Auto insurance · Updated August 2026
Allstate vs USAA
Allstate is built for drivers who want a local agent and bundled home coverage. USAA is built for military members, veterans, and their families. On the NAIC's 2025 complaint index the two land close: Allstate Fire & Casualty Ins. Co. drew 0.82 and United Services Automobile Assn. drew 0.83, against an industry median of 1.00. AM Best rates Allstate A+ and USAA A++. Neither is reliably cheaper. For the same driver in the same state, either can return the lower number.
By Armando Chavarria, licensed insurance agent · NPN 17042827
The short answer
Allstate has written auto since 1931 and writes through Allstate group companies. The tradeoffs: AM Best rates it A+ against USAA's A++, and it writes five lines against USAA's six.
USAA has written auto since 1922 and writes through USAA and its subsidiaries. AM Best rates it A++, the highest grade it issues. It writes six lines: auto, home, renters, life, umbrella, and boat. The tradeoff: it writes in Available nationwide to the military community against Allstate's all 50 states.
Both companies state by state, and their filed rates trade the lead by address. A national average will not predict which one wins for you. For the same driver in the same state, either can return the lower number.
About two minutes. No effect on your credit score.
Side by side
Allstate vs USAA: the data sheet
Sources are listed under the measured figures. How we compare
Allstate | USAA | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Drivers who want a local agent and bundled home coverage | Military members, veterans, and their families |
| Who underwrites it | Allstate group companies | USAA and its subsidiaries |
| Complaints per policyEffectively tied | 0.82 454 complaints on $11.7B written | 0.83 278 complaints on $7.0B written |
NAIC complaint index, 2025, private passenger auto · Allstate Fire & Casualty Ins. Co. vs United Services Automobile Assn. · 1.00 is the industry median | ||
| Financial strengthBoth strong; USAA a step higher | A+ Superior | A++ Superior |
AM Best financial strength rating · A++ is the highest issued | ||
| Coverage you can buyUSAA, if you want to bundle | 5 lines auto, home, renters, motorcycle, life | 6 lines auto, home, renters, life, umbrella, boat |
| PriceNot rated | Filed state by state, priced to the driver. The main factors are below. | |
| Mobile appEffectively tied | 4.79 1,257,155 ratings | 4.80 2,300,916 ratings |
Apple App Store, August 2026 | ||
| SR-22 filing | Yes | Yes |
| Telematics program | Drivewise | SafePilot |
| Availability | All 50 states | Available nationwide to the military community |
| Known for | Drivewise rewards, Milewise pay-per-mile in some states | Military-only membership, banking and insurance in one account |
In practice
Where they differ
The complaint records
On the NAIC's 2025 complaint index the two land close: Allstate Fire & Casualty Ins. Co. drew 0.82 and United Services Automobile Assn. drew 0.83, against an industry median of 1.00. The index weighs a company's complaint count against the volume expected for its size, so 1.00 is the industry median and a lower number is fewer complaints than expected.
Financial strength
AM Best rates Allstate A+ and USAA A++. A++ is the highest grade AM Best issues. The grade measures the company's ability to pay claims, not its service or its price.
Who underwrites each one
Allstate policies are written by Allstate group companies. USAA policies are written by USAA and its subsidiaries. The brand on the advertising and the company on the policy are often different entities, and the complaint figures on this page belong to the named companies.
What each one covers
Allstate writes five lines and USAA writes six lines. Allstate writes auto, home, renters, motorcycle, and life. USAA writes auto, home, renters, life, umbrella, and boat. If auto is all you need, the difference costs you nothing.
Price
Which is cheaper: Allstate or USAA?
Neither company is reliably cheaper. What sets the price:
The record sets the range. A ticket, an at-fault accident, or a moves the two prices by different amounts, and the direction is not consistent between states. A quote on the real record is what separates them.
Availability decides some matchups. Allstate writes in all 50 states. USAA writes in Available nationwide to the military community. Where only one of them writes in your state, the comparison answers itself.
Telematics moves the number. Both run a program: Drivewise at Allstate, SafePilot at USAA. A telematics program measures driving through an app or a plug-in device and adjusts the price on the result. The size of that adjustment is filed per state.
One application. Real prices from the carriers writing in your state.