Comparison · Childcare & senior careBobby vs Sittercity
A straight comparison of how each one charges a family. The Sittercity figures are from its own support pages. Bobby is pre-launch, so its column lays out the model it plans to run.
Pricing sourced July 2026 · Pre-launch comparison
In short
Sittercity bills families a monthly membership of $16 to $42 to message and book sitters. Bobby's plan is no membership and a flat $1 per booking. What separates them is whether you pay by the month or only when you book.
Sittercity vs a flat fee, side by side
| Sittercity | Bobby (pre-launch) | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee model | Monthly membership subscription | Flat fee per booking |
| What the family pays | $16 to $42 per month by billing term | Flat $1 per booking |
| To message a sitter | Requires a paid Premium membership | Included; no subscription |
| Cost in a month with no sitter booked | The membership still bills | Nothing |
The math at different sizes
A membership charges the same whether you book once or a dozen times. A flat $1 only builds up with the bookings you actually make.
| Bookings per month | Sittercity | Bobby (flat) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 booking | $16 to $42, the membership bills either way | $1 |
| 4 bookings | $16 to $42, unchanged by how much you book | $4 |
| 12 bookings | $16 to $42, unchanged by how much you book | $12 |
Sittercity's cost is a subscription that bills every month you hold Premium. With Bobby it is nothing to browse or message and a flat $1 only when a booking happens.
For a family that books occasionally, that is a few dollars a year against a membership that runs at least $192 a year even on the cheapest annual plan.