Auto insurance · Updated August 2026
GEICO vs Farmers Insurance
GEICO is built for drivers who buy direct and manage the policy in the app. Farmers Insurance is built for agent-served drivers who bundle home and auto. On the NAIC's 2025 complaint index the two land close: GEICO General Ins. Co. drew 0.88 and Farmers Ins. Exchange drew 0.85, against an industry median of 1.00. AM Best rates GEICO A++ and Farmers Insurance A. 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
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 tradeoff: it writes five lines against Farmers Insurance's seven.
Farmers Insurance has written auto since 1928 and writes through Farmers Exchanges and subsidiaries. It writes seven lines: auto, home, renters, life, umbrella, motorcycle, 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 Farmers Insurance: the data sheet
Sources are listed under the measured figures. How we compare
GEICO | Farmers Insurance | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Drivers who buy direct and manage the policy in the app | Agent-served drivers who bundle home and auto |
| Who underwrites it | GEICO group companies, part of Berkshire Hathaway | Farmers Exchanges and subsidiaries |
| Complaints per policyEffectively tied | 0.88 536 complaints on $12.8B written | 0.85 122 complaints on $3.0B written |
NAIC complaint index, 2025, private passenger auto · GEICO General Ins. Co. vs Farmers Ins. Exchange · 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 buyFarmers Insurance, if you want to bundle | 5 lines auto, motorcycle, renters, home, rv | 7 lines auto, home, renters, life, umbrella, motorcycle, 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 | 4.84 27,014 ratings |
Apple App Store, August 2026 | ||
| SR-22 filing | Yes | Yes |
| Telematics program | DriveEasy | Signal |
| Availability | All 50 states | Available in most states |
| Known for | Direct sales, fast quotes, multi-policy discounts | Agent network, accident forgiveness options |
In practice
Where they differ
The complaint records
On the NAIC's 2025 complaint index the two land close: GEICO General Ins. Co. drew 0.88 and Farmers Ins. Exchange drew 0.85, 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 Farmers Insurance 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. Farmers Insurance policies are written by Farmers Exchanges and 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
GEICO writes five lines and Farmers Insurance writes seven lines. GEICO writes auto, motorcycle, renters, home, and RV. Farmers Insurance writes auto, home, renters, life, umbrella, motorcycle, and commercial. If auto is all you need, the difference costs you nothing.
Price
Which is cheaper: GEICO or Farmers 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.
Telematics moves the number. Both run a program: DriveEasy at GEICO, Signal at Farmers Insurance. 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.