Comparison · Childcare & senior careBobby vs Care.com
A straight look at how each one charges a family. The Care.com numbers are from its own help pages. Bobby is pre-launch, so its column describes the model it plans to run.
Pricing sourced July 2026 · Pre-launch comparison
In short
Care.com bills families a monthly membership of $12.99 to $38.99 to message caregivers. Bobby's plan is no membership and a flat $1 per booking. The split comes down to whether you pay by the month or only when you book care.
Care.com vs a flat fee, side by side
| Care.com | Bobby (pre-launch) | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee model | Monthly membership subscription | Flat fee per booking |
| What the family pays | $12.99 to $38.99 per month by billing term | Flat $1 per booking |
| To message a caregiver | Requires a paid Premium membership | Included; no subscription |
| Cost in a month with no care booked | The membership still bills | Nothing |
The math at different sizes
A membership costs the same no matter how often you book. A flat $1 only grows when you actually book someone.
| Bookings per month | Care.com | Bobby (flat) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 booking | $12.99 to $38.99, the membership bills either way | $1 |
| 4 bookings | $12.99 to $38.99, unchanged by how much you book | $4 |
| 12 bookings | $12.99 to $38.99, unchanged by how much you book | $12 |
Care.com's cost is a subscription that hits every month you hold Premium, booking or not. Bobby's plan charges nothing to browse or message and a flat $1 only when a booking actually happens.
For a family that books now and then, the gap is wide: a few dollars a year in per-booking fees versus a membership that can run $150 or more a year even on the cheapest annual plan.