Geico vs. Progressive

Geico vs. Progressive comparison

When looking at Geico vs. Progressive, it may help to consider the pros and cons for each company. Both companies offer advantages — but both also have areas where they fall short.

Geico pros and cons

Progressive pros and cons

Is Geico cheaper than Progressive?

Bankrate’s insurance editorial team analyzed the latest rate data available from Quadrant Information Services and found that, on average, Geico is cheaper than Progressive for most driver profiles. Keep in mind, however, that your actual rate could look different from the average. Insurance companies consider a wide range of rating factors when quoting premiums, from your age and driving record to your credit history, vehicle and ZIP code. As a result, some drivers could find cheaper rates from Progressive while others find the cheapest insurance with Geico. 

Geico vs Progressive: discounts

Both Geico and Progressive offer car insurance discounts to help drivers lower their premiums. While many discounts are fairly standard, each company offers a few that are relatively uncommon. Keep in mind that not all discounts are available in all states and eligibility may vary based on your driving profile.

Discounts available from both carriers

Geico and Progressive share a few basic ways to save on car insurance, including: 

• Multi-policy discounts: Both Geico and Progressive offer discounts to customers who purchase another insurance product, such as home or renters insurance, along with their auto policy. 

• Multi-car discounts: Geico advertises a discount of up to 25 percent on most coverage for customers who insure multiple vehicles, while Progressive claims their average multi-car discount is 12 percent. 

• Good student discounts: Both companies offer discounts to full-time high school or college students with a B average or better, with Geico advertising up to 15 percent off and Progressive advertising an average savings of 10 percent.

• Safe driver discounts: Geico customers with a five-year accident-free record are eligible for up to 22 percent off their premium. Progressive states that customers who stay accident- and ticket-free for three years save an average of 34 percent.  

Geico discounts

• DriveEasy: Geico’s DriveEasy telematics program could help drivers save if they display safe driving habits. However, the company does warn that risky drivers might see an increase in their premiums.
• Group affiliation: Geico offers varying savings for members of partner organizations, including the federal government, alumni associations and certain employers. Ask an agent or your group representative for details.
• Military discounts: If you are on active duty, retired from the military or a member of the National Guard or Reserves, you may earn a discount of up to 15 percent on your auto insurance. Geico also offers emergency deployment discounts of up to 25 percent.
• New vehicle discount: If your vehicle is three model years old or newer, you could earn a discount of up to 15 percent on some coverage.
• Seat belt use discount: Geico policyholders who can demonstrate that they and their passengers always wear seat belts are eligible for discounted rates on medical payments or personal injury protection coverage.
• Defensive driving discount: Some Geico customers who completed an approved defensive driving course can earn a discount.
• Driver education discount: Geico offers a discount on most coverage if a teen driver in your household completed a driver education course. 

Progressive discounts

• Snapshot: Progressive’s telematics discount is called Snapshot. Users could earn a discount based on their driving behavior, with an average savings of $231. Just like Geico, risky drivers could see an increase.
• Quote and sign online: Progressive offers two levels of discounts for doing business online. If you get your quote online, you could save an average of 7 percent, and if you complete your policy purchase online, you might save an additional 9 percent, on average.
• Paperless and autopay: Signing up for paperless billing and automatic payments could qualify you for a discount, although the amount for both discounts varies.
• Homeowner: If you own your home, even if it’s not insured with Progressive, you can potentially save on your auto insurance, but amounts vary. If you insure your home with Progressive, you might qualify for the multi-policy discount, too.
• Continuous insurance: New Progressive customers who switched from another provider can earn a discount based on how long they were with their previous insurer.
• Teen driver discount: In addition to its good student discounts, Progressive offers a discount to families with teen drivers 18 years or younger who have been with Progressive for at least a year.
• Distant student discount: If your policy includes a college student 22 years or younger who attends school without a vehicle at least 100 miles from home, you can earn a discount. 

Geico and Progressive telematics programs

Both Geico and Progressive offer telematics apps — digital tools that track your driving in real time and base your future rates on your actual driving habits. While these programs have the potential to lower your rates if you avoid unsafe habits like harsh braking and speeding, both Geico and Progressive’s telematics can raise your rates for unsafe driving. Before you decide whether to participate in either app, it’s worth understanding the pros and cons of each. 

Geico vs Progressive: customer experience comparison

Both Geico and Progressive have robust online and mobile app features. If you prefer to handle your insurance online, you can do so with either carrier. With both online portals, you can make payments, process policy changes and access your documents. Progressive and Geico also each have a mobile app. Both apps allow you to see your ID cards, view policy information and pay bills, among other features. 

When comparing Progressive vs. Geico mobile apps, both have close ratings between the App Store and Google Play, with Apple users giving both apps 4.8 stars and Android users 4.6 stars. When it comes to the provider rankings from the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, both carriers scored below the industry average — but Geico takes the lead with a score of 871 compared to Progressive’s score of 870.

Customer complaints

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) tracks customer complaints for U.S. insurance companies and compares the rate of complaints to the size of the company. The resulting score, known as a carrier’s NAIC Complaint Index, indicates whether a company receives more or fewer complaints than expected based on its size. The baseline complaint index is 1.00; higher scores correspond to a higher number of complaints. 

Geico auto insurance customer complaints

Progressive auto insurance customer complaints

Frequently asked questions

Methodology

Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze April 2024 rates for all ZIP codes and carriers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Rates are weighted based on the population density in each geographic region. Quoted rates are based on a single, 40-year-old male and female driver with a clean driving record, good credit and the following full coverage limits:

• $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
• $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
• $50,000 property damage liability per accident
• $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
• $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident
• $500 collision deductible
• $500 comprehensive deductible

To determine minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used minimum coverage that meets each state’s requirements. Our base profile drivers own a 2022 Toyota Camry, commute five days a week and drive 12,000 miles annually. 

These are sample rates and should only be used for comparative purposes. 

Credit-based insurance scores: Rates were calculated based on the following insurance credit tiers assigned to our drivers: “poor, average, good (base) and excellent.” Insurance credit tiers factor in your official credit scores but are not dependent on that variable alone. Four states prohibit or limit the use of credit as a rating factor in determining auto insurance rates: California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Michigan. 

Incidents: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the following incidents applied: clean record (base), at-fault accident, single speeding ticket and single DUI conviction.

Age: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the ages 25-70 (base: 40 years) applied. Depending on age, drivers may be a renter or homeowner. Age is not a contributing rating factor in Hawaii and Massachusetts due to state regulations.

Bankrate Scores

Our 2024 Bankrate Score considers variables our insurance editorial team determined impacts policyholders’ experiences with an insurance company. These rating factors include a robust assessment of each company’s product availability, financial strength ratings, online capabilities and customer and claims support accessibility. Each factor was added to a category, and these categories were weighted in a tiered approach to analyze how companies perform in key customer-impacting categories.

Each category was assigned a metric to determine performance, and the weighted sum adds up to a company’s total Bankrate Score — out of 5 points. Our scoring model provides a comprehensive view, indicating when companies excel across several key areas and highlight where they fall short.