Trupanion vs. Pumpkin: Which Is the Best for Your Pet? (2025)

As Trupanion and Pumpkin insure only pets, each company focuses on helping you keep your pets healthy and safe.

Trupanion stands out in having no annual limits on claims or payouts.^[1] It also won’t raise premiums because of your pet’s age. But Pumpkin earns points for having a robust base policy that covers rehabilitative care and behavioral issues.^[2] It also offers an optional wellness and preventative care add-on.

It can be difficult to choose between two quality pet insurance companies. Comparing rates along with customer service, discounts, coverages, and other policy details makes the decision easier.^[3]

Trupanion vs. Pumpkin: The verdict

When it comes to pet insurance coverage, Pumpkin comes out ahead. Unlike Trupanion, its base policy includes physical therapy and behavioral care. Pumpkin also lets you add wellness and preventative care to your base policy, an option Trupanion doesn’t offer.

Pumpkin also helps you save money by discounting premiums by 10% for your second and subsequent pets. While Trupanion says it offers exceptional value to all pets, it doesn’t provide discounts.

Trupanion’s waiting periods are five days for accidents and 30 days for illnesses. With Pumpkin, you only have to wait 14 days after your policy starts to file a claim.

Trupanion vs. Pumpkin

Compare quotesCompare	Compare quotesCompare
Reimbursement % The percentage of costs your provider will pay for a covered event, after you’ve paid your deductible. 90%	Reimbursement % The percentage of costs your provider will pay for a covered event, after you’ve paid your deductible. 80%–90%
Payout limits The maximum amount your provider will pay for covered events. Unlimited	Payout limits The maximum amount your provider will pay for covered events. $5,000–Unlimited
Deductibles The amount you must pay towards a covered event before your coverage kicks in. $0 to $950	Deductibles The amount you must pay towards a covered event before your coverage kicks in. $100–$1,000
Curable pre-existing conditions Pre-existing conditions refer to conditions your pet has shown documented symptoms of before your policy’s waiting period is over. Some companies still cover these conditions if they’re deemed “curable” and haven’t shown symptoms for a specified period of time that varies by insurer. Not covered	Curable pre-existing conditions Pre-existing conditions refer to conditions your pet has shown documented symptoms of before your policy’s waiting period is over. Some companies still cover these conditions if they’re deemed “curable” and haven’t shown symptoms for a specified period of time that varies by insurer. Covered

Data in this table has been sourced from Insurify users who received a pet insurance quote from our partner Fletch.

Trupanion

Pumpkin

How Trupanion and Pumpkin compare

See how Trupanion and Pumpkin compare on several different metrics pet owners consider when choosing pet insurance.

Cost of pet insurance

Trupanion and Pumpkin base their pet insurance rates on what type of pet you have, its age and breed, and your location.

Although Trupanion offers just one base plan, you can choose your deductible. We averaged costs across $100, $500, and $1,000 deductibles to find that Trupanion costs an average of $88 per month for dogs and $34 per month for cats.

Pumpkin also offers customers one base plan. Pricing averages $66 per month for dog insurance and $29 per month for cat insurance.

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Coverages and plan features

Trupanion and Pumpkin offer accident and illness plans that cover hereditary, chronic, and acute conditions along with diagnostics, surgeries and hospitalizations, and medications. Both plans allow you to visit any licensed veterinary facility.

Pumpkin offers an optional wellness coverage add-on with certain services offering 100% reimbursement rates, although reimbursement rates for the base plan vary. You also get 24/7 access to a telehealth helpline.

In addition, Pumpkin’s base plan covers dental illnesses, behavioral issues, physical therapy, and prescription supplements. Trupanion’s optional recovery and complementary care package covers these items and includes alternative therapy such as chiropractic care, homeopathy, and naturopathy. Its base plan has no payout or coverage limits, but Trupanion’s care package will reimburse you 90% of your costs after you meet your deductible.

Here’s a side-by-side look at Trupanion and Pumpkin.

Feature	Trupanion	Pumpkin
Mobile app	No	No, but website is mobile optimized
Mobile claims filing	Yes, using website	Yes, using website
Direct vet pay	Yes, for participating hospitals	No, but PumpkinNow sends you money to cover expensive vet bills within minutes
24/7 pet helpline	No	Yes, through enrollment in the Wellness Club plan
Online policy management	Yes	Yes
Live customer support	Yes	Yes

Policy exclusions

Like most pet insurers, Trupanion and Pumpkin have exclusions to be aware of. Both exclude pre-existing conditions, although Pumpkin will cover recurring issues other than knee and hind-leg ligament issues if they’re curable.

Trupanion’s coverage excludes wellness and preventative veterinary expenses. In contrast, Pumpkin offers wellness and preventative services as an add-on.

In addition, Pumpkin excludes herbs, vitamins, and supplements for general pet health. While Trupanion’s base plan also excludes them, its recovery and complementary care package covers 90% of homeopathy and naturopathy costs.

And although Pumpkin has no age restrictions, Trupanion requires that you enroll your pet before its 14th birthday.

Claims process

Trupanion and Pumpkin have similar claims processes, and both companies require you to upload your pet’s medical records. Pumpkin requires all medical records, and Trupanion requests 18 months’ worth.

If you use a participating hospital, you can use Trupanion’s VetDirect Pay, which allows the hospital to submit the invoice for you. Otherwise, you can log in to your account, upload the invoice, and provide details about your pet’s illness or injury. You can also download and print a mail-in claim form from the Trupanion website.

Pumpkin doesn’t have direct pay to vets. But with PumpkinNow, you can get a payment covering up to 90% of emergency vet bills exceeding $1,000 in minutes. You don’t need to enroll ahead of time. Just select that option from the claims area of the Pumpkin website if the need arises.

For other claims, follow the website prompts to describe the situation and upload your invoice. Pumpkin says it reimburses most claims within days.

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Customer reviews

Both insurers have high ratings on Trustpilot, but Pumpkin has the higher rating with 4.8 stars compared to Trupanion’s 4.3.

Pumpkin has many 5-star reviews with reviewers mentioning speedy, hassle-free service and fast claims processing and reimbursement. One Trustpilot user says, “The representatives are so well trained, so compassionate, so friendly, and go above and beyond to make sure my questions are thoroughly answered.”

But the company does have its share of complaints. One dissatisfied customer mentions that anything related to a pre-existing condition is excluded. Another was caught off guard by Pumpkin’s requirement to provide all their pet’s medical records.

Meanwhile, Trupanion’s positive customer reviews often mention the company’s fast procedure approval, responsive and empathetic customer service, and easy claims and reimbursements.

But one dissatisfied Trupanion customer complained that every issue has a deductible and that reimbursement doesn’t cover the whole bill. Other reviewers mentioned being denied coverage for recurring illnesses.

Trupanion vs. Pumpkin FAQs