The Best Babysitting Websites and Apps, According to Parents

Seeking Sitters is a babysitting website designed to help you find someone last minute, full-time, part-time or one-time—whatever your needs may be. With this platform, you can search for childcare in almost every major city in America. As a result, it’s a great option for families who live in large metropolitan areas to find a reliable babysitter. In addition to babysitting services, the site can also match you with pet sitters, house sitters, childcare for special events and study support tutors. Whether you’re in New York City, Seattle or anywhere in between, Seeking Sitters will help you find the best childcare for your family.

Seeking Sitters sets itself apart from the rest with its customized, in-depth background screenings performed on each referred babysitter by a licensed private investigator. The babysitter website is responsible for thoroughly screening and running background checks for sitters, and they also personally interview every applicant. If you don’t like the caregiver you were matched with, you can request a different sitter. As with other competitors, parents pay directly through the site, avoiding the awkward shuffle of scrounging enough cash after a late night.

Pricing: $6 per month for unlimited requests; $59.99 one-time set-up fee

As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise little ones. If you don’t have the luxury of a big, extended family or network of friends who live nearby to watch your kids, this babysitting website is the next best thing. Sitting Around is a caregiver co-op. Put simply, it’s a network of local parents swap childcare services free of cost. Instead of exchanging cash, community members simply exchange time spent babysitting—it’s a win-win!

Babysitting co-ops make sure everyone plays fair by tracking points: You get points when you sit for someone else, and you spend points when others watch your kids. Because you’re part of a group, you never have to worry about reciprocating with people specifically sitting for you—it all evens out. Search co-ops near you, then fill out a co-op request form for approval to join. The bottom line: Sitting Around definitely fits the bill if you’re searching for a communal approach to childcare.

Pricing: $5 per month or $15 annually

Looking for long-term, consistent childcare? Then you can’t go wrong with setting up a profile on eNannySource.com. This nanny website lets you search a roster of childcare professionals, along with vetting tips and tools (like the Nanny Success Kit) for added convenience. Background checks are also available, so you can hire a nanny the same way a professional agency would.

When scrolling through eNannySource.com, you can search for a variety of childcare types and services. The website offers part-time and live-in nannies, as well as professionals who specialize in infant care or who can double as housekeepers. Once you become a member, simply create a profile that describes your family, job specifications and your ideal nanny. Then, review resumes from professional nannies and au pairs who are interested in full-time, part-time, temporary, permanent, live-in and live-out positions. You’re bound to find the perfect fit for your family’s unique needs and preferences.

Pricing: $49 per month, $117 for 3 months or $150 for 6 months

If your family needs care on a more regular, extended basis, it may be time to consider an au pair. In contrast to babysitters and some nannies, these childcare professionals live in your home for a set period of time. In turn, you can depend on them for consistent, long-term care for your children. Some of the services they can provide include helping your kiddos with their morning routines, getting them to and from school or activities and playing with or reading to them. Plus, many au pairs tend to handle some household chores, such as cooking a meal or two for your children, doing laundry and tidying up.

Au Pair in America has been around for decades and offers parents a seamless way to match with au pairs. While these services are a more expensive option than other forms of childcare, many find it to be worth it. They offer families a ton of flexibility and can even serve as a cultural experience for your kids. In fact, Au Pair in America has an extensive global recruitment network that spans almost 60 countries across six continents. To top it all off, once you connect with an au pair and hire them, you’re guaranteed 45 hours of childcare a week.

Pricing: $500 match fee; contact website for specific pricing, including an annual amount and weekly stipend

Next up on our list of the best babysitting apps is Bambino. Known for its helpful referral system, this platform allows parents to connect with babysitters who live nearby and have already sat for people they know. They use local and social proximity to connect parents with neighborhood sitters that are vetted, verified and recommended by other families in the community. Prospective babysitters also go through a five-point verification process, so you can ensure that they’ve been thoroughly screened.

Instead of creating a job post on Bambino, parents handpick who sees their babysitting requests. When browsing babysitters on the app, you’ll notice that they’re organized based on who you know, who your friends know and also by distance. This way, you’re selecting from sitters that have already been tried and trusted by your friends and community. Each sitter lists their hourly rates in their profiles, so you can see an estimated total before booking. You’ll also appreciate that time is automatically tracked during the babysitter’s stay. All you have to do is confirm the hours and then pay straight through the app—easy peasy. An added bonus: For a $5 discount, use code THEBUMP5.

Pricing: Free to download and create a profile; premium membership is $9 per month; $2.95 booking fee for junior sitters and $4.95 booking fee for standard, advanced and elite-level sitters

Similar to other babysitting apps, Sitter Pro connects parents with friends so they can easily see the babysitters they’ve used. There’s also an option to set your location and see sitters near you. When you find a childcare professional who you think would be a great fit, you can introduce yourself through the app’s chat option. Then, you can set up an in-person, formal interview before hiring them.

If you find an individual or a group of childcare providers you and your kiddos love, you can keep them near and dear by adding them to your go-to babysitter list. Once that’s established, it’ll be a breeze to lock in a babysitter when you’re in desperate need. All you have to do is select the date and time you’ll need childcare, and an alert will go out to all of your trusted caregivers. The message goes out via text, so your sitters don’t even need to have the app; the first one to respond with a “Y” books the gig, and an alert is sent to the other sitters letting them know the job has been filled. Even better, the app allows you to save critical information about your family’s needs (like emergency contact details, bedtime routines and any allergies) so your childcare provider can refer to it whenever they may need to. Talk about seamless communication!

Pricing: Free basic membership; premium membership for $10 per month or $100 per year

Helpr is a babysitting app designed with working parents and busy families in mind. You can depend on the platform to provide high-quality back-up childcare at an affordable price point. Whether you’re at home or traveling, parents can review vetted sitters' profiles in as little as three hours and request care. Better yet, all Helprs must have at least two years of childcare experience and complete an in-person interview, background check, ID verification, CPR certification check, social media check and provide references before they’re allowed on the app.

When scrolling through the babysitting app, you’ll find a pool of highly screened sitters with extensive experience and a strong work ethic who are on-call when you need them most. They typically include—but aren’t limited to—graduate students, former nannies and kindergarten teachers. You can browse photos, videos and profiles of potential caregivers through the babysitter app. If you’d like time together beforehand, you can book your Helpr for an interview or trial run while you’re home. And if you end up loving your “Helpr”, you can save them in your account so they’re requested first the next time you need to hire a sitter in a pinch.

Pricing: Free to download and use; no monthly fees