At NerdWallet, we strive to help you make financial decisions with confidence. To do this, many or all of the products featured here are from our partners. However, this doesn’t influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own.
Allstate, Geico, Progressive and State Farm are the four largest car insurance companies in the United States. All have been in business for decades, enjoy top financial strength ratings and are well-known in the industry. Together, they held more than 50% of the total market share of personal auto insurance policies in 2018, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
NerdWallet compared these insurers and found out who’s best in five categories.
The rankings in each category are recapped at the bottom.
Here’s a quick look at how the insurers compare, ordered by their rank in NerdWallet’s 2019 best car insurance companies analysis. You can also see each company’s top traits — the categories in which it ranked first or second in NerdWallet’s separate, in-depth comparison of the four largest insurers.
CompanyTop traits 1. State FarmPrice, customer satisfaction, few complaints 2. GeicoPrice, tech, customer satisfaction 3. AllstateTech, coverage options, few complaints 4. ProgressiveCoverage options
How the 4 biggest insurers stack up in 5 categories
We looked at price, consumer complaints, customer satisfaction, coverage options and apps and tech to see how the nation’s four largest car insurance companies compare to one another.
Best for price: State Farm
For many, price is king and little else matters as much. If that describes you, State Farm is worth checking out. State Farm recently cut rates in most states — twice in some — making it the cheapest, on average, among the four companies in NerdWallet’s 2019 analysis.
But that same analysis of car insurance prices across the country shows it’s still best to shop around. For example, you can use the tabs in the graphic below to see that for good drivers with poor credit, Geico was cheapest, on average.
Of course, these are just averages across the entire country. Insurance pricing also varies by location and demographic factors.
Fewest consumer complaints: State Farm
Relative to its size, State Farm had the fewest complaints reported to state regulators in 2018 for private passenger auto insurance, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
But it was not the only large insurer with good behavior: Allstate, Geico and Progressive also had fewer complaints than the median relative to their size, which is measured by premiums written.
» MORE: NerdWallet’s State Farm review
Best for customer satisfaction: Geico
Geico’s customers report better overall satisfaction than the others, according to J.D. Power and Consumer Reports data. Satisfaction surveys include pricing, claims and customer service questions.
State Farm was a close second place; in Consumer Reports surveys, it tied with Geico.
» MORE: NerdWallet’s Geico insurance review
Best for coverage options: Allstate
Out of 11 optional coverage needs we looked for — such as gap insurance and accident forgiveness — Allstate offered nine. Progressive followed closely, offering eight.
Here are some differences:
- Progressive offers gap insurance instead of new-car replacement, while the opposite is true for Allstate. Because the coverage is similar, insurers commonly offer only one or the other, if at all. State Farm and Geico offer neither.
- Neither Allstate nor Progressive offers mechanical breakdown insurance. Of the big four, only Geico does.
» MORE: NerdWallet’s Allstate insurance review
Best for tech and apps: Geico
Consumers expect smooth online experiences and slick apps for many services, and insurance is no exception. Geico stands out for having:
- An in-app vehicle-care feature to monitor your car’s maintenance.
- Locators in the app for gas, parking and nearby attractions.
- A voice-activated resource for Amazon’s Alexa, plus an in-app virtual assistant.
The other three big insurers have some similar tech features, including virtual assistant capabilities for Google products rather than Alexa, but Geico has the most.
Extra features
If you’re looking for a particular feature from your insurance company, you may find it with some and not others. These are some of the options that set the four largest auto insurers apart from one another. Some cost extra; others are included at no extra charge when you buy a policy. Star ratings come from NerdWallet’s 2019 ranking of the best car insurance companies.
- Accident forgiveness.
- New-car replacement.
- Usage-based insurance.
- Deductible rewards.
- Reward for accident avoidance.
- Sound system coverage.
- QuickTrip app for route planning.
- Drivewise safe driving rewards app.
- Parking locator.
- Gas price locator.
- Alexa voice assistance.
- Accident forgiveness.
- Mechanical breakdown coverage.
- Nearby attractions locator.
- Parking locator.
- Gas locator.
- Lyft integration in app.
- Car maintenance alerts.
- In-app virtual assistant.
- In-app chat.
- Alexa voice assistance.
- Gap insurance.
- Accident forgiveness.
- Usage-based insurance.
- Deductible rewards.
- Custom parts coverage.
- Google Home voice assistance.
- Usage-based insurance.
- Drive Safe & Save app to earn discounts for good driving.
- Steer Clear training app for young drivers.
Options available from all four insurers
These insurers have been in the game a while, so they know which features are no-brainers to offer. In terms of coverage and tech options, Allstate, Geico, Progressive and State Farm all have the following features in common.
Common coverage options
- Rideshare insurance.
- Roadside assistance and towing.
- Rental reimbursement, if your car is in the shop for a claim that's covered.
- In-app bill pay.
- View and download ID card from app.
- Submit claims in app or online.
- Track claims in app or online.
- See policy info in app.
- Upload damage photos in app.
» MORE: NerdWallet’s
Ready to compare companies head to head?
NerdWallet’s Progressive insurance review
After you narrow down your choices to two companies, a closer look at the differences can help you know which insurer is best for you. Take a look at these head-to-head comparisons of each of the four biggest car insurance companies.
Geico vs. Progressive
When you consider Geico vs. Progressive, think about whether you prefer low prices or need extra options. Geico has lower average rates in our analyses, while Progressive offers coverage that Geico doesn’t have, such as gap coverage and usage-based insurance, where an app tracks your driving behaviors in exchange for discounts or other rewards.
Geico has more robust tech and app offerings than Progressive and scores higher for customer satisfaction. The two companies both get fewer than the median number of complaints to insurance regulators, relative to their size.
$1,828 Good driver, poor credit$2,635$3,355 Driver with recent at-fault accident$2,834$3,361 Low-mileage driver$1,468$1,818 Minimum coverage$614$773 Customer complaints and satisfaction J.D. Power claims satisfactionAbout averageAbout average J.D. Power shopping satisfactionAbout averageAbout average Complaints as reported to NAICSlightly fewer than the medianSlightly fewer than the median
Allstate vs. State Farm
If you’re choosing between Allstate and State Farm, you’ve picked two companies that get fewer complaints to state regulators, relative to their size, than Geico or Progressive.
To decide between Allstate and State Farm, consider what’s most important to you. State Farm has lower average prices in our analyses, although you should get quotes to be sure it’s cheaper for you. Allstate offers features that aren’t available from State Farm, such as accident forgiveness and new-car replacement insurance.
Geico vs. State Farm
Geico and State Farm are both cheaper, on average, than Allstate or Progressive, according to our analysis. While State Farm is cheapest in four of the five categories in our analysis, our numbers indicate Geico is cheaper for drivers with poor credit, on average. Both also rank high for customer satisfaction.
Geico has the edge for tech options like virtual assistance and an app function to monitor your car’s maintenance. State Farm may be your choice if you want usage-based insurance, or discounts in exchange for letting the company monitor your driving behaviors, which Geico doesn’t offer.
$1,337 Good driver, poor credit$2,635$2,978 Driver with recent at-fault accident$2,834$1,637 Low-mileage driver$1,468$1,197 Minimum coverage$614$594 Customer complaints and satisfaction J.D. Power claims satisfactionAbout averageAbout average J.D. Power shopping satisfactionAbout averageAbout average Complaints as reported to NAICSlightly fewer than the medianFewer than the median
Allstate vs. Geico
When you’re choosing between Allstate and Geico, you can expect plenty of tech options: Among the four largest insurers, Geico has the most features in its apps, and Allstate is a strong second. Both offer more tech and apps than Progressive or State Farm.
If price is your main concern, Geico may be right for you. NerdWallet’s analysis of insurance rates found Geico is consistently cheaper than Allstate, on average. But if you’re looking for specific coverage options, Allstate may have what you need. Allstate offers several options that Geico doesn’t, including new-car replacement coverage and usage-based insurance.
AllstateGeico Average annual car insurance rates Good driver, good credit$1,964$1,627 Good driver, poor credit$3,368$2,635 Driver with recent at-fault accident$3,006$2,834 Low-mileage driver$1,914$1,468 Minimum coverage$872$614 Customer complaints and satisfaction J.D. Power claims satisfactionAbout averageAbout average J.D. Power shopping satisfactionBelow averageAbout average Complaints as reported to NAICFewer than the medianSlightly fewer than the medianProgressive vs. Allstate
Among the top four insurers, Allstate and Progressive stand out most for their coverage options. At either of these companies you can get coverage for custom parts or stereos, and you can reduce your deductible by staying accident-free. Those options aren’t available from Geico or State Farm.
Allstate scores higher than Progressive for customer satisfaction and has fewer complaints to state insurance regulators. Progressive sometimes beats Allstate on price, but not always. Since they’re often close on price, it’s worth getting quotes from both insurers to know which will be cheaper for you.
Progressive vs. State Farm
When you’re choosing between Progressive and State Farm, think about whether you want more coverage options, or whether price matters more.
State Farm is cheaper, on average, than Progressive and has better customer satisfaction scores. Progressive, on the other hand, offers several coverage options that aren’t available from State Farm, including gap insurance, accident forgiveness and coverage for custom parts and equipment.
Recap: How the insurers compare
CategoryRankings Price1. State Farm2. Geico
3. Allstate
4. Progressive Complaints1. State Farm
2. Allstate
3. Geico
4. Progressive Satisfaction1. Geico
2. State Farm
3. Allstate
4. Progressive Coverage options1. Allstate
2. Progressive
3. Geico
4. State Farm Apps and tech1. Geico
2. Allstate
3. State Farm
4. Progressive
» MORE: Compare car insurance
Methodology Pricing: NerdWallet averaged rates for 40-year-old men and women for 20 ZIP codes in each state and Washington, D.C., from the largest insurers, up to 12 in each state. “Good drivers” had no moving violations on record and credit in the “good” tier as reported to each insurer. For the other two driver profiles, we changed the credit tier to “poor” or added one at-fault accident, keeping everything else the same. Sample drivers had the following coverage limits:- $100,000 bodily injury liability coverage per person.
- $300,000 bodily injury liability coverage per crash.
- $50,000 property damage liability coverage per crash.
- $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per person.
- $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per crash.
- Collision coverage with $1,000 deductible.
- Comprehensive coverage with $1,000 deductible.
NerdWallet averaged rates for 40-year-old men and women for 20 ZIP codes in each state and Washington, D.C., from the largest insurers, up to 12 in each state. “Good drivers” had no moving violations on record and credit in the “good” tier as reported to each insurer. For the other two driver profiles, we changed the credit tier to “poor” or added one at-fault accident, keeping everything else the same. Sample drivers had the following coverage limits:
In states where required, minimum additional coverages were added. We used a 2015 Toyota Camry in all cases. These are sample rates generated through Quadrant Information Services. Your own rates will be different.
Customer satisfaction:
- 2017 company satisfaction data from the Consumer Reports Winter Survey. Higher satisfactions ratings from Consumer Reports were given higher scores in our calculation. Paid registration is required to view Consumer Reports insurer satisfaction ratings.
- 2018 J.D. Power ratings from three studies encompassing regional customer service satisfaction, auto claims satisfaction and shopping satisfaction. Ratings from each of the separate 2018 studies were averaged to form one overall score from J.D. Power. The higher the average, the more points the insurer scored in our calculation.
Consumer complaints to state regulators in 2018, from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
Coverage options: Information from insurer websites.
Apps and tech: Information from insurer websites.
