Wyndy vs AuPair.com: Live-in Au Pair or Local Sitter

Which one fits

These are two different kinds of care. AuPair.com helps you find an au pair who lives in your home as a cultural exchange, and in the US the placement then goes through a J-1 sponsor agency. Wyndy is local babysitting and nannies from background-checked college students, grads and experienced caregivers, booked and paid in the app.

Pick Wyndy if

You need a babysitter for an evening or a few hours a week, not someone living in your home.
You want every sitter background-checked before their first job, at no cost to you.
You want to book and pay in the app, without visas, a sponsor agency or a year-long agreement.

Pick AuPair.com if

You have a spare bedroom and want live-in childcare, up to 45 hours a week in the US program.
You'd like your kids to grow up with someone from another country and culture.
You're hosting outside the US, or you want to search au pairs from many countries.

Full comparison

Wyndy and AuPair.com compared, feature by feature
Feature	Wyndy	AuPair.com
Who the caregivers are
Caregivers	College students, graduates and experienced caregivers	Au pairs who live with your family as a cultural exchange
Kinds of care	Babysitting and nannies	Live-in au pairs, plus elder care and other household help
Minimum caregiver age	18	18 (18 to 26 for the US au pair program)
Where it works	US, in the Wyndy app (iPhone and Android)	Worldwide. US au pairs go through a J-1 sponsor agency
Safety and vetting
Criminal background check	Every sitter, before they can take a job	No. Its terms say it doesn't run background checks
Who pays for the check	Included. You never pay for it	No checks run by AuPair.com
Caregiver identity check	Identity and SSN trace through Sterling	On request (ID documents or a video of the user's face)
Sex offender registry search	Yes	No
Listed college verified	Yes	No
You verify your ID	Yes, before messaging or booking	You and your au pair must show each other ID before signing
Booking and paying
How you find care	Post a job and pick from sitters who apply, or browse sitters	Search au pairs and send free contact requests. Messaging needs Premium
Book in the app	Yes	No. You sign a written contract with your au pair
Pay in the app	Yes	No. You pay your au pair the pocket money set in your contract
Tip in the app	Yes	No. You pay your au pair directly, not through AuPair.com
Ongoing care	Weekly schedules that start with a trial job	Live-in stays. The US program is 12 months, with options to extend
How your sitter gets paid	In the app after each job, then to their bank	By you, as pocket money ($195.75 a week minimum in the US)
What you pay
Free to join and post a job	Yes	Yes. Register, search, view profiles and send contact requests
Membership	Starts with a 7-day free trial, then $191.99 a year or $40 a month. Cancel anytime and pay per job.	Premium, $59.70 for 1 month to $149.70 for 6 months. Doesn't renew
Fees on each job	Service fee of 20% up to $20 ($0 for members), plus 2.9% to 3.5% card processing	None listed. Premium is a one-time payment
What you pay for checks	None	None. AuPair.com doesn't run checks

Main differences

Live-in au pair or local sitter

Wyndy

Wyndy sitters live near you and come for the hours you book, from one evening to a weekly schedule. Recurring weekly care starts with a trial job.

Getting started

Wyndy

You post a job and pick from sitters who apply, or browse sitters. Booking is instant, and you pay in the app after the job.

Vetting

Wyndy

Every sitter passes a Sterling check before they can take a job: identity and SSN trace, national, state and county criminal records, and the sex offender registry. It's included, so you never pay for one.

What it costs

Wyndy

Joining and posting are free. Without a membership, each job has a service fee of 20%, never more than $20. The membership is $191.99 a year and takes that fee away.

Where Wyndy does more

Care by the hour. Book a sitter for one evening or a few hours a week. An au pair lives with you on a 12-month program.
No visa or sponsor agency. Wyndy sitters already live near you. A US au pair needs a J-1 visa through a State Department-designated sponsor agency.
A background check for every sitter. Every Wyndy sitter passes a Sterling check before their first job, at no cost to you. AuPair.com's terms say it doesn't run routine background checks.
Booking and paying in the app. Booking is instant, and you pay after the job for the hours worked. AuPair.com has no booking or payments on the platform.

Where AuPair.com does more

Live-in childcare. An au pair lives with you and can work up to 10 hours a day and 45 a week in the US program. Wyndy sitters come for the hours you book.
A cultural exchange. Your family hosts someone from another country, and in the US they take college coursework during their stay.
International reach. Au pairs sign up from around the world, and you can host outside the US. Wyndy is US only.
Premium doesn't renew. Premium is a one-time payment that ends on its own, so there's nothing to cancel. The Wyndy Membership is sold by the year.
A contract and a handbook. Premium includes an au pair contract and a host family handbook.

Prices

Wyndy

Pay as you go$0Post jobs, browse and book. Service fee of 20% a job, never more than $20, plus 3.5% card processing.
Annual membership$191.99 a yearNo service fees, 2.9% card processing, and messaging before you book. Starts with a 7-day free trial, or skip it for $100 in Wyndy credit.
Monthly membership$40 a monthThe same perks, with $10 in Wyndy credit every month you pay.

Your sitter keeps 100% of your tip. Every sitter's background check is included, so you never pay for one.

Wyndy pricing

AuPair.com

BasicFreeRegister, search, view profiles, and send or accept free contact requests. No messaging or contact details.
Premium, 1 month$59.70Messaging, contact details, videos and references, an au pair contract and a host family handbook.
Premium, 3 months$99.70The same Premium features, as a one-time payment.
Premium, 6 months$149.70The same Premium features, as a one-time payment.

Premium ends on its own when the period runs out.

Hosting costs are separate. In the US program, an au pair gets at least $195.75 a week in pocket money, a private bedroom, meals and up to $500 toward their education.

As listed on AuPair.com's public pages on October 15, 2026. Source

Moving from AuPair.com

AuPair.com Premium doesn't renew, so there's nothing to cancel. A refund is possible within 14 days only if you haven't used the Premium features.

Get the Wyndy appIt's free to download. Sign up with your phone number, then add your zip code so you see sitters near you.
Post your first jobPick the day, the kids and a rate. Smart Rate suggests one from what other parents nearby pay.
Pick your sitterSitters who apply show up on the job. Open a profile to see their checks, school, experience and reviews.
Book and pay in the appBooking is instant. After the job, check the hours, add a tip and pay, all in the app.

Get the app How Wyndy works

Questions

Is Wyndy an AuPair.com alternative?

Only if you don't need live-in care. Wyndy sitters are background-checked college students, grads and experienced caregivers who come for the hours you book, and you pay in the app. If you want someone living with your family, an au pair is a different arrangement.

Can I hire a US au pair through AuPair.com?

You can find one there, but AuPair.com only offers pre-matches for the US. The au pair needs a J-1 visa through a State Department-designated sponsor agency, and AuPair.com refers you to its partner, Agent Au Pair.

Does AuPair.com background check au pairs?

No. Its terms say it doesn't run routine screening or background checks, and they require you and your au pair to hold 3 video calls and show each other ID before signing. On Wyndy, every sitter passes a Sterling check before their first job.

How do the prices compare?

AuPair.com Premium is a one-time $59.70 for 1 month up to $149.70 for 6 months, and hosting costs come on top. Wyndy is free to join, and you pay per job plus a service fee of up to $20, unless you're a member at $191.99 a year.

How many hours can an au pair work?

In the US program, up to 10 hours a day and 45 hours a week, with at least 2 weeks of paid vacation a year. Wyndy sitters work the hours you book, from one evening to a weekly schedule.

Sources

Checked on October 15, 2026 from AuPair.com's public website, help center, terms and app store listings. Prices and features change, so check their site before you decide. If something here is out of date, email support@wyndy.com and we'll fix it.

AuPair.com and the AuPair.com logo are trademarks of their owner. Wyndy doesn't own them, and isn't affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by AuPair.com. We show the name, the logo and a screenshot from its App Store listing only to identify the service we're comparing.

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