffRuff Let's Play insured for sitters?

Yes. RuffRuff Let's Play offers insurance coverage for sitters and walkers, similar to Rover's coverage.

Does RuffRuff Let's Play do background checks?

Yes. All RuffRuff Let's Play sitters and walkers go through a background check process before being approved.

Can I be a sitter on both Rover and RuffRuff Let's Play?

Yes. Many sitters use both platforms in parallel. There's no exclusivity requirement on RuffRuff Let's Play.

Why does Rover charge 20% commission?

Rover is a publicly-traded company with shareholders to satisfy. Higher commissions mean higher margins. RuffRuff Let's Play is a smaller, founder-led company that chose to keep commissions lower (12% vs Rover's 20%) so sitters and walkers earn more.

Which platform has more sitters?

Rover has more total sitters in 2026. RuffRuff Let's Play is growing fast, especially among sitters who want better commission rates. Inventory varies by metro.

Does RuffRuff Let's Play offer poop scooping?

Yes. We have a yard cleanup / poop scooping service marketplace. Rover does not offer this service.

Can I find a dog park on Rover?

No. Rover is a pet sitting and walking marketplace only. For dog park discovery, community, and local connections, use RuffRuff Let's Play. Public pages show only the current checked-in dog count per park—not people or owner identities; two dogs from one person count as two. Individual dogs stay private.

The Final Word

If you're a dog parent, both apps work. If you're a sitter or walker, the math isn't close.

12% beats 20%. Every booking. Every week. Every year.

Sign up to walk or sit on RuffRuff Let's Play here and keep what you earn.

Or use RuffRuff Let's Play as a dog parent and get sitting, walking, parks, community, and travel — all in one app.

Last updated: May 2026.