Is Care.com Legit & Worth It? – Honest Review & Data

Care.com is a leading and legit platform that connects caregivers to families and individuals in need. And it's an excellent side gig if you're looking for flexible work and also enjoy helping others.

But is Care.com worth it for both caregivers and families? And how much can you earn with this platform?

Our Care.com review is covering how the platform works, its pricing, and helping both families and caregivers decide if it's right for them.

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Key Takeaways:

• Care.com is one of the largest caregiving websites in the world
• Popular services include childcare, senior care, tutoring, personal shopping, and pet care
• Caregivers set their own rates and availability and generally earn $15 to $20+ per hour
• Creating a profile is free, but a paid plan unlocks more features for families and caregivers
• All caregivers must complete (and pay for) an annual background check

Is Care.com Legit?

Care.com is legit and helps caregivers find work while helping families and individuals who need assistance. However, the company has a 2.3 star rating on Trustpilot and poor rating overall, with some members complaining about the confusing pricing structure and customer support.

This is still one of the highest paying apps if you're looking to find caregiving work. And it's a reliable platform for families and people in need to find help. However, you generally have to pay for Care.com to get the most out of it, so keep this in mind.

What Is Care.com & What Does It Offer?

Care.com is the world’s largest online marketplace for caregivers that helps them connect with families that need their services. With millions of users across multiple countries, this website offers a variety of options to those needing assistance. 

Here are just a few of the services available via Care.com:

• Child Care including babysitters and nanny positions
• Special needs care
• Tutoring
• Senior care
• Pet care including walking, pet sitting and grooming
• Housekeeping
• Personal shopping and assistance
• Household management

Overall, Care.com is one of the fastest ways to start a new side hustle in the caregiving space. And it helps families quickly find qualified help.

How Does Care.com Work For Caregivers?

You can sign up on Care.com as a caregiver for free by clicking “Apply to Jobs.” You then begin completing your Caregiver Profile by entering the services you offer, your Zip code, and if you're willing to travel for work on not.

From there, you finish completing your profile and have to get approved. This involves submitting a profile photo and entering more information about your work experience and who you are.

After you submit your profile, you can begin applying to jobs immediately. However, Care.com takes a few days to approve new profiles, so your job applications will be pending until you're approved.

Note: all caregivers must complete a background check through CareCheck. The company says it charges “a nominal, annual fee for basic caregiver memberships on the platform” – but you can waive this fee by upgrading your membership. More on this down below, but know that you have to pay an annual fee that's around $14.99.

Pro Tip: Make your Care.com caregiver profile stand out as much as you can. List your experience and any certifications such as CPR that you have. A picture and any references can also help with securing jobs. 

You should also try to get positive reviews from your first clients. And Care.com even lets you purchase additional background checks to help make your profile seem more trustworthy.

How Does Care.com Work For Families?

Care.com is also very easy to use for families and individuals who need assistance. You can search for the type of caregiver you need and the services you want by clicking the “Find Care” button.

From there, you enter additional information such as the type of care and when you need the services. Users can then create an account and look for caregivers in your area and book them right from the platform.

Care.com has other features too. For example, you can read reviews for potential caregivers you'd like to hire. You can also post jobs for caregivers to apply to. And Care.com even lets you request background checks.

Once you book a caregiver, you can message them through the website. As for payments, everything is processed through Care.com. Caregivers set their hourly rate and you also pay a variable service fee. You can also set up recurring services or hire caregivers on a one-time basis.

How Much Does Care.com Cost? – Memberships & Pricing

Care.com has free plans for both families and caregivers. However, you can also upgrade to Premium Memberships to unlock perks like better search tools, discounts, and perks.

Care.com's pricing is one of the main areas people get confused by. It's also the reason the company gets some negative reviews. To help you out, here's a breakdown of Care.com's pricing and memberships for both families and caregivers:

	Family Basic Membership	Family Premium Membership	Caregiver Basic Membership	Caregiver Premium Membership
Cost	Free	$12.99 to $38.99 per month*	Free	$10 to $20 per month*
Create free account & profile	x	x	x	x
Post jobs	x	x	n/a	n/a
Search for caregivers / jobs	x	x	x	x
See profiles for applicants	x	x	n/a	n/a
Send automated messages	x	x	n/a	n/a
Use site resources	x	x	x	x
Contact / respond to members	n/a	x	x**	x
Request background checks	n/a	x	n/a	n/a
View & reply to applications	n/a	x	n/a	n/a
Secure payments	n/a	n/a	x	x
Featured in search results	n/a	n/a	n/a	x
Priority job alerts	n/a	n/a	n/a	x
Waived annual screening fee	n/a	n/a	n/a	x
Option for unlimited background checks	n/a	x	n/a	n/a
LifeMart Discount offer	n/a	x	n/a	x
HomePay tax services discount	n/a	x	n/a	n/a

If you're looking to make extra cash as a caregiver, the main reason to pay for a membership is to get featured in search results and to get priority job alerts. This can help you land more gigs overall. Premium caregivers also waive the annual screening fee.

One thing I dislike about Care.com is its lack of transparent pricing. Pricing is also variable and can depend on where you live or the time of year. But use this table as a general guideline for Care.com's cost and membership perks.

* Monthly payment amounts vary depending on the frequency of payment (monthly, quarterly, or annually). 

** Contact premium members only.

Care.com Requirements For Caregivers

Are you thinking about becoming a caregiver on Care.com? Currently, the main caregiver requirements include:

• Being 18 or older
• Living in an eligible country
• Passing an annual background check
• Having a valid social security number

Note that Care.com's background check looks at your criminal record, sex offender registry, and motor vehicle record. You have to pay for this background check and submit the necessary details to run it, like your SSN, address, and full legal name. This costs around $15 to $20 per year.

Also note that Care.com is only available in the following countries: Austria, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States,

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How Much Can You Make With Care.com?

How much you earn with Care.com depends on the kind of caregiving services you offer, your market, and your experience level. However, here are some of the hourly averages you can expect for various gigs:

• Child Care: $18 per hour.
• Senior Care: $19 per hour.
• Housekeeping: $19 per hour.
• Tutoring: $21 per hour.
• Pet Care: $14 per hour.

Overall, Care.com has fairly competitive pricing compared to other odd job apps like Taskrabbit and Handy. But again, you set your prices or apply to available jobs, so your hourly rate can vary.

Pay for caregivers can also vary dramatically based on geographic area. Those in larger metropolitan areas can expect to pay more for care than those in rural communities.

How Does Care.com Pay You?

There are two different ways that you can get paid for the gigs you book with Care.com:

• Payment via Care.com: Payments are sent by the client through the platform which are deposited 6 hours after the booking. Care.com takes a booking fee which is a percentage of the payment. This averages around 10% but can vary.
• Direct payment from client: If your client uses a job post to find you, you can ask for payment off of Care.com's platform. In other words, you can ask your client to pay you directly through another payment method such as cash, Venmo, or PayPal. You don't pay booking fees but have to agree on a payment method beforehand with your client.

Earning Potential

Care.com is one of the best side hustles for women and men who work in caregiving, nursing, or personal care. And this is largely because it's a leading platform that has plenty of work opportunities.

That said, you need to make your profile stand out to get consistent work. This means getting reviews from customers and adding any certifications or professional experience to your profile to encourage bookings. You should also be active in applying to jobs as they get posted.

Premium caregiving members may also have an advantage due to priority job alerts and higher rankings in search results. This means Care.com somewhat forces you to pay for it.

However, with stable and recurring gigs, caregivers can realistically make hundreds or even $1,000+ per month. But you won't make this amount right away, so have realistic expectations.

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Is Care.com Worth It?

Care.com is worth it for caregivers who want an easy way to find clients and grow a consistent caregiving side hustle. It's also a great fit if you want a platform to handle bookings, job postings, and client communication.

Care.com is also worth it for families who want to hire qualified help with the knowledge that they've completed background checks.

As a side hustle, you can likely earn more per hour by cutting out the middleman and finding clients yourself. But this is easier said than done, even for experienced caregivers. Ultimately, we recommend using both Care.com and your own network to maximize your earnings.

👉 Get started with Care.com!

Is Care.com Safe?

Care.com is safe in that it takes numerous measures to protect both families and caregivers. For example, all caregivers must complete annual background checks. Families can also request additional background checks, and caregivers are encouraged to comply to make their profiles stand out.

That said, this is the gig economy. Platform issues happen, whether it's Care.com, Uber Eats, DoorDash, Rover, or some other gig.

For example, there's been some very public concern and criticism regarding Care.com safety issues, where there have been issues with theft, assault and more. 

As with any side hustle that involves close in person contact like Uber and Lyft, you’ll want to use common sense and caution with every opportunity that you book.

Also be cautious of job posting scams. Some caregivers report finding jobs where they're asked to pay for supplies or give up a lot of personal information. If you sense a job posting is phishing, report it to Care.com immediately.

Do You Have To Pay For Care.com?

You don't have to pay for Care.com if you want the basic features. However, caregivers must pay for an annual background check. We also suggest upgrading to a Premium Membership to get priority job alerts and a higher ranking in search results.

Families don't necessarily need to pay for a membership. But you can upgrade if you want more features and the ability to request additional background checks.

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Pros & Cons

Pros:

• The largest platform of caregivers in the world
• Caregivers can set their own rates and availability
• An easy way for families to look for help
• Background checks help improve platform safety
• Flexible membership options

Cons:

• Care.com has confusing pricing
• It can take time for caregivers to find their first clients
• You have to pay for an annual background check as a caregiver
• Platform fees can be steep and consistent
• Caregivers likely have to upgrade to a Premium Membership to find their first gigs

Final Thoughts

If you're looking for a quick way to start a caregiving side hustle, Care.com should be on your radar. And if you need caregiving assistance, this is also a safer platform than relying on something like Craigslist or the Facebook Marketplace.

Ultimately, Care.com is a leader in its industry for many reasons. And we recommend signing up and giving it a try if you're in this industry.

Just have realistic expectations about how long it takes to find your first clients. Also: be aware of platform fees and background check requirements before signing up.

Want some more ways to make money on the side? Checkout:

• The Top Apps To Make $100 A Day.
• The Best Websites Like Taskrabbit.
• The Best Apps That Pay You For Driving.