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Esurance vs. Progressive

Updated May 06, 2024

While Esurance is no longer offering new auto insurance policies, current policyholders may find similar strengths in tech-savvy Progressive.

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Disclaimer: Esurance stopped issuing new insurance policies as of March 2023. Policies issued before that time will continue to be serviced by Esurance. As Allstate works to phase out the Esurance brand, some carrier-specific information in this article is subject to change.

Now a subsidiary of Allstate, Esurance was among the first U.S. companies to sell auto insurance directly to consumers via the internet at its founding in 1999. This tech-savvy carrier was one the forefront of the digital insurance age, but it’s now on its way out since Allstate announced plans to phase out the brand in 2019. As of October 2024, Esurance is no longer issuing new policies, and Allstate is offering existing policyholders the chance to transition to other Allstate products at renewal.

Progressive is the second-largest auto insurance company in the U.S, with over 15 percent of the market share in 2023. With coverage in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. and a business strategy geared towards digital policy management, Progressive remains at the forefront of the industry in both size and innovation.

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Our verdict

Between Esurance and Progressive, only Progressive is selling new auto insurance policies in the U.S. For current Esurance policyholders seeking a tech-forward carrier offering affordable rates, Progressive could be a good fit. In our Progressive vs. Esurance insurance review, we found a lower rate of complaints and higher number of discounts for Progressive.

Esurance vs. Progressive comparison

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Esurance

Esurance
Rating: 2.6 stars out of 5
2.6
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Cost & ratings

Rating: 2.2 stars out of 5
2.2

Coverage

Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5
2.5

Support

Rating: 3.9 stars out of 5
3.9

Progressive

Progressive
Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
4.4
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Cost & ratings

Rating: 4.2 stars out of 5
4.2

Coverage

Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5.0

Support

Rating: 4.3 stars out of 5
4.3
OVERVIEW
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Progressive is the second-largest provider of auto insurance in the U.S. and a leader in digital insurance innovation. Nationwide coverage, highly rated digital tools and affordable average rates for driving with mixed driving records make Progressive an attractive choice for many drivers.
STANDOUT FEATURES
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Online Reviews Icon
Top-rated digital tools
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Multiple coverage add-ons
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Low rates for high risk drivers
AVG FULL COV. AUTO RATE
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$2,254
AVG MIN COV. AUTO RATE
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$694
J.D. POWER AUTO SCORE
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870/1000
AM BEST RATING
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A+(Superior)

Esurance pros and cons

Pros
  • Has cheaper rates for excellent credit compared to national average

  • User-friendly website and mobile apps

  • Wide range of discounts and coverage types

  • Strong financial backing from Allstate

Cons
  • New policies are not available

  • Overall higher average rates than Progressive

  • Not rated in J.D. Power studies

Progressive pros and cons

Pros
  • Available nationwide

  • Overall cheaper average rates than Esurance

  • Wide range of discount options

  • Automatic discount for Snapshot participation

Cons
  • 20% of drivers see rates increase when participating in SnapShot

  • Below-average J.D. Power rating in claims satisfaction

  • Below-average J.D. Power customer satisfaction rating in all regions

  • Rates may differ between online quotes and agency quotes

Is Esurance cheaper than Progressive?

Rates from Esurance and Progressive vary based on driver profile, including age, location, credit history and driving record. While the table below shows general trends based on the latest data available from Quadrant Information Services, most insurance professionals recommend comparing personalized quotes in order to determine which insurance carrier is cheapest for your profile. Since Esurance no longer issues new auto insurance policies, only existing Esurance policyholders will be able to compare rates between Esurance and Progressive.

Driver profile Esurance avg. full coverage premium Progressive avg. full coverage premium
Young driver (age 25) $3,596 $2,839
Senior driver (age 70) $3,637 $2,049
Good driver, good credit $3,610 $2,254
Good driver, poor credit $5,898 $3,993
Speeding ticket with good credit $3,332 $2,901
At-fault accident with good credit $5,078 $3,415
DUI conviction with good credit $4,134 $3,117
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Bankrate's take

Keep in mind that not all insurance companies write policies for drivers with DUIs. If you have a DUI conviction — and especially if you have multiple convictions — you may need to request quotes from multiple carriers in order to find a provider willing to work with your record.

Overall, Progressive’s average rates tend to be cheaper than those offered by Esurance, especially for high-risk drivers and young drivers. However, as Allstate phases out its Esurance brand, it’s important for Esurance policyholders to compare personalized quotes before switching to a new carrier.

Esurance vs Progressive: Discounts

Most car insurance companies, including Esurance and Progressive, offer a variety of discounts that may help drivers get a lower premium. Esurance only has two advertised discounts, while Progressive has over a dozen. Here are some of the car insurance discounts available from these two providers.

Discounts available from both carriers

The first discount advertised on Esurance’s website is DriveSense, a telematics program offering a participation discount as well as potential discounts based on safe driving. Progressive also has a telematics program, called Snapshot, which offers participation and safe driving discounts — but unlike DriveSense, Snapshot can raise your rate if it detects unsafe driving.

Esurance also previously offered a bundling discount to customers who purchased both renters and auto insurance, which would subtract 30 percent of the customer’s renters insurance premium from their auto premium. Progressive’s bundling discounts apply to multiple products, such as home, boat, RV and other types of insurance, and typically offer a bigger premium reduction.

Esurance discounts

Besides DriveSense and bundling discounts, Esurance doesn’t offer any other auto insurance discounts, possibly because it no longer sells new auto insurance policies.

Progressive discounts

Progressive provides a long list of discounts on its website, including:

  • Student discounts: Progressive offers discounted rates both to high school and college students with a B average or better and to college students attending school at least 100 miles from home.
  • Homeowner discount: Progressive policyholders who own a home can earn discounted auto rates, even if the home is not insured through Progressive.
  • Multi-car discount: Progressive auto policies to cover multiple vehicles are eligible for discounts.
  • Paperless/autopay discounts: If you opt to receive documents online and/or turn on autopay, you could be eligible for two separate discounts in most states.
  • Online quote discount: Drivers who get an insurance quote online may save up to 7 percent on their premium.
  • Continuous insurance discount: Progressive may provide a discount based on the length of time a new customer was insured with their old provider.
  • Teen driver discount: Progressive advertises a potential discount when parents, who have had Progressive for more than a year, add a driver who is 18 years old or under to their policy.
  • Pay in full discount: Drivers outside of California who pay their annual premium upfront may be eligible for a discounted rate.

Esurance and Progressive telematics programs

Participating in a carrier’s telematics program can sometimes offer great savings. Telematics programs use an app or in-car device to monitor your driving habits in real time and adjust your rate accordingly. Here is an overview of the telematics programs available from Progressive and Esurance.

Esurance DriveSense Progressive Snapshot
Device Mobile app Mobile app or device
Can it raise your rate? Rate can only decrease Rates can increase or decrease
Availability Available in 35 states All states except California; discount availability varies by state
Discount Up to 5% for signing up.
Additional discount possible depending on driving habits
Average participation discount: $94
Average completion discount: $231
What it monitors Braking, acceleration, time of day, speed, cornering, trip duration, location Braking, acceleration, speed, location, phone use, time of day driving, miles traveled

Esurance vs Progressive: customer experience comparison

When it comes to customer satisfaction and experience, Progressive tends to outperform Esurance based on the metrics we evaluated. Although both companies perform well in iOS ratings, Progressive has slightly better ratings from both Google Play and Apple users. Progressive also earned an above-average score in both service and shopping on the J.D. Power 2023 Insurance Digital Experience Study, though it got a below-average rating in the 2023 Auto Claims Satisfaction Study. Esurance did not rank in either J.D. Power study.

Esurance Progressive
Apple store 4.8 of 5 4.8 of 5
Google play 4.3 of 5 4.6 of 5
J.D. Power claims satisfaction N/A 870/1,000

Customer complaints

In order to understand how many customer complaints each carrier gets, we looked at the NAIC Complaint Index for both companies. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) tracks customer complaints for all U.S. insurers and compares them to the average rate of complaints based on company size. The resulting number — scored from an industry average of 1.00 — reflects complaint rates each year. Numbers above 1.00 indicate a high rate of complaints; numbers below 1.00 speak to satisfactory customer service.

Esurance auto insurance customer complaints

Esurance’s NAIC Complaint Index score indicates that it gets a high number of complaints for its size. In 2023, the complaint index for private passenger auto customers was 8.23, an increase from 2021.

Progressive auto insurance customer complaints

Progressive receives surprisingly few customer complaints relative to its size, based on its 2023 NAIC Complaint Index of 0.89. Unlike Esurance, Progressive has actually seen complaints drop in the past three years.

Frequently asked questions

Methodology

Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze the latest rates in October 2024 for ZIP codes and carriers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Rates include the most recent approved rate changes filed by insurance companies that affect our profile. These revised rates are then weighted based on the population density in each geographic region so that policyholders can see the impact rates have in their areas. Quoted rates are based on a 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 highlighting where they fall short.

5
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Overall Score
  • Cost & ratings 50%
  • Coverage & savings 30%
  • Support 20%
  • Tier 1 (Cost & ratings): To determine how well auto and home insurance companies satisfy these priorities, average quoted premiums from Quadrant Information Services (if available), as well as any of the latest third-party agency ratings from J.D. Power, AM Best, Demotech and the NAIC, were analyzed.
  • Tier 2 (Coverage & savings): We assessed companies’ coverage options and availability to help policyholders find a provider that balances cost with coverage. Additionally, we evaluated each company’s discount options listed on its website.
  • Tier 3 (Support): To encompass the many ways an auto insurance company can support policyholders, we analyzed avenues of customer accessibility along with community support. This analysis incorporated additional financial strength ratings from S&P and Moody’s and factored a company’s corporate sustainability efforts.

Tier scores are unweighted to show the company's true score in each category out of a possible five points.

Written by
R.E. Hawley
Senior Writer, Insurance
R.E. Hawley is a senior writer for Bankrate. Prior to joining Bankrate’s insurance editorial team in 2024, they worked as senior writer for a popular car ownership and insurance comparison app, leading a team of over a dozen writers in creating customer-focused financial advice content on topics ranging from insurance to vehicle reliability and auto loan refinance. R.E. holds a personal lines insurance license.
Edited by Editor, Insurance