Dalma vs. DA Direkt: An Honest Pet Health Insurance Comparison 2026

At first glance, both providers look similar: reimbursement up to 4x the GOT rate, video consultation included, digital claims handling. In the detail, though, six differences emerge that matter to dog owners and cat owners alike.

1. Package logic: freely configurable or fixed tariff tiers

DA Direkt works with three fixed tiers (Komfort, Premium, Premium Plus). The tiers differ above all in the reimbursement rate (60% to 100%) and in the size of the health and SOS budgets (80 to 120 euros and 160 to 240 euros per year respectively). Anyone looking for a clear tariff system without configuration will get on well with this.

Dalma is set up to be considerably more flexible. You choose between surgery insurance and health insurance and adjust the reimbursement rate (80% or 100%) and the annual benefit limit (1,500 euros up to unlimited) individually. This applies equally to dogs and cats. If you insure several animals, you receive a 15% discount on the cheapest policy.

2. Immediate cover sounds strong. But the benefit limit in the first year matters just as much.

DA Direkt scores with its complete waiver of waiting periods, including for developmental conditions such as hip dysplasia or FORL. That is a real strength, especially for puppies and kittens. Important to know: in the first policy year, benefits are capped at 500 euros (Komfort), 1,000 euros (Premium) or 1,500 euros (Premium Plus). This limit applies to treatment and surgery costs (the health budget is exempt from it).

Concrete example: Your dog needs cruciate ligament surgery costing 3,500 euros in the 3rd policy month.

• At Dalma: After a 14 day waiting period, the full annual benefit limit is available, up to unlimited. The 3,500 euros would be covered at 80% or 100% depending on the chosen reimbursement rate.
• At DA Direkt: Depending on the tariff, a maximum of 500 to 1,500 euros is available in the 1st year. You bear the difference of up to 3,000 euros yourself.

Dalma communicates the waiting periods openly: 14 days for surgery, 30 days for medical treatments, 2 days for accidents, 12 months for HD, ED and FORL. At first that sounds less spectacular than "from day 1". In practice, this clarity can be more helpful if a deliberately configurable cover matters more to you than an immediate start with tiered annual limits.

3. The reimbursement rate and the online vet

With Dalma, every package includes unlimited access to FirstVet. Your chosen reimbursement rate stays untouched, whether or not you use the video consultation before a vet visit.

With DA Direkt, the video consultation is also available without limit. In the Komfort and Premium tariffs, however, the rule is: you only get the full reimbursement if you use a digital initial consultation via the online vet before the vet visit and the vet refers you to your regular vet for further treatment. In concrete terms that means:

• Komfort: Without a digital initial consultation, 60% reimbursement; with it, 80%.
• Premium: Without a digital initial consultation, 80%; with it, 100%.
• Premium Plus: Always 100%, regardless of the video consultation.

For you, this means: anyone in the Komfort or Premium tariff who goes straight to the vet (without a prior video consultation) is reimbursed 20 percentage points less. On a bill of 1,000 euros, that is a difference of 200 euros.

What this means: With DA Direkt, telemedicine is part of the reimbursement logic in two of three tariffs, not just an add-on service. Anyone who wants to drive straight to the practice in an acute case should choose the Premium Plus tariff or consider a provider without this coupling.

4. Preventive care, dental cover and everyday life

A practical advantage of Dalma is the preventive care budget with no waiting period. Depending on the package, 70 or 100 euros per year are available, for vaccinations, worming treatments, parasite treatments, health checks, prophylactic scaling or neutering.

In addition, with Dalma medically necessary dental treatments (FORL, gingivitis, periodontitis) are automatically included in the health cover after a 12 month waiting period. This is particularly relevant for cat owners, since FORL is one of the most common and most expensive conditions in cats.

DA Direkt offers two budgets: a health budget (80 to 120 euros per year) and an SOS budget (160 to 240 euros per year). Through the health budget, vaccinations, dental prophylaxis and alternative healing methods, among other things, are eligible for reimbursement. In the health cover itself, however, DA Direkt reimburses only pain-relieving dental treatments and medically necessary extractions. Dental replacement and correction of jaw or tooth misalignments are expressly excluded.

So anyone who values comprehensive dental cover within the health cover (for example because of a FORL-prone cat breed) will find the more direct answer with Dalma.

5. Developmental conditions, physiotherapy and remedial treatments

Hip dysplasia (HD), elbow dysplasia (ED) or FORL can quickly cause four-figure costs. Both providers cover such developmental conditions; the decisive difference lies in the scope:

• At Dalma: After a 12 month waiting period, developmental conditions fall under the regular cover within the chosen annual benefit limit.
• At DA Direkt: A contribution of at most 2,500 euros per developmental condition, in all three tariffs. For hip surgery costing between 4,000 and 6,000 euros, you bear the difference yourself.

On the topic of physiotherapy and remedial exercise: DA Direkt reimburses remedial treatments as pre and post treatment for the insured surgery and, through the health budget, also independently of surgery. With Dalma, physiotherapy is included in the health cover, without a rigid session limit, provided it is vet prescribed.

Tip: If you have a breed genetically prone to joint conditions (e.g. Bernese Mountain Dog, Maine Coon, Labrador), check carefully how the per-diagnosis coverage limits and the remedial treatment rules look in the tariff. The tariff with the lowest monthly premium is not necessarily the one with the best lifecycle costs.

6. Long-term security and the contract

From the 13th policy month, Dalma contractually waives its right to terminate after a regulated claim. A claim therefore does not lead to cancellation by the insurer.

DA Direkt waives the ordinary right of termination. The extraordinary right of termination after a claim, however, remains, with one exception: if within the first 12 months you have used benefits exclusively from the health budget, DA Direkt also waives the extraordinary termination. In classic claims (e.g. surgery), the insurer can therefore terminate after the claim has been settled.

In addition, in its health cover Dalma offers up to 5 hours of behavioural therapy per policy year (vet prescribed) as a standard benefit. With DA Direkt, behavioural therapy is only eligible via the SOS budget and only after traumatic events.

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DA Direkt offers three tariff tiers with clearly graded benefits. Which one suits you depends not only on the premium but also on how you want to deal with the insurance day to day. Here are the key facts for each tariff and who they are suitable for.

Komfort: the entry tariff

Reimbursement for medical treatments and surgery: 60% without a digital initial consultation with the online vet, 80% with it. Road accident surgery always 100%.

Benefit limit in the 1st policy year: 500 euros.

Health budget: 80 euros per year.

SOS budget: 160 euros per year (for emergencies such as boarding when you yourself are ill, search operations, euthanasia).

Suitable for: Pet owners looking for basic cover who are prepared to use an online vet consultation as standard before the vet visit. In the 1st year, rather restrictive for larger operations, because the 500 euro limit is reached quickly.

Premium: the mid tariff

Reimbursement for medical treatments and surgery: 80% without a digital initial consultation, 100% with it. Road accident surgery always 100%.

Benefit limit in the 1st policy year: 1,000 euros.

Health budget: 100 euros per year.

SOS budget: 200 euros per year.

Suitable for: Pet owners who want full cost coverage and accept the online vet as the standard first point of contact. A practical compromise between premium and benefit.

Premium Plus: the top tariff

Reimbursement for medical treatments and surgery: Always 100%, regardless of whether you use the video consultation. Road accident surgery 100%.

Benefit limit in the 1st policy year: 1,500 euros.

Health budget: 120 euros per year.

SOS budget: 240 euros per year.

Suitable for: Pet owners for whom freedom of choice matters (straight to the practice, without an upstream video consultation) and who want the maximum benefit.

What is the same across all three tariffs

• No waiting period, not even for breed-typical developmental conditions
• Reimbursement up to 4x the GOT rate
• Co-insurance of developmental conditions (e.g. HD, ED, FORL): contribution of at most 2,500 euros per developmental condition
• International cover up to 12 months worldwide for temporary stays
• Entry age: from 8 weeks up to the 8th birthday
• Deductible: 0% or 40% selectable
• Waiver of the ordinary right of termination; the extraordinary right of termination after a claim generally remains in place

How this affects the Dalma comparison

The three DA Direkt tariffs correspond to three ready-made combinations of reimbursement rate, first-year benefit limit and budget size. Dalma goes the opposite way: you configure the reimbursement rate (80% or 100%) and the annual benefit limit (1,500 euros up to unlimited) yourself and have the full benefit from day 1, with no coupling to a video consultation. Which route suits you better depends on whether you value a ready-made tier or prefer to put it together individually.

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Instead of a pure pros and cons list, here is a logical path you can follow along your priorities. Each step shows you which provider has the more direct answer for that criterion.

Step 1: How should the waiting period logic look?

• You need immediate cover, including for breed-typical developmental conditions such as HD, ED or FORL: DA Direkt. No waiting period in any of the three tariffs.
• It matters more to you that the annual benefit limit is fully available from day 1: Dalma. Full benefit immediately, with tiered waiting periods per diagnosis group.

Step 2: How should reimbursement work?

• You want a fixed percentage without preconditions: Dalma. 80% or 100% apply regardless of a video consultation.
• You are happy to use the online vet initial consultation as a first step: DA Direkt Komfort or Premium.
• You want maximum reimbursement without conditions: DA Direkt Premium Plus or Dalma 100%.

Step 3: What is your animal's risk profile?

• High probability of HD, ED, FORL or other developmental conditions (e.g. Bernese Mountain Dog, Maine Coon, Labrador): Dalma. Full annual benefit limit instead of a 2,500 euro contribution per developmental condition.
• Manageable risk, 2,500 euros per diagnosis is enough: DA Direkt.

Step 4: How important is dental cover to you?

• You have a cat with FORL risk or a dog prone to periodontitis: Dalma. FORL, gingivitis and periodontitis automatically in the health cover after 12 months.
• Pain-relieving dental treatments and extractions are enough for you: DA Direkt reimburses these in all tariffs.

Step 5: How important is long-term contractual peace of mind to you?

• No cancellation stress after a claim: Dalma. Waiver of the right to terminate after a claim from the 13th policy month.
• You want to be able to react flexibly at short notice: Both providers allow monthly cancellation after the 12 month minimum term.

Step 6: Are you insuring several animals?

• Yes: Dalma. 15% multi-pet discount on the cheapest policy.
• No: Not a tiebreaker.

Our assessment: If three or more steps lead you to Dalma, Dalma is your choice. If three or more lead to DA Direkt, take a closer look at Premium Plus, because this tariff avoids the most friction points. This decision aid does not replace individual advice, but it gives you clear guidance.

Dalma is a purely digital pet insurer with more than 60,000 insured animals in Europe:

• Flexible tariff design: Reimbursement rate (80% or 100%) and annual benefit limit (1,500 euros up to unlimited) individually selectable.
• 48-hour reimbursement: Operational target: reimburse approved invoices within 48 hours (contractually 5 working days).
• No coupling to a video consultation: Straight to the vet, your reimbursement rate stays the same.
• Telemedicine included: Unlimited video consultations via FirstVet, voluntary and free.
• Preventive care budget from day 1: Up to 100 euros per year in the health cover from an annual benefit limit of 1,500 euros (vaccinations, worming treatments, scaling, neutering).
• Dental cover included: FORL, gingivitis, periodontitis automatically in the health cover after 12 months.
• No-cancellation guarantee: From the 13th policy month, no right of termination by the insurer after a claim.
• Reimbursement rate up to 100%: Constant up to the 9th year of life, after which an age adjustment applies for illness (5 percentage points per year from the original value, from the 10th year of life).
• Behavioural therapy: Up to 5 hours per year in the health cover, vet prescribed.
• Alternative healing methods unlimited in the health cover: Acupuncture, homeopathy, chiropractic, osteopathy, magnetic field and laser therapy and more.
• Emergency boarding up to 250 euros per year if the owner is hospitalised for more than 3 nights.
• Prosthetics contribution one-off up to 500 euros in both tariffs.
• Free choice of vet worldwide.
• 15% multi-pet discount when insuring several animals.
• Around 4.5 stars on Trustpilot with more than 4,000 reviews.
• Focus Money 2026: Award for high customer satisfaction.

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In 2026, DA Direkt is an established provider with clearly structured tariffs, immediate cover with no waiting period, a recommendation from the German Federal Veterinary Chamber and a broad product range including pet owner liability. These are clear strengths. At the same time, you should bear in mind the benefit limits in the first policy year, the coupling of the highest possible reimbursement to the digital initial consultation, and the 2,500 euro cap per developmental condition.

For many pet owners, Dalma is the more suitable choice when more than just a fast start counts. The combination of flexible package design, an immediately usable preventive care budget, included dental cover for FORL and the like, unlimited telemedicine with no coupling to the reimbursement rate, the full annual benefit limit from day 1 (after the waiting period) and cancellation protection after a claim makes Dalma a convincing option, whether for a dog, a cat or both.

Not yet sure which provider suits you best? In our comprehensive dog health insurance comparison and cat health insurance comparison you will find all the relevant providers in direct comparison, with benefit tables, price checks and concrete recommendations.

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Is Dalma or DA Direkt cheaper?

DA Direkt quotes entry prices from 29.90 euros per month for a dog health insurance in the Komfort tariff (dog) and from 19.90 euros for a cat. Example prices for a 2-year-old mixed-breed dog: Komfort 38.90 euros; a 5-year-old Jack Russell in Premium costs 63.90 euros. Dalma starts at approx. 15.99 euros for the dog health insurance and approx. 7.99 euros for the surgery insurance for the dog. For the cat, premiums start at approx. 16 euros (health insurance) and approx. 8 euros (surgery insurance). A fair comparison should not only consider the entry price, but also cost coverage, benefit limits, preventive care and waiting periods. With several animals, Dalma gives a 15% multi-pet discount.

Which pet health insurance has no waiting period?

DA Direkt offers cover entirely without a waiting period, including for breed-typical developmental conditions. At Dalma, tiered waiting periods apply: 2 days for accidents, 14 days for operations, 30 days for medical treatments, 12 months for HD, ED, FORL and 18 months for patellar luxation. The Dalma preventive care budget is usable from day 1.

Why can Dalma be the more suitable choice despite the waiting period?

Because the decision does not depend only on the start date. DA Direkt limits the benefit in the 1st year to 500 to 1,500 euros. After a short waiting period, Dalma offers the full annual benefit limit with no cap. On top of this come free reimbursement with no coupling to a video consultation, dental cover for FORL/gingivitis and a waiver of termination after a claim from the 13th policy month.

Do I have to use the video consultation at DA Direkt?

Not necessarily. In the Komfort and Premium tariffs, however, you only receive the highest possible reimbursement (80% or 100%) if you use a digital initial consultation with the online vet before the vet visit and the vet recommends further treatment. Without the video consultation, the reimbursement is 60% (Komfort) or 80% (Premium). In the Premium Plus tariff you always receive 100%, regardless of the video consultation. At Dalma, the video consultation has no influence on the reimbursement rate.

Does DA Direkt also offer separate surgery cover?

Yes, alongside the pet health insurance with comprehensive cover, DA Direkt also offers a separate dog surgery insurance and cat surgery insurance.

Is dental cover included at Dalma?

Yes. FORL, gingivitis and periodontitis are automatically included in the health cover after a 12-month waiting period. Prophylactic scaling runs via the preventive care budget. Particularly relevant for cats.

Is there cancellation protection at Dalma?

Yes. From the 13th policy month, Dalma contractually waives its right of termination after a settled claim. At DA Direkt, the extraordinary right of termination after a claim generally remains in place, with the exception of the constellation that within the first 12 months only benefits from the health budget were used.

How long does the benefit limit apply at DA Direkt?

The benefit limitation applies in the first insurance year (12 months) and amounts to 500 euros (Komfort), 1,000 euros (Premium) or 1,500 euros (Premium Plus). From the 2nd insurance year, the benefit is unlimited.

What happens at Dalma when my pet gets older?

From the 10th year of life, the reimbursement rate for illness falls each year by 5 percentage points from the original value. A pet with 100% cover still receives 90% reimbursement in its 12th year of life. Accident cover remains unchanged. Dalma does not cancel on the basis of age; your cover continues for life.

How quickly does Dalma reimburse?

Dalma's operational target is 48 hours after approval of the invoice (contractually 5 working days). Submission is fully digital via the Dalma app.

Is there a multi-pet discount at Dalma?

Yes. A 15% discount on the cheapest contract when insuring several animals. Particularly attractive for households with a dog and cat at the same time. For DA Direkt, no multi-pet discount is stated in the official tariff documents.

What are the entry ages at the two providers?

At Dalma you can enrol your pet between 2 months and up to its 9th birthday. At DA Direkt, enrolment is possible from 8 weeks up to the 8th birthday.

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Dalma

• Dalma quote calculator and offer
• Dog health insurance comparison on dalma.co
• Cat health insurance comparison on dalma.co
• Dalma on Trustpilot

DA Direkt

• DA Direkt pet insurance: product overview
• DA Direkt dog health insurance
• DA Direkt cat health insurance
• DA Direkt general insurance conditions for dog health insurance PDF
• DA Direkt on Trustpilot

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