Wyndy vs Jovie: Agency, Vetting, Booking & Price

Which one fits

Both can get you a babysitter or a nanny. Jovie is an agency: a local office finds the caregiver for you, employs them and runs payroll, and you pay a placement fee plus an hourly rate. Wyndy is an app where you pick and book background-checked college sitters yourself, then pay in the app after each job.

Pick Wyndy if

You'd rather pick and book a sitter yourself, with no consultation or placement fee first.
You want to set the hourly rate yourself, with Smart Rate suggesting one, instead of waiting for a quote.
You want a college student or grad whose college Wyndy has verified.

Pick Jovie if

You want someone else to recruit, interview, screen and match your nanny or sitter.
You want your caregiver employed by an agency that handles payroll, taxes and insurance.
You want backup cover when your caregiver can't make it, or your employer offers Bright Horizons Back-Up Care.

Full comparison

Wyndy and Jovie compared, feature by feature
Feature	Wyndy	Jovie
Who the caregivers are
Caregivers	College students, graduates and experienced caregivers	Nannies and sitters employed by local Jovie offices, from college students to retirees
Kinds of care	Babysitting and nannies	Nannies, babysitters, special needs care and event childcare
Minimum caregiver age	18	18
Where it works	US, in the Wyndy app (iPhone and Android)	Select US cities, through local offices (see its locations page)
Safety and vetting
Criminal background check	Every sitter, before they can take a job	Every caregiver, through an accredited national provider
Who pays for the check	Included. You never pay for it	Its site doesn't say who pays
Caregiver identity check	Identity and SSN trace through Sterling	Address history (residence, work and school), as part of the check
Sex offender registry search	Yes	Yes
Listed college verified	Yes	No
You verify your ID	Yes, before messaging or booking	Jovie says it screens you too (details not listed)
Booking and paying
How you find care	Post a job and pick from sitters who apply, or browse sitters	A free consultation, then your local Jovie team finds and matches caregivers
Book in the app	Yes	Sitters, in the My Jovie app once Jovie has set you up. Nannies are placed by Jovie
Pay in the app	Yes	Jovie bills you every two weeks and pays caregivers through payroll
Tip in the app	Yes	Its site doesn't mention tips
Ongoing care	Weekly schedules that start with a trial job	Full-time, part-time and after-school nannies, with payroll handled
How your sitter gets paid	In the app after each job, then to their bank	Jovie pays them through payroll, as W-2 employees
What you pay
Free to join and post a job	Yes	The consultation is free. Care starts after you sign a family agreement
Membership	Starts with a 7-day free trial, then $191.99 a year or $40 a month. Cancel anytime and pay per job.	None. You pay a placement fee and an hourly rate
Fees on each job	Service fee of 20% up to $20 ($0 for members), plus 2.9% to 3.5% card processing	An hourly rate covering the caregiver's wage, taxes and insurance (quoted, not listed)
What you pay for checks	None	Its site doesn't say. Fees are quoted to you

Main differences

Agency or marketplace

Wyndy

Wyndy is an app where you choose your sitter. You post a job and pick from sitters who apply, or browse sitters, and booking is instant. After the job you pay in the app.

Who the caregivers are

Wyndy

Every Wyndy sitter is 18 or older, with at least a year of childcare experience. Sitters are college students, grads and experienced caregivers, and any college a sitter lists is verified.

Background checks

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

No placement fee. Joining and posting are free, and you pay per job. Jovie charges a placement fee plus an hourly rate.
You choose your sitter. Pick from sitters who apply, or browse and book one yourself. Jovie's local team recruits and matches the caregiver.
Prices up front. Smart Rate suggests an hourly rate, and every Wyndy fee is on the pricing page. Jovie gives you a quote, and its site doesn't list the amounts.
Book in minutes. Booking is instant, with no consultation or family agreement first.

Where Jovie does more

Payroll, taxes and insurance handled. Caregivers are Jovie's W-2 employees, so Jovie runs payroll and covers taxes and insurance. Wyndy doesn't run payroll.
Matching done for you. Your local team recruits, interviews, screens and matches caregivers, so you don't search or interview yourself.
Backup care. Location pages offer a Backup Care Guarantee: if your caregiver can't make it, Jovie finds a replacement. Jovie is also the largest provider in Bright Horizons Back-Up Care.
A replacement search. If a nanny placement ends within the first 12 weeks, Jovie searches for a replacement, and its sitters cover care in the meantime.
More than babysitting. Jovie also staffs special needs care, weddings, conferences, hotels and other events. Wyndy is only babysitting and nannies.

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

Jovie

ConsultationFreeYour local team learns what you need, then gives you a quote and a price range.
Placement feeQuoted to youCharged when Jovie places a caregiver. Not refundable once someone is placed.
Hourly rateQuoted to youCovers the caregiver's wage, taxes and insurance. Billed every two weeks.

Jovie's site doesn't list prices. You get a quote based on what you need.

If a placement ends within the first 12 weeks, Jovie runs a replacement search.

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

Moving from Jovie

Jovie placement fees aren't refunded once a caregiver has been placed. If a placement ends within the first 12 weeks, Jovie runs a replacement search.

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 a Jovie alternative?

Yes, if you want to find and book a sitter yourself. Wyndy sitters are background-checked college students, grads and experienced caregivers, and you book and pay them in the app. If you want an agency to match, employ and pay your caregiver, Jovie does that and Wyndy doesn't.

How long does Jovie take to find a caregiver?

Jovie says a nanny search usually takes 2 to 6 weeks, and setting up sitters can take up to a week. On Wyndy you post a job, pick from sitters who apply, and booking is instant.

Who employs the caregiver?

Jovie caregivers are W-2 employees paid through payroll, and Jovie covers taxes and insurance. Wyndy doesn't run payroll. You pay your sitter in the app after each job.

How do the prices compare?

Jovie quotes you a placement fee plus an hourly rate, and its site doesn't list the amounts. On Wyndy you set the rate, from $16 an hour, plus a service fee of up to $20 a job unless you're a member at $191.99 a year.

Are Jovie caregivers background checked?

Yes. Jovie's checks cover address history, county, state and federal criminal records, and sex predator databases. On Wyndy, every sitter passes a Sterling check before their first job, and you never pay for it.

Sources

Checked on October 15, 2026 from Jovie'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.

Jovie and the Jovie logo are trademarks of their owner. Wyndy doesn't own them, and isn't affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Jovie. We show the name, the logo only to identify the service we're comparing.

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