Auto insurance · Updated August 2026
Auto-Owners Insurance vs Root Insurance
Auto-Owners Insurance is built for drivers who buy through independent agents. Root Insurance is built for good drivers priced by a measured test drive. On the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, Auto-Owners Ins. Co. drew 0.47 and Root Ins. Co. drew 1.92, against an industry median of 1.00. AM Best rates Auto-Owners Insurance A++ and Root Insurance B++. Neither is reliably cheaper. For the same driver in the same state, either can return the lower number.
By Dylan Leggett, licensed insurance agent · NPN 17875887
The short answer
Auto-Owners Insurance has written auto since 1916 and writes through Auto-Owners Insurance Group companies. Auto-Owners Ins. Co. drew 0.47 on the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, 64 complaints on $2.9 billion of private-passenger premium. AM Best rates it A++, the highest grade it issues. It writes seven lines: auto, home, renters, life, umbrella, commercial, and boat. The tradeoff: its app carries 4,335 ratings against Root Insurance's 73,089.
Root Insurance has written auto since 2015 and writes through Root Insurance Co.. The tradeoffs: it drew 1.92 on the 2025 complaint index against Auto-Owners Insurance's 0.47, AM Best rates it B++ against Auto-Owners Insurance's A++, and it writes two lines against Auto-Owners Insurance's seven.
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.
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Side by side
Auto-Owners Insurance vs Root Insurance: the data sheet
Sources are listed under the measured figures. How we compare
Auto-Owners Insurance | Root Insurance | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Drivers who buy through independent agents | Good drivers priced by a measured test drive |
| Who underwrites it | Auto-Owners Insurance Group companies | Root Insurance Co. |
| Complaints per policyAuto-Owners Insurance, by a wide margin | 0.47 64 complaints on $2.9B written | 1.92 71 complaints on $778M written |
NAIC complaint index, 2025, private passenger auto · Auto-Owners Ins. Co. vs Root Ins. Co. · 1.00 is the industry median | ||
| Financial strengthAuto-Owners Insurance, rated higher | A++ Superior | B++ Good |
AM Best financial strength rating · A++ is the highest issued | ||
| Coverage you can buyAuto-Owners Insurance, if you want to bundle | 7 lines auto, home, renters, life, umbrella, commercial, boat | 2 lines auto, renters |
| PriceNot rated | Filed state by state, priced to the driver. The main factors are below. | |
| Mobile appEffectively tied | 4.72 4,335 ratings | 4.70 73,089 ratings |
Apple App Store, August 2026 | ||
| Availability | Available in 26 states | Available in 30+ states |
| Known for | Independent agents, broad bundling discounts | Pricing by test drive, claims filed in the app |
In practice
Where they differ
The complaint records
On the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, Auto-Owners Ins. Co. drew 0.47 and Root Ins. Co. drew 1.92, 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 Auto-Owners Insurance A++ and Root Insurance B++. 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
Auto-Owners Insurance policies are written by Auto-Owners Insurance Group companies. Root Insurance policies are written by Root Insurance Co.. 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
Auto-Owners Insurance writes seven lines and Root Insurance writes two lines. Auto-Owners Insurance writes auto, home, renters, life, umbrella, commercial, and boat. Root Insurance writes auto, and renters. If auto is all you need, the difference costs you nothing.
Price
Which is cheaper: Auto-Owners Insurance or Root Insurance?
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.
Rates are filed state by state. Both companies file their rates with each state's regulator, so the same company charges different amounts in different states. Availability differs by state as well, and the data sheet above carries what each company publishes.
The bundle decides some comparisons. Both companies write more than one line, so the combined number can settle the comparison rather than the auto number alone. Multi-policy discounts are filed per state.
One application. Real prices from the carriers writing in your state.