Sitter Review

Tuesday, May 28th

2024 Babysitter Agency Reviews

Sitter

• Free for a Basic account (limited to three messages)
• Premium membership costs $68/month
• Discounted rates with 3- and 12-month subscriptions
• Parent company CareGuide is "A-" rated by the BBB
• In business since 2013

Sitter is one of two services on our list who are under the umbrella of CareGuide, a group of companies that offer connections to a wide range of services beyond just babysitters. Through the various CareGuide platforms, you can discover professionals in various fields, including chefs, roofers, tutors, senior care providers, and much more. The Sitter platform itself was one of the original services offered.

Some contact info required to start

Despite being an OG in the online babysitting referral industry, Sitter isn't our favorite option. We don't love that to even browse available sitters in our area, we had to give Sitter our contact information (email and phone). The only upside is that once you've done that, you can click "I'll do this later" to skip all of the checkboxes about what type of care you're seeking, children's age ranges, and so on (and, if you're like us, you're going to wonder if you should check "nanny" or "daycare" when searching for a babysitter... because neither one is exactly right).

You'll have to create a job listing before you can browse

Even so, the next page jumps you right into creating a job listing and signing up for a membership. Sitter's Premium plan charges $68 for one month, $135 for three months, and $270 for 12 months - but remember, all of that is before they even show you who might be available in your area. Pay attention, because your Sitter subscription will automatically renew until you cancel within your account. You can also opt for the Basic limited plan, which lets you send and receive up to three messages per conversation: just enough to make the initial contact, but probably not enough to determine if you want to hire that particular babysitter.

No filters to make browsing easier

Fortunately, that Basic account is how you can (finally) start viewing babysitter profiles in your area. Sitter will handpick a few for you, or you can skip that step and browse freely on your own. That quickly gets overwhelming due to Sitter's lack of filters (or even the ability to reorder the list from closest to farthest away).

Good info on each babysitter

We were pleasantly surprised to find a decent amount of information once we clicked on a sitter's profile. It was no problem to find out how recently they had logged on to the site (though if we're being honest, we're not sure that so many babysitters are signing on as regularly as the site displays), what they charged as an hourly rate, and their introduction.

You're on your own, especially with background checks

Noticeably absent? Background checks (not offered) and reviews (which are offered, but none of the sitters we clicked on in a major metro area had any). You should understand that Sitter is a little bit Wild West. They put it this way: "As we are a self-serve service and not an agency, we do not pre-screen users who register" . If you want a background check or any other reassurance that your babysitter is trustworthy, you'll have to work that out on your own. Ditto that for payments: you'll work out with your babysitter how much you're paying and how, whether that's Venmo or cold hard cash.

Zero support

All of that should mean it's not a surprise when we tell you not to expect any client support from Sitter. Yes, as a CareGuide company, they share an "A-" rating from the Better Business Bureau, but that doesn't mean much if you need help - there's no phone number to reach out, only a Help Center with FAQs and a Toronto (Canada) mailing address.

You don't get what you pay for

Although we're glad to see babysitter profiles that look legit when we browse Sitter, that's just the bare minimum we need to see from a babysitting referral service. Without any kind of vetting for caregivers or families, no client support, and limited reviews on individual babysitters, Sitter is pretty bold in asking for a $68/month membership fee. You'll get more of what you're actually looking for - vetted, reliable babysitters through an agency that looks out for everyone's well-being - with the higher-ranking rival sites on our list.