Cheapest pet insurance in Australia May 2026

Vet bills add up fast. The cheapest pet insurance in Australia covers the big stuff without making you choose between your pet and your rent.

CHEAP
Budget Direct Plus Cover logo Budget Direct Plus Cover
  • 2026 Finder Award winner
  • The cheapest insurer according to Finder research
  • New customers can get up to 15% off their first year's premium online
T&Cs apply
NO SUB-LIMITS
Petcover Superior Plan logo Petcover Superior Plan
  • $100 Finder Visa gift card
  • Up to $20,000 annual limit
  • 20 + policies to choose from
  • Up to 100% back on vet bills
T&Cs apply
FEATURES
Medibank Pet Max Cover with Extra Care logo Medibank Pet Max Cover with Extra Care
  • Up to $30,000/year for vet bills
  • Up to 90% back on vet bills
  • Get two months free pet insurance (promo code RVG2FREE) Offer ends 14 July 2026
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16 of 62 results
Finder Score Accidental Injury Illness Maximum Yearly Benefit Paralysis Tick Yearly Sub-Limit Reimbursement rate Reimbursement Rate
Finder Score
$25,000
No sub-limit
80%
80%
Discount: Get 2 months free pet insurance with promo code RVG2FREE. Offer ends 14 Jul 2026. T&Cs apply.
$125$125 RewardT&Cs apply
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Finder Score
$7,000
Yes
100%
100%
Finder exclusive: Signup to get the first 6 weeks free for pups and kittens under 1 year, using promocode: FINDER6WEEKS. For all other ages get the first 4 weeks free plus a $20 e-gift voucher when you purchase a policy, using promocode: FINDER50. T&Cs apply.
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Finder Score
$25,000
$3,000
80%
80%
Discount: Apply online and get 15% off your first year's premium. T&Cs apply.
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Budget Direct Pet Insurance logo
Finder Score
Finder Score
$12,000
$1,000
80%
80%
Discount: Apply online and get 15% off your first year's premium. T&Cs apply.
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Budget Direct Pet Insurance logo
Finder Score
Finder Score
$15,000
$1,500
80%
80%
Discount: Apply online and get 15% off your first year's premium. T&Cs apply.
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Kogan Pet Insurance logo
Finder Score
Finder Score
Specified illnesses only
$20,000
$2,000
80%
80%
Discount: Get 2 months free when you purchase Kogan Pet Insurance. Sign up using promo code 2MFREE. Offer ends 06 Feb 2028. T&Cs apply.
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Guardian Pet Insurance logo
Finder Score
Finder Score
$12,000
$2,000
60%
60%
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Australian Seniors Pet Insurance logo
Finder Score
Finder Score
$12,000
$2,000
60%
60%
Discount: If you're over 50 get 10% off. T&Cs apply.
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Coles Pet Insurance logo
Finder Score
Finder Score
$10,000 or $15,000
$3,500
80% or 100%
80% or 100%
Bonus offer: Earn 10x Flybuys points per $1 spent on pet food at Coles Supermarkets, plus get a 5% multi-pet discount. T&Cs apply.
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Kogan Pet Insurance logo
Finder Score
Finder Score
$20,000
$3,000
80%
80%
Discount: Get 2 months free when you purchase Kogan Pet Insurance. Sign up using promo code 2MFREE. Offer ends 06 Feb 2028. T&Cs apply.
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Buddy Pet Insurance logo
Finder Score
Finder Score
$11,000
No sub-limits
70%
70%
Discount: Get 1 month free. T&Cs apply.
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Kogan Pet Insurance logo
Finder Score
Finder Score
$30,000
$30,000
80%
80%
Discount: Get 2 months free when you purchase Kogan Pet Insurance. Sign up using promo code 2MFREE. Offer ends 06 Feb 2028. T&Cs apply.
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Guardian Pet Insurance logo
Finder Score
Finder Score
$12,000
$1,000
75%
75%
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Medibank Pet Insurance logo
Finder Score
Finder Score
$10,000
$4,000
70%
70%
Discount: Get 2 months free pet insurance with promo code RVG2FREE. Offer ends 14 Jul 2026. T&Cs apply.
$125$125 RewardT&Cs apply
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Guide Dogs Pet Insurance logo
Finder Score
Finder Score
$15,000
$2,000
80%
80%
Discount: Get 1 month free pet insurance when you sign up for cover with Guide Dogs. T&Cs apply.
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Guardian Pet Insurance logo
Finder Score
Finder Score
$12,000
$1,200
80%
80%
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Showing 16 of 27 results

Finder Score for pet insurance

We designed Finder Score to make comparing pet insurance easier, assessing more than 20 products for their price and features. Finder Score assigns each product a score out of 10.

Read the full methodology

Video: how to get cheap pet insurance in Australia

Do You Need Pet Insurance?

Cheap pet insurance options

To demonstrate just how much pet insurance premiums can vary between providers, we gathered a range of quotes from pet insurers for a 5-year-old male, desexed Staffordshire Terrier. The figures below can be used as a general guide to highlight how premiums can differ between providers. Your own quote will likely differ.

Sample quote
Sample quote
$681.41
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Australian Unity Pet Insurance logo
Sample quote
$605.76
View details
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Orivet Pet Insurance logo
Sample quote
$605.76
View details
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Potiki Pet Insurance logo
Sample quote
$605.76
View details
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Petinsurance.com.au Pet Insurance logo
Sample quote
$605.76
View details
Compare product selection
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To learn more about how we got the costs above, read our pet insurance methodology.

How to get cheaper pet insurance

Select a higher excess

The higher the excess you choose, the cheaper your premiums will be. Our filters let you choose between a $0 and $500 excess to help lower costs. Just remember that you'll need to pay this excess whenever you make a claim.

Opt for a lower annual limit and reimbursement rate

An annual limit is the maximum amount you can claim per year. The reimbursement rate refers to the percentage of a vet bill the pet insurer will pay. Generally, the lower the annual limit and reimbursement rate, the cheaper your pet insurance policy is likely to cost.

Get multiple quotes

While we can't show you exactly how much you'll pay for a pet insurance policy, there's nothing stopping you from clicking through, answering some questions about your pet and getting a couple of different quotes. If price is your only concern, go with the insurer that gives you the cheapest quote.

What does pet insurance cover?

A typical pet insurance policy can cover you for a range of treatments. Each provider differs so be sure to understand what's included as standard and what you'll need to add as an optional extra.

Here are some of the benefits you'll find in your policy:

  • Accidental injuries
  • Illnesses
  • Tick paralysis
  • Routine care
  • Hospitalisation
  • Surgery
  • Radiology
  • Specialist care
  • Skin conditions
  • Hereditary conditions
  • Medicines
  • Cruciate ligaments
  • Lab tests
  • Dental
  • Cancer treatment
  • Consultations and vet visits

Must read

Some pet insurance policies cover you for specified illnesses. This means you need to read the product disclosure statement (PDS) to see which illnesses your furry pal will be covered for. In most cases, it should include the most common types of illnesses.

How does pet insurance work?

In the event your pet needs medical attention, pet insurance works by providing you with a partial reimbursement on the vet fees you had to pay. This is done with a few considerations:

Benefit percentage

When you take out your pet insurance policy, you can elect a reimbursement rate. The options are typically for 70, 80, 90 or 100%. The higher your reimbursement rate, the higher your premium will be.

Benefit limit and sub-limits

Each insurer has a maximum cover amount available per year. This is the limit which they will pay out in any single year. On top of this, there are sub-limits which apply to specific treatments. Let's say for example, you take out a policy with a max cover amount of $30,000. Afterwards, you have to go to the vet for a cruciate ligament treatment and it costs you $4,000. You go to make a claim for cruciate ligaments but it has a sub-limit of $1,500. This means you only get reimbursed for $1,500 of the $4,000 you paid.

Policy excess

When you take out a policy, you will nominate an excess to pay. This is the amount you will have to pay the insurer to be able to make a claim on your policy. Often, instead of having to transfer the money to your insurer, they'll just deduct it from your reimbursement.

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How is a pet insurance premium calculated?

The cost of your pet insurance premium is highly customised. It will depend on any of the following:

  • Breed
  • Age
  • How healthy they currently are and if they've had illnesses in the past

The status of your pet aside, there are a few other factors that influence your overall premium:

  • Policy excess: The higher your excess, the lower your premium
  • Optional extras: The more you add, the more expensive your policy will be.
Elizabeth Barry's headshot

"I realised the value of pet insurance when one of my dogs got very sick as a young puppy. We have now had both dogs insured for years. I can't tell you how much we've saved being able to claim vet bills for injuries and some illnesses. If I could do it again, I would organise insurance before bringing the dogs home as puppies."

Journalist

FAQs

Sources

Jason Loewenthal's headshot
To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Jason Loewenthal as part of our fact-checking process.
Gary Ross Hunter's headshot
Journalist

Gary Ross Hunter has over 6 years of expertise writing about insurance, including life, health, home, and car insurance. Having reviewed hundreds of product disclosure statements and published over 800 articles, he loves simplifying complex insurance topics for everyday readers. Gary has contributed to major outlets like Yahoo Finance, The Sydney Morning Herald, and news.com.au, and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Literature from the University of Glasgow, along with a Tier 2 General Advice certification, ensuring his work adheres to ASIC’s RG146 standards. See full bio

Gary Ross's expertise
Gary Ross has written 572 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Health, home, life, car, pet and travel insurance
  • Managing the cost of living
Peta Taylor's headshot
Co-written by

Publisher of Insurance

Peta Taylor is a publisher at Finder, working across all of insurance. She's been analysing product disclosure statements and publishing articles for over 2 years. Peta is passionate about demystifying complex insurance products to help users make well educated decisions with confidence. Peta is part of Finder's insurance awards team and works alongside editorial and insights experts to bring users the best insurance products every year. See full bio

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