Auto insurance · Updated August 2026
Progressive vs State Farm
Compared on the NAIC's 2025 complaint data, AM Best financial-strength ratings, coverage lineups, and state-by-state pricing, these are two of the strongest records in auto insurance, and the choice comes down to how you want to buy: State Farm sells through its own local agents, Progressive sells direct, through independent agents, and through brokers. 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
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, about a quarter fewer complaints than an insurer its size is expected to generate. It writes eight lines, and its tiers keep drivers with a DUI or a in-house. State Farm's complaint index and AM Best grade both sit a step better.
State Farm is the largest auto insurer in the country, with $64.6 billion in private-passenger premium on the 2025 NAIC data, and its main underwriting company drew 0.59 on the complaint index: the stronger record in this comparison. AM Best rates it A++, the highest grade it issues. It sells through its own local agents, so one office can handle auto, home, and life together. The tradeoffs: it writes five lines against Progressive's eight, and it does not write new business in Massachusetts or Rhode Island.
differ by state, and both companies price clean records aggressively. 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
Progressive vs State Farm: the data sheet
Sources are listed under the measured figures. How we compare
Progressive | State Farm | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Standard drivers, plus non-standard tiers | Drivers who want a local agent with a national carrier |
| Who underwrites it | Progressive group companies | State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. and subsidiaries |
| Complaints per policyState Farm, ahead of Progressive | 0.74 367 complaints on $10.4B written | 0.59 1,815 complaints on $64.6B written |
NAIC complaint index, 2025, private passenger auto · Progressive Direct Ins. Co. vs State Farm Mutual Automobile Ins. Co. · 1.00 is the industry median | ||
| Financial strengthBoth strong; State Farm 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 | 8 lines auto, home, renters, motorcycle, specialty property, rv, pet, life | 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 | 4.83 804,275 ratings | 4.79 1,246,642 ratings |
Apple App Store, August 2026 | ||
| SR-22 filing | Yes | Yes |
| Telematics program | Snapshot | Drive Safe & Save |
| Availability | All 50 states and Washington, D.C. | 48 states and Washington, D.C. |
| Known for | Bundling, Name Your Price, usage-based discounts | Largest U.S. auto insurer, local agent network |
In practice
Where they differ
You buy them differently
State Farm sells through its network of local agents; you can start the quote online, and an agent completes it. Progressive sells direct on its site, by phone, and through independent agents and brokers. Both price from the same state rate filings whichever path you take.
Both complaint records beat the median
On the 2025 NAIC figures, State Farm's main underwriting company drew 0.59 complaints against the expected rate for its size, and Progressive Direct drew 0.74. Both sit below the industry median of 1.00.
Different lineups beyond auto
Progressive writes eight lines, including motorcycle and RV. State Farm writes five, including life, and one agent's office services all of them. Both bundle auto and home.
Price
Which is cheaper: Progressive or State Farm?
Neither company is reliably cheaper. What sets the price:
Clean records are the battleground. Both companies price standard drivers aggressively, and their filed rates trade the lead state to state. A national average will not predict which one wins for your address.
The record still moves it. A ticket, an at-fault accident, or a lapse moves the two prices by different amounts, and the direction is not consistent between states. Progressive's non-standard tiers give it more room for complicated records.
Telematics is on offer at both. Snapshot and Drive Safe & Save both adjust the price to recorded driving after enrollment. The size of the adjustment is filed per state.
One application. Real prices from the carriers writing in your state.