The best Care.com alternatives
Updated October 25, 2026
Short answer
The main Care.com alternatives are Sittercity and UrbanSitter for searching sitters and nannies, Bambino for sitters recommended by friends, and Nanny, a newer iPhone app that is free for parents to join, shows dated verification badges instead of vague ones, only allows reviews from real paid bookings, and lets you watch each shift live. Care.com and Sittercity rely on paid memberships; Nanny charges a booking fee only when you book, capped each month for regular care.
How they compare
| Nanny | Care.com | Sittercity | UrbanSitter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to parents | Free to join; 6% booking fee (min $1.99), capped at $59 a month per caregiver for regular care | Paid membership to contact caregivers, reported around $39 a month | Paid membership, reported around $35 a month | Free plan; paid membership for full features |
| What caregivers pay | Nothing; keep 100% plus tips | Free; optional paid features | Free; optional paid features | Free; optional paid features |
| Background checks | Caregiver orders through Checkr with FCRA consent; badge shows the date | Paid checks available | Paid checks available | Paid checks available |
| Reviews | Only after a completed, paid booking; double blind | Open reviews | Open reviews | Reviews plus friend connections |
| Live shift updates | Arrival at home, timeline, photos, Live Activity | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Daycare tools | Yes, for centers and parents in one app | Daycare listings | Not listed | Not listed |
Competitor prices are third-party reports as of October 2026 and change often. Check each service's own pricing page before you decide.
When each one fits
- Nanny: you want to pay only when you book, see exactly what was checked and when, and follow each shift as it happens. iPhone only, opening city by city.
- Care.com: you want the largest directory, including senior care, pet care and housekeeping, and are happy to pay a membership.
- Sittercity: you want a long-running sitter directory with a membership model.
- UrbanSitter: you want to see which sitters friends and other parents at your school have used.
- Bambino: you want short-notice sitters recommended through friends.
What makes Nanny different
- Profiles ranked on fit: schedule overlap, distance, rate, experience and reliability. Never looks.
- Messages open only when both sides are interested, so no cold spam.
- Kids' names, photos and your address stay private until you book.
- Location is read once at clock-in to confirm arrival, never tracked off shift.
- Concerns about a person go to a private Trust and Safety report, never a public feed.
Questions
Yes. Nanny is free for parents and caregivers to join. Parents pay a booking fee only when they book and pay in the app: 6% with a $1.99 minimum, or 3% with Nanny Plus, and regular care fees stop at a monthly cap per caregiver.
Look at what is checked, by whom and when, not just a badge. On Nanny, caregivers order their check through Checkr, a consumer reporting agency, with FCRA consent, and parents see Cleared on with the date. Checks renew every year.
No. Joining, getting connected and getting paid is free, standard payouts are free and caregivers keep 100% of their pay plus tips. Caregiver Pro at $9.99 a month is optional.
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