Auto insurance · Updated August 2026
Nationwide vs Travelers
Nationwide is built for drivers who bundle through an independent agent. Travelers is built for independent-agent buyers who bundle home and auto. On the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, Nationwide Mutual Ins. Co. drew 0.27 and Standard Fire Ins. Co. drew 0.38, against an industry median of 1.00. AM Best rates Nationwide A+ and Travelers A++. 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
Nationwide has written auto since 1926 and writes through Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. and affiliates. Nationwide Mutual Ins. Co. drew 0.27 on the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, 13 complaints on $1.0 billion of private-passenger premium. It writes eight lines: auto, home, renters, life, pet, umbrella, commercial, and motorcycle. The tradeoff: AM Best rates it A+ against Travelers's A++.
Travelers has written auto since 1853 and writes through Travelers group companies. AM Best rates it A++, the highest grade it issues. The tradeoffs: it drew 0.38 on the 2025 complaint index against Nationwide's 0.27, and it writes six lines against Nationwide's eight.
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
Nationwide vs Travelers: the data sheet
Sources are listed under the measured figures. How we compare
Nationwide | Travelers | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Drivers who bundle through an independent agent | Independent-agent buyers who bundle home and auto |
| Who underwrites it | Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. and affiliates | Travelers group companies |
| Complaints per policyNationwide, ahead of Travelers | 0.27 13 complaints on $1.0B written | 0.38 64 complaints on $3.6B written |
NAIC complaint index, 2025, private passenger auto · Nationwide Mutual Ins. Co. vs Standard Fire Ins. Co. · 1.00 is the industry median | ||
| Financial strengthBoth strong; Travelers a step higher | A+ Superior | A++ Superior |
AM Best financial strength rating · A++ is the highest issued | ||
| Coverage you can buyNationwide, if you want to bundle | 8 lines auto, home, renters, life, pet, umbrella, commercial, motorcycle | 6 lines auto, home, renters, boat, umbrella, commercial |
| PriceNot rated | Filed state by state, priced to the driver. The main factors are below. | |
| Mobile appEffectively tied | 4.69 70,189 ratings | 4.69 124,651 ratings |
Apple App Store, August 2026 | ||
| Telematics program | SmartRide | IntelliDrive |
| Availability | Available in most states | Available in all 50 states |
| Known for | SmartRide and SmartMiles usage-based options | IntelliDrive discounts, hybrid and electric vehicle discounts |
In practice
Where they differ
The complaint records
On the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, Nationwide Mutual Ins. Co. drew 0.27 and Standard Fire Ins. Co. drew 0.38, 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 Nationwide A+ and Travelers 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
Nationwide policies are written by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. and affiliates. Travelers policies are written by Travelers group companies. 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
Nationwide writes eight lines and Travelers writes six lines. Nationwide writes auto, home, renters, life, pet, umbrella, commercial, and motorcycle. Travelers writes auto, home, renters, boat, umbrella, and commercial. If auto is all you need, the difference costs you nothing.
Price
Which is cheaper: Nationwide or Travelers?
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: SmartRide at Nationwide, IntelliDrive at Travelers. 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.