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Progressive vs. Geico: Which is better? (2024)

We compared Progressive and GEICO’s rates, discounts, customer service, and coverage offerings to decide which company has better car insurance for most drivers.

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By

Andrew HurstSenior Editor & Licensed Auto Insurance ExpertAndrew Hurst is a senior editor at Policygenius who has spent his entire career writing about life, disability, home, auto, and health insurance. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Forbes, USA Today, NPR, Mic, Insurance Business Magazine, and Property Casualty 360.

Edited by

Anna SwartzAnna SwartzSenior Managing EditorAnna Swartz is a senior managing editor who specializes in home, auto, renters, and disability insurance at Policygenius. Previously, she was a senior staff writer at Mic and a writer at The Dodo. Her work has also appeared in Salon, HuffPost, MSN, AOL, and Heeb.

Updated|4 min read

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Progressive logo

Pros and cons: Progressive

✓ Better coverage options than GEICO

✓ Lots of discounts

✓ Available in all 50 states

✕ More expensive than average

quote-output-logo-geico

Pros and cons: GEICO

✓ Cheaper rates than Progressive

✓ Plenty of discounts

✓ Available in all 50 states

✕ Lower-rated digital tools than Progressive

Progressive vs. GEICO: Which is better?

Progressive and GEICO are evenly matched and both make our list of the best insurance companies, so the better one for you depends on your budget and how much auto insurance coverage you want. 

We found that Progressive is better if you want to add coverage to a basic policy, but GEICO is better for cheap rates. That said, it’s still a good idea to make sure there’s not a better company for you out there by comparing quotes from Progressive, GEICO, and other top companies before you get insured.

Progressive vs. GEICO: at a glance

Category

Progressive

GEICO

Price and discounts

3.8

4.7

Financial strength

4.2

5.0

Customer experience

4.1

4.1

Coverage options

3.6

2.8

Overall Policygenius rating

4.4

4.7

We scored these categories on a five-point scale.

Why you can trust our insurance company comparisons

We calculated our expert ratings by considering cost, availability, customer experience and satisfaction, and coverage options. Our own Policygenius agents — who have years of experience working with real car insurance shoppers — also weighed in.

To come up with our company ratings, we accumulated company data for price, financial strength, customer experience, and coverage options. We assigned a weight to each category based on research and insight from our own licensed insurance editors and operations specialists. Here’s how our ratings categories break down:

  • Price (35%): We gave each company a score based on its average rate and available discounts.

  • Financial strength (25%): We gave point values based on each company’s A.M. Best Financial Strength Rating, S&P credit rating, and Moody’s credit rating.

  • Customer experience (20%): We scored companies based on how they performed on the most recent J.D. Power Auto Claims Satisfaction and Digital Experience surveys. This category also considers a company's complaint index, which is provided by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

  • Coverage options (20%): We scored companies for the number of coverage types offered and the quality of these options. Less common endorsements earned higher scores compared to add-ons that most companies offer.

Next, we converted each company’s raw values to the same standardized “z-score” and “t-score.” Finally, using a weighted average formula, we combined each category rating and converted it to a 5-point scale to calculate each company's overall Policygenius rating.

How we calculated coverage cost:

We determined the average costs for full-coverage car insurance from each company using rate data provided by Quadrant Information Services.

These rates were from every ZIP code across every state, along with the District of Columbia. Rates were for a 30-year-old male driver with a 2017 Toyota Camry. Our sample full-coverage policy included the following limits:

  • Bodily injury liability: $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident

  • Property damage liability: $50,000 per accident

  • Uninsured/underinsured motorist: $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident

  • Comprehensive: $500 deductible

  • Collision: $500 deductible

Some carriers may be represented by affiliates or subsidiaries. Rates provided are a sample of costs. Your actual quotes may differ.

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Is Progressive or GEICO cheaper?

GEICO is cheaper than Progressive when it comes to car insurance. On average, the coverage from GEICO is $588 cheaper per year than Progressive for someone with a clean record. 

In fact, the cost of car insurance from Progressive is $142 more expensive than the national average. Progressive can get even more expensive after an accident or driving violation.

Progressive

GEICO

Clean record

$1,780

$1,192

Policygenius cost rating

3.8

4.7

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GEICO is cheaper for high-risk drivers

We found that GEICO has better rates for drivers who have been in an accident, have a recent violation, or have bad credit. On average, the cost of insurance for high-risk drivers is hundreds of dollars more expensive at Progressive.

GEICO is also cheaper than Progressive after a not-at-fault accident and for drivers with bad credit. We found that GEICO is $738 cheaper than Progressive after a no-fault accident, and $1,332 cheaper for people with bad credit.

Progressive

GEICO

No-fault accident

$2,048

$1,265

At-fault accident

$2,847

$2,071

DUI

$2,318

$3,047

Speeding ticket

$2,352

$2,119

Bad credit

$3,217

$1,885

GEICO is cheaper across multiple age groups

GEICO has lower rates for drivers across every age group we looked at, including new drivers. It costs $1,235 less per year to newly licensed driver to an existing policy with GEICO than Progressive.

Both Progressive and GEICO are good companies for seniors. Unlike with other companies, Progressive and GEICO’s rates don’t get higher right as you turn 65.

Driver age

Progressive

GEICO

16-year-old

$4,008

$2,773

25-year-old

$1,961

$1,316

35-year-old

$1,831

$1,217

45-year-old

$1,717

$1,194

65-year-old

$1,555

$1,110

Does Progressive or GEICO have better discounts?

Progressive and GEICO both have similar car insurance discounts, but Progressive may have better discounts for you if you own a home, can afford to pay your annual premium all at once, or are comfortable with buying coverage and signing documents online.

GEICO has better affinity discounts through workplaces or other organizations. GEICO also offers a discount for federal employees and people in the military that Progressive doesn’t.

Discount

Progressive

GEICO

Affinity discount

No

Yes

Automatic payment discount

Yes

No

Bundling discount

Yes

Yes

Continuous coverage discount

Yes

No

Defensive driving class discount

No

Yes

Distant student discount

Yes

No

Emergency deployment discount

No

Yes

Federal employee discount

No

Yes

Good student discount

Yes

Yes

Homeowner discount

Yes

No

Military discount

No

Yes

Multi-car discount

Yes

Yes

New vehicle discount

No

Yes

Online quote discount

Yes

No

Paperless billing discount

Yes

No

Pay-in-full discount

Yes

No

Safe vehicle discount

No

Yes

Secure vehicle discount

No

Yes

Sign online discount

Yes

No

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Comparing usage-based insurance from Progressive and GEICO

Progressive and GEICO both offer a usage-based discount (which means your driving is tracked through a mobile app). 

Both Snapshot (Progressive) and DriveEasy (GEICO log how often you use your phone while driving, along with speeding, braking, and acceleration. But too many risky behaviors and you could see your rates go up with both companies.

UBI highlights

Snapshot by Progressive

DriveEasy by GEICO

Maximum discount

Not listed

Up to 25%

Savings just for signing up

Yes

Yes

Length of trial period

Term of policy

Not listed

Can it raise your rates?

Yes

Yes

Is Progressive or GEICO better for customer experience?

We rated the customer service experience at Progressive and GEICO the same. GEICO scored higher than Progressive on the 2022 J.D. Power Claims Satisfaction Study, but Progressive did much better on the 2022 Digital Experience Study, which measures how happy policyholders are with the entire claims process.

Progressive also receives fewer complaints than GEICO does. According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, Progressive has a complaint index of 0.65, which is better than the industry average.

Customer service rating

Progressive

GEICO

J.D. Power Claims Satisfaction score

861

874

J.D. Power Digital Experience score

725

700

NAIC Complaint index

0.65

1.07

Policygenius customer experience rating

4.1

4.1

GEICO has better financial strength than Progressive

GEICO has stronger financial strength than Progressive based on scores from third-party credit-rating agencies. But, as one of the largest insurance companies, Progressive’s financial strength is also very strong.

Financial strength scores

Progressive

GEICO

A.M. Best Financial Strength Rating

A+

A++

S&P credit rating

A+

AA+

Moody's credit rating

Aa2

Aa1

Policygenius financial strength rating

4.2

5.0

Is Progressive or GEICO better for complete coverage?

Progressive is the better company for drivers who want to be able to add endorsements to a basic insurance policy. Both Progressive and GEICO offer common add-ons, like roadside assistance and rental reimbursement, but Progressive offers gap insurance and custom parts coverage and GEICO doesn’t.

Gap insurance can be very important for drivers who lease their cars or financed them with a loan (and it may even be required). Gap insurance pays the difference between your car’s lease or loan and the amount you get from collision or comprehensive after it’s totaled. Without gap insurance, you’d have to pay for this amount yourself.

Coverage options

Progressive

GEICO

Custom parts and equipment

Yes

No

Decreasing deductible

Yes

No

Gap insurance

Yes

No

Mechanical breakdown

No

Yes

Rental car reimbursement

Yes

Yes

Rideshare coverage

Yes

No

Roadside assistance

Yes

Yes

Policygenius coverage rating

3.6

2.8

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Are there better companies than Progressive and GEICO?

We gave Progressive and GEICO’ high scores, but it’s still possible that another car insurance company is even better for you.

Neither Progressive or GEICO have top-rated customer service. Progressive ranks below average for customer satisfaction, while GEICO ranks only one point higher than average. State Farm tends to rank much higher while remaining as cheap as (or even cheaper than) both companies.

And drivers looking for lots of car insurance coverage options may want to consider other companies. In the Northeast or the Midwest, Erie offers lots of endorsements that GEICO and Progressive don’t. Farmers is another alternative with a lot of coverage types, but it can be expensive.

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Frequently asked questions

Is GEICO always cheaper than Progressive?

GEICO isn’t necessarily always cheaper than Progressive. While GEICO is cheaper than Progressive on average, there may be states, cities, or even ZIP codes where Progressive has lower rates. Rates also depend on the driver.

Which is more popular, GEICO or Progressive?

GEICO is larger than Progressive. Both companies are among the 10 largest car insurance providers in the country, but GEICO has the second-largest market share behind State Farm. Progressive has the third largest.

Are GEICO and Progressive hard to deal with?

GEICO and Progressive have mixed customer service reputations. GEICO has average claims satisfaction ratings, while Progressive’s is lower than average. At the same time, GEICO gets more complaints than average (and more than Progressive).

Author

Andrew Hurst is a senior editor at Policygenius who has spent his entire career writing about life, disability, home, auto, and health insurance. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Forbes, USA Today, NPR, Mic, Insurance Business Magazine, and Property Casualty 360.

Editor

Anna Swartz is a senior managing editor who specializes in home, auto, renters, and disability insurance at Policygenius. Previously, she was a senior staff writer at Mic and a writer at The Dodo. Her work has also appeared in Salon, HuffPost, MSN, AOL, and Heeb.

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