Auto insurance · Updated August 2026
GEICO vs American Family
GEICO is built for drivers who buy direct and manage the policy in the app. American Family is built for agent-served drivers in the Midwest and West. On the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, GEICO General Ins. Co. drew 0.88 and American Family Mutual Ins. Co., S.I. drew 0.18, against an industry median of 1.00. AM Best rates GEICO A++ and American Family 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
GEICO has written auto since 1936 and writes through GEICO group companies, part of Berkshire Hathaway. AM Best rates it A++, the highest grade it issues. The tradeoffs: it drew 0.88 on the 2025 complaint index against American Family's 0.18, and it writes five lines against American Family's six.
American Family has written auto since 1927 and writes through American Family Mutual Insurance Co., S.I. and affiliates. American Family Mutual Ins. Co., S.I. drew 0.18 on the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, 13 complaints on $1.5 billion of private-passenger premium. It writes six lines: auto, home, renters, life, umbrella, and commercial. The tradeoff: AM Best rates it A against GEICO's A++.
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
GEICO vs American Family: the data sheet
Sources are listed under the measured figures. How we compare
GEICO | American Family | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Drivers who buy direct and manage the policy in the app | Agent-served drivers in the Midwest and West |
| Who underwrites it | GEICO group companies, part of Berkshire Hathaway | American Family Mutual Insurance Co., S.I. and affiliates |
| Complaints per policyAmerican Family, by a wide margin | 0.88 536 complaints on $12.8B written | 0.18 13 complaints on $1.5B written |
NAIC complaint index, 2025, private passenger auto · GEICO General Ins. Co. vs American Family Mutual Ins. Co., S.I. · 1.00 is the industry median | ||
| Financial strengthBoth strong; GEICO a step higher | A++ Superior | A Excellent |
AM Best financial strength rating · A++ is the highest issued | ||
| Coverage you can buyAmerican Family, if you want to bundle | 5 lines auto, motorcycle, renters, home, rv | 6 lines auto, home, renters, life, umbrella, commercial |
| PriceNot rated | Filed state by state, priced to the driver. The main factors are below. | |
| Mobile appEffectively tied | 4.80 4,753,999 ratings | 4.72 91,076 ratings |
Apple App Store, August 2026 | ||
| Telematics program | DriveEasy | KnowYourDrive |
| Availability | All 50 states | Available in 19 states |
| Known for | Direct sales, fast quotes, multi-policy discounts | KnowYourDrive discounts, agent service |
In practice
Where they differ
The complaint records
On the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, GEICO General Ins. Co. drew 0.88 and American Family Mutual Ins. Co., S.I. drew 0.18, 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 GEICO A++ and American Family 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
GEICO policies are written by GEICO group companies, part of Berkshire Hathaway. American Family policies are written by American Family Mutual Insurance Co., S.I. and affiliates. 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
GEICO writes five lines and American Family writes six lines. GEICO writes auto, motorcycle, renters, home, and RV. American Family writes auto, home, renters, life, umbrella, and commercial. If auto is all you need, the difference costs you nothing.
Price
Which is cheaper: GEICO or American Family?
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. GEICO writes in all 50 states. American Family writes in 19 states. Where only one of them writes in your state, the comparison answers itself.
Telematics moves the number. Both run a program: DriveEasy at GEICO, KnowYourDrive at American Family. 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.