Auto insurance · Updated August 2026
GEICO vs Progressive
GEICO and Progressive are two of the largest auto insurers in the United States, and the split between them is how you buy and what else you can insure. GEICO sells direct. Progressive sells direct, by phone, and through independent agents and brokers, and it writes eight lines to GEICO's five. On the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, Progressive Direct drew 0.74 and GEICO General drew 0.88, both below the industry median of 1.00. 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 sold auto insurance direct since 1936 and is a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary. AM Best rates it A++, the highest grade it issues. Its iOS app holds 4.80 stars across 4,753,999 ratings, the largest ratings base in this comparison, and DriveEasy adjusts the price to recorded driving. It writes in all 50 states and files . The tradeoffs: five lines against Progressive's eight, and a 0.88 complaint index against Progressive Direct's 0.74 on the 2025 NAIC data.
Progressive sells direct, by phone, and through independent agents and brokers. Its largest auto , Progressive Direct, drew 0.74 on the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, 367 complaints on $10.4 billion of private-passenger premium. It writes eight lines, including motorcycle and RV, and its tiers keep a driver with a DUI or a in-house. The tradeoffs: AM Best rates it A+, a step under GEICO, and it writes home coverage largely through partner carriers rather than on its own paper.
Both companies state by state and price clean records hard. A national average will not predict which one wins at your address. For the same driver in the same state, either can return the lower number.
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Side by side
GEICO vs Progressive: the data sheet
Sources are listed under the measured figures. How we compare
GEICO | Progressive | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Drivers who buy direct and manage the policy in the app | Standard drivers, plus non-standard tiers |
| Who underwrites it | GEICO group companies, part of Berkshire Hathaway | Progressive group companies |
| Complaints per policyProgressive, ahead of GEICO | 0.88 536 complaints on $12.8B written | 0.74 367 complaints on $10.4B written |
NAIC complaint index, 2025, private passenger auto · GEICO General Ins. Co. vs Progressive Direct Ins. Co. · 1.00 is the industry median | ||
| Financial strengthBoth strong; GEICO a step higher | A++ Superior | A+ Superior |
AM Best financial strength rating · A++ is the highest issued | ||
| Coverage you can buyProgressive, if you want to bundle | 5 lines auto, motorcycle, renters, home, rv | 8 lines auto, home, renters, motorcycle, specialty property, rv, pet, life |
| PriceNot rated | Filed state by state, priced to the driver. The main factors are below. | |
| Mobile appEffectively tied | 4.80 4,753,999 ratings | 4.83 804,275 ratings |
Apple App Store, August 2026 | ||
| SR-22 filing | Yes | Yes |
| Telematics program | DriveEasy | Snapshot |
| Availability | All 50 states | All 50 states and Washington, D.C. |
| Known for | Direct sales, fast quotes, multi-policy discounts | Bundling, Name Your Price, usage-based discounts |
In practice
Where they differ
You buy them differently
GEICO sells its auto policies direct, on its site and by phone. Progressive sells direct, by phone, and through independent agents and brokers. Both price from the same state rate filings whichever path you take.
Both complaint records sit below the median
On the 2025 NAIC figures, Progressive Direct drew 0.74 complaints against the expected rate for its size, and GEICO General drew 0.88. The industry median is 1.00, so both companies generate fewer complaints than an insurer their size is expected to generate.
Different lineups beyond auto
Progressive writes eight lines, including motorcycle, RV, and pet. GEICO writes five: auto, motorcycle, renters, home, and RV. Progressive places much of its home coverage with partner carriers rather than writing it directly. If auto is all you need, the difference costs you nothing.
Price
Which is cheaper: GEICO or Progressive?
Neither company is reliably cheaper. What sets the price:
Clean records are the battleground. GEICO and Progressive both compete hardest on drivers with no recent violations, and their filed rates trade the lead from state to state. The two quotes for the same clean record can land within a few dollars or a few hundred.
A violation moves them by different amounts. Progressive files non-standard tiers, so a DUI or a lapse can stay with the same company at a higher price. GEICO files SR-22s as well. The direction of the gap after a violation is not consistent between states.
Both offer telematics. DriveEasy and Snapshot each measure driving through the phone and adjust the price on the result. The size of the adjustment is filed per state, and enrolling can raise a price as well as lower it.
One application. Real prices from the carriers writing in your state.