Auto insurance · Updated August 2026
GEICO vs State Farm
GEICO and State Farm are the two largest personal auto brands in the United States, and they tie on most published measures: AM Best rates both A++, both write five lines, and their iOS apps sit within 0.01 stars of each other. Two things separate them. State Farm drew 0.59 on the NAIC's 2025 complaint index against GEICO General's 0.88, and State Farm sells through its own agents while GEICO sells direct online and by phone. Neither is reliably cheaper. For the same driver in the same state, either can return the lower number.
By Kevin Lee, licensed insurance agent · NPN 19669698
The short answer
GEICO has sold 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, and DriveEasy adjusts the price to recorded driving. It writes in all 50 states, including Massachusetts and Rhode Island, where State Farm does not write new business. The tradeoffs: it drew 0.88 on the NAIC's 2025 complaint index against State Farm's 0.59, and there is no local office to walk into.
State Farm has written auto since 1922 and is the largest auto insurer in the country, with $64.6 billion of private-passenger premium on the 2025 NAIC data. Its main underwriting company drew 0.59 on the complaint index, the stronger record here. AM Best rates it A++. One local agent handles auto, home, renters, life, and umbrella together, and Drive Safe & Save prices to recorded driving. The tradeoffs: it does not write new business in Massachusetts or Rhode Island, and its iOS app carries 1,246,642 ratings against GEICO's 4,753,999.
Both companies state by state and price clean records hard. For the same driver in the same state, either can return the lower number. If you live in Massachusetts or Rhode Island, the comparison ends early: State Farm does not write new business in either state.
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Side by side
GEICO vs State Farm: the data sheet
Sources are listed under the measured figures. How we compare
GEICO | State Farm | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Drivers who buy direct and manage the policy in the app | Drivers who want a local agent with a national carrier |
| Who underwrites it | GEICO group companies, part of Berkshire Hathaway | State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. and subsidiaries |
| Complaints per policyState Farm, ahead of GEICO | 0.88 536 complaints on $12.8B written | 0.59 1,815 complaints on $64.6B written |
NAIC complaint index, 2025, private passenger auto · GEICO General Ins. Co. vs State Farm Mutual Automobile Ins. Co. · 1.00 is the industry median | ||
| Financial strengthTied at A++ | A++ Superior | A++ Superior |
AM Best financial strength rating · A++ is the highest issued | ||
| Coverage you can buyTied | 5 lines auto, motorcycle, renters, home, rv | 5 lines auto, home, renters, life, umbrella |
| PriceNot rated | Filed state by state, priced to the driver. The main factors are below. | |
| Mobile appEffectively tied | 4.80 4,753,999 ratings | 4.79 1,246,642 ratings |
Apple App Store, August 2026 | ||
| SR-22 filing | Yes | Yes |
| Telematics program | DriveEasy | Drive Safe & Save |
| Availability | All 50 states | 48 states and Washington, D.C. |
| Known for | Direct sales, fast quotes, multi-policy discounts | Largest U.S. auto insurer, local agent network |
In practice
Where they differ
You buy them in opposite ways
GEICO sells its auto policies direct, on its site and by phone. State Farm sells through a network of its own agents, and the quote finishes in an agent's office. Both price from the same state rate filings whichever path you take.
The complaint records differ; the financial grades do not
On the 2025 NAIC figures, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company drew 0.59 complaints against the expected rate for its size, and GEICO General drew 0.88. Both sit below the industry median of 1.00. AM Best rates both companies A++, the highest grade it issues.
Five lines each, different five
GEICO lists auto, motorcycle, renters, home, and RV. State Farm lists auto, home, renters, life, and umbrella, and it also sells banking and investment products. Motorcycle and RV sit on the GEICO list; life and umbrella sit on State Farm's.
Price
Which is cheaper: GEICO or State Farm?
Neither company is reliably cheaper. What sets the price:
Clean records are the battleground. GEICO and State Farm both compete hardest on drivers with no recent violations, and their filed rates trade the lead from state to state. A national average will not predict which one wins at your address.
Bundling changes the comparison. State Farm prices auto, home, and life on one account through one agent. GEICO discounts multi-policy customers as well. The bundle discount is filed per state, so the combined number decides it rather than the auto number alone.
Both offer telematics. DriveEasy and Drive Safe & Save 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.