Wag fee calculator: what do you keep after Wag’s cut?
Wag takes a cut of what clients pay for walks, but we could not find the exact percentage on any Wag page we could read, so the number below is yours to enter. Check your Wag app, then see what you keep per walk, month and year.
Checked Oct 20, 2026.
Wag is a real marketplace that sends walkers and sitters clients without any marketing on your part. This calculator shows what its cut costs you each month and year, and what the same work would look like if you booked your own clients and paid a flat software fee instead.
How much does Wag take?
Straight answer: it depends on your service and your account, and Wag does not print one percentage on the public pages we could read. Here is what we could confirm from Wag’s own pages on Oct 20, 2026:
- Wag’s annual report lists “service fees charged to Pet Caregivers” and “registration fees paid by Pet Caregivers” as revenue. It does not give the percentage or the dollar amount.
- For dog sitting, Wag’s own article says: “The rate you set in the Wag! app is the rate you will receive for your services.”
- Wag says a one-time application fee applies to become a caregiver. The amount is not on the page we read.
- Wag pays caregivers through Stripe, with the previous week’s services paid on Fridays.
Some third-party sites report numbers for the walk cut, tips and instant payout fees. We did not use them because we could not match them to a Wag page. Open your Wag app, find your own numbers, and type them in.
Wag takes: $7.50/walk, $488/month, $5,850/year
You keep after Wag: $17.50/walk, $1,138/month, $13,650/year
If you booked these same walks direct
Clients pay you: $1,625/month, $19,500/year
After Porchlight Solo ($35/mo, $350/yr): $19,150/year
After Porchlight Team ($79/mo, $790/yr): $18,710/year
At these numbers Wag's cut costs you $5,850 a year. Porchlight Solo is $350 a year, a difference of $5,500.
Estimate only. Direct booking means you find and keep your own clients, and it does not include card or payment processing fees, taxes, insurance, mileage or other costs. Ask a tax pro about mileage and taxes. Wag’s cut covers things this page does not price, such as finding clients.
Booking your own clients? Run them from one place.
Porchlight is scheduling and client software for pet sitting and dog walking companies. Solo is $35 a month for the owner. Team is $79 a month for unlimited staff. Comparing tools? Our dog walking software guide shows real prices at 1, 3, 5 and 10 people.
No card. Free switch from Time To Pet, Precise Petcare, Pet Sitter Plus or LeashTime.
What the numbers mean
| Walks per week | Price per walk | Wag cut (example) | Wag takes per year | You keep per year | Porchlight Solo per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | $25 | 30% | $1,950 | $4,550 | $350 |
| 10 | $25 | 30% | $3,900 | $9,100 | $350 |
| 15 | $25 | 30% | $5,850 | $13,650 | $350 |
| 25 | $25 | 30% | $9,750 | $22,750 | $350 |
Example math at a placeholder 30% cut, 52 weeks, no tips. 30% is not Wag’s rate. Enter yours in the calculator. Porchlight Solo is a flat price whatever you book, but you must find and keep the clients yourself.
When Wag is a fine fit
- You are new, have no clients and no marketing yet, and want a marketplace that puts your profile in front of pet parents. For first clients, it is a fine place to start.
- You want steady lead flow more than you want to keep a bigger share of each walk.
- You want Wag to handle booking, client payment and payouts for you (Wag pays through Stripe, with the previous week’s services paid on Fridays).
- You only work a few walks a week, where a percentage cut can cost less than a flat monthly software fee. The calculator shows this when it is true.
When going independent can make sense
- You already have regular clients who book you again and again.
- Your volume is high enough that the yearly cut is well above a flat software cost.
- You want to set your own prices, policies and schedule, keep your own client list and send your own invoices.
- Many walkers use both: Wag for new leads, direct booking for regulars. Read your agreement with Wag before moving any client.
What Porchlight does for the direct side: scheduling, an installable offline web app for sitters, GPS proof of visits on client report cards, invoicing, and a payroll calculation with CSV export (it does not run payroll). Team is unlimited staff for one flat price. Also work on Rover? Try the Rover fee calculator. Comparing tools? See the best pet sitting software.
Mileage, taxes, insurance, contracts and your agreement with Wag are specific to you. Ask a tax pro, a licensed insurance agent or an attorney before you change how you take bookings.
Questions we get
How much does Wag take from a walker?
Wag does not print one percentage on the public pages we could read, so we do not state one as fact. Wag's annual report lists service fees charged to Pet Caregivers as revenue. Check your Wag app for your rate and type it into the Wag cut field. Checked 2026-10-20.
Do I get paid the full rate for dog sitting?
Wag's article on sitting rates says: "The rate you set in the Wag! app is the rate you will receive for your services." We did not find Wag's wording for walks, so the calculator lets you enter the cut yourself. Checked 2026-10-20.
Does Wag charge walkers to sign up?
Yes. Wag says a one-time application fee applies, and its annual report lists registration fees paid by Pet Caregivers. We could not confirm the dollar amount on a Wag page, so it is not in the calculator. Checked 2026-10-20.
Do I keep my tips and what does instant payout cost?
Wag lets pet parents tip, but we could not confirm on a Wag page how tips are split or what instant payout costs. Enter the tips you actually keep and any payout fees you pay in the calculator. Wag pays caregivers through Stripe, with the previous week's services paid on Fridays.
Is booking direct always cheaper than Wag?
No. At low volume a percentage cut can cost less than a flat monthly software fee, and Wag also brings you new clients with no marketing. The calculator shows both and tells you when Wag costs less.
What does Porchlight cost?
Solo is $35 a month ($350 a year) for the owner only. Team is $79 a month ($790 a year) with unlimited staff. Every plan starts with a free 30-day trial and no card is needed.
Keep more of what you earn, on your terms.
No card. Free switch from Time To Pet, Precise Petcare, Pet Sitter Plus or LeashTime.
Sources
All checked Oct 20, 2026.
- Wag, “How Much Should You Charge for a Wag! Dog Sitting?”: https://wagwalking.com/daily/how-much-should-you-charge-for-a-wag-dog-sitting (checked Oct 20, 2026)
- Wag, “How Much Should You Charge for a Wag! Dog Walk?”: https://wagwalking.com/daily/how-much-should-you-charge-for-a-wag-dog-walk (checked Oct 20, 2026)
- Wag, “How to Become a Dog Walker with Wag!”: https://wagwalking.com/daily/how-to-become-a-dog-walker-with-wag (checked Oct 20, 2026)
- Wag! Group Co. annual report (Form 10-K, FY2024), SEC: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1842356/000184235625000029/pet-20241231.htm (checked Oct 20, 2026)
- Porchlight pricing: Solo $35 a month or $350 a year, Team $79 a month or $790 a year.
Porchlight is made by Hive Asset Group, LLC. We sell software for pet sitting and dog walking companies, so we have a stake in this comparison. Wag is a separate company; we are not affiliated with it. Fees change and differ by account, so confirm yours with Wag.