What Sittercity does

Sittercity Incorporated is a US-based, privately held online marketplace founded in 2001 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, operating with 101-250 employees. The platform connects families seeking care services with caregivers across five verticals: babysitting, nanny placement, pet care, companion/senior care, and special needs care. Coverage spans 96% of US neighborhoods, and the marketplace accumulates 140,000+ verified 5-star parent reviews alongside thousands of active sitters in individual metros (e.g., 1,009 in Atlanta, 828 in Dallas).

The product is delivered as a self-serve web platform with an iOS mobile application, where parents post jobs, receive applications, and message caregivers in-platform. The technology stack centers on a standard two-sided marketplace architecture with a Trust and Safety layer that integrates Berbix for identity verification and Family Watchdog for background screening. The company also exposes a read-only Sitter Profile API to approved affiliates and supports an enterprise benefits integration with Bright Horizons, under which Sittercity membership is bundled for Bright Horizons employees.

Sittercity's primary revenue stream is recurring parent membership subscriptions sold as annual "value plans," supplemented by affiliate referral commissions tracked through Impact Radius. The company monetizes consumers directly rather than caregivers, uses SEO and content marketing as top-of-funnel acquisition, and operates without disclosed venture funding post-2013, suggesting an established, self-sustaining operating posture rather than a high-burn growth profile.

Name

Sittercity

Legal name

Sittercity Incorporated

Website

https://sittercity.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Sittercity is a US-based online marketplace, founded in 2001 and headquartered in Chicago, connecting families with verified babysitters, nannies, pet sitters, and senior caregivers across 96% of US neighborhoods via subscription memberships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Caregiver Marketplace

NAICS

Child Care Services (6244)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Date Night & Evening Babysitting (HSAAAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Holiday & Extended-Trip In-Home Pet Sitting (HSANAEAJ)

Keywords

• Childcare marketplace
• Babysitter matching
• Senior care platform
• Pet care services
• Caregiver network

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Parent Membership Subscriptions: Families pay for premium membership plans to access full features including unlimited messaging, background checks, and priority support. The platform offers value plans with savings up to 60%.
2. Sitter Registration: Caregivers can register on the platform, though the primary revenue comes from parent memberships.
3. Affiliate Program Commissions: Commission-based revenue from affiliate partners who drive new paid membership signups or sitter registrations through Impact Radius tracking platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sittercity operates an online two-sided marketplace that connects families seeking childcare, pet care, and senior companion care with background-checked, independent caregivers (sitters, nannies, pet sitters, and companion care providers). Parents post jobs, browse detailed sitter profiles with reviews and credentials, communicate via secure messaging, and arrange care; caregivers register, apply to jobs, and pay nothing to join. Revenue is driven primarily by parent premium memberships with associated trust-and-safety add-ons such as background checks.

Product overview

Sittercity is an online marketplace platform connecting families with childcare, senior care, and pet care providers. The platform operates as a unified marketplace offering multiple service categories including babysitting, nanny services, pet care, companion/senior care, and special needs care. The core product enables parents to search profiles with certifications and reviews, post job listings, and message providers. Additional offerings include Trust & Safety Services (background checks, identity verification), a mobile app for iOS, an affiliate program with API access for partners, and value subscription plans. The platform also integrates with Bright Horizons workplace benefits. Sittercity is available through both web and mobile channels, serving families across 96% of US neighborhoods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sittercity Marketplace Platform Core two-sided online marketplace where parents post jobs, browse detailed sitter profiles with reviews and certifications, and message caregivers to arrange childcare, pet care, and senior companion care. Available on web and iOS, serving families across 96% of U.S. neighborhoods.
• Babysitter Matching Matching service connecting families with babysitters for occasional, last-minute, date night, and vacation childcare needs.
• Nanny Services Matching service connecting families with nannies for regular, after-school, weekday, and weekend childcare arrangements.
• Pet Care Services Platform connecting pet owners with pet sitters for feeding, walks, sitting, and regular pet care.
• Companion/Senior Care In-home assistance service matching families with companions for everyday activities and tasks for seniors.
• Special Needs Care Specialized childcare service connecting families with caregivers trained for children with special needs.
• Child Care Services General childcare services including infant care, before-school and after-school care, tutoring, and homeschool help.
• Trust & Safety Services Safety add-on including background checks, identity verification through Berbix, Family Watchdog screening, and fraud prevention for caregivers on the platform.
• Sittercity Mobile App (iOS)
• Sittercity Affiliate Program
• Bright Horizons Benefits Integration

Quantifiable outcome

• Trusted by families in 96% of US neighborhoods
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Bright HorizonscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSittercity is included as an employee benefit for Bright Horizons workers, providing discounted or complimentary access to the childcare marketplace platform. This partnership extends Sittercity's reach to enterprise employees and represents a significant co-branding relationship.
• BerbixcoreTechnology or IntegrationBerbix provides identity verification services during sitter registration on the Sittercity platform, ensuring caregivers are who they claim to be as part of the Trust and Safety infrastructure.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Care.com: The dominant online marketplace for finding caregivers across childcare, senior care, pet care, and housekeeping. Operates a similar subscription-based two-sided marketplace model and is Sittercity's primary direct competitor across nearly every category served.
• Rover: Leading online marketplace connecting pet owners with pet sitters and dog walkers. Directly competes with Sittercity in the pet care vertical using the same marketplace economics and trust-and-safety infrastructure.
• Papa: Marketplace connecting seniors with companion caregivers for in-home assistance and social support. Directly competes with Sittercity in the companion/senior care vertical and similarly partners with health plans and employers for distribution.
• Wag: Pet care marketplace specializing in dog walking, pet sitting, and boarding. Overlaps with Sittercity's pet care offerings and was acquired by Rover in 2023, consolidating the category.
• Babysits: International babysitting marketplace operating across multiple countries in Europe, the Americas, and beyond. Direct competitor in babysitting with the same horizontal marketplace model, though with broader geographic reach than Sittercity.

Broad incumbents

• Bright Horizons: Largest provider of employer-sponsored childcare services, including daycare centers, back-up care, and educational advisory. Functions as both a Sittercity distribution partner (employee benefit) and a broader incumbent in the same care services market.
• Thumbtack: Large US-based local services marketplace connecting consumers with professionals across dozens of categories. Uses a similar two-sided marketplace model and could expand into care verticals overlapping with Sittercity.

Emerging players

• Helpr: On-demand childcare platform focused on back-up care delivered as an employer-sponsored benefit. Competes in the childcare category with a primarily B2B distribution model, overlapping with Sittercity's enterprise go-to-market.
• Winnie: Childcare marketplace focused on daycare centers, preschools, and licensed providers. Partial overlap with Sittercity in the childcare vertical but with a stronger emphasis on center-based care and parent reviews of facilities.
• Bambino: Neighborhood-based babysitting co-op app connecting families within local communities. Operates in Sittercity's core occasional babysitting use case with a community-driven model and lower-fee structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Sittercity
• Facebookfacebook.com/sittercity
• Instagraminstagram.com/sittercity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sittercity

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors8 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sittercity