Auto insurance · Updated August 2026
Root Insurance vs Bristol West
Root Insurance is built for good drivers priced by a measured test drive. Bristol West is built for drivers with tickets, lapses, or financed cars that need full coverage. On the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, Root Ins. Co. drew 1.92 and Bristol West Ins. Co. drew 1.59, against an industry median of 1.00. AM Best rates Root Insurance B++ and Bristol West 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
Root Insurance has written auto since 2015 and writes through Root Insurance Co.. It writes two lines: auto, and renters. Test drive in the Root app adjusts the price to recorded driving. The tradeoffs: it drew 1.92 on the 2025 complaint index against Bristol West's 1.59, and AM Best rates it B++ against Bristol West's A.
Bristol West has written auto since 1973 and writes through Bristol West insurance companies, part of Farmers. Bristol West Ins. Co. drew 1.59 on the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, 54 complaints on $713 million of private-passenger premium. AM Best rates it A. The tradeoffs: it writes one line against Root Insurance's two, and it runs no program.
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
Root Insurance vs Bristol West: the data sheet
Sources are listed under the measured figures. How we compare
Root Insurance | Bristol West | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Good drivers priced by a measured test drive | Drivers with tickets, lapses, or financed cars that need full coverage |
| Who underwrites it | Root Insurance Co. | Bristol West insurance companies, part of Farmers |
| Complaints per policyBristol West, ahead of Root Insurance | 1.92 71 complaints on $778M written | 1.59 54 complaints on $713M written |
NAIC complaint index, 2025, private passenger auto · Root Ins. Co. vs Bristol West Ins. Co. · 1.00 is the industry median | ||
| Financial strengthBristol West, rated higher | B++ Good | A Excellent |
AM Best financial strength rating · A++ is the highest issued | ||
| Coverage you can buyRoot Insurance, if you want to bundle | 2 lines auto, renters | 1 line auto |
| PriceNot rated | Filed state by state, priced to the driver. The main factors are below. | |
| Mobile appEffectively tied | 4.70 73,089 ratings | 4.77 6,170 ratings |
Apple App Store, August 2026 | ||
| SR-22 filing | Yes | Yes |
| Telematics program | Test drive in the Root app | None |
| Availability | Available in 30+ states | 43 states |
| Known for | Pricing by test drive, claims filed in the app | SR-22 filings, flexible down payments, Farmers agent availability |
In practice
Where they differ
The complaint records
On the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, Root Ins. Co. drew 1.92 and Bristol West Ins. Co. drew 1.59, 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 Root Insurance B++ and Bristol West 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
Root Insurance policies are written by Root Insurance Co.. Bristol West policies are written by Bristol West insurance companies, part of Farmers. 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
Root Insurance writes two lines and Bristol West writes one line. Root Insurance writes auto, and renters. Bristol West writes auto. If auto is all you need, the difference costs you nothing.
Price
Which is cheaper: Root Insurance or Bristol West?
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. Root Insurance runs Test drive in the Root app, a telematics program; the CMS records none for Bristol West. 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.