GEICO and Progressive are both well-known national car insurance companies. A lot of each insurers’ marketing is tied to how much money it can save its policyholders — especially when they bundle car insurance with other insurance products.
Comparing these two car insurance companies is a good reminder that you should always check out multiple options before you buy a policy. Car insurance comparison shopping is about more than who offers the lowest rates, however. You should also look at customer service reviews, what discounts a car insurance company offers, its coverages, and more.
Given that GEICO and Progressive offer many of the same discounts and coverages, price is the deciding factor between these two car insurance companies. GEICO is the clear winner in that category, as its rates are much lower for many driver groups, including teens, high-risk drivers, seniors, drivers with speeding tickets, and drivers with a low credit score.
Additionally, GEICO has fewer customer complaints than Progressive, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) National Complaint Index. Progressive offers a few more car insurance discounts, however.
GEICO, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is currently the second-largest car insurance company in the U.S. While well-known for its competitive rates, coverage options, and discounts, the insurer’s customer reviews for its customer service and agent support aren’t as glowing.
Progressive has taken the spot of the third-largest auto insurer in the U.S., behind State Farm and GEICO. The insurance company has one of the higher customer satisfaction ratings, according to J.D. Power. But at the same time, it receives more complaints than the industry average, according to the NAIC Complaint Index.
GEICO and Progressive both use telematics programs through their mobile app to measure how safely you drive.
The GEICO DriveEasy program uses your mobile phone to measure your driving. It looks at things like how fast you take corners, how hard you brake, and if you use your phone while driving to calculate your safe driving score. The safer you drive the better you score, which could help you save on your insurance premium.
DriveEasy is currently only available in 38 states. If you want to use Drive Easy, every driver on your GEICO policy must participate as well.
The Progressive Snapshot program helps set your car insurance rate. How often you drive, as well as when, is tracked using the mobile app or a plug-in device. This determines how much you’ll pay for your insurance premiums.
Other tracked driving behaviors include how hard you brake, accelerations, and mobile phone use. Snapshot participants are eligible for an automatic discount on their policy when they sign up and can get a personalized rate when they renew their policy.
Using Snapshot could also result in a car insurance rate increase, however, depending on how you drive.
GEICO offers cheaper car insurance than Progressive in almost every category, including good drivers, young drivers, senior drivers, people with bad credit, and drivers who have received a speeding ticket.
The most notable gap was in the teen driver category, where GEICO policyholders pay much less per month for a policy. The senior driver category was the most competitive, with GEICO’s monthly average rates being just slightly cheaper.
GEICO customers with a clean driving record pay less per month than Progressive policyholders who are also free of traffic violations.
A speeding ticket will more than likely raise your car insurance rates.1 The violation is significantly more punitive for Progressive drivers, however. They pay more per month, on average, than GEICO policyholders who have received a speeding ticket.
Young drivers’ car insurance policies are often more expensive due to their inexperience on the road.2 GEICO is much more favorable to teen drivers compared to Progressive.
In many states, car insurance companies can use a prospective policyholders’ credit history to help determine their car insurance rates. GEICO policyholders with a bad credit score pay less per month than Progressive drivers.
GEICO car insurance is less expensive for drivers in their 70s than it is for Progressive customers, but not by much.
Many states require you to carry at least liability coverage on your car insurance policy. This includes bodily injury and property damage liability. This is the minimum insurance coverage you’ll need. But insurance experts often recommend that you add full coverage to better protect you and your passengers.
GEICO and Progressive both offer common car insurance coverages, such as bodily injury and property damage liability, as well as comprehensive, collision, and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages. The companies also offer a lot of the same add-on coverages, like roadside assistance and rental car reimbursement.
The following table offers a look at the car insurance coverages GEICO and Progressive provide.
Discounts are a great way to help lower your car insurance premium.3 Progressive and GEICO offer a variety of discounts to help you save. Both insurers reward drivers for maintaining good driving records, insuring more than one car on their policy, and insuring their home or other products with their company.
The number of car insurance discounts Progressive and GEICO offer is pretty close. There’s some variation in the types of discounts they offer, however.
For example, a number of GEICO’s discounts focus on vehicle equipment such as airbags, anti-lock brakes, and anti-theft devices. Meanwhile, Progressive provides saving opportunities for more affordable rates for doing business online, including getting a quote online and signing documents electronically.
If you’re still wondering whether GEICO or Progressive is the right insurance company for you, this additional information may help you decide.
Progressive is more expensive than GEICO, according to Insurify data. Progressive drivers could lower their premium depending on what discounts they qualify for, however. Factors such as your age, vehicle, and driving history could lead to a cheaper policy with Progressive.
GEICO is slightly bigger than Progressive. It ranks as the second-largest car insurance company in the U.S. in terms of market share (6.6%), while Progressive comes in third (6.1%).
Price is perhaps the biggest difference between GEICO and Progressive car insurance. GEICO offers lower rates than Progressive for every driver group, including young drivers, senior drivers, people with bad credit, and people with driving violations. The insurers offer many of the same discounts, but there’s enough variation that it’s worth seeing which company is a better fit for you.
“Better” depends on what you’re looking for in a car insurance company. If you’re solely looking for a lower rate, GEICO would be a better car insurance option for you. Rates are just one factor to consider for a car insurance company, however. Customer experience matters, too, for example.
So, while GEICO may offer cheaper rates initially, you may qualify for more discounts with Progressive that could lower your car insurance premium. That’s why it’s important to compare multiple car insurance companies when you’re looking for coverage.
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